NILS LOFGREN - ‘Spares’

And while calling this album ‘Spares’ could also inadvertently imply that this collection is just comprised of discarded stray or rejected songs which might fail the quality test alongside Nils’ recorded output, make no mistake - this is not a scraping the bottom of the barrel collection. Many of these songs could’ve, should’ve and would’ve taken their place within his recorded output to date, but the album fit wasn’t quite right at the time – probably because the lyrical content is so deeply raw, emotional and personal. At a stage in his life when he clearly now recognises this shouldn’t matter and these songs deserve to be heard, he has released a seriously impressive body of work which, while taking a different form, could hold its own with any of his studio output to date. Yes, some of these songs are THAT good. 

Having been a keen fan of mostly rock and guitar-based music for over 40 years and of Nils’ work, I can say that I was genuinely excited when it was shared on Nils’ social channels a few weeks ago that he would be releasing this collection. As a digital release, it is of course not the first time that Nils has done this having previously released ‘Bonus Tracks’ digitally (a collection of 39 demos and outtakes) in 2021 which prior to that had only been available in the 10-disc boxed set ‘Face The Music’. And for many music fans (or, okay I admit it, I’m a completist), large collections of previously unreleased songs in whatever format they are released is the musical equivalent of the Holy Grail.      

With 31 songs in total, spanning 1 hour and 56 minutes of playing time, there is so much to take in within this release which requires multiple sittings or listenings to derive the full value from – all featuring Nils’ equally distinctive vocals and guitar playing (which for me remains unmatched for musicality). I’m not going to attempt a song-by-song review, as I doubt that either you or I have that in us. Instead, I’ll try to provide a sense of some of the highlights within ‘Spares’. 

The gently strummed, keyboard and sax-led opening track ‘Blue Eyes Don’t’ sets the scene and tone for the album with a mellow vibe with Nils singing “the whole world keeps lying to me, but your blue eyes don’t” the first of many songs on this album revealing Nils’ vulnerability and how much he has valued or longed for love to help get him through life at times.  

A couple of tracks further in, ‘Sun Comes Up’ provides one of the most brooding and atmospheric songs on the album. With Nils’ electric guitar drawing you in, the chorus delivers a defiant statement of intent “When the sun comes up tomorrow, I’m gonna ride that shine; When the sun comes up tomorrow, I’m going to get what’s mine” with Bonnie Bramlett’s soulful and powerful backing vocals duelling with Nils’ searing guitar solo - think a more laid-back ‘Gimme Shelter’ and you’ll get the idea. Contrasting sharply, the joyous and life-affirming ‘Dance of Life’ (with Foreigner’s Lou Gramm on backing vocals) finds Nils leading us like a modern-day Pied Piper, as he takes us “dancing down Recovery Road”. 

It won’t be a surprise to any fans of Nils’ work that love and romance provide strong lyrical themes throughout this collection of songs. However, the innocently and deceptively titled ‘Love’ is not what it might seem. Brooding, bluesy and almost grinding in places, lyrics including “love can lead to suicide”, “who do you love?”, “I’m trying to be wholesome, it ain’t no joke. I’ve had enough fingers around my throat” and an increasingly urgent and repeated “love me tonight” make this more unexpected listening.  

Flipping the mood, the gentle and soaring ‘When I Find Love’ is vulnerable and full of longing for love itself. Whether about longing for or being in love, it's also the type of emotional song about love which Nils appears able to write so effortlessly and of which there are a few on ‘Spares’ (including ‘Love is the Best Glue’ and ‘Night and Day’ which has a melody so simple and effective that I can’t get it out of my mind after just a few listens).  

Add to that list songs of heartbreak (‘Brokenhearted’ and ‘Highway’) and the moving and redemptive ‘Out of Nowhere’, complete with prominent accordion accompaniment throughout, sung from the perspective of being nowhere, not realising what you’ve got, then becoming sick, with “maybe one dance left on a dusty card” and then from out of nowhere finding what real love is in the family you had abandoned.  

‘Caught A Load’ provides the only song on the album not sung by Nils. Sung by Washington Area Music Awards Hall of Famer Tommy Lepson, his gritty, lived-in and soulful vocals enable Nils to concentrate on playing the guitar and together they provide a masterclass in dirty (electric) blues.  

‘Branded’ takes another turn, creates its own distinct rhythm and shuffles beneath Nils’ melodic vocal (which you'll want to sing along out loud with) and allowing his solo to weave its way above.    

Want more variety? Then ‘Hearts of the Very Young’ will deliver in buckets. Starting with a finger-picked intro on acoustic guitar, before leading into a foot-stomping ‘You Can Me Al’-style rhythmically-strummed verse and with some Celtic influences this is one song which if played live would be guaranteed to get even the most reserved of audiences moving.    

‘Home To You’ is a rougher demo with dampened guitar which unexpectedly includes one of the most beautiful and joyous (yes, that word again) melodic choruses on the album hidden within it. Continuing the rough theme, ‘It Hurts’ (one of my favourite songs on the album) lays down a gently swaggering raw guitar groove which, to borrow a cliché, will have you dancing like no-one is watching and even if they were you wouldn’t care and just get lost in the moment of the music. 

‘Let Her Get Away’ is another rough demo, but which feels all the more intimate and intense, because of this and the deeply personal, almost confessional nature of the lyrics.   

Having first played with Neil Young at the age of 18 and still a member of Crazy Horse, it should also come as no surprise that ‘Spares’ includes a couple of songs which sound as though they could just as easily have been recorded by Crazy Horse in the form of ‘Midnight Heart’ and ‘Cry On’ – the latter of which is sublime and I had to check with Nils’ Team if the harmony backing vocals were sung by Neil Young or multi-tracked by Nils given the vocal tone (they’re Nils’, if you’re interested).    

Keeping the pace varied, ‘Cry On’ is also sandwiched between two more muscular and up-tempo rock songs in the form of ‘People Will Come’ (also featuring Andy York and Eric Ambel) and ‘Lovers Beware’. 

While trying to encapsulate this album and do it justice, a review can only tell you so much and this would be twice as long if I tried to describe every song. What I can say as a long-term fan of Nils’ music is that there is so much here to love and also to process. You just need to immerse yourself in the experience.  

The recording quality varies from the more intimate roughly recorded demos of early song ideas to those which sound as though they may have been recorded in studio sessions and only just missed the cut by the narrowest of margins. But regardless of how well formed or recorded these songs are, they deserve their place in this collection and, as songs, they work both individually and as presented here collectively. 

Reflecting on this collection and the fact that the outtakes and demos have been recorded over his 55-year career, three things remain remarkably consistent – the quality of the songwriting; the quality of his vocal delivery (always clear, distinctive and emotional); and the exceptional quality of his guitar playing.  

At the risk of repeating what I’ve previously written in my reviews of Nils’ other work, his ability as a singer and songwriter in his own right have been overshadowed by his ‘day jobs’ of playing guitar for both Neil Young & Crazy Horse and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band – two of the biggest acts in rock music in the last 50 years and he has got to play with both. Just think about that. While his musical contribution to both of these bands as a guitarist is beyond doubt, it is only when he has the space of his own songs to really play that his ability and talent come into their own through his tone, feel, diversity of styles, technique and most importantly the level of musicality and emotion in his playing. To me, his playing is without comparison (living or dead) and ‘Spares’ is a collection in which you could just get lost in the beauty and artistry of his music for hours. 

If you’re a fan of Nils’ music, ‘Spares’ is essential listening and very highly recommended. And at only £7.99 (UK) / $9.99 (US) to download all 31 songs it is also great value for money. 

‘Spares’ will be released digitally on 8 March 2024 

GMcA 

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