Video Gold:-->Nils Lofgren


"Out for the first...
the atmosphere is heavy.
World title lays on the line."
~ Nils Lofgren ~


Nils Lofgren had a mucho distinguished RnR resume...long before joining the legendary...Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Nils was only 17 when asked to join Neil Young's band.
Nils was the leader of the critically acclaimed band...Grin, in the early '70's.
Nils began releasing some tasty solo albums starting in 1975.

And it was only in 1984...that Nils began recording and touring with..."The Boss".

My first introduction to Nils Lofgren was hearing his under-appreciated 5th solo album...Nils (1979).

Lost gem:--> "No Mercy"...is about the tragic and euphoric passage of time under the guise of a bloody boxing ring battle.  Unforgiving and unrelenting...and in the end...unstoppable.  Bob Ezrin behind the glass.

 Have you heard this gem?


Out for the first...the atmosphere is heavy.
World title lays on the line.
Strong and proud he is much older.
I am the faster...I’m in my prime.

Third round late he starts to tire.
Open cut over his left eye.
Smelling blood...attack is relentless.
In the back seats I see his girl cry.

Cry...No mercy. No quarter.
No place to hide for me and the man.
Lefts and rights never came in harder.
No mercy...take it while you can.
No mercy take it while you can.

Back in my corner they scream, "No mercy!"
"Put him away, don’t let him recover!"
Someone’s eyes drill holes in my head.
It is his proud determined mother.

I wish another could do this thing for me.
His eyes are flooded..doubt he can even see.
I hungered this title...but now it don’t seem right.
I fight back tears while I destroy his life.

Pick up some Nils Lofgren.

Good Stuff.

Casey Chambers
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Comments

Anonymous said…
I remember when "No Mercy" slipped onto the radio for a few weeks -- and I remember being surprised at how good all the other songs on the album were. Just great stuff!
February 4, 2009 at 10:12 AM
Liberty said…
Classic tune! Any listeners out there have a copy of Nils song "On The Rebound"? Been looking for years!
February 4, 2009 at 11:03 PM
whiteray said…
My favorite Nils tune is "Shine Silently," and I was lucky enough to hear him perform it live with Ringo's band on the 1989 tour. A marvelous piece of work!
February 5, 2009 at 11:03 PM
Casey said…
Alex - I have never heard any Nils on the radio (Wichita area)...but there has been many a CD shop or Yestersday's Discs that I've walked in to and NL being spun.

Liberty - What album was that on? You've peeked my interest.

Whiteray - I've read that you get a lot of rock stars on stage for the money at a Ringo show! Catching Nils would of been sweet.
And "Shine Silently" I heard played at a policeman's funeral once. Very nice.
February 11, 2009 at 11:10 PM
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