NILS LOFGREN BAND - ‘Weathered’

 In the ‘80’s I had mixed musical tastes, grounded in punk and rock and I was lucky to see many of the hair metal acts, beloved of Rockfiend, on their main tours. On the one hand I was a massive fan of many of these bands and often the trashier the better, but on the other I was also a massive fan of Bruce Springsteen and his songwriting. One such wormhole arose when ‘Miami Steve’ (Van Zandt) left the E Street Band and was replaced by Nils Lofgren on guitar. With an insatiable appetite for music, I was curious to discover more about this ‘newcomer’ and started acquainting myself with Nils’ earlier solo material and with Grin - a path which I have continued to this day. I first saw him play live at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh in December 1985 on the night of my 18th birthday touring on the back of ‘Flip’ (the tour of which was subsequently released as the ‘Code of the Road’ live album). I was completely captivated by his guitar playing and the quality of his songwriting … oh, and not to forget the small act of jumping off a trampoline and doing a backflip on stage while playing his guitar without missing a note. On stage, he was electrifying. Over the years I’ve been to hundreds of gigs and been fortunate to see many highly-rated guitarists ply their trade including Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, Steve Vai, Vivian Campbell and Slash to name but a few … and outshining them all was Nils Lofgren. I last saw him live at the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh in May 2018, touring to celebrate 50 years on the road. While the backflips had gone, the knees had been replaced and tap-dancing had been introduced to his act, his guitar playing was better than ever.      

 To many fans of heavier rock, Nils Lofgren remains a hugely under-recognised guitar player. To those Rockfiend readers who may be unfamiliar with his name and playing, it is useful to put in context how highly rated he is having been both asked at the age of just 18 by Neil Young to play on ‘After the Gold Rush’ and to join Crazy Horse, and then to join Bruce Springsteen & the E Street band jn 1984 just before the mammoth 150-date Born in the USA tour. Fast forward 36 years and approaching 70 he is still playing, still recording, still touring, still a member of the E Street Band, still a solo artist and still the greatest guitar player I have seen live. And, of course, to those who know his music he is so much more than a guitar player, also an under-rated songwriter and singer in his own right. 

Released during COVID-19, ‘Weathered’ is a 16 track live album recorded on some low-key club dates in the States last year which was the first outing of the Nils Lofgren Band in 15 years on the back of a new album - his acclaimed ‘Blue With Lou’ studio album featuring previously unreleased tracks which he had written some years before with Lou Reed. Spanning two discs, the album starts with ‘Daddy Dream’ (from ‘Wonderland’) and ends with ‘I Came to Dance’ (from his 1977 album of the same name). Sandwiched in between there are many favourites and highlights – ‘Across the Tracks’, ‘No Mercy, four new tracks off of ‘Blue With Lou’ (‘Rock or Not’, ‘Too Blue to Play’, ‘Don’t Let Your Guard Down’ and a stunning ‘Give’), a cover of ‘Papa was a Rolling Stone’ and, for me the highlight of the album – an epic 14 minute version of ‘Girl in Motion’. To be clear, I’m not usually a fan of extended guitar solos, however good. But in Nils’ hands, the guitar is more than an instrument – it sings. And on this album his musicality has the perfect partner in the deliciously soulful background vocals of Cindy Mizelle, backed by his multi-instrumentalist brother Tom on guitars, keyboards and percussion, Kevin McCormick on bass and Andy Newmark on drums.   

 ‘Weathered’ is a record of an intimate tour in which the music was played to be really listened to and savoured. As an album it is also best listened to intimately - when you’re in the mood to lose yourself in sheer musical virtuosity, to be enjoyed late at night, with the lights down low and your drink of choice in hand.  

‘Weathered’ is released on Castle Track Road Records. Signed copies can be ordered from Backstreets in the States. https://www.backstreets.com

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