Nils Lofgren : Movies/Back It Up
[Purchase]
Treasured by those of us who think Nils Lofgren's solo debut is one of the great albums of 1975, this October 31, 1975 recording of a live radio broadcast at The Record Plant for KSAN-FM is a rollicking collection of songs performed by Lofgren, his touring band and, on some tunes, special guest Al Kooper. The songs are looser. Each tune gives Lofgren room to show why his guitar and piano skills earned him roles as sideman for both Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.
Wow, just wow! How in god's heaven (I'm of the atheist persuasion myself) isn't Nils Lofgren more widely known? His guitar play on this track alone is simply dazzling, I often tell people, when the opportunity arises, that Springsteen isn't fit to lace Nils' strings and hyperbole notwithstanding, I truly believe it. Clearly, for reasons of his own he seems content these past 25 years to take a role away from the headlights. Fair do's. I've got all his 70s/80s albums but sadly only saw him once at a sparsely attended, criminally under promoted Sheffield University gig circa 1989. As for CD reissues of his classic albums, well, sadly they haven't materialised. Imagine my joy then when I heard of the recent Face The Music several album box set re-issue, imagine my despair when I saw the £120+ asking price. Nevertheless for me, Nils, apart from him being a humble and unassuming fella is major league top drawer. May his star rise!
ReplyDelete