Customer Reviews

House of a Thousand Guitars

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This is the best album I've heard by ANYONE in a few years - not a bad tune on it, and most are amazing: the title song, "Run," "Doomsday Dance," "Now That the War Is Over," "Little Light," "Give Me Tomorrow" - all fantastic. Just a great mix of uptempo rockers, catchy pop/rock tunes and piano ballads. I've listened to it over and over in the two weeks I've had it, and I find something new to love about it with each listen. Willie Nile has been making great music since 1980, and just keeps getting better and better with age. His 2006 release "Streets of New York" was tremendous, and this new one is even better.

Talk about a second wind. Fifteen years after his previous studio effort (1991's Places I Have Never Been) Nile summoned a life in rock `n' roll as the musical language for his hometown love letter, Streets of New York. Nile seemed to be aging forward and backward at the same time, writing lyrics from the perspective of middle-age and setting them to the fevered musical roots of youth. He was streetwise and urban, a rebel and a student of musical history who could channel the original energies of rock's founders without sounding retro. Last year's Live from the Streets of New York flashed back to his breakthrough with a supercharged release party's live run through.

Nile's Benjamin Button-like excursion towards the verve and uncensored creativity of youth continues with House of a Thousand Guitars, featuring a dozen songs that capture both the heart of rock `n' roll and the depth of middle-age. The disc opens with a lyrical tribute to Nile's predecessors that compels his bandmates to sing along on the chorus. The baritone riff that opens "Run" is just one indication that Nile has a universal rock `n' roll fever for the call of guitar, bass and drums. Here again the chorus is catchy enough to sing on its first pass, but the hooks are sticky enough to hum the rest of the day. The rocking continues with the apocalyptic "Doomsday Dance" before Nile catches his breath on the ballads "Love is a Train" and "Her Love Falls Like Rain."

If there's a weakness to this album, it's that some of Nile's similes are well thumbed, but even these familiar turns are refreshed by the fervor of his vocals, the emotional swell of his melodies and the powerhouse playing of his band. Nile writes brooding and fist-pumping love songs, aware of both the costs and the returns of relationships. The balance sheet on "Now That the War is Over" is more one sided, enumerating with sad clarity the emotional and physical wreckage of armed conflict. The album closes with an end-of-the-night lullaby inspired by his adopted metropolis, "When the Last Light Goes Out on Broadway."

All of the promise that Nile showed in his 20s and 30s now seems like an apprenticeship to the blossom of his late 50s. He writes in his title song of a place where "they say there are no broken strings / just some busted hearts and a bee that stings," and it's clearly a place he's not only been living but helping to maintain. Streets of New York may forever remain his artistic pièce de résistance, but with House of a Thousand Guitars he's served notice that there's still more rock and roll to be sung. Mark this one down for your end-of-the year best-of list. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

I didn't think it would be possible to create a follow-up album that could do justice to Nile's masterpiece, "Streets of New York." As it turns out, Nile pulled it off! This is about as solid of an album as you can get. What's amazing about Nile is he creates music that is good from the first listen. Most albums usually take a little getting used to, but I liked this one from the get-go! I highly recommend. One of these days the world will hear about rock music's best kept secret!

..that I listen to a new album the first time through, not wanting the current song to end but anxious to hear what's next! I REALLY like this record.

Another solid album from Willie and Frankie Lee! This one is a must-buy! Bravo, Willie!

He was the next Bruce Springsteen. The next Dylan. The praise was off the hook --- even from Robert Palmer, of The New York Times: "Every once in awhile the times seems to produce an artist who is at once an iconoclast and near-perfect expression of contemporary currents. He is one of the best singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in a long time."

So why have you never heard of Willie Nile?

In a very small way, it's my fault. In l980, when his first album came out, I was all over Willie Nile --- I even got an assignment from The Washington Post to profile him. We had a pleasant interview, during which I learned that he still bought his clothes in the boy's department. But I couldn't get into the "next" business or define him with any precision, and I never wrote the piece.

Nile released a second album, and then he started fading from view. Inexplicable, really. In performance, he played accessible, loud, straight-ahead rock. He had a breathy, raspy, intimate voice and considerable stage presence. When excited, he'd leap --- and, like Baryshnikov, he'd stay aloft for longer than you thought possible. But contract issues and changing tastes sent him into the wilderness; in the `90s, when I saw him open for Lucinda Williams, they were both so phlegmatic I wanted to throw ex-lax at the stage.

Then came the comeback.

Critics swooned over Streets of New York. His first CD, out of print, sells for 99.95 new, $30.00 used. His 1980s songs were reissued. And now he's released House of a Thousand Guitars --- a CD so good you should put it on your Best New Artist list. There's irreverent good humor ("Mr. John Lee Hooker's gonna kick your ass") in the title song (watch it here), a "Doomsday Dance" that will make you smile, a thoughtful slow number or two, and the songs that are his signature --- optimistic, pounding, with energy that won't quit:

I've seen lightning in the valley, heard the howling wolf call,
I saw the reaper in the alley, writing names upon every wall,
I see breaks out on the levee, in a world so far beyond strange,
Oh, but I have seen things change...

And then there's a song that just goes beyond: an anthem that you should play so loud the pictures on the wall tremble. It's called "Run".

The idea is pure transcendence. Against a pounding drum and killer guitars, Nile sets himself up as a pure spirit, ripe with confidence and knowledge: "I've got the pulse of the universe running through my veins." Then come the invitations: "Run....to the far off places...Run...from the streets of silence..." And, through it all, radiance and hope that's infectious: "Everybody's looking for the safe way out/ Not me, I want to scream and shout."

Thirty years later, I hear the new, updated, same as he once was only better and wiser and louder Willie Nile. And I think: Yes. Absolutely. Run.

By Jim Clark
Publisher, Lee County Courier, Tupelo, MS

I stumbled upon the self-titled Willie Nile debut album (long before CDs) in 1980.
He, like John Prine and Steve Forbert, had been pegged as the next Dylan. But critics, as they often do, got it wrong -- Willie could rock harder than Dylan ever thought about. A comparison to Springsteen would be more on target.
In the winter of 1980 he had begun on his sophomore album, Golden Down, which included the song "I Can't Get You Off Of My Mind." Willie had switched from guitar to piano on the song, but not just any piano -- the piano John Lennon composed "Imagine" on. In fact, John and Yoko were down the hall mixing their own album.
"Their engineer called late on a Sunday night," Willie said. "asking for guitar strings for John. We sent some over and I was going to put a note in with the strings just to say `Hello ... thanks for all the music ... lots of love,' ... but didn't, figuring I'd tell him when I met him in a day or two. He was killed that night on his way home from the studio."
Willie could fill an afternoon with stories like that -- opening for The Who in the 80s, singing with Bruce Springsteen in front of 60,000 people, Ringo coming backstage before his encore and invite him onstage at the end of the All Star Band tour which Willie opened for him back in the early 90's to sing on "With A Little Help From My Friends," and more.
Somewhere around 1990 Willie and I became pen pals -- a relationship we carry on to this day.
And now House of a Thousand Guitars, his ninth CD has released. It's a rollicking wall of sound, with Willie's usual cool lyrics -- a rock `n' roll masterpiece.
One of my personal favorites is the tongue-in-cheek "Doomsday Dance" so I asked him about it.
"Doomsday Dance was a natural reaction to all the crazy going's on in this world. The desire to get up and dance got the better of us. I wrote it with Frankie Lee and recorded it with my band The Worry Dolls. The song has one of my favorite verses on the album: `I'll take your bony hand you're gonna shake your hips. I'm gonna squeeze you tight kiss your apocalypse. There'll be a body count, we're gonna watch it rise. The folks at CNN they won't believe their eyes. We'll do the Dead Man's Twist this is our last chance Down at the Doomsday Dance,'" Willie said. "The song is just us having a little fun with the apocalypse."
Two other knock out cuts are "Now That The War Is Over," one of the best anti-war songs I've ever heard and "Little Light" an anthem sure to move you.
I did the math, knowing Willie was born in 1948 and asked about how he could keep up with the labels which have been hung on him "live-wire rocker" and "one-man Clash."
"It's easy to stay focused. I love writing and recording. It's just what I do. It helps me make sense of the world and it's great fun to make music. Why would I ever stop?," Willie asked. "I guess if it stops being fun I'll stop but I don't see that happening anytime soon."
I've always wanted to see him live and have an open invitation, but Willie doesn't travel our direction much.
"I would dearly love to play in all three cities (Memphis, Oxford, Tupelo). I love the south and the Delta Blues and the great musical traditions that live and breathe there. Elvis was one of a kind. I'd love to walk those streets sometime and play some music there. Hopefully sometime soon," Willie said.

This is my first Nile CD but will get more. Love every cut.Great guitar playing. Inovative lyrics. Each cut is a differt musical style, rhythm or emotion.

One of the best albums of 2009. Willie Nile continues his winning ways with "House Of A Thousand Guitars".

Every song is a winner. The title track gets things going on the right foot. "Run" is a classic rocker, "Doomsday Dance is a breathtaking rocker one of Willie's best fun songs. Excellent ballads in "Love Is A Train","The Midnight Rose" and "Little Light". The Beatleish "Her Love Falls Like Rain", one of Willie Nile's most personal songs "Now That The War Is Over" just a great song, great musicianship here! The rocker "Magdalena" just a feel good song all the around, and the closing number "When The Last Light Goes Out On Broadway" another masterful Willie Nile Song. This a great record, but he has done this for 30 years and nobody really pays attention. The Band on this record: Willie Nile Vocals,Guitar and Piano. Andy York Guitar and background vocals. Steuart Smith Guitar,Keyboard aand Piano. Brad Alberta Bass. Rich Pagano Drums and Background vocals. Frankie Lee Drums and background vocals. Brian Mitchell Organ, Stewart Lerman Bass and Guitar. Rob Morseberger Strings. Christopher Hoffman Cello. Charlie Elgart Organ and Hirsh Gardner,Tracie Gardner and Michela Gardner Background Vocals.

Heard some samples of this CD on Amazon and decided to take a chance on Willie Nile.

I have not been disappointed. This album is upbeat at times, sorrowful and soulful at times. Great lyrics, catchy tunes and Willie Nile has one of those weathered but comfortable voices. He's somewhere between Bob Dylan and Bap Kennedy on the voice richter scale.

Highly recommended!