Crooked Line | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1992 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 55:05 | |||
Label | Rykodisc | |||
Producer | Eric Ambel | |||
Nils Lofgren chronology | ||||
|
Crooked Line is an album by the American musician Nils Lofgren, released in 1992. [1] [2] It was his second album for Rykodisc. [3] The cover art is by Ralph Steadman. [4]
For the most part recorded live in the studio, the album was produced by Eric Ambel. [5] [6] Johnny "Bee" Badanjek played drums on Crooked Line. [7] Neil Young contributed to three of the tracks. [8] Jason & the Scorchers' Andy York played bass. [9] " Just a Little" is a cover of the Beau Brummels song, which Lofgren had performed as part of Ringo Starr's All-Starr tour; the song was the album's first single. [10] [11] [12] The lyrics to many songs engage with social issues. [13]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [14] |
Boston Herald | B+ [13] |
Calgary Herald | C+ [15] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [16] |
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [17] |
The State | [18] |
Toronto Sun | [19] |
The Boston Globe deemed the album "a touchingly personal, commerce-be-damned, low-key masterpiece," writing that "many songs also have a loose, easy feel." [11] The Calgary Herald labeled it "competent enough, if a tad predictable ... Lofgren's been the bridesmaid of rock since 1971, and that's not going to change." [15] Stereo Review determined that Crooked Line is "another album full of guitar doodling and good intentions [that] never quite hitting the mark with the sort of sharp, power-pop material Lofgren turned out with such accomplished ease way back when." [20]
The Austin American-Statesman noted that it boasted "some of his hardest rock and his best band to date." [21] The Kitchener-Waterloo Record opined that "most of this collection is solid rock hopefulness." [22] The Toronto Sun labeled "Drunken Driver" "as scary and disturbing a song as you're likely to hear all year." [19] The State concluded that "the real strengths lie in the meaty material and the bare-bones production and chunky rhythm guitar work of Eric Ambel." [18] The San Antonio Express-News listed the album as the 10th best of 1992. [23]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "A Child Could Tell" | 4:20 |
2. | "Blue Skies" | 3:58 |
3. | "Misery" | 6:45 |
4. | "You" | 3:30 |
5. | "Shot at You" | 5:47 |
6. | "Crooked Line" | 4:54 |
7. | "Walk on Me" | 4:05 |
8. | "Someday" | 5:30 |
9. | "New Kind of Freedom" | 3:40 |
10. | " Just a Little" | 3:22 |
11. | "Drunken Driver" | 6:27 |
12. | "I'll Fight for You" | 2:47 |
Total length: | 55:05 |
Crooked Line | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1992 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 55:05 | |||
Label | Rykodisc | |||
Producer | Eric Ambel | |||
Nils Lofgren chronology | ||||
|
Crooked Line is an album by the American musician Nils Lofgren, released in 1992. [1] [2] It was his second album for Rykodisc. [3] The cover art is by Ralph Steadman. [4]
For the most part recorded live in the studio, the album was produced by Eric Ambel. [5] [6] Johnny "Bee" Badanjek played drums on Crooked Line. [7] Neil Young contributed to three of the tracks. [8] Jason & the Scorchers' Andy York played bass. [9] " Just a Little" is a cover of the Beau Brummels song, which Lofgren had performed as part of Ringo Starr's All-Starr tour; the song was the album's first single. [10] [11] [12] The lyrics to many songs engage with social issues. [13]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [14] |
Boston Herald | B+ [13] |
Calgary Herald | C+ [15] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [16] |
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [17] |
The State | [18] |
Toronto Sun | [19] |
The Boston Globe deemed the album "a touchingly personal, commerce-be-damned, low-key masterpiece," writing that "many songs also have a loose, easy feel." [11] The Calgary Herald labeled it "competent enough, if a tad predictable ... Lofgren's been the bridesmaid of rock since 1971, and that's not going to change." [15] Stereo Review determined that Crooked Line is "another album full of guitar doodling and good intentions [that] never quite hitting the mark with the sort of sharp, power-pop material Lofgren turned out with such accomplished ease way back when." [20]
The Austin American-Statesman noted that it boasted "some of his hardest rock and his best band to date." [21] The Kitchener-Waterloo Record opined that "most of this collection is solid rock hopefulness." [22] The Toronto Sun labeled "Drunken Driver" "as scary and disturbing a song as you're likely to hear all year." [19] The State concluded that "the real strengths lie in the meaty material and the bare-bones production and chunky rhythm guitar work of Eric Ambel." [18] The San Antonio Express-News listed the album as the 10th best of 1992. [23]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "A Child Could Tell" | 4:20 |
2. | "Blue Skies" | 3:58 |
3. | "Misery" | 6:45 |
4. | "You" | 3:30 |
5. | "Shot at You" | 5:47 |
6. | "Crooked Line" | 4:54 |
7. | "Walk on Me" | 4:05 |
8. | "Someday" | 5:30 |
9. | "New Kind of Freedom" | 3:40 |
10. | " Just a Little" | 3:22 |
11. | "Drunken Driver" | 6:27 |
12. | "I'll Fight for You" | 2:47 |
Total length: | 55:05 |