Crooked Line

For the most part recorded live in the studio, the album was produced by Eric Ambel.[5][6] Johnny "Bee" Badanjek played drums on Crooked Line.[7] Neil Young contributed to three of the tracks.[8] Jason & the Scorchers' Andy York played bass.[9] "Just a Little" is a cover of the Beau Brummels song, which Lofgren had performed as part of Ringo Starr's All-Starr tour; the song was the album's first single.[10][11][12] The lyrics to many songs engage with social issues.[13]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[14]
Boston Herald	B+[13]
Calgary Herald	C+[15]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[16]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[17]
The State	[18]
Toronto Sun	[19]

The Boston Globe deemed the album "a touchingly personal, commerce-be-damned, low-key masterpiece," writing that "many songs also have a loose, easy feel."[11] The Calgary Herald labeled it "competent enough, if a tad predictable ... Lofgren's been the bridesmaid of rock since 1971, and that's not going to change."[15] Stereo Review determined that Crooked Line is "another album full of guitar doodling and good intentions [that] never quite hitting the mark with the sort of sharp, power-pop material Lofgren turned out with such accomplished ease way back when."[20]

The Austin American-Statesman noted that it boasted "some of his hardest rock and his best band to date."[21] The Kitchener-Waterloo Record opined that "most of this collection is solid rock hopefulness."[22] The Toronto Sun labeled "Drunken Driver" "as scary and disturbing a song as you're likely to hear all year."[19] The State concluded that "the real strengths lie in the meaty material and the bare-bones production and chunky rhythm guitar work of Eric Ambel."[18] The San Antonio Express-News listed the album as the 10th best of 1992.[23]