Grin

Before he was under the wing of Neil Young and before he made a series of underappreciated solo albums, guitarist Nils Lofgren formed Grin, a trio that was devoted to simple, basic rock & roll, in 1969. None of Grin's albums were commercially successful -- they only received good reviews, not sales -- but each showed a promising, dynamic group. Unfortunately, the group never fulfilled its potential, but the finest of its albums featured some terse, brilliant guitar from Lofgren that ranks with the best of his later work, highlights later collected on the 1999 retrospective The Very Best of Grin Featuring Nils Lofgren. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide