WILLIE NILE
''AMERICAN RIDE (SPECIAL EDITION)''
JUNE 25 2013
52:07
1/This Is Our Time
Willie Nile/2:45
2/Life on Bleecker Street
Willie Nile/3:23
3/American Ride
Willie Nile / Mike Peters/4:51
4/If I Ever See the Light
Frankie Lee / Willie Nile/3:05
5/She’s Got My Heart
Frankie Lee / Willie Nile/3:08
6/God Laughs
Willie Nile/3:12
7/People Who Died
Jim Carroll/3:50
8/Holy War
Willie Nile/4:01
9/Say Hey
Willie Nile/2:54
10/Sunrise in New York City
Frankie Lee / Willie Nile/2:49
11/The Crossing
Frankie Lee / Willie Nile/3:10
12/There's No Place Like Home
Willie Nile/3:23
13/Occupy
Willie Nile/3:22
14/The Motel Life
Willie Nile/4:01
15/One Guitar V2.0
Frankie Lee / Willie Nile/4:13
Alex Alexander /Drums, Percussion
Matt Hogan /Guitar
Lee Hogans /Trumpet
Matt Janiszewski /Saxophone
James Maddock /Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals (Background)
Leslie Mendelson /Vocals (Background)
Rob Morsberger /Harmonium, String Arrangements
Willie Nile /Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Suzanne Ornstein /Viola, Violin
Johnny Pisano /Bass (Electric), Bass (Upright), String Arrangements, Vocals (Background)
Oli Rockberger /Organ, Piano
Steuart Smith /Banjo, Guitar, Harmonium
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
A hell of a lot has been written about rock & roll singer/songwriter Willie Nile since he made his Arista debut in 1981. Musicians and press alike have sung his praises across the globe, yet mainstream success has always proved elusive. It hasn't deterred him, however; he's continued to issue new recordings -- albeit sporadically -- that have been lyrically consistent, and contain enough deft, melodic hooks, to justify his unrepentant swagger. The recording of American Ride, the follow-up to his killer Innocent Ones from 2011, was funded by a successful Pledge Music campaign; it was to be issued independently. Loud & Proud's Tom Lipsky intervened after hearing it, and made Nile the signature signing for the label's new distribution deal with Sony's RED. This is his first album to have major-label distribution in 22 years. The band on American Ride is his road group -- guitarist Matt Hogan, bassist Johnny Pisano, drummer Alex Alexander -- with some holdover guests from Innocent Ones: co-producer Stewart Lerman, Frankie Lee, and guitarist Steuart Smith. Nile wrote or co-wrote 11 of the album's original 12 tracks, and all three of its special edition bonus numbers. The lone cover is a wailing version of the late Jim Carroll's "People Who Died," sung in tribute to the author and Nile's brother John. There isn't a weak track in the bunch, but you could stack up its first six against almost anything in this vernacular that's been released since 1975's Born to Run. The anthemic punch and roll of "This Is Our Time" opens the set, followed by the bittersweet portrait "Life on Bleecker Street," with its infectious chorus and a glorious string arrangement by the late Rob Morseberger. The title track is an homage to American music with acoustic and electric guitars, touches of banjo, and B-3, threading country, folk, blues, and rock through the mix. "If I Ever See the Light"'s piano is inspired directly by the E Street Band, but the lyric and melody are pure Nile. The love song "She's Got My Heart" melds his indefatigable romanticism with his keen eye as a lifelong observer of the human condition. The stutter-stop "God Laughs," with its slamming drum kit, chunky guitar vamp, and Nile's strutting snarl is backed by a joyously shouted male chorus. Other standouts include the bluesy rockabilly of "Say Hey" and the poignant ballad "The Crossing." American Ride is every bit as strong as Innocent Ones, if not more so. Nile may wear his influences on his sleeve, but as a songwriter, he's always been his own man. He has stubbornly, even fiercely, clung to the gritty mantle of roots rock & roll; and why not? When you write songs this well, there's no reason for compromise.
BIOGRAPHY
by Richard Skelly
Born and raised in Buffalo, New York singer/songwriter Willie Nile came from a musical family -- his grandfather was a vaudeville pianist who played with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Eddie Cantor, and his uncles played boogie-woogie. Nile's older brothers, meanwhile, brought home the music of Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, and Fats Domino, all of whom he heard from the time he was three or four years old. Nile himself began playing piano at age eight and took classical music lessons until he was a teenager, when he taught himself his first rock & roll song. He soon began to compose short songs and continued the habit into his college years, when during the summers he made trips into New York City to frequent hootenanny clubs like Folk City and the Gaslight. After graduation, Nile took an apartment in the heart of Greenwich Village; however, during his first winter in New York, he contracted pneumonia, which put him out of commission for about a year, although he continued writing songs while recuperating. After regaining his health, he began hanging out at clubs like CBGB's, where he would see bands like Patti Smith, Television, the Ramones, and Talking Heads.
At establishing residency at the Village club Kenny's Castaways, Nile began drawing ever-growing crowds, which in turn led to his first record deal. Following a flurry of critical acclaim, he found himself courted by representatives from close to a dozen record companies; he chose Arista Records, and went into the studio with a band that included Jay Dee Daugherty from the Patti Smith Group. After two acclaimed albums a self-titled 1980 effort and 1981's Golden Dawn, Nile fell prey to protracted legal problems which derailed his career for a number of years; although he continued to write, he did not perform live or record again until a 1987 performance in Oslo, Norway with Eric Andersen. A videotape of Nile's performance in Norway prompted a Columbia talent scout to sign him to the label in 1988, and production on his album didn't start for two more years; issued in
1991, Places I Have Never Been featured appearances by backing musicians including Richard Thompson, Loudon Wainwright III, Roger McGuinn, and members of the Hooters and the Roches. A four-song EP titled Hard Times in America followed in 1992. Nile didn't release another recording until Live in Central Park in 1997.
While he played Europe and toured the East Coast, Nile took a decade-long hiatus from recording. He finally emerged energized on 2006's Streets of New York in 2006 with guest appearances by Larry Campbell and Jakob Dylan, which marked the beginning of a regular recording schedule. He issued two offerings in 2007, Live at the Turning Point, and the studio offering Beautiful Wreck of the World. Live from the Streets of New York appeared in 2008, followed by the studio set House of a Thousand Guitars in 2009. Nile's touring schedule picked up considerably after its release. He issued the acclaimed The Innocent Ones in 2011 and followed it two years later with American Ride.
DoWnLoAd
''AMERICAN RIDE (SPECIAL EDITION)''
JUNE 25 2013
52:07
1/This Is Our Time
Willie Nile/2:45
2/Life on Bleecker Street
Willie Nile/3:23
3/American Ride
Willie Nile / Mike Peters/4:51
4/If I Ever See the Light
Frankie Lee / Willie Nile/3:05
5/She’s Got My Heart
Frankie Lee / Willie Nile/3:08
6/God Laughs
Willie Nile/3:12
7/People Who Died
Jim Carroll/3:50
8/Holy War
Willie Nile/4:01
9/Say Hey
Willie Nile/2:54
10/Sunrise in New York City
Frankie Lee / Willie Nile/2:49
11/The Crossing
Frankie Lee / Willie Nile/3:10
12/There's No Place Like Home
Willie Nile/3:23
13/Occupy
Willie Nile/3:22
14/The Motel Life
Willie Nile/4:01
15/One Guitar V2.0
Frankie Lee / Willie Nile/4:13
Alex Alexander /Drums, Percussion
Matt Hogan /Guitar
Lee Hogans /Trumpet
Matt Janiszewski /Saxophone
James Maddock /Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals (Background)
Leslie Mendelson /Vocals (Background)
Rob Morsberger /Harmonium, String Arrangements
Willie Nile /Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Suzanne Ornstein /Viola, Violin
Johnny Pisano /Bass (Electric), Bass (Upright), String Arrangements, Vocals (Background)
Oli Rockberger /Organ, Piano
Steuart Smith /Banjo, Guitar, Harmonium
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
A hell of a lot has been written about rock & roll singer/songwriter Willie Nile since he made his Arista debut in 1981. Musicians and press alike have sung his praises across the globe, yet mainstream success has always proved elusive. It hasn't deterred him, however; he's continued to issue new recordings -- albeit sporadically -- that have been lyrically consistent, and contain enough deft, melodic hooks, to justify his unrepentant swagger. The recording of American Ride, the follow-up to his killer Innocent Ones from 2011, was funded by a successful Pledge Music campaign; it was to be issued independently. Loud & Proud's Tom Lipsky intervened after hearing it, and made Nile the signature signing for the label's new distribution deal with Sony's RED. This is his first album to have major-label distribution in 22 years. The band on American Ride is his road group -- guitarist Matt Hogan, bassist Johnny Pisano, drummer Alex Alexander -- with some holdover guests from Innocent Ones: co-producer Stewart Lerman, Frankie Lee, and guitarist Steuart Smith. Nile wrote or co-wrote 11 of the album's original 12 tracks, and all three of its special edition bonus numbers. The lone cover is a wailing version of the late Jim Carroll's "People Who Died," sung in tribute to the author and Nile's brother John. There isn't a weak track in the bunch, but you could stack up its first six against almost anything in this vernacular that's been released since 1975's Born to Run. The anthemic punch and roll of "This Is Our Time" opens the set, followed by the bittersweet portrait "Life on Bleecker Street," with its infectious chorus and a glorious string arrangement by the late Rob Morseberger. The title track is an homage to American music with acoustic and electric guitars, touches of banjo, and B-3, threading country, folk, blues, and rock through the mix. "If I Ever See the Light"'s piano is inspired directly by the E Street Band, but the lyric and melody are pure Nile. The love song "She's Got My Heart" melds his indefatigable romanticism with his keen eye as a lifelong observer of the human condition. The stutter-stop "God Laughs," with its slamming drum kit, chunky guitar vamp, and Nile's strutting snarl is backed by a joyously shouted male chorus. Other standouts include the bluesy rockabilly of "Say Hey" and the poignant ballad "The Crossing." American Ride is every bit as strong as Innocent Ones, if not more so. Nile may wear his influences on his sleeve, but as a songwriter, he's always been his own man. He has stubbornly, even fiercely, clung to the gritty mantle of roots rock & roll; and why not? When you write songs this well, there's no reason for compromise.
BIOGRAPHY
by Richard Skelly
Born and raised in Buffalo, New York singer/songwriter Willie Nile came from a musical family -- his grandfather was a vaudeville pianist who played with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Eddie Cantor, and his uncles played boogie-woogie. Nile's older brothers, meanwhile, brought home the music of Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, and Fats Domino, all of whom he heard from the time he was three or four years old. Nile himself began playing piano at age eight and took classical music lessons until he was a teenager, when he taught himself his first rock & roll song. He soon began to compose short songs and continued the habit into his college years, when during the summers he made trips into New York City to frequent hootenanny clubs like Folk City and the Gaslight. After graduation, Nile took an apartment in the heart of Greenwich Village; however, during his first winter in New York, he contracted pneumonia, which put him out of commission for about a year, although he continued writing songs while recuperating. After regaining his health, he began hanging out at clubs like CBGB's, where he would see bands like Patti Smith, Television, the Ramones, and Talking Heads.
At establishing residency at the Village club Kenny's Castaways, Nile began drawing ever-growing crowds, which in turn led to his first record deal. Following a flurry of critical acclaim, he found himself courted by representatives from close to a dozen record companies; he chose Arista Records, and went into the studio with a band that included Jay Dee Daugherty from the Patti Smith Group. After two acclaimed albums a self-titled 1980 effort and 1981's Golden Dawn, Nile fell prey to protracted legal problems which derailed his career for a number of years; although he continued to write, he did not perform live or record again until a 1987 performance in Oslo, Norway with Eric Andersen. A videotape of Nile's performance in Norway prompted a Columbia talent scout to sign him to the label in 1988, and production on his album didn't start for two more years; issued in
1991, Places I Have Never Been featured appearances by backing musicians including Richard Thompson, Loudon Wainwright III, Roger McGuinn, and members of the Hooters and the Roches. A four-song EP titled Hard Times in America followed in 1992. Nile didn't release another recording until Live in Central Park in 1997.
While he played Europe and toured the East Coast, Nile took a decade-long hiatus from recording. He finally emerged energized on 2006's Streets of New York in 2006 with guest appearances by Larry Campbell and Jakob Dylan, which marked the beginning of a regular recording schedule. He issued two offerings in 2007, Live at the Turning Point, and the studio offering Beautiful Wreck of the World. Live from the Streets of New York appeared in 2008, followed by the studio set House of a Thousand Guitars in 2009. Nile's touring schedule picked up considerably after its release. He issued the acclaimed The Innocent Ones in 2011 and followed it two years later with American Ride.
DoWnLoAd
