Nils Lofgren

I remember this coming out on vinyl and playing it to death and then seeing the man live on UK TV (Old Grey Whistle Test) and live on tour. It made one realise that his role in Grin and the support back up role for Neil Young especially on "After the Goldrush" had simply been preparation for a true "rock'n' roll crook" stepping out (as reflected in a song of the same name on this recording).Congratulations to Hip-O in bringing it out in a pristine sounding CD. Not a bum track but sadly no extras (despite Nils doing many radio and TV recordings in promoting this release, as shown on the separate Hip-O CD recent "Back it up" issue). It all serves to underline that while Nils was clearly ready for his solo stepping out, he was well served in the event by the sure hand of David Briggs (of Neil Young and Spirit production credits) as co-producer and the impeccable support of Wornell Jones on bass and what seemed at the time a strange choice given his Mayall and Zappa conenctions of Aynsley Dunbar (before he sadly succumbed later to MS) but instead showed what an ace session rock drummer he was.For me Nils has never bettered this release for its overall consistency, live sounding punch and what he does best of delivering great rock'n'roll songs whether ballads (Goffin & King's "Goin' Back") or rockers (the best example being the very topical at the time of release "Keith don't go", about the Stone's drug prosecution difficulties in Canada).Cannot recommend too highly and hopefully I will not wear my CD out as quickly as I did my original LP!

I am a lover of classic rock and I have the vinyl version of this album. For me, this is one of my all time favorite albums of all time. I could never understand why it was not more popular. I never heard any air play on any radio station. However, in a way that is good because they never spoiled the music by playing it too much. This album is up beat, with good vocals and nice guitar riffs. The album was recorded in 1975, so the sound is only a B. However, the album is an A for music and vocals.

I heard a Nils song on the radio - something I haven't heard in like 30 years - so I bought this disk as it seemed that it had the album cover of his that I most remember listening to - If you like pre 80s Nils this is classic music - backflips and all.

Classic debut solo album from a guy who should have been a superstar on his own, rather than a super-sideman.

Nils Lofgren's self-titled debut album is also his best solo release ever. The songs basically run the gamut from pop numbers about love lost and recovered and celebratory anthems to more cautionary attacks on the music business, the latter of which is used as a metaphor for any kind of self-indulgence. Overall, this CD is both celebratory AND cautionary, serving as a reminder that I need to avoid getting into situations that I can't control in order to look good for any number of pretty actresses. The mix of celebration and cautiousness is a clear reflection of both the Italian and Swedish sides of Lofgren's heritage, the latter of which offers evidence that the Vikings preceded Columbus to the New World. Lofgren often got as good as this later (as on "No Mercy", from 1979's excellent NILS), but he never bettered this album.

This simply put is one of the best albums made period. Nils never equaled this after of before. It was well received when it was released and I have bought many copies (wore out my vinyl original). Get this one now, it truly is five stars +.

Excellent work by a great muscian, poet and songwriter!

After three commercially thin albums with Grin, and a brief dabble as a sideman with Neil Young, Lofgren combined artistic and commercial success with this 1975 solo debut. Given his reputation as a guitar slinger, listeners might have been surprised to find him an all-around artist (guitarist, singer, songwriter) - similar in many ways to the transition Peter Frampton made from Humble Pie to solo artist. Lofgren's songs, vocals and even his funky piano playing came together with terrific support from the rhythm section of Wornell Jones on bass and Aynsley Dunbar on drums. In addition to Lofgren's originals he covers Goffin & King's "Goin' Back," sounding neither like the Byrds wistful 1968 take, nor King's singer-songwritery 1970 version. This album remains one of the most listenable rock releases of 1975, with memorable lyrics, hook-filled melodies and performances that still sound remarkably fresh. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]

Back in the early eighties Nils was one of my main men. I first got into him after hearing my cousins copy of Night After Night, and quickly went out and bought a number of his albums over the next few years including this one, his debut, but then I lost interest and my old tape copies went. His original albums have been in and out of the cd catalogue over the years, usually out when I've taken a look for them. Then last year one of his old radio broadcasts from 1977 was released and that got me interested again, a reminder of just how good he was in those early years. Now the good folks at Real Gone Music have got hold of the rights to this album and decided to re-release it.Now we all know our memories can play tricks on us, albums we thought years ago were the bees knees we listen to today and suddenly think 'What was I thinking????' and , of course, vice versa. So when I decided to order this I did wonder 'Am I going to be really disappointed here?'. You might have guessed that no I'm not disappointed. This is a classic example of mid seventies laid back rock, perhaps a little too laid back for some tastes. It includes a good few of his classics including Back It Up, Rock And Roll Crook, and Keith Don't Go, the only track that doesn't quite hit the mark for me is the ballad Two By Two, which is a bit too soft for my liking, but it may grow on me and I'm not going to let it spoil my pleasure at re-discovering this lost classic. The band consist of the man himself playing most instruments, Wornell Jones on Bass and the great Aynsley Dunbar on drums and David Briggs produced it, the man responsible for so many of Neil Youngs classics. Nils' guitar playing is right up there, especially on the aforementioned Keith Don't Go, no wonder Springsteen has kept him the E Street Band for the past 30 years.A quick word about the sound. There is an essay from the man himself included in the booklet but no information about whether this has been re-mastered. If it has not been re-mastered then they must have done a bloody good job of it back in the eighties because this really does sound very good, very clear, with good separation on the instruments. One of the other reviews goes into great detail on the re-mastering used on a previous edition of this album, and I suspect that this is the same re-master used here. But whether it is or isn't this still sounds very good. If mid -seventies classic laid back rock is your thing then I suggest you investigate this forgotten classic.

I have nothing to add to all the positive comments made by other reviewers about this album ~ it is something of a classic, albeit the electric guitar sounds rather shrill in places.However, I bought the CD reissue first time round back in 1990 and, having waited many years for a newly digitally remastered edition to come out, I have to say I've been rather disappointed by this. To my ears anyway, it sounds virtually no different from the original CD issue (and I do set great store by good digital remastering).So yes, this is a great album of its time and genre, but for this latest reissue I really don't think they've done much more than include in the sleeve notes the name of the bloke who did the original transfer from analogue to digital nearly twenty years ago.If you managed to get hold of one of the first generation CD issues, I suggest you think twice about rushing to order this one in the hope that it'll sound markedly better than the one you already own. As have I, you may well find that it doesn't.

Doesn't sound as good as my sadly missed vinyl copy, but still good to own this fabulous album again.

I had this album on vinyl years and years ago and wore it out. I've been waiting for it to be re-issued on CD ever since ...now it has been and I'm in danger of wearing out the CD. It's Lofgren's first album and is just brilliant. I can't recommend it enough - a guitar demi-god giving his listeners a lesson in simple songs made brilliant by personal genius

GREAT

ok

Another great album , recommended.

Excellent album ,Excellent service

After 3 albums with his band GRIN on Epic Records – American guitar virtuoso NILS LOFGREN finally released his first solo album on A&M Records in 1975. But for such a popular album – it’s had a gnarly history when it comes to CD. Here are the harmonic pings and bouncing trampolines…USA released October 2007 – “Nils Lofgren” by NILS LOFGREN on Hip-O Select B000973202 (Barcode 602517438323) is a straightforward transfer of the 1975 12-track vinyl album and plays out as follows (35:07 minutes):1. Be Good Tonight2. Back It Up3. One More Saturday Night4. If I Say It, It’s So5. I Don’t Want To Know6. Keith Don’t Go (Ode To A Glimmer Twin)7. Can’t Buy A Break [Side 2]8. Duty9. The Sun Hasn’t Set On This Boy Yet10. Rock And Roll Crook11. Two By Two12. Goin’ BackTracks 1 to 12 are his debut solo album “Nils Lofgren” – released March 1975 in the USA on A&M Records SP-4509 and April 1975 in the UK on A&M AMLH 64509.Note: “Keith Don’t Go (Ode To A Glimmer Twin)” is about Keith Richards and features a version of their “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” built into its guitar partsLofgren handled all Guitars, Lead & Backing Vocals, Keyboards and Organ while WORNELL JONES supplied the Bass and AYNSLEY DUNBAR the Drums.First up though are a couple of points worth noting – be careful you get the right version - Amazon UK once wrongly credited this 2007 CD reissue as being by RYKODISC – it's not – it’s a HIP-O SELECT release – the American Mail-Order Company associated with Universal (use the Barcode provided above on the Search Bar to locate the right CD). Second - neither the title on Amazon, the outside packaging nor the rear inlay mentions the all-important REMASTER word - and yet MARK OMANN at Universal ‘has’ remastered the album and to beautiful effect. Amazon also has a nasty habit of lumping all reviews and all issues together - so if you want the 2015 'Real Gone Music' reissue of the "Nils Lofgren" album see my note below with the Barcode to locate that issue.You get 11 originals and a stunning final-song on Side 2 cover version of Goffin & King's "Goin' Back" - unleashed on the world by DUSTY SPRINGFIELD in 1966 and THE BYRDS on their 1968 album "The Notorious Byrd Brothers". Carole King herself did a version of it on her 1970 debut solo album "Writer: Carole King", but Lofgren's take is altogether different. He gives it a fantastic funky piano jaunt - making it much more up-tempo and positive. For those interested, the expanded piano version of the song on Lofgren's 1977 live double "Night After Night" is also a stunning highlight.For such a famously fluid guitar player capable of making the hairs on your arms stand up with his flourishes and deft touch - there’s surprisingly little guitar pyrotechnics on the album - "Keith Don’t Go" (lyrics above) and "Rock And Roll Crook" are notable exceptions. It’s more about the songs. The slightly fuzzed-up guitar opener "Be Good Tonight" gives way to the band kicking in on "Back It Up". And it’s then that you begin to notice the sonic upgrade. Tracks like "I Don’t Want To Know", "The Sun Hasn’t Set On This Boy Yet" and the pre Mink DeVille street-hustle of "Two By Two" now sound full and clear – the remaster imbibing them with real muscle. You also hear the acoustic guitar overlays in the back of the mix.On the downside, it’s a damn shame that the inlay is merely a gatefold slip of paper with the most rudimentary details (the original album artwork was pretty much a bare-bones affair too) - and worse – there’s no tasty outtakes or bonus tracks. An opportunity missed there. Still - I love this album - I played it to death then and I’ll do so again now.“Nils Lofgren” is a great Seventies LP – an overlooked nugget finally given the sonic upgrade on CD it’s needed for decades. Buy this US import with confidence. If it proves hard to find – there's also a 2015 'Real Gone Music' CD version on RGM-0360 (Barcode 848064003601). Real Gone Music is ex Rhino and has an impressive catalogue of artists and great audio as well. Either way – you'll be sorted for all your 'Fat Man' needs...PS: see also my separate reviews for his 2nd and 3rd solo albums - "Cry Tough" (1976) and "I Came To Dance" (1977) – now also reissued by Hip-O Select on remasters

super

ニルスのアルバムでは、これが一番好き。ていうか、全てのロックアルバムの中での、マイフェイヴァリット！全曲一緒に歌えるし、自己流に訳詩もしてる位に好きだ。中でも、一番愛してる曲は、アイ・ドント・ウォント・トゥ・ノウ（知りたくないよ！）最高です。ＰＳ：８年位前に買った（このアルバムだけで4枚目（笑））Ａ＆Ｍリマスター盤には「ガールズ・ドント・カム」ってアウトテイクが入ってた。　ポップな懐かしい曲調のニルス節炸裂の曲で、これまた最高！

真空管アンプを通しタンノイで聞いています、アコースティクの音が素晴らしいです。