22-07-2023, 15:19
NILS LOFGREN ~ Mountains
![[Image: 220px-Nils_Lofgren_-_Mountains.png]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f0/Nils_Lofgren_-_Mountains.png/220px-Nils_Lofgren_-_Mountains.png)
Wow – hot on the heels of the Crazy Horse collaboration, Nils Lofgren releases a new album which includes contributions by Neil Young, Ringo Starr, David Crosby (so it’s obviously been in the works for a while now), Cindy Mizelle, the Howard Gospel Choir, and Ron Carter.
Nils is getting on a bit, just like all of us, and his voice is really not well defined and still, for some reason, this all rings true. Seems he dug deep and gives from his heart. His guitar skills remain intact and while I'm not going to rush out and buy this album, the music did manage to draw me in.
One can be critical of a not so perfect voice and a somewhat shlurry delivery, but that doesn’t stop this particular offering coming across well, and sincerely. Hmmm – I’m a little surprised tbh – and not a little enchanted by some of these songs.
Favourites ...
“Only Ticket Out” – an urgent, grungy, driving affair … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD4X9HPpzTc
“Nothin’s Easy” – for his wife Amy – a couple of tracks on the album document their love story. The lyric in this goes “nothin’s easy ‘cept you…” and I had to have a little chuckle at the possible double entendre, but anyway … Neil Young’s harmony vocal on this one … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMbsPLL5wWU
“Only Your Smile” with a simply fabulous bassline courtesy of Ron Carter … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ5yVjmMZns
“I Remember Her Name” with the late great Croz … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hog52-L7UR0
... and the final track which is a fittingly triumphant ending, I thort - “Angel Blues” …
Wow – hot on the heels of the Crazy Horse collaboration, Nils Lofgren releases a new album which includes contributions by Neil Young, Ringo Starr, David Crosby (so it’s obviously been in the works for a while now), Cindy Mizelle, the Howard Gospel Choir, and Ron Carter.
Nils is getting on a bit, just like all of us, and his voice is really not well defined and still, for some reason, this all rings true. Seems he dug deep and gives from his heart. His guitar skills remain intact and while I'm not going to rush out and buy this album, the music did manage to draw me in.
One can be critical of a not so perfect voice and a somewhat shlurry delivery, but that doesn’t stop this particular offering coming across well, and sincerely. Hmmm – I’m a little surprised tbh – and not a little enchanted by some of these songs.
Favourites ...
“Only Ticket Out” – an urgent, grungy, driving affair … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD4X9HPpzTc
“Nothin’s Easy” – for his wife Amy – a couple of tracks on the album document their love story. The lyric in this goes “nothin’s easy ‘cept you…” and I had to have a little chuckle at the possible double entendre, but anyway … Neil Young’s harmony vocal on this one … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMbsPLL5wWU
“Only Your Smile” with a simply fabulous bassline courtesy of Ron Carter … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ5yVjmMZns
“I Remember Her Name” with the late great Croz … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hog52-L7UR0
... and the final track which is a fittingly triumphant ending, I thort - “Angel Blues” …
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
