Night Fades Away is the fifth solo studio album by Nils Lofgren, released in September 1981 through Backstreet and MCA Records. It was produced by Jeffrey Baxter and reached the top 50 in Sweden and the UK, also charting in the top 100 in Australia and the US.

Night Fades Away
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 30, 1981 (1981-09-30)
StudioCherokee, Hollywood
GenreHeartland rock
Length38:25
Label
ProducerJeffrey Baxter
Nils Lofgren chronology
Nils
(1979)
Night Fades Away
(1981)
Best of Nils Lofgren
(1981)

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide     [2]

The Boston Globe wrote that "the high voice is familiar and warming, the themes are familiar and cogent, the guitar playing is familiar, fluid and tasteful, but the songwriting is not up to [Lofgren's] early, wondrous standard."[3]

Joe Vigilone of AllMusic wrote that "the LP is more about exploring styles and experimenting than a fully realized musical statement" and "Nils' disheveled five o'clock shadow and torn, stained shirt on the front and back covers give a glimpse of the musical image", finding that "the best moments here are the covers" of Del Shannon's "I Go to Pieces" and the Beatles' "Any Time at All". Vigilone concluded that "the material and production keep Night Fades Away in the shadows, a dilemma for an artist as creative as Nils Lofgren. If only the music inside were as ragged as the cover photo of a star as enigmatic as he is handsome."[1]

Track listing

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Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Night Fades Away"4:23
2."I Go to Pieces"2:52
3."Empty Heart"4:37
4."Don't Touch Me"3:51
5."Dirty Money"3:56
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."Sailor Boy"3:53
7."Anytime at All"2:51
8."Ancient History"4:49
9."Streets Again"3:59
10."In Motion"3:14
Total length:38:25

Charts

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Chart performance for Night Fades Away
Chart (1981) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[4] 92
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[5] 22
UK Albums (OCC)[6] 50
US Billboard 200[7] 99

References

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  1. ^ a b Vigilone, Joe. "Nils Lofgren – Night Fades Away Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  2. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 432.
  3. ^ Sullivan, Jim (January 11, 1982). "Review". Arts. The Boston Globe. p. 1.
  4. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 180. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Nils Lofgren – Night Fades Away". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  6. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  7. ^ "Nils Lofgren Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 19, 2023.