INTERVIEW: Nils Lofgren on Reconnecting With Neil Young & Crazy Horse | Variety

Nils Lofgren w/ Neil Young - "Believe"
29th Annual Bridge School Benefit Concerts
Photo by thrasher
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Nils Lofgren and Neil Young have a very long history and go all the way back to the "After the Gold Rush" days when Lofgren was only 17 years old.

Here is an interview with Nils Lofgren where he discusses joining Crazy Horse and working ON Neil Young's album “Colorado”.

From From E Street to ‘Colorado’: Nils Lofgren on Reconnecting With Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Neil Young's right hand man is Bruce Springsteen's left hand man, to say nothing of being his own man | Variety by A.D. Amorosi:

Neil has moved the possibility of live dates with Crazy Horse into 2020, saying he wants to concentrate on film work during the rest of 2019. Bruce Springsteen has indicated he’s getting back into the saddle in 2020 with the E Street Band. Do you know what next year looks like? And how does it feel to be someone working alongside two empire state songwriters and bandleaders?

Nils Lofgren: There are vast similarities between Springsteen and Neil in that neither micro-manages what you play.

They want to hear your ideas. As long as you’re down in it, they allow for raw emotion in your work. They prefer it. That’s a beautiful thing. With that, when it comes to their plans, my wife Amy and I are on hold with any of my (solo) shows until the year reveals itself. There’s nothing booked yet, so I’m laying low.

I will say that if were up to me, you’d see a lot from both bands out there.

You have worked with Neil or Crazy Horse several times, going back to the record the band did without him in 1971, as well as his “After the Gold Rush” (1970) and “Tonight’s the Night” (1975) albums. How did you find the dynamics have changed going into “Colorado”?

Nils Lofgren: I met Neil when I was 17.

I actually walked in on him 50 years ago this last May while he was playing at the Cellar Door (in Washington, D.C.) when he was first touring with “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere.” My band, Grin, was headed to Los Angeles, after that, and true to his word, when we got to L.A., Neil turned me onto (producer) David Briggs, who took me under his wing, and by the time I turned 19, had me on “After the Gold Rush.” That was a big deal. Now, long before I got there, or got with him, there was a plan for Crazy Horse to make their own album, without Neil, but with their own singer, Danny Whitten. They invited me to join in for that album, which was another great honor. Then sadly, Danny went and died on us, which lead to the “wake album” we call “Tonight’s the Night.” Later on (in the 1980s), I did Neil’s “Trans” album and tour with him as well.

We have this reoccurring history, which, save for my own stuff and with Grin, is my longest running musical relationship — my longest running musical family.

More on Nils Lofgren and Neil Young.

Also, see Nils Lofgren's comments on working with both Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and Neil Young's Crazy Horse.

The Difference in Greatness: Bruce Springsteen or Neil Young? https://t.co/PIY8h4DpXz
Nils Lofgren w/ Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band and w/ Neil Young & Crazy Horse
@nilslofgren @NeilYoungNYA @springsteen #CrazyHorse4HOF @CrazyHorse4HOF pic.twitter.com/ouAIvNASXu

— ThrashersWheat (@ThrashersWheat) October 20, 2019

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