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Live albums aren’t what they used to be. Many times they’re more of a holding pattern while an artist catches their creative breath, instead of being a sweeping view of a musician’s performing strengths. Going back to some of the definitive onstage recordings, like James Brown’s Live At The Apollo or Van Morrison’s It’s Too Late To Stop Now, those were collections that helped a singer spotlight an unseen side of their many talents. Fortunately, Willie Nile attacks these 15 songs with such vitality he adds life to what was already an exciting persona, and lights big sonic firecrackers throughout the show. Nile has had one of the wilder careers of the past 30 years, coming out of the so-called new wave scene in New York in the late ‘70s. He got saddled for a second as a “next Dylan,” but wisely ran away from that appellation like the plague. What Willie Nile really is is a revved-up folk singer with a rock & roll heart. His best music, like “Welcome to My Head” and “Back Home,” can shoot straight through you, leaving a feeling of fullness that not only offers strength, but also points a way forward. Even better, there isn’t an ounce of nostalgia on this album, even though most of the songs are from last year’s Streets Of New York. And that’s because like the above-mentioned Brown and Morrison, Nile sees the true challenge of a live set as providing a jumping-off point and not a safe place to land. The way this man goes for it will give you faith there is music being made today that comes from a challenge and not the charts. More.
