Reached No.36 in UK album charts, 1985                          

All songs written by Nils Lofgren

The Band:

Nils Lofgren: vocals, guitars, keyboards
Andy Newmark: drums
Wornell Jones: bass
T Lavitz: Oberheim PPG
Tommy Mandel: DX7, Prophet 5, Casio
with additional help from:
Paul Griffin on keyboards, Steve Hooper Lombardeli on saxophone, Rick Valenti on harmonica and background vocals and Devereau Merryweather, Rudy Rubin, Tico Torres and Jeri Bocchino on backing vocals

Produced by Larry Quinn and Nils Lofgren

Recorded at Warehouse Studios, Philadelphia, PA by Bill Scheniman

AMG Experts Review  The tenth album from Nils Lofgren and his first for Columbia is a very polished affair with excellent production from Lofgren and Lance Quinn. There are nine songs on the original vinyl, an additional tune on the CD, and a snappy snare throughout this mid-'80s recording. The material is written by Lofgren, and it is all strong to very strong, with lyrics bordering on lecturing the listener. "Flip Ya Flip," the title track, and "Big Tears Fall" are the most commercial songs here, "Flip Ya Flip" a real odd one, though. The fascination is held in its ambiguity — is this for the minority dance crowd? Lofgren calls the guys "buddy," telling them to "lift your pretty head, hold it high" and the gals he calls "sister," terms of endearment for sure from a macho figure who has full-fledged membership in the "E Street" gang. Is the title track about an off-color gesture or life on a trampoline or indiscernible sexuality? Perhaps all of the above. "Secrets in the Street," "From the Heart," and "Delivery Night" have their moments as well, and if any of this material got consistent airplay, there's a good chance Flip could have found an audience beyond Lofgren's loyal cult. His guitar-playing is first rate, and the sonics are more pronounced than Jeffrey Baxter's ideas on 1981's Night Fades Away, though lacking the ambience of Bob Ezrin's 1979 work on Nils. "Sweet Midnight" has that ever-present '80s snare drum prominent in the mix with Lofgren's guitar right next to it, and the vocals perhaps a little too far in the background, no doubt one of the problems. The guitar slinger for Bruce Springsteen has a technically better voice than "the Boss," and that voice deserved to be up further than the drum in the mix. "Sweet Midnight" is another tune which should have been able to garner some kind of attention, if not on Top 40 at least in the dance clubs. An image of Lofgren in midair adorns the yellow cover, with the album title upside down — anyone who witnessed the band Grin live got to see Lofgren do somersaults onstage. Had they re-cut the cover of the Beatles' "Anytime at All" from Night Fades Away with this thunderous beat rather than the light pop found on that disc, it could have done the trick. Lofgren is an important artist who deserves a breakthrough hit and a retrospective combining the most accessible tracks from his rich catalog. Flip is a decent outing worthy of more than a few spins. "Beauty and the Beast" is the bonus track on the CD. — Joe Viglione

Review from Rolling Stone Magazine    Issue 451      

Ace guitarist Nils Lofgren's presence on Bruce Springsteen's tour brought him millions of potential listeners, yet his new record won't convert those ears, nor will it thrill Lofgren devotees. The problem is not Lofgren's playing, but the material, none of which rivals Lofgren's best compositions ("Back It Up," "Across the Tracks"). Few of Flip's tunes chart any new territory, and many are lost in clichés.

In "Dreams Die Hard," Lofgren is most guilty of lazy writing, as he philosophises, "You can try to fulfil any dream/Some dreams are realized/Some are shattered," and advises, "Don't let go." The same message returns on "Flip Ya Flip" and "Secrets in the Street" – imperfect songs that illustrate Flip's major weaknesses. These tracks are built around boring rhythms rather than strong melodies, and the guitars are mixed surprisingly way down. The production, by Lance Quinn and Lofgren, favors heavy bass and drums, topped with layers of synthesizers – "Secrets in the Street" even features obtrusive dribbles straight out of Yes – and sustained guitar chords, leaving Lofgren's real picking to fills.

"New Holes in Old Shoes" and "Big Tears Fall," the record's most striking songs, stray farthest from that sound. With its acoustic guitar and harmonica, "New Holes" recalls the sparse bluesiness of 1976's "Cry Tough," although the cheesy drum-machine opening remains an unnecessary annoyance. "Big Tears Fall," Flip's finale, is the album's first to offer a memorable, melodic chorus. Lofgren's hoarse, caught-in-the-throat voice delivers perfectly this rumination on society's evils, and the reference to Jimmy Cliff's "You Can Get It If You Really Want" adds an ironic touch that raises the song above the typical isn't-the-world-horrible lament. "Big Tears Fall" is the first cut on Flip to display Lofgren's talent; too bad it's also the last. (RS 451)

ROBERT SEIDENBERG

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