Customer Reviews

Damaged Goods

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Unfortunately, Nils is best known as a side-man in Bruce Springsteen's band and Neil Young's band and Ringo Starr's band and Kenny Rogers's sadly-defunct wood-fired chicken-band. His side-man status is a frigging shame. Because Nils's underappreciated solo records are a lot more fun than anything by Springsteen or Young or Ringo or even Kenny Rogers.

Please don't judge this record by its dull cover-shot of Nils doing a nodded-out hipster pose with a carefully contrived sloppiness. My only complaint about DAMAGED GOODS is that some of the tunes were seemingly written around the lyrics instead of around the music. I like 8 of the 12 tracks. These are my fave tracks:

ALONE: My fave tune on the record. The string section is a fab addition. Nils creates a hypnotic ethereal riff on what is presumably an acoustic 12-string. Included is Nils's trademark "hey baby" phrase.

TRIP TO MARS: Uh-oh. It's got a kiddie chorus. But wait. There's a lone grown-up in the chorus. A woman with a gorgeous voice. And she semi-redeems the kiddie chorus. I like how the chorus drops down a note at the end of 2 of the lines. During the non-kiddie sections, Nils's acoustic playing is fab & gear. He also trills around on a tack piano (or a synthesizer imitating a tack piano).

HERE FOR YOU: Showcases the upper register of his voice. As well as the occasional accordion fillip. I like the chord sequence that accompanies the phrases "down we fell" and "straight to hell". I also like his bitter enunciation of the phrase "to save my life, to break my heart".

IN THE ROOM: Grounded on a fab piano riff. Nils's accordion provides a fine short segue section. The guitar break is all too brief--there's a fantastic harmonic tension between the lead guitar and the 12-string.

DON'T BE LATE FOR YESTERDAY: A fine sinister hard-rock tune with a psychedelic ambience. The gothic "don't be late" phrase sounds like it was possibly suggested by George Harrison's "please don't be late" phrase from BLUE JAY WAY. Includes 2 luscious run-thrus of a bluesy descending acoustic-guitar passage. Also includes an obligatory everything-and-the-kitchen-sink extended ending.

very good album full of great music...enjoy playing this as background music while others are around...good for playing while boating