Customer Reviews

Nils Lofgren

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

People say the 70's were bad for music except for the emergence of new wave and punk. With disco at its peak(?) it was a tough time for rock and roll. Then there was Nils. His first solo album after Grin and work with other artists, this album showed the amazing talent that still stuns live audiences around the world. From this session arose the now legendary Back It Up!! authorized bootleg album, the only promo I have seen that said not for sale or DISTRIBUTION. In other words you knew you were blessed to get it or hear it. It was radio station only at the time. Nils shows his wide range of styles and his keen sense of emotion expressed through his ax. Rolling Stone reviewed this work at 4.5 of 5 stars when it came out and called it Suburban rock because it expressed the angst and lives of middle class kids. Piano work on "The Sun Has Not Set (on this boy yet)" and Going Back are still very inspirational. "I Dont want to know", Duty, One More Saturday Night,Two by Two and "If I say it its so" show the ups and downs of relationships.The rockers Back it up and Keith Dont Go are now legendary. Performing back flips while playing guitar seems unnecessary but that is what makes Nils the consummate showman. Bruce Springstein, Neil Young and Ringo Starr have their pick of guitarists to front their bands but they prefer Nils. If I were only allowed to own one commercial CD for the rest of my life, this is it.

nils ,along with steve van zendt,is one of the best guitarist that the music business has ever seen. very very underrated in the u.s which is unfortunate. one of best rock n rollers .thanks to nils it is even a greater experience to see and listen to the boss.love you nils!

This 1975 debut album by Nils Lofgren as a solo artist (formerly a member of Grin) is one of my favorites and contains great singing and even better playing. The band featured ace drummer Aynsley Dunbar, whose tasteful and solid playing laid a bedrock that Nils built some great songs on top of. "If I Say It's So," "Rock 'n' Roll Crook" and "I Don't Wanna Know" are wonderful, and Nils version of Carole King's "Goin' Back" is one of the best covers I've ever heard. The guitar and vocals on "Two By Two" are haunting. The 1976 follow-up album, "Cry Tough" contained some left over tracks from these sessions, like "Incidentally, It's Over," as well as newer tunes like the title track and "It's Not A Crime," which featured the exceptional talents of Al Kooper, Chuck Rainey, and Jim Gordon.
I WANT "CRY TOUGH" ON CD! AND I WANT IT NOW!

Nils Lofgren is, or was in the '70's the most original guitar player around. He only sounde like Nils and nobody else. This LP and "Frampton" were my favorites at the time they were released, both on A&M records, at that time. I was actually a little pissed when he joined up with Springsteen as I concluded that his solo career was doomed. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't but this along with "Cry Tough"...(where is that CD?????)defined his career. "The sun hasn't set on this boy yet" was under my HS senior picture in my yearbook. I first saw Nils in '76 at the Schaeffer music festival in Central Park and then again in the early '80's at The Bottom Line and he blew me away with his guitar playing both times.

Beautiful harmonies, real situations average people can relate to, coming of age themes, and all wrapped around one of the planet's most accomplished rock guitarists. Listen to this one album and understand why Springsteen picked Nils as his guitarist for 1985 and 1999 tours.

This is one of my favorite records ever. It is a real gem with great songs--Back It Up, Keith Don't Go, Going Back, Rock 'n' Roll Crook--and brilliant playing. It should have been a big hit. I have purchased nearly everything that Nils ever recorded since in the hopes that it would equal this great disc. While he has made some fine recordings, this is his best guitar rock effort.

This album showcases Nils Lofgren's fluid rocking guitar style. "Kieth Don't Go" is a tour-de-force rocker, while "Back It Up Baby" shows that he has the ability to write tuneful, succinct rock & roll. "Can't Buy A Break" features his bluesy slide guitar playing. Great album. By the way, Mr. Lofgren is an incendiary live performer!

While people prattle on endlessly about Lofgren's current employer Bruce Springsteen - who is certainly the most overrated rock star ever - Lofgren's debut is actually superior to anything The Boss has done. Check out "Two By Two" for the most romantic rock'n'roll song since Buddy Holly's "True Love Ways."

No hype this is one of the best rock albums ever. Do yourself a favor and buy it. Nils never hit this peak again although much of his work is extremely good. I recommend the remastered version. I have never gotten tired of hearing it (bought it on vinyl when it was released). A true master work from an under rated artist.

A terrific solo debut that was unfortunatly never matched by his follow ups, this disc fulfilled the promise he showed with Grin and his stint with Crazy Horse.It has a few weak moments lyrically,(Duty), but overall his songwriting is solid and guitar playing exceptional. Included is one of the best covers of a Carol King tune ever, Goin' Back. When released it was a refreshing bit of pop/rock in an era of wretched excess.