Sacred Weapon [Import]

There's so much stuff crammed into this album, each new listen reveals more and more breathtaking skill, whether it's guitar, dobro, pedal steel, keyboards of all description etc. etc. Though the album is short by comparison there's nothing in there that doesn't need to be. That's what makes it so powerful.

Favourite track - tough decision, they're all so fine:

In Your Hands - Gorgeous love song (though I'd prefer to hear Nils sing every line of this song rather than Willie Nelson).

Fat Girls Dance - an edgy funky groove, I won't disclose what the title refers to - best to discover this for yourself I think. You won't be disappointed.

Comfort Your Love Brings - delightful, makes you want to cry.

Pay Your Woman - love the relaxed humour in this song, endearing cajun type rhythm, lots of extras brought in to sing the chorus.

Whiskey Holler - when did Nils get soooo good on pedal steel? This is sublime.

You're Not There - stirring bluesy guitar solos, amazing

Mr. Hardcore - the heaviest song on the album, tribute to David Briggs, lyrics from the heart and loads of layered guitars. Very interesting use of pedal steel at the end, never heard it played like this!

Come a Day - makes you want to dig out Night Fades Away for some more of those soaring Strat fills which make you go Wow! that's Nils. This song is 100% Nils, it's everying he does with a strat condensed into one masterpiece of a song.

Frankie Hang On has all the power and soul of anything from the "Nils Lofgren" first solo album, strong catchy chorus with those trademark Nils guitar lines interspersed with the vocal. Oh and the lyrics are REALLY powerful.

Trouble - the combination of the vulnerable but urgent vocal delivery and the frantic drumming and cascading pedal steel makes this the best one for me. The contrast totally works after a couple of listens. Anyone who has ever been scared of losing someone will totally relate to the terror in this song.

The combination of beautifully crafted songs, the awesome guitar playing (and I mean awesome in the true sense here) and the emotional but solid vocal deliveries on this album make it one of Nils' finest works.

I won't beat around the bush....SACRED WEAPON is Nils Lofgren's strongest release in over twenty years. More well-rounded, cohesive and smoothly flowing than anything he's done since the one/two powerhouse punch of 1981's edgy NIGHT FADES AWAY and 83's spirited WONDERLAND, this is Nils Lofgren at his absolute best! Things kick off with the acoustic beauty that is "In Your Hands." Awash in gentle acoustic guitar, understated piano and atmospheric violins, the track is capped off by an honest, perfectly nuanced harmony vocal from Willie Nelson. When Lofgren and Nelson simultaneously sing the chorus of "In your hands I'm alright/In your hands I see the light", well,.....you believe them! A beautiful album opener! Things take a 180 degree turn with the funky, fiery "Fat Girls Dance." Lofgren's guitar is smokin', while the synths are sassy and retro all at the same time. Special mention has to be made of MaryAnn Redmond's kicka** backing vocals....I can't imagine the song without them! This cut is one of those magical numbers that could be equally at home on the radio or the concert stage...if artists like Lofgren were still getting radio airplay. Another winner! There's a soothing, melodious quality to "Comfort Your Love Brings." Once again, gorgeous acoustic guitar and sweeping violins are augmented by subtle percussion and old world accordion (a musical choice that TOTALLY works!!). All of this wraps around lyrics such as "When my blues have turned to black/And I've lost the song in my own heart/You always love the colors back/And sing my song to me" like a big, warm down comforter (I have to admit, upon first listen, I was totally turned off by Margo Reed's harmony vocals; it was almost like Lofgren had hired his grandmother! However, after repeated listens, they started to work, and ultimately ended up growing on me. I mean, c'mon, who's more comforting than your Gram?!?). "Pay Your Woman" has an infectious, swampy New Orleans boogie blues groove going on, while "Whiskey Holler" is a beautiful ballad. Lush, yet unadorned, this song about roots and the yearning to return to them is enhanced by Martin Sexton's almost angelic harmony vocal. Simply lovely. Up next is "You're Not There", a stinging guitar rocker. Lofgren's vocal swoops and soars, hushed one moment, snarling the next. Throughout it all, his guitar playing is absolutely blistering. This is classic Nils! "Tried And True" is more a random thought - the kind that flits thru your head, then is gone - set to music, versus an actual song. Yet, even though it's only 1:55, it packs a powerful punch. Once again cushioned by an arrangement teaming in old world charm, Lofgren plaintively sings about believing....and the need to continue to believe: "When you have faith there are no questions/And without it/All the answers disappear." Powerful stuff indeed. I wasn't too fond of "Mr. Hardcore" upon my first couple of listens....it seemed too noisy and out there, like it was trying to be dissonant for dissonance's sake. However, once I read the lyrics and REALLY listened to the cut, I came away with a new appreciation for the song...that's who this friend, dead but in no way forgotten, was: crazy, loyal, hardcore. The arrangement, playing, vocals and lyrics all blend perfectly, culminating in a vivid picture of Mr. Davey B. ("He loves Lenny Bruce/Hates Walt Disney"). "Comes A Day" has a pulsating, urgent gospel vibe to it, part anthem, part Springsteen arena rocker. Lofgren sings from the heart on this one, full of conviction and hope. The cut might have seemed forced, maybe even a tad treacly and cliched, in lesser hands, but Lofgren has the power and belief in the song's core message - a better day WILL come! - to pull it off. "Frankie Hold On" is probably SACRED WEAPON's most timely track....more and more veterans are coming home from the Middle East with a war still going on in their head and/or heart. Haunted by what they've seen, as well as the nightmares that have followed, many of them have shut themselves down or away from their loved ones. Among delicate piano and searing guitar, Lofgen voices the concerns and commitments of a loving and supportive spouse/partner: "So Frankie hang on..../Let me hold you and love ya/'Til you find your dawn/Frankie hang on." What can I say? We need more songs like this. There's a frantic, almost crazed, feel to "Trouble", a tale of heartache and the truth behind the illusion. Anchored by Timm Biery's almost machine gun-like drumming, Lofgren relays the story of a desparate and broken man : "Strange how there's not a trace/Of your cruelty on your face/Parade yourself to the world/All they see is a magic girl/I'll crawl through my grief alone/Change the locks - rip the telephone/I won't be your toy anymore." Wow! Things wrap up with the goofy, fun, good-time jam, "Can't Take The Rock." So, do yourself a favor and pick up SACRED WEAPON....not only is it one of 2006's best releases so far, it's also one of Nils Lofgren's best to date. And after 37 years in the business, that's saying a lot! (As with all my reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star for including the lyrics).

"I do make records to reach people, and the dream would be to get a giant company to love what I do and take it to the people -- which is totally not in the cards, So this is more out of necessity to keep my sanity and musical freedom than it is a pre-designed move to become more anonymous. So I'm just grass-rootsing and betting on myself. This is a way for me to come and sing and play and let people know, 'Hey, I have some new music I'm proud of,' kind of spread the word and try to build back up the markets I used to play all the time to a point where I can bring a band back again." so says Nils Lofgren about his new CD, "Sacred Weapon".

Nils Lofgren turned professional at the age of 17 when he joined Neil Young's band. He played the guitar and sang on "Gold Rush". He went on to play with Grin and Crazy Horse and moved back to Neil Young for several CD's. In 1984 he joined Bruce Springsteen's "E Street band" and is still with them. He recently played with Bruce in his Seeger program in Phoenix. He released "Silver Lining" in 1991 which was his best selling CD

"Sacred Weapon" is one of the best CD's I have heard in a long time. Nils's weedy, gravelly voice is tried and true like a finely wrapped tobacco leaf. He has some wonderful six-string workouts that excel, and you realize again that Nils Lofgren is one of the best rock and roll guitarists around. This is a CD with personal recollections and "Love is the Sacred Weapon". All twelve songs were written by Nils Lofgren and are his personal best.

"In Your Hands" is a duet with Willie Nelson and you can hear the emotion emanating from both of their voices. One of the loveliest songs and melodies. " I'm all right, I saw the light"

"Fat Girls Dance" contains the lyrics Love is the Sacred Weapon and it is a rollicking tune- one of my favorite songs.

"The Comfort Your Love Brings" is a truly romantic song. "Your love heals all things".

"Pay Your Woman" is a tribute to all the hard working women of the world- "Just give her cold hard cash".

"Whiskey Holler" is another emotion laden song- "I was better off before"

"You're Not There" of a love won and lost. "You were life and death to me"

"Tried and True" is a tribute to his hero Walter Payton, the Chicago Bear football player, so beloved by all. "Trying to keep the faith"

"Mr Hardcore" brings David Briggs, the record producer to Neil Young and his good friend, a fond remembrance.

"Come A Day" is a peace loving song. It has sounds of Bruce Springsteen and the "E-Street Band" "Belief will come my soul, Oh my dear heart, there'll come a day"

"Frankie Hang On" is a Stills and Crosby like-song and he sings with David Crosby and Graham Nash about war and family. This won my heart. "Look your son in the eye, be the hero he needs"

"Trouble" is a song of long lost remembrances- "I offer you my tender touch. Through my tars I just see Trouble, Trouble walking out the door"

"Can't Take The Rock' is a duet with his Grin band member, Bob Berberich."You can't take the heart out of soul, and you can't take the rock out of roll" True rock'n roll song.

Every song has a meaning and every meaning has a message. Each song is powerful and heartfelt. In keeping with the independent nature of the project, Nils Lofgren is supporting it with his first-ever solo acoustic tour. This is a CD to listen to time and time again and each time will bring a new resonance. A CD to cherish.

Highly Recommended. prisrob 6-28-06