Shirt a Phobia

Sample Page

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]

Production

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]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStar[14]
Boston HeraldB+[13]
Calgary HeraldC+[15]
The Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStar[16]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album GuideStarStarStarHalf star[17]
The StateStarStarStarStarHalf star[18]
Toronto SunStarStarStar[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]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Nils Lofgren, except where noted.

Crooked Line track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)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“Robert Durand, Ron Elliott3:22
11.“Drunken Driver” 6:27
12.“I’ll Fight for You” 2:47
Total length:55:05

Personnel

The band

Guest musicians

  • Neil Young – harmonica, harmony vocals (4, 8), guitars (11)
  • Frank Funaro – drums (3, 6, 10)
  • Rob White – percussion (7)

Production

  • Eric Ambel – producer, mixing
  • Ron Freeland – recording, mixing, additional recording
  • Billy Brady – mixing, additional recording
  • Tim Mulligan – additional recording
  • John Nowland – additional recording
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering at Masterdisk (New York City, New York)
  • Michael Matousek – production coordinator
  • Steven Jurgensmeyer – package design
  • Ralph Steadman – illustration
  • Brad Chesivoir – photography

References

  1. ^ Gundersen, Edna (June 2, 1992). “A group with Starr quality”. USA Today. p. 6D.
  2. ^ Krewen, Nick (September 24, 1992). “Nils Lofgren Crooked Line”. Ego. The Hamilton Spectator. p. 4.
  3. ^ Futch, Michael (August 28, 1992). “Walking a ‘Crooked Line’“. Entertainment. The Fayetteville Observer.
  4. ^ Mackie, John (October 31, 1992). “Pop/Rock”. Vancouver Sun. p. D19.
  5. ^ Morrison, Jim (September 11, 1992). “Nils Lofgren Crooked Line”. Preview. The Virginian-Pilot. p. 10.
  6. ^ “New This Week”. Part II. Newsday. July 20, 1992. p. 38.
  7. ^ “Album Reviews — Crooked Line by Nils Lofgren”. Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 30. July 25, 1992. p. 45.
  8. ^ Morse, Steve (September 25, 1992). “Nils Lofgren”. Arts & Film. The Boston Globe. p. 42.
  9. ^ Cristiano, Nick (August 21, 1992). “Sound Check”. Los Angeles Daily News. Knight Ridder. p. L32.
  10. ^ Landis, David (July 9, 1992). “Line on Lofgren”. USA Today. p. 1D.
  11. ^ a b Morse, Steve (July 16, 1992). “Nils Lofgren Crooked Line”. Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 7.
  12. ^ O’Hare, Kevin (June 24, 1992). “Ringo, star-filled cast shine”. Arts & Entertainment. The Republican. Springfield. p. 32.
  13. ^ a b Katz, Larry (August 21, 1992). “Crooked Line”. Boston Herald. p. S12.
  14. ^ “Crooked Line Review by Roch Parisien”. AllMusic. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Obee, Dave (August 9, 1992). “Recent Releases”. Calgary Herald. p. C2.
  16. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. volume 5. MUZE. p. 296.
  17. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 683.
  18. ^ a b Miller, Michael (August 7, 1992). “Pop and Rock Music Keep Rolling On”. The State. p. 10D.
  19. ^ a b Sakamoto, John (August 2, 1992). “Nils Lofgren, Crooked Line”. Toronto Sun. p. S14.
  20. ^ “Popular Music — Crooked Line by Nils Lofgren”. Stereo Review. Vol. 57, no. 10. October 1992. p. 86.
  21. ^ McLeese, Don (July 21, 1992). “In a related vein of muscular melodicism, the 1972 issue of Nils Lofgren’s 1+1 album…”. Austin American-Statesman. p. D5.
  22. ^ “Crooked Line”. The Kitchener-Waterloo Record. July 30, 1992. p. C8.
  23. ^ Johnson, Robert (December 27, 1992). “Year-End”. San Antonio Express-News. p. 6J.