Nils (album)


Nils is the fifth solo album from Nils Lofgren.

Background

With mainstream success continuing to elude Lofgren, A&M brought in Bob Ezrin in 1979, to oversee Nils. Ezrin was known for his successes with Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, Lou Reed, and Kiss. Lofgren: "The label said they wanted to bring in co-writers, and I said that I didn't do that. Ezrin said, 'What about Lou Reed?' And I said, 'Well, yeah, okay. That would be cool.'" Lofgren watched a football game at Reed's Greenwich Village apartment and the two struck up a friendship. In the middle of the night Reed would call Lofgren and dictate lyrics over the phone. Their collaborations appeared across Nils and Reed's The Bells, also released in 1979. Ezrin also brought in contributions from Dick Wagner, who'd worked with Reed, Kiss, and Cooper. Wagner and Reed co-wrote "I'll Cry Tomorrow" a sequel of sorts to "I Never Cry" by Wagner and Cooper. With such hit makers at his side, Lofgren felt certain that Nils would be his breakthrough and that songs like "Shine Silently" would be hits.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Nils Lofgren, except where indicated.
  1. "No Mercy" - 4:06
  2. "I'll Cry Tomorrow" - 4:28
  3. "Baltimore" - 6:43
  4. "Shine Silently" - 3:48
  5. "Steal Away" - 4:08
  6. "Kool Skool" - 3:17
  7. "A Fool Like Me" - 3:11
  8. "I Found Her" - 3:36
  9. "You're So Easy" - 5:54

    Personnel

;Technical
Special effects on "No Mercy" recorded at Madison Square Garden

Reception

Before performing an extended version of "Shine Silently" on Dutch TV show Lofgren noted that it was a personal favorite and the single a moderate hit in Holland.