They’re about reduced prospects for college graduates, the detachment of techies from the general public and the fanning of the flames of AI by prognosticators and the media.
It’s income inequality run rampant, I tell you.
One thing we’ve learned is the tech bros are not like us. The dueling dullards arguing over OpenAI at the trial… From the sidelines, everybody looks bad. Elon Musk looks greedy and Sam Altman appears smug and…aren’t these guys rich enough?
As for the Molotov cocktail thrown at Altman’s house… I do not approve, of the action or any future violence, but I understand it. What we’re seeing is a ramping up of actions against those reaping rewards from a game that most people cannot even play. It started with Luigi Mangione shooting the CEO of United Health and… All we hear from those with a public voice is violence will not be condoned (ironic in a gun-riddled society where even 6 year olds shoot people), they never speak to the underlying condition. They label the shooter a crank and…
And now as bad as the health care system is, Congress let the Obamacare subsidies expire and prices went through the roof and millions of people are now going bare. And what is the response of those who don’t want to deliver these subsidies? That the people involved can go to the emergency room. That’s like telling people to drive without insurance because the people they collide with are probably have coverage. It’s just kicking the can down the road, we all end up paying, and believe me, the public knows it.
When done right, heroes should not be zeros, they should be able to relate to the public, or be leaders. Instead, everybody’s chasing the dollar. You’ve got vapid musical acts and then billionaires bitching that someone wants to take their money… Did you check out the Bezos interview? He’s talking about all the taxes rich people pay, but he leaves out that many billionaires don’t pay anything at all, they just borrow against their stock, kicking a taxable event down the road.
Billionaires are not like us. But we no longer mean that in a good way.
We used to admire the leaders, techies replaced rock stars. They were pushing the envelope, wowing us with their breakthroughs, thrilling us with constant innovation. But it seems the game of musical chairs has ended, no one new can grab a seat and those who remain are self-centered and self-satisfied, their idea of charity is to build a school that their kids can go to. They’re doing anything but spreading the wealth around, and the public knows it.
So the truth is this graduating class had access to AI for all four years of college, and have been using it. It’s not like they were boycotting ChatGPT with their schoolwork, rather the issue is how to keep students from using it. So it’s not AI they’re pissed about, but…
Come on, we keep hearing that AI is going to take our jobs and then destroy the world.
As far as taking your job…if you deal in ones and zeros, if you’re a coder. But beyond that, the human is still king, because of AI’s hallucinations/mistakes. God, we’re seeing it in court and books and…professionals are constantly being busted for relying on AI that not only is wrong, but makes things up! We are not moving to a society where this is accepted. Just the opposite, the screws are tightening now that the problem is being evidenced in quantity.
As for corporations… It’s all a ruse I tell you. They say they’re laying people off because of AI, but the truth is it’s a cover-up, they just want to lay people off! Think about it, if AI was actually doing these jobs, they’d lay off people in waves, as AI became able to do their jobs. But instead, these companies are laying off thousands all at once! They don’t want to look bad and say they’re just firing/downsizing people, then the public blowback is too great. And then Wall Street starts to wonder if anyone’s in charge, why were these companies so far from rightsized!
I mean whose jobs is AI actually taking? God, AI is a buzzword, it’s everywhere, the sky is falling! But it’s not.
Look at the computer… Now lawyers do their typing themselves. There is no longer is a steno pool, but this efficiency has flowed to the bottom line. As for the value add of the steno pool, there was none.
But there isn’t even spellcheck for AI! The companies themselves can’t root out the hallucinations!
Yes, AI found security holes in Apple’s OS, and that’s worth extrapolating and contemplating, but now that AI is being used for even coding it turns out that sans human oversight, it can’t do the job.
I’m not going to sit here and say AI won’t have an effect on the world, but everybody losing their job overnight, no…
But these are the same people who sold us crypto. And then Polymarket and Kalshi. Systems that look flat on the surface, but are rigged by people using inside information and quants. You can’t win if you’re the average punter. As for online gambling, the odds are stacked against you, but if you do happen to win big, they limit your bets.
And then we’ve got the ultimate grifter in D.C.
We are talking about college graduates here, they’re not dumb, they can see through what is happening, Trump may have successfully primaried candidates, but that’s because boomers voted his way, youngsters overwhelmingly went for the incumbents.
Get the picture here?
It’s us against them.
And the only us who will stand up and take a risk are the young ‘uns, who’ve got their lives in front of them as opposed to behind, they’ve got nothing to lose.
As for Eric Schmidt…talk about a smug as*hole… I figured I’d ask him about music discovery, he dismissed the question like it was positively inane, saying it would all be solved by machine learning momentarily. That was before Covid, needless to say it didn’t happen, it will NEVER HAPPEN! It comes down to humans, not the machine. Whether it be TikTok or something that hasn’t surfaced yet.
But these techies believe chips and software can solve every problem, run the world. They’re the ones who are myopic, not us.
As for the constant trumpeting of AI by the press… This is the same press that was gung-ho during the dot com revolution at the turn of the century, and then the market collapsed. Turned out you couldn’t deliver a popsicle for free.
So far, the startup AI companies are financially challenged. Anthropic just posted a profit, but it’s bupkes compared to the investment. ChatGPT is still struggling.
As for data centers… It was a field day for Wall Street. Never mind the financial engineering, like keeping the centers off the books of companies like Meta. No one anywhere thought about the social aspects. It’s fracking on steroids. Not only do you want to build these eyesores, you want to use all our electricity too! And you’ve got Elon Musk installing gas turbines that cause noise air and noise pollution without getting permits first. This guy doesn’t only think that the rules don’t apply to him, but the laws don’t apply to him! He’s got a long history of doing this, ignoring the U.S. government, it’s cheaper to settle after the fact, if there even is a settlement.
But Musk is too out of touch to realize after DOGE he’s no longer a public hero, he’s got his acolytes, but Tesla has stalled and many are wary of anything he does. Never mind his riches.
So you thought you could be a rock star.
But now not only are the odds long, it takes longer than ever to make it and even if you do, you can’t make anywhere near the riches of the techies.
And then you thought you could build apps.
But that turned out to be a free market, people don’t pay for apps.
So where are your entry points if you’re an entrepreneur?
And if you’ve just got a computer science degree, they’re laying off people in your world, not hiring.
And prices are going up and you’re told not to worry about it. And buying a house is off the table for many, and they also don’t want expensive kids and…
We’re told we’ve got smartphones, so we should be happy! That our standard of living is higher than it’s ever been before! Maybe, but compared to the winners, most people are positively broke.
But they don’t get a voice, because they don’t have the money to pay for politicians, if they even vote.
But the old and wealthy, they’re invested in the game. Believe me, college graduates are aware that not only Bezos flipped, but even Tim Cook. None of them have a backbone, and if they’re called on it, they say they have no choice.
EVERYBODY has a choice.
But not everybody has options.
That’s what this is all about, options. People are sick and tired of doors being shut.
They’re starting to break them down.
If you’re waiting for a public reaction, a conflagration over Trump’s slush fund or ballroom or arch…
People only react when it affects them directly.
People feel their futures are bleak, and that’s what they’re reacting to.
Dan Beck was Michael Jackson’s product manager and has written a book about the experience, “‘You’ve Got Michael’: Living Through HIStory.” If you want to know what it was like working at a record label in the pre-internet era, this is the place.
Does he know how bad he was? Is he in a bubble, is it the emperor’s new clothes, does he not know how he comes across?
In case you missed it, try this:
It’s positively sad.
Then again, athletes retire, why not musicians?
Then again, musicians never retire, they say they do a few times, but they always go back on the road.
When Paul McCartney went back on the road with Wings Over America in 1976, it was a startling event, a Beatle in person.
And now he’s turned into Bob Dylan…
But at least Dylan seems to be aware of what he’s doing.
Then again, the people who go to the show and say Bob is great now… I guess if you find shows where you can’t recognize a single song to be exciting and fulfilling, maybe… But where’s that at, if you want me, I’ll be in the bar.
But at least Dylan’s keeping it interesting for himself. I mean to go out for thousands of shows, singing the same songs that became famous when you were in your twenties, sixty years on? Other than the adulation of the audience and getting paid, that sounds like death to me.
I give Paul credit for surviving. As one of the most popular people in the world. All that attention, the love, the expectations, how do you live a normal life? Having children, all of whom seem to be reasonable, which is not an easy feat. Not staying holed up, but living a life…
But Paul definitely knows who he is. He’s got an ego, and he displays it. Then again, it’s nearly impossible to make it. Despite how humble stars may appear, underneath it they’re egoists, if not narcissists, who have a hole they’re trying to fill via their success.
And Paul deserves all the credit he’s gotten. And as revered as John Lennon is, it’s hard to compete with a dead man. Imagine if Jim Morrison was alive today? It’s hard to carry off that mysterious distance when you’re in your fifties, never mind sixties or seventies.
Paul is 83, he’s going to be 84 next month. When I was growing up, that was positively ancient. Most men didn’t make it that far, my relatives certainly didn’t. And those who did were crotchety, moving slowly, having difficulty hearing…
I was sitting behind Bruce Springsteen at an awards show and I saw his hearing aids. I’m not putting him down, not in the least. Hell, he could have grown his hair and covered them up. He’s owning his identity, just like he has let his hair go gray and has admitted taking antidepressants. How do you cope when you’ve achieved all your goals? How do you keep marching forward?
But as big as Bruce Springsteen is…
No living musician is as big as Paul McCartney.
The truth is his vocals have been substandard for over a decade now. But Paul literally has the best band, and they do a phenomenal job of covering up for him. But when he’s singing alone at the piano…you cringe. I’ve been there, I’ve seen it.
Now I understand the pilgrimage, paying homage, bringing your kids to see him in the stadium where the sound is so imperfect you fill in the holes with your memory… But to go on SNL and show the world how bad you really are, how you’ve lost more than a step?
How could Paul not realize this? He had plausible deniability prior to this. Even YouTube videos… They’re shot from the audience, not copied from the board, they’re almost all imperfect. But when Paul goes on national television, INTERNATIONAL television!
That’s what YouTube is, it lasts forever.
Now I wasn’t going to write anything. Because the truth here is self-evident. And the manager is a friend of mine. Why pile on.
But there’s a message here, beyond Paul McCartney. Sometimes you just have to hang it up.
Like Gordon Lightfoot. I went to see him and…it would have been better if he was singing to tape, like Frankie Valli, who finally called it quits, or employed an avatar. Felice wanted to leave almost immediately. I needed to hear “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” but after that we bolted. It was too excruciating, I didn’t want my memories f*cked with.
Now Gordon passed not long thereafter, this was truly his last hurrah.
But it was happening off the radar screen.
But Paul still garners eyeballs…
It’s sad that the legends are dropping, Jack Douglas last week. What am I going to say about Jack, he was a friend… We did a podcast together, there was almost nothing left to say. Obituaries are written by those who don’t know somebody for those who didn’t either. But if you knew Jack, you knew about his trip to Liverpool…
And then there are the managers. Bernie working with Bob Weir, and then he dies. What are you going to do then? How are you going to march on? There’s a giant hole in both your life and your pocketbook.
As for music today…
The big news about the Drake album is how hip-hop has not charted well for eons, that we live in a pop world.
Like the one we lived in in 1961, ’62, even ’63, before the Beatles in America. Vapid stuff that fills a hole, but not the soul.
Paul McCartney filled our holes and our souls. And his music will continue to do so.
But Willie Mays could no longer catch a ball running backwards…
What is Paul McCartney supposed to do with his time?
Does Bob Dylan have nothing better to do, is this his only option?
But it’s not only them, it’s me, it’s the rest of the boomers. Sure, there are politicos hanging on for dear life, laughably, knowing nothing about the tech that drives our culture, but at some point you have to face the fact that your time has passed. So what do you do with your time?
I’m still trying to figure that out.
But I do know there are certain things I can no longer do.
And I’m not the only one.
As far as Paul McCartney goes, he can still sing, but not like a bird, more like…
You andme, but not even.
If he only owned it…
Why do all our heroes always push it too far, displaying their clay feet?
I’d like to know.
P.S. The YouTube link above is for Paul’s performance of his new song “Days We Left Behind.” “Band on the Run” wasn’t quite as bad, but it was not good:
P.P.S. The best performance was the closing number, “Coming Up”:
I was at Arista for Willie’s first album. We could not break him.
He kept at it. He NEVER faltered, NEVER gave up.
Willie is the real deal.
Mike Bon
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I am now on the older side of this business… but I am still 25 years younger than Willie! But I’m a true believer in him and all that he does.
His son Luke and I were at high school together at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, NY.
I’ll never forget when “Heaven Help The Lonely” came out in 1991. I was into The Cure, Fishbone, The Replacements and Public Enemy but also Dylan, Springsteen and U2 and I really dug that song. I was just starting to get an idea of what great songcraft was and this was a lesson in it.
Years on, I got to know Willie and became his promoter here in his hometown of Western New York mainly through our mutual friend: the late great independent radio promoter Bruce Moser.
At that point, I had still only barely grasped Willie’s power and impact.
It was when I’d be at a Springsteen show and he’d bring Willie out to play “Working On The Highway” with him and the E Street Band. Now Bruce doesn’t bring out a lot of special guests, so that meant something.
Then when Bono would have a stadium on its feet but out of nowhere gave a shout out to WIllie at the height of U2’s set? Wow.
You meet Willie and he’s like a South Buffalo leprechaun: his hair is half his height! He’s the biggest believer of his own myth and he sells you on it. He continues to write and produce these albums that should keep most singer/songwriters of any worth on their toes.
He knows how good he is and he is still out there playing like he’s moments away from stardom. When you see him get up and a do his show: you also buy in. He has the songs, the power: he has that thing! Man, he’s really good.
And his band is equally great: a real NYC cast of characters. His bassist Johnny Pisano is LITERALLY a backround player from The Sopranos’ Bada Bing but he’s also a punk guy and a rock and roll lifer like Steven Van Zandt.
They go out and play rooms from 150 to 500 cap but knock it out every night.
Willie will not give up.
Glad to see you shine a light on him.
He deserves it!
Danny Kutzbach
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Bob
Willie Nile is a national musical treasure!
In 2025, I had the honor of presenting him with a “College Radio Legend ‘ Award for his extraordinary recording and performing career for over 45 years.
Whenever you get the itch for a hit of righteous and crucial rock mixed with lyrical majesty, get yourself to a Willie Nile solo, duo or full band show !
Norm Prusslin
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GREAT take on Willie Nile, who I’ve been seeing on the east coast for many years. An unknown superstar of an artist. Springsteen sings with him sometimes, usually on Willie’s anthem “One Guitar,” which should have been a massive song and is more relevant than ever, if music still has any power to change the world. And as a person Willie is maybe the nicest musician I’ve ever met, and I’ve met many. A few years ago on a new year’s eve show in New Jersey, a friend of mine, Americana singer-songwriter Lisa Bouchelle, opened the show for him. She mentioned in passing that she had a huge vet bill come up unexpectedly and was having some financial issues with it. At the end of the night Wille put a few extra bills (more than a few) in her pocket and said it’s for the vet bills. A gem of a person.
Rocky
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“American Ride” is one of the best albums of the last 20 years. And definitely see Willie with a full band. His bassist Johnny Pisano is one of the most entertaining players out there..
Pete Kuehl
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“See a MASTER at work!”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TNQ02QER4A
Willie is one of those IYKYK artists, and man did he blow our unsuspecting audience away:
Kelly Breaks
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Way to go! Willie is a dear friend and we were also there last night. Glad you finally got to see him.
We first heard about him on the former Little Steven’s Garage show when it aired on KLOS upon the release of his Streets Of New York album (a classic desert island disk). He did his first west coast tour in decades in support of that album and we were able to also host him for one of our house concerts and several house concerts since. What you saw last night is one of the greatest living American songwriters and yes unfortunately a lot of people don’t know about him. In songwriter circles he’s well known, Bruce Springsteen invites him on stage for tour stops in NYC and he’s even the godparent of one of Little Steven’s kids.
Last year’s show at McCabe’s included the guitarist from Counting Crows joining him on stage and a few years before that Creed Bratton joined him for a killer encore of the Grass Roots “Let’s Live for Today”. Many don’t know that actor Creed Bratton was a Grass Root.
Anyway, so glad you got to see this iconic American talent live.
Don Adkins
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I’m so glad you got to finally see Willie Nile live. His shows are like no other, whether solo or with his band.
He’s the most gentle, genuine, and kind-hearted rock & roller but make no mistake, whenever he plays the venue that I help to run (or any other I’ve seen him at), he means business and he ROCKS.
And you’re right about the songs – they are ANTHEMS for a better world:
“I’m a soldier marching in an army, got no gun to shoot, but what I got is one guitar, I got this one guitar…”
Long live Wille Nile. And his dad!
Gail Prusslin
Montclair, NJ
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Bob
Heaven help the lonely!!!!
I sing along every single time I hear it
Peter Stema
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I’ve known Willie since those Kenny’s Castaways days, (same neighborhood as that walk-up) and he is the real thing.
Thanks
Joe Henderson
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Bravo Bob! You shone a beautiful light on Willie!
He is the goods. A mensch who loves what he shares, and nothing about him, is not him! I have many times, after his show watched how Willie, right after stepping off stage, goes out and meets his ‘fans’! Chats, take pictures with all and shares his love for his beloved Father… No ego! This, is one rare, extraordinarly talented gem! Again, Bob, mega thanks!
Rose Gross-Marino
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So glad you wrote this Bob.
Willie kills live, and solo, at McCabes, probably the ultimate Willie experience.
Keeper of the flame…
jimeddy
Ann Arbor
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I like you bought Willie Nile’s self titled debut. It still remains in heavy rotation for me. Also like you, I never saw Willie live until a couple of years ago when he played a full band show for a nice summer crowd on Long Beach Island.
I was blown away.
They joy of standing up and singing along reminded me of concerts from long ago
Willie is a true legend in my mind.
Going stronger than ever at 78.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Donald Furrer
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I LOVE WILLIE NILE!
Bill Green
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I love it when anyone totally gets what I do about an artist. And especially when you do.
I’d never heard of him when I first saw him play at The Carleton in Halifax. Mike Campbell runs a thing he calls an Urban Folk Festival. He books three people whose music he loves “from away” and sets them up with a true all star local band.
That show. Willie with The Halifax Allstars remains in my top five live shows. It would have been an easy remodelling the next day because they took the paint off the walls.
How do I describe what I saw and how I felt? I don’t need to. You just did. That same feeling of how is it everyone doesn’t know this guy, to the enjoyment of songs heard for the first time. Rock and Roll lives here.
Jeff Pinhey in Halifax
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I loved Willie Nile’s first LP and was a music director at a small station in the South and we played Vagabond Moon and It’s All Over and some others. But the phones didn’t light up.
I got his second LP and liked it but then I lost track of his releases until Streets of New York in 2006. It’s absolutely one of my favorite albums!
I saw Willie at McCabe’s years ago and sure wish I’d known he was there whenever you saw him.
Glad to know he’s still killing it.
Bill Fitzhugh
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As a long time Willie Nile fan, thank you For this.
Rik Shafer
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Hey Bob: Thrilled you got to see one of the best kept secrets in rock ‘n roll. I first saw Willie live with a full band at Theodore’s Blues Booze and Barbecue Restaurant in Springfield, MA in the early 2000’s. He tore the roof off. I’ve been a diehard fan ever since and have seen plenty of his acoustic and electric shows. I’ve told so many friends about the guy. His live shows are always memorable. He is remarkably gifted singer songwriter and a sweet down to earth guy.
My favorite filmmaker Jim Jarmusch says of Willie “…he continues to live somewhere below the radar, crafting his songs from street level observations and the leanings of his heart.”
And from Lucinda Williams “…Willie Nile is a great artist. If there was any justice in the world, I’d be opening up for him instead of him for me.”
And when Bruce Springsteen plays Jersey or New York, he often brings Willie up on stage.
Great great great interview with Mr. Nile on NPR from 2006…
Saw him last week at Joe’s Pub, Bob and he was amazing , also saw him solo at CityWinery last year doing a 2 night early and late career thing…not sure why I I didn’t connect earlier but now I can’t get enough… It’s a little like Jesse Malin who I also found in the past couple years…saw his show Silver Manhattan recently and in the same way can’t understand why both Willie and Jesse aren’t more well known …glad you enjoyed it…John Canavari
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I first heard Willie Nile on the ‘Largo’ album (I think you understandably breezed right over this one on your episode with Eric Bazilian). I picked up a used copy of the CD at one of those used CD places that used to exist. The cover kind of jumped out at me because it was some sort of cardboard thing rather than the standard jewel case, and I also wondered if the album was someone’s modern take on Dvorak. Anyway, back to Willie. He sang “Medallion” which was one of my least favorite cuts on the album, so I kind of forgot about him.
Fast forward about 10 years and I was talking about music with this cat who grew up on Long Island and was sort of obsessive about the NYC music scene. He was raving about Garland Jeffreys, Mink DeVille and Willie Nile one night while we were out drinking, and I was reminded of Willie’s name. I went out and got the self titled album and was hooked right off the bat with “Vagabond Moon”.
I finally got to see him play as a showcase artist at Folk Alliance International about 5 years after that. He sure wasn’t folk. He oozed pure New York cool. He was Willie. Glad he’s still out there doing it.
Todd Shelton
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I thought that might have been you at the show… Happy to see that it was and you saw what we did too. We followed you out the door, I think, although when you went to your seat just before showtime I mentioned to my wife that it might be you…
I admittedly didn’t know Willie’s name but I’m forever reading the McCabe’s emails and thinking of the shows I should try to go to, and the combination of their write-up and the timing worked well so we jumped. I should motivate to see Tom Rush this summer (especially as a New England guy) but we shall see. I think the last show we saw there was 10+ years ago. We clearly have been missing out.
(We saw Jimmie Webb last Friday at Catalina Bar & Grill, in part informed/inspired by your interview with him).
I was thinking this week that as I listen to all your podcasts, the 2 hours or so I listen to you every week puts you high on the leaderboard of people I spend time with outside of work during any given week – inclusive of all but one family member who lives under our roof. A curious thing.
Keep doing what you’re doing. Hope your health issues are resolving.
Regards
John Kimble
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You bring the truth.. Been catching Willie perform for too many years and wondering why he hasn’t caught on with the people. His full band shows are also must sees as he brings the show, so much music, so many shows, just not enough time. Once again, thank you Bob.
Thanks Clint,
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I’m a huge Willy fan and I’ve been seeing him since the early 80s. You are correct in saying his live shows are his identity but his LPS are great as well! To say he’s never had a breakthrough hit it is not exactly correct, Vagabond Moon from the first LP and Golden Down from his second LP where what I would call hits!
mrscott616
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I’ve seen Willie Nile, go see Willie Nile.
All the best,
Bruce Lorenz
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Hey Bob, thx for the story on Willie. Willie does have a great rock’n’roll band based in nyc. The bass player is Johnny Pisano, the drummer is Jon Weber, and sorry, can’t tell you who the current lead guitarist is. I know Jon Weber because he has a rehearsal spot in the Music Building in Manhattan, as do I. They kick ass! You can find multiple YouTubes, including them playing at the NJ Light of Day benefit shows along with Bruce.
Keep on rocking and writing!
Ira Zadikow
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I’ve seen Willie a couple of times at McCabes and I’m not at all surprised that it sold out. He brings it! And I’m glad to hear that he is still bringing it at his age. I’ve seen him with a band and they ROCK. Either way, he is going to entertain you for the night.
Bruce Greenberg
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Every word, every bit of praise, was so well deserved by my friend, the unstoppable Willie Nile. We’ve been running on the same road for a while now and our paths often cross in Italy and Spain. And like myself, Willie continues to wear his optimism on his sleeve. We’re still hungry for an impossible arena style success and that’s what drives rock troubadours like us to the next gig, no matter if our faded dreams defy logic.
Someone should write a book about the fate of late 70s – early 80s singer-songwriters. Willie, Steve Forbert, Garland Jeffries and myself were made from harder stuff than “soft rock” and our roots barely reached the folk revival of the early 60s . Our bible was not Harry Smith’s anthology of American Folk Music and although easily categorized as “New Dylans” by rock writers and publicists who took the lazy route of meaningless genres, we had little in common with him or each other for that matter. We learned to play acoustic guitar inspired by Keith Richards’ Gibson Hummingbird on Wild Horses. It was not “folk rock” – but more like “rock folk” – we wanted to think deep like the folkies but boogie like true rockers. I for one think all of us succeeded in doing just that.
But sadly, for some reason I’ll never understand, the term “singer songwriter” became a dirty word in the American Music business. 1977 was the pivotal year when the public embraced disco while the media was attracted to the nihilist vision of punk … not to mention that Elvis died.
Suddenly singer-songwriters like us became music business orphans. Of course, the one great exception was Bruce Springsteen. He got through the gate just in time with his secret weapon – an unstoppable stage performer who continues to mesmerize audiences around the world. And as Willie can testify, Bruce’s generosity toward his peers is unmatched. I’ve played before 80,000 people in Paris when he invited me onstage for Born to Run. The Beatles may have been about love, and the Stones about sex, but Bruce has always been about hope. For all of us.
If AI takes over popular music, it will have no difficulty replicating today’s lyrics, the vast majority of which are meaningless. And how could they not be when you’ve got a dozen songwriters on a hit song making sure not one word will cause a ripple in the culture. In 1977 Columbia records gave me a hard time for including the word “breast” on my album “Just a Story from America.” Can you imagine?
But I’m not bitter and neither (I think) is Willie because without that major label push both of us were graced with early in our careers, neither of us would’ve been able to continue doing what we’ve been doing for these last 50 years. I’ve played almost 3000 shows and released over 50 albums. And I’m sure Willie’s numbers are nearly the same.
And speaking of numbers, can someone explain to me when it became OK to rate songwriters as per the recent NYT list? Are songwriters now in the same category as professional athletes? All time batting average for Leonard Cohen? Does success = quality? I don’t think so…
From Paris,
Elliott Murphy
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Willie is a force of nature, onstage and off. He commands attention like few performers of any age, and he is a wise and kind and funny and generous human to boot; what you see is absolutely what you get. It’s no coincidence that Bruce has brought Willie up to join him on his shows so many times over the years… game recognizes game. (BTW you’re right that he’s great solo, but Willie’s band definitely does not detract from his essence; they kick ass and add to the power and joy; hopefully you’ll have a chance to see them sometime too.)
Willie and I used to see each other around the NY scene for ages, and in the Spring of 2008, we finally made plans to meet up for lunch and catch up for real. The week we were supposed to get together, my father ended up in the hospital with what turned out to be a terminal case of lymphoma, so I had to call Willie to reschedule. We barely knew each other at the time, but he spent over an hour on the phone with me as I sat sobbing in my father’s car in front of my parents’ house. He told me about his dad, his kids, his trials and his joys, and was as present and and solid as any lifelong friend might have been. Even if he weren’t a rock star on stage, he’s a rock star in my book for things like this alone (and there are plenty more examples). I always feel better after spending time with him; he is that rare dude who consistently spreads positivity and you know it’s completely genuine.
He sings, “I’m a soldier marching in the army, got no gun to shoot, but what I got is one guitar, I got this one guitar….” and he sure has learned how to make it talk.
Be well,
Judy Tint
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Thak you Bob, great article on Willie and so happy that you gave him his well-deserved recognition.
Like you, I knew Willie’s first album. I knew who he was, appreciated that album, but there was not much more to go on. He could have been a contender, but some bad lawyer advice – his career went on hold and never recovered during the golden age.
When I was running the King Biscuit Flower Hour record label, I came across a tape of him playing a Wollman Rink Central Park show – I was mesmerized by the songs and raw energy that was coming out of my speakers. I was smitten. No management company that I could find. I learned he was from Buffalo, found out his real name, the Buffalo address, and called the house cold and asked for him – by his real name. I ended up talking to his Dad who shares his name, and said not you, I need to speak to Willie Nile. I was eventually given his Greenwich Village home phone, spoke to him, went to see him, and released the live album which is still one of my favorites.
Wille and I became friends; he is smart, well spoken, friendly and just a nice person with no attitude or airs. He is humble. I went to many of his shows with or without a band. He bands were always great, Rich Pagano on drums and a guitarist whom I discovered playing with Willie named Andy York who played during his Mellencamp breaks. As an aside, turns out Andy and I have the six degrees of separation thing.
Willie’s shows are always great. He has the Springsteen vibe in him. Movement, joy, action and great songs that you can relate you. I haven’t seen him in a few years. But I am proud of what he has done the past 20. He keeps on writing, releasing independent records, and fighting the good fight because of his love of writing and music.
I’ve been to many McCabe’s shows when I lived in LA, I lived close by. I’m jealous I was not there. It’s Willie, whom I will always love and respect.
Best,
Barry Ehrmann
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Thanks for recognizing the criminally under-rated talents of Willie Nile! I first saw him at his Toronto album release show in 1980 at the El Mocambo after playing the album in-store at A&A Records on Yonge St. where I worked at the time. I was especially fond of the single, Vagabond Moon, a track he rarely even performs these days. I saw him again at the Horseshoe Tavern on the tour for his follow up album, Golden Down and again he was fantastic. He left Arista Records and resurfaced years later on Columbia with Places I Have Never Been, a truly brilliant record that no one payed attention to and was hard to find. The next album, now on an indie, Beautiful Wreck Of The World, suffered the same fate.
He delivered what I think is the definitive Willie album, Streets Of New York, in 2006 and when I opened a venue in Halifax – The Carleton – in 2008, I took a flyer and phoned his manager and somehow arranged to fly him to Halifax for a solo show in 2008. Three years later I invited him back to play the second version of my Halifax Urban Fold Festival (now in its 17th year), this time with a band of local All Stars to back him up, and even though he only met them at sound check, they absolutely killed it.
I had him back to play with his own NYC-based band and even traveled to see them at Joe’s Pub once. The man is a machine these days, routinely releasing a great album every year and continues to tour relentlessly in the U.S., Canada and Europe. I am now honoured to consider him a friend and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if, considering his genetics, he keeps it up until he’s 100. He is the real deal and is recognized as such by talents like Pete Townshend, Bruce Springsteen and Ian Hunter; it’s about time everyone else caught up!
Mike Campbell
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Thanks so much Bob. Bless your RnR heart! Heartfelt thanks for what you wrote in the newsletter. My inbox and phone are blowing up! I’m humbled and deeply grateful. Coming from you that means a ton!
