Crooked Line
Studio album by
Nils Lofgren
Released1992
GenreRock
Length55:05
LabelRykodisc
ProducerEric Ambel
Nils Lofgren chronology
Silver Lining
(1991)		 Crooked Line
(1992)		 Live on the Test
(1993)

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
AllMusic[14]
Boston HeraldB+[13]
Calgary HeraldC+[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]

Track listing

Crooked Line track listing
No.TitleLength
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

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. 1 2 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. 1 2 Katz, Larry (August 21, 1992). "Crooked Line". Boston Herald. p. S12.
  14. ↑ "Crooked Line Review by Roch Parisien". AllMusic. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  15. 1 2 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. 1 2 Miller, Michael (August 7, 1992). "Pop and Rock Music Keep Rolling On". The State. p. 10D.
  19. 1 2 Sakamoto, John (August 2, 1992). "Nils Lofgren, Crooked Line". Toronto Sun. p. S14.
  20. ↑ "Popular Music — Crooked Line by Nils Lofgren". Stereo Review. 57 (10): 86. October 1992.
  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.
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