Live

Although he’ll be forever best known as Bruce Springsteen’s go-to guitar player post-Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren is an accomplished solo artist in his own right, having issued numerous critically acclaimed (yet often commercially overlooked) solo albums. He’s also issued countless live albums over the years, and 2003 saw the latest entry, Live. As with most double-disc live sets from veteran rockers, various entries from Lofgren’s career are touched upon — including a wink to his early band, Grin (which is represented by “White Lies” and “Lost a Number”), plus a classic track from his brief affiliation with Crazy Horse (the Danny Whitten-penned “I Don’t Wanna Talk About It”). Also included are newer solo tracks, such as the hop-a-long album opener, “Puttin’ Out Fires,” as well as a rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” — which is not the expected instrumental Hendrix-esque guitar showcase (but rather focuses on Lofgren singing the lyrics). As fans have known for decades, Lofgren is one heck of a multi-talented gentleman, and Live offers further evidence. – Greg Prato