Of all the members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, possibly the least appreciated is singer/songwriter Nils Lofgren, of whom this 9 cd/1 dvd retrospective spotlights. Unjustly overlooked as one of this eras strongest songwriters, Lofgren has had essentially three careers, that of a leader of a folk rock band in the 70s called Grin, his own impressive solo career, and then his years as a sideman for Bruce Springsteen. Wisely, this collection includes lots of material from his early years, as well as some previously unreleased material and some juicy obscurities.
The Grin material has him as the hopeless romantic , with wonderful songs such as “ Like Rain” and “White Lies”,. The band was on a level with Buffalo Springfield, but even tunes like “Lost Number” and “Moon Tears” couldn’t get the respect they deserve. His solo discs include absolute classics such as “Back It Up,” “Two By Two” “The Sun Hasn’t Set” and “You’re The Weight.” His guitar prowess is spotlighted on “Can’t Buy A Break” where he makes his axe moan on this bluesy delight, making you wonder why someone hasn’t covered this gem. Sidemen on his albums include heavy hitters like drummers Aynsley Dunbar, Levon Helm and Buddy Miles. His time with Springsteen is acknowledged here as well, and his collection of collaborations with the likes of Willie Nelson, Dave Crosby, Paul Rodgers, Sam Moore shows the width and breath of his talents and range. Surprise joys include his 2008 interpretation of Neil Young’s The Loner and an all instrumental collection on Tuff Stuff. Material from his concert albums is mixed in as well, and unreleased songs from his Cattletrack Road Records label take up a whle disc, with some impressive material such as “Face The Music,” Tears Inside” and “Sad Walk.” His earliest days before Grin are a real find, but the real treat is a take of “Keith Don’t Go” with Neil Young on piano singing along.
The dvd includes a promo song or two as well as a bunch of nice concert gigs of various groups. The most noteworthy is the 2004 Grin reunion along with Bob Gordon’s son Billy Gordon and the versions of “Moon Tears” and “If I Were A Song” age amazingly well.
The collection is a big commitment to make, but worthwhile to absorb HIS commitment to the music.
Concord Records