Nils | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 1979 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Rock [1] | |||
Length | 39:11 | |||
Label | A&M | |||
Producer | Bob Ezrin | |||
Nils Lofgren chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Record Guide | C+ [2] |
Music Week | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Nils is the fourth solo studio album by Nils Lofgren, released in June 1979.
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 ("Only Women Bleed" and "You And Me"). Wagner and Reed co-wrote "I'll Cry Tomorrow" a sequel of sorts to "I Never Cry" (1976) by Wagner and Cooper. [1] 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. [5]
Before performing an extended version of "Shine Silently" on Dutch TV show 2 Meter Session Lofgren noted that it was a personal favorite and the single a moderate hit in Holland. [6]
All tracks composed by Nils Lofgren, except where indicated.
Technical
Special effects on "No Mercy" recorded at Madison Square Garden
Chart (1979) | Peak position |
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Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [7] | 96 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [8] | 50 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [9] | 21 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [10] | 35 |
US Billboard 200 [11] | 54 |