Grin 1 + 1

Prior to playing with Neil Young and long before handling guitar duties with Bruce Springsteen, Nils Lofgren formed the band Grin and recorded some solid rock ‘n’ roll that received better reviews than album sales. Lofgren’s work with Young on Harvest not only hooked him up with Young’s infamous producer David Briggs, but it also landed Lofgren a record deal. Grin’s 1972 sophomore album 1 +1 begins with the instantly catchy “White Lies,” an acoustic guitar based song bolstered by a buoyant rhythm section and gussied up with gliding vocal harmonies in the chorus, courtesy of drummer Bob Berberich and bass player Bob Gordon. While Briggs’ mix gives most of 1 +1 a warm and light feel, album anomaly “Slippery Fingers” kicks out some cowbell-heavy jams with weighty guitar distortion and Lofgren inflecting like Steven Tyler before “Moon Tears” grooves like Roky Erickson singing for the Seeds. The latter rocker unleashes the album’s most impressive guitar work with stellar tone and ringing harmonics. Graham Nash lends his silky smooth voice to the twangy folk-rocking “Hi, Hello Home.”