Joe Ely | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Country-rock singer/songwriter/guitarist Joe Ely was born Earle R. Ely on February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas. His family had worked for the Rock Island Line railroad dating back to the start of the century. When he was 12, the family moved to Lubbock, Texas, where his father ran a used clothing store. Inspired by seeing Jerry Lee Lewis perform when he was a child, Ely aspired to a musical career, and he briefly took violin and steel guitar lessons before turning to the guitar. His father died when he was 14, and his mother was institutionalized for a year due to the trauma, so he and his brother were forced to stay with relatives in other cities. When the family came back together in Lubbock, he took a job washing dishes to bring in some money. He also dropped out of school and began playing music professionally in local clubs, forming a band called the Twilights that became successful enough for him to quit being a dishwasher. Soon after, however, he became sufficiently restless to begin traveling, at first to other cities in Texas, then California, and later New York, with even a trip to Europe working for a theatrical company. This peripatetic period in his life lasted a full seven years, from 1963 to 1970. In the summer of 1971, back in Lubbock, he teamed up with a couple of singer/songwriter friends with whom he was living, Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, along with some other musicians, to form the Flatlanders, a country-folk group. They attracted interest from the small Nashville record label Plantation Records and in March 1972 went to Nashville and cut an album that Plantation barely released, credited to Jimmie Dale & the Flatlanders. (The album is reputed to have been issued only as an eight-track tape.) Ely returned to rambling around the country, but he was back in Lubbock by 1974, when he began putting together a permanent backup band to play there and around Texas. The Joe Ely Band featured Ely on acoustic guitar and vocals, Jesse Taylor on electric guitar, Lloyd Maines on steel guitar, Gregg Wright on bass, and Steve Keeton on drums. A demo tape made by the group was passed to members of Jerry Jeff Walkers backup band, who gave it to Walker, who gave it to an A&R; representative of Walkers label, MCA Records, and in the fall of 1975 Ely was signed to MCA. During 1976, he recorded his debut album, Joe Ely, which was released on January 10, 1977, along with a single, "All My Love," that reached the Billboard country charts. That song was one of five original Ely compositions on the LP; the other five had been written by Hancock or Gilmore. Over a year later, on February 13, 1978, Ely followed with his second album, Honky Tonk Masquerade. (By this point, accordionist Ponty Bone had joined the backup band.) Again, the collection was a combination of Ely originals, including the title song, "Fingernails" (a Jerry Lee Lewis-styled rocker with piano by Shane Keister), and "Cornbread Moon" (all of which were released as singles), and songs written by Hancock and Gilmore (the latters "Tonight I Think Im Gonna Go Downtown," co-written with John X. Reed, had appeared on the Flatlanders album). There was also a cover of Hank Williams "Honky Tonkin." Honky Tonk Masquerade was well received critically upon release (and a 1990 article in Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the essential albums of the 1970s), but it didnt sell. Ely was back in record stores a year later with Down on the Drag, released in February 1979. Another four Hancock compositions were introduced, along with five Ely originals. The album reached the Cash Box country chart. Ely and his band toured extensively in the late 70s, headlining small shows and opening for bigger acts. Among these, surprisingly enough, was the British punk rock band the Clash. The group befriended Ely, however, and asked him to open shows for them back in the U.K. This expanded his following overseas and exposed him to rock audiences. The British division of MCA took advantage of the attention to record an Ely live album during the tour, and Live Shots, credited to the Joe Ely Band, was released only in the U.K. in the spring of 1980. (By this point, Robert Marquam had replaced Steve Keeton as Elys drummer.) Meanwhile, the British reissue label Charly Records licensed the Flatlanders recordings and gave them their first widely distributed release on a compilation called One Road More. Back in the U.S., the American division of MCA initially declined to release Live Shots, preferring to wait for Elys next studio album and continue to try to break him as a country artist. That album, Musta Notta Gotta Lotta, appeared in March 1981 on SouthCoast Records, an imprint founded by Elys manager, still manufactured and distributed by MCA. (By now, Michael Robberson had replaced Gregg Wright on bass; Smokey Joe Miller [saxophone] and Reese Wynans [keyboards] had joined the band; and Lloyd Maines had dropped out of touring, although he continued to participate in Ely studio recordings.) Again, it mixed Ely originals like the title song with songs by Hancock and Gilmore (the latters contribution being "Dallas," another song drawn from the Flatlanders album). The commercial response to Musta Notta Gotta Lotta reflected Elys increasing profile in both the country and rock markets. It reached the Cash Box country chart and even the Billboard and Cash Box pop charts, with the title song earning enough airplay to reach Billboards mainstream rock chart. In October 1981, SouthCoast/MCA finally bowed to popular pressure and released Live Shots in the U.S., packaging it with a bonus four-song EP, Texas Special. It reached the Billboard pop chart. By the end of 1982, Ely was arguably on the cusp of breaking through commercially as a country-rock crossover artist. He had opened shows for the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and even the Rolling Stones. But he had been touring continually for years, and the pace wore on him and his band. His guitarist, Jesse Taylor, quit. His drummer, Robert Marquam, died. He broke up what was left of the band and retreated to his home in Austin, Texas with his wife, Sharon Glaudt, and, soon after, a baby daughter, Marie Elena. There he began writing songs intended for a movie and toying with computers and synthesizers. The financing for the film ran out, but by then he had a batch of songs that he took to Los Angeles and recorded in synth rock arrangements, calling the resulting disc Hi-Res. It appeared in May 1984, his first new music in more than three years, receiving mixed reviews and not selling. Ely submitted another album to MCA, which the label declined to release, bringing his contract to an end. In a sense, he started over, assembling a new band and hitting the road. The new group featured lead guitarist David Grissom, bassist Jimmy Pettit, and drummer Davis McLarty, plus keyboardist Mitch Watkins, a holdover from Hi-Res. Ely signed to the independent HighTone Records label and in July 1987 released his sixth studio album, Lord of the Highway. Reviews were favorable, for a disc that again contained a couple of Butch Hancock songs, although Elys own "Me and Billy the Kid" garnered the most attention, with covers recorded by Ramblin Jack Elliott and Marty Stuart, among others. Dig All Night followed in October 1988. All the songs were written by Ely, with the title track co-written by Watkins, who did not perform on the album. (Some had been written prior to Lord of the Highway for the rejected MCA album.) Among them were "Settle for Love," which was covered by Kelly Willis, and "For Your Love," which Chris LeDoux took into the country chart in 1993. By the late 80s, Elys sound, having long since lost its more overt country elements, had moved toward the mainstream rock style of John Mellencamp and Tom Petty. At the same time, however, a more rocking style had become more acceptable in Nashville, where, for example, Dwight Yoakam, Hank Williams, Jr., and Steve Earle had all topped the country album chart in recent years. In that atmosphere, MCA again became interested in Ely, re-signing him and issuing his second concert recording, Live at Liberty Lunch, in November 1990. Elys first live album in a decade, it found him performing the best of the songs he had recorded since Live Shots. It spent five weeks in the Billboard country chart. Also in 1990, Rounder Records released the Flatlanders More a Legend than a Band, a revised version of the groups barely released 1972 album. In early 1992, Ely joined together with John Mellencamp, Dwight Yoakam, John Prine, and James McMurtry in an impromptu country-rock singer/songwriter supergroup called Buzzin Cousins to record a Mellencamp composition, "Sweet Suzanne," for the soundtrack of the film Falling from Grace, in which Mellencamp starred. The track reached the country singles chart. In September 1992, MCA released Elys eighth studio album, Love and Danger. Ely turned to acting in July 1994, appearing in the musical Chippy: Diaries of a West Texas Hooker at Lincoln Center in New York City. He also contributed songs to the score and appeared on the cast album, released by Hollywood Records. MCA released his ninth studio album, Letter to Laredo, in August 1995, by which time Elys bassist was Glenn Fukunaga. If not quite "unplugged," it was more of an acoustic effort than previous releases and prominently featured flamenco guitarist Teye, with occasional harmony and background vocals by Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Raul Malo of the Mavericks, and Bruce Springsteen. It reached the Billboard country chart. Although Ely had produced albums by Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, the three resisted calls for them to reunite as the Flatlanders until 1998, when they resurrected the band name to record the song "South Wind of Summer" for the soundtrack to the film The Horse Whisperer, issued in April. In May, Ely followed with his tenth studio album, Twistin in the Wind. It spent four weeks in the Billboard country chart, but after releasing four albums without scoring a big hit, MCA again dropped Ely. In September, he participated in the self-titled debut by the Tex-Mex supergroup Los Super Seven, alongside Freddy Fender, Joel Jose Guzman, Flaco Jiménez, Rubén Ramos, Doug Sahm, Rick Trevino, and David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos, and he shared the albums Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American/Tejano Music Performance. In 2000, Ely had two live recordings in release. His 1990 solo acoustic appearance at the Cambridge Folk Festival in the U.K. resulted in the six-song EP Live at the Cambridge Folk Festival on BBC/Strange Fruit Records in Great Britain. And he signed to Rounder, which released his third full-length concert collection, Live @ Antones, in June. His band for the shows, taped in January 1999, consisted of returning members Jesse Taylor and Lloyd Maines, along with Teye, bassist Gary Herman, drummer Rafael OMalley Gayol, and accordion player Joel Guzman. The album reached the Billboard country chart. The Flatlanders, meanwhile, had taken another step toward reconstitution by launching a national tour in the late winter of 2000. In May 2002, Ely, Gilmore, and Hancock finally re-formed the Flatlanders for a new full-length album, Now Again, released by New West Records. Ely co-wrote 12 of the 14 songs and produced the set, which reached the Top 20 of the Billboard country chart. Elys 11th studio album, Streets of Sin, was released in July 2003. It reached the Billboard country chart. Having waited 30 years between their first and second albums, the Flatlanders were ready with their third, Wheels of Fortune, within two years. Again produced by Ely, it was released in January 2004 and spent 11 weeks in the Billboard country chart. Among the four Ely compositions on the disc was "Indian Cowboy," a song he had not previously recorded, but which had been recorded over the years by Guy Clark, Tom Russell, Townes Van Zandt, and Katy Moffatt. Six months later, there was another Flatlanders album, the archival Live 72. Ely had sat out the second Los Super Seven album, Canto, in 2001, but he returned for 2005s Heard It on the X. Leaving Rounder, he founded his own record label, Rack Em Records, and in February 2007 released his 12th studio album, Happy Songs from Rattlesnake Gulch. The same month, the University of Texas Press released his book of memoirs of life on the road, Bonfire of Roadmaps. That spring, he embarked on a tour with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Guy Clark. At the same time, in April, Rack Em had its second release, Silver City, an acoustic collection of early Ely compositions in newly recorded performances featuring only Ely and accordionist Joel Guzman. Ely and Guzman were co-credited on Rack Ems third release, Live Cactus!, which appeared in March 2008. Ely returned to the studio in 2010, with the sessions resulting in the album Satisfied at Last, his first record of new material in four years. It was issued by Rack Em in 2011. The deeply personal Panhandle Rambler LP arrived in 2015 along with the announcement that Ely would be officially appointed Texas State Musician for the year 2016. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 25 Title: Joe Ely Released: 1977 Tracks: 10 Duration: 32:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Had My Hopes Up High (03:34) 2 Mardi Gras Waltz (02:52) 3 She Never Spoke Spanish to Me (03:36) 4 Gamblers Bride (02:36) 5 Suckin a Big Bottle of Gin (03:17) 6 Tennessees Not the State Im In (03:06) 7 If You Were a Bluebird (03:00) 8 Treat Me Like a Saturday Night (03:03) 9 All My Love (03:11) 10 Johnnys Blues (04:09) |
| Joe Ely : Allmusic album Review : At a time when the outlaw movement was sweeping country music in the hands of Waylon Jennings (of RCA Victor Records) and Willie Nelson (of Columbia Records), it was not surprising that MCA Records, in search of its own representative of the style, would have taken a tip from Jerry Jeff Walker of its roster and signed Texas journeyman Joe Ely to a deal. The 29-year-old Ely had knocked around for a while, notably as a member of Jimmie Dale Gilmore & the Flatlanders, whose sole album had a brief release on Plantation Records in 1972. Clearly, Ely had kept in touch with that bands other principals, since Jimmie Dale Gilmores excellent composition "Treat Me Like a Saturday Night" is included here, along with four songs written by another Flatlanders alumnus, Butch Hancock. In fact, those tunes -- "She Never Spoke Spanish to Me," "Suckin a Big Bottle of Gin," "Tennessees Not the State Im In," and "If You Were a Bluebird" -- are all strong ballads, the best material on this record, and suggest that maybe MCA should have signed Hancock instead. Ely, who provides the other five songs, is no slouch himself, however. "I Had My Hopes Up High," which leads things off, is his account of his peripatetic life of hoboing and hitchhiking around, while "Mardi Gras Waltz" is a good Cajun number and "All My Love" (the first single) is in the Bob Wills Western swing vein. With his accent and light tenor, Ely came off as an experienced Texas honky tonk performer on his debut album. Maybe he wasnt MCAs answer to Willie and Waylon, exactly, but Joe Ely showed promise for a powerful, individual repertoire in the future, especially if he continued borrowing songs from his pal Hancock. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 25 Title: Honky Tonk Masquerade Released: 1978 Tracks: 10 Duration: 34:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Cornbread Moon (03:29) 2 Because of the Wind (04:02) 3 Boxcars (04:03) 4 Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumbling Down) (02:54) 5 Tonight I Think Im Gonna Go Downtown (02:12) 6 Honky Tonk Masquerade (03:46) 7 Ill Be Your Fool (02:52) 8 Fingernails (02:13) 9 West Texas Waltz (05:03) 10 Honky Tonkin (03:27) |
| Honky Tonk Masquerade : Allmusic album Review : As strong as Joe Elys self-titled solo debut was, his second album, 1978s Honky Tonk Masquerade, actually managed to top it, and the album remains one of the great creative triumphs of the Texas singer/songwriter community, as well as a high-water mark in Elys career. Displaying a very Texan sense of eclecticism, Honky Tonk Masquerades ten tunes run the gamut from beer-stained weepers (the title cut) and late-night declarations of loneliness ("Tonight I Think Im Gonna Go Downtown") to barrelhouse rock & roll ("Fingernails") and honky tonk dance numbers ("West Texas Waltz" and "Cornbread Moon"), and Elys simple but expressive delivery makes the most of every song he sings. Elys band deserves a special nod as well, especially steel guitarist Lloyd Maines and Ponty Bone on accordion, who can seemingly conjure up an orchestra or a horn section at will. And as strong as Elys songs are, he has the good sense to also accept contributions from fellow ex-Flatlanders Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, whose more introspective lyrical approach makes for a satisfying contrast to Elys more down to earth style. Smart without sounding pretentious, and musically ambitious without losing focus or drive, Honky Tonk Masquerade is a superb album that captures Ely and his band at their best. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 25 Title: Down on the Drag Released: 1979 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Fools Fall in Love (04:12) 2 B.B.Q. and Foam (03:45) 3 Standin at the Big Hotel (04:10) 4 Crazy Lemon (03:49) 5 Crawdad Train (03:24) 6 In Another World (03:21) 7 She Leaves You Where You Are (03:35) 8 Down on the Drag (04:38) 9 Time for Travelin (04:10) 10 Maria (03:59) |
| Down on the Drag : Allmusic album Review : Two records into his career, Joe Ely was riding a creative high with his eclectic Southwest mix, that stretches from Amarillo, Lubbock and Austin, east to Louisiana. Produced by folk-rock maven, Bob Johnston (Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel) and released in 1979, Down on the Drag came with high expectations. However, with all of the elements seemingly in place, including his crack band and a handful of contributions from pal Butch Hancock, Down on the Drag never quite achieves the lofty standard set by its predecessors. Hancock, who has been Elys favorite source for outside tunes, picks up right where the classic Honky Tonk Masquerade left off, delivering the albums best songs, but only the losers lament, "Crazy Lemon," truly stands out among Elys originals. Furthermore, while Ely, who possesses a commanding if somewhat limited voice, may be able to redeem the otherwise unspectacular swamp rock of "Crawdad Train," yet he fails to do the same for his ballads, which dont really stay with you like his earlier "Because of the Wind" or "Honky Tonk Masquerade." And while Ely and his band are as good as ever, they suffer at times from Johnstons production, which lacks the same spark and crispness that Chip Young brought to the previous two recordings. Still, while Down on the Drag may suffer in comparison to Joe Elys extraordinary past work, it holds up well enough alongside the rest of his catalog. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 25 Title: Musta Notta Gotta Lotta Released: 1981 Tracks: 11 Duration: 32:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Musta Notta Gotta Lotta (02:35) 2 Dallas (03:25) 3 Wishin for You (04:30) 4 Hold On (03:05) 5 Rock Me Baby (02:39) 6 I Keep Gettin Paid the Same (02:33) 7 Good Rockin Tonight (02:24) 8 Hard Livin (02:25) 9 Road Hawg (02:25) 10 Dam of My Heart (03:28) 11 Bet Me (02:50) |
| Musta Notta Gotta Lotta : Allmusic album Review : Musta Notta Gotta Lotta, Joe Elys fourth studio album, appeared two years after his third, Down on the Drag, and those years were eventful. Ely had been signed to MCA Records in the wake of the Outlaw movement in country, and on his first three albums he had come across as a potentially successful country artist in that vein, both because of his own songs and those of his friends Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, former bandmates in the Flatlanders. But in 1979, Ely was taken up by the Clash and opened shows for the British punk rock group in both the U.S. and U.K., leading to the release in Britain of the concert recording Live Shots in 1980. MCA U.S. held off on the disc (it was subsequently issued domestically in October 1981), but Musta Notta Gotta Lotta demonstrates the influence of Elys new compatriots. It may also simply show that he has moved in a more aggressive direction after years of playing to as many rock as country fans. Simply put, this is much more of a rock album than a country one. Lloyd Maines steel guitar is still listed in the credits along with Ponty Bones accordion, but neither is much in evidence. Ely claimed Jerry Lee Lewis as his first inspiration, and that inspiration is on display right up front here in the title track, which is steeped in 1950s rockabilly. Even Gilmores "Dallas" (first heard on the rare Flatlanders album of 1972) is given a more rocking treatment, while Hancocks "Wishin for You," another of his excellent compositions, borrows its arrangement from the Gulf Coast style of Jimmy Buffett. The collection rocks throughout, making it a much better fit with the work of the Blasters and the Stray Cats than anything coming out of Nashville in 1981. One cautionary note must be the inclusion of several covers ("Good Rockin Tonight," etc.) and some less-impressive-than-usual originals from Ely, even though he had two years to come up with new material this time. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 25 Title: Hi-Res Released: 1984 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Whats Shakin Tonight (03:45) 2 Cool Rockin Loretta (03:23) 3 Madame Wo (03:22) 4 Dream Camera (04:30) 5 Letter to Laredo (04:53) 6 She Gotta Get the Gettin (04:39) 7 Lipstick in the Night (02:59) 8 Imagine Houston (04:29) 9 Dame Tu Mano (05:20) 10 Locked in a Boxcar With the Queen of Spain (05:24) |
| Hi-Res : Allmusic album Review : Due to its title, its stylized cover, and articles portraying Joe Ely as having fallen in love with computers and synthesizers, Hi-Res, his fifth studio album, unfairly got a reputation as some sort of synth pop effort, a sort of "Joe Ely meets Kraftwerk" monstrosity. So, those who actually hear it may be surprised to find that it actually sounds like most of Joe Elys other records, the musical arrangements dominated by slashing electric guitar work, the songs often bearing Elys cockeyed sense of humor. There are synthesized keyboards and even synth-drums to be heard here and there, and the arrangements are more elaborate and somewhat more pop-oriented than before, but this is still the same Joe Ely who made Musta Notta Gotta Lotta. That album, however, had largely erased the country influences in Elys music, and here they are only a memory. "Dame Tu Mano" has a distinct Tex-Mex feel, but thats just about it. Still, if Hi-Res is an essentially misunderstood album, thats not to say it is a great one. The real problem with the disc is not the sound of it, its the material. For once, Ely is not relying heavily on Butch Hancock to augment the songwriting, and it shows. "Whats Shakin Tonight" is a dynamic opener; "Cool Rockin Loretta" is a keeper, and so is "Letter to Laredo." But "She Gotta Get the Gettin" and "Locked in a Boxcar with the Queen of Spain" sound like retreads, and the rest of the songs are just forgettable. Thus, this is an uneven collection, and unfortunately it came at a time, more than three years after Elys last studio album, when he needed to reintroduce himself to his audience and expand on it. Instead, his audience was put off, and nobody else joined in. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 25 Title: Lord of the Highway Released: 1987 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lord of the Highway (03:54) 2 (Dont Put A) Lock on My Heart (04:10) 3 Me and Billy The Kid (03:24) 4 Letter to L.A. (08:12) 5 No Rope, Daisy-O (00:49) 6 My Baby Thinks Shes French (03:47) 7 Everybody Got Hammered (03:35) 8 Are You Listenin Lucky? (03:22) 9 Row of Dominoes (03:38) 10 Silver City (04:35) 11 Screaming Blue Jillions (04:31) |
| Lord of the Highway : Allmusic album Review : Lord of the Highway, Joe Elys sixth studio album, is something of a return to form for him, in both qualitative and stylistic senses. Ely released five albums (four studio sets and the concert recording Live Shots) on major label MCA Records between 1977 and 1981, gradually modifying his style from country to rock. 1984s Hi-Res took the transition a step further, as Ely returned to record stores after a three-year break with an album on which synthesizers played a major part, but fans and critics had mixed reactions. Ely then parted ways with MCA, and Lord of the Highway, another three years on, finds him with the independent HighTone Records label. Mitch Watkins, who played those synthesizers on Hi-Res, is still around on keyboards, along with an otherwise all-new backup band (Davis McLarty on drums; Jimmy Pettit on bass; David Grissom on guitar; Bobby Keys on saxophone). But the roots rock sound of Lord of the Highway is much closer to 1981s Musta Notta Gotta Lotta than to Hi-Res. Taking more time to write, Ely makes several excellent additions to his songbook, starting with the shaggy dog Western saga "Me and Billy the Kid" and including "Are You Listenin Lucky?" The lengthy "Letter to L.A." is musically reminiscent of the Rolling Stones "You Cant Always Get What You Want," a connection accentuated by the presence of Keys, a longtime Stones sideman. The concluding "Silver City" seems to be an allegorical cautionary tale about what happens to the dreams of an idealistic young man when he encounters the outside world. As on earlier Ely albums, Butch Hancock provides a couple of strong compositions, the title song, and "Row of Dominoes." In 1981, Ely seemed to be on the verge of stardom. He doesnt anymore, but Lord of the Highway suggests he will still be out on the road playing his powerful music for some time to come. At a transitional time in the record business, Lord of the Highway was released as a ten-track album on LP and cassette, but in order to stimulate sales of the CD format, that version came out simultaneously with an eleventh bonus track, "Screaming Blue Jillions," a rock & roll song set to the Bo Diddley beat and the sort of enjoyable minor number that used to be reserved for the B-sides of singles. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 25 Title: Dig All Night Released: 1988 Tracks: 11 Duration: 50:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Settle for Love (04:34) 2 For Your Love (04:37) 3 My Eyes Got Lucky (04:09) 4 Maybe Shell Find Me (05:23) 5 Drivin Man (04:14) 6 Dig All Night (04:39) 7 Grandfather Blues (04:03) 8 Jazz Street (04:04) 9 Rich Man, Poor Boy (04:13) 10 Behind the Bamboo Shade (05:41) 11 I Didnt Even Do It (04:27) |
| Dig All Night : Allmusic album Review : Joe Ely took three years between the release of his fourth studio album, Musta Notta Gotta Lotta (1981) and his fifth, Hi-Res (1984), then another three between that and his sixth, Lord of the Highway (1987), after putting out his first four in five years (1977-1981). His seventh studio album, Dig All Night, reverted to the old pace, following Lord of the Highway by only 15 months, and unlike his usual practice, it consisted entirely of his own compositions (the title song was co-written by Mitch Watkins); no covers of songs by his friends Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. It would be easy to suppose that the album consisted of trunk songs, however, since it presents Ely as a sturdy songwriting craftsman, but has little of the idiosyncratic imagination that sparks his best writing (e.g., "Me and Billy the Kid" from Lord of the Highway). Theres nothing wrong with these songs (and some proved to be valuable copyrights when covered by others, such as Chris LeDoux, who took "For Your Love" into the country charts five years later). Its just that they arent all that distinctive compared with earlier efforts. Musically, Ely, who for once does not play guitar on the album, leaving that entirely to David Grissom, is moving very much toward the mainstream Heartland rock of John Mellencamp and Tom Petty, notably on such tracks as "Dig All Night." He also recalls the style of the Rolling Stones on "Grandfather Blues" and "I Didnt Even Do It." The Tex-Mex death ballad "Behind the Bamboo Shade" retains some of the flavor of his earlier work. But much of this is the sort of music that, if marketed properly, could appeal to a wide swath of classic rock fans. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 25 Title: Live at Liberty Lunch Released: 1990-09-27 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:09:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Me and Billy the Kid (03:40) 2 Are You Listenin Lucky? (03:45) 3 Grandfather Blues (04:19) 4 Bbq & Foam (04:19) 5 Row of Dominoes (04:23) 6 Dallas (04:11) 7 Where Is My Love? (05:27) 8 She Gotta Get the Gettin (05:06) 9 Drivin to the Poorhouse in a Limousine (04:17) 10 Cool Rockin Loretta (09:06) 11 Musta Notta Gotta Lotta (03:24) 12 Letter to L.a. (12:22) 13 If You Were a Bluebird (04:40) |
| Live at Liberty Lunch : Allmusic album Review : The standard-issue live album usually works as a "greatest-hits" disc with some crowd noise in the background, but since Joe Ely has never been blessed with hit records in the traditional sense, for 1990s Live at Liberty Lunch he was able to pull from the cream of his catalog rather than playing favorites, and thanks to his well-documented strength as a live performer, he was able to turn all 13 numbers into crowd-pleasers no matter how well (or little) known they were. Recorded during a two-night stand at the fabled Austin, TX venue, Live at Liberty Lunch lacks the fire and intensity of Elys superb 1980 concert set Live Shots, but the ten years that separate the two albums isnt all to Live at Liberty Lunchs disadvantage. While the earlier album may have drawn most of its songs from three of Elys best albums, here hes able to rescue some superb songs that got lost in the shuffle ("Cool Rockin Loretta" and "She Gotta Get the Gettin" prove there was some fine material on Hi-Res despite the wrong-headed production), and the otherwise unavailable "Drivin to the Poorhouse in a Limousine" is one of Elys best rockers. Elys band is in sterling form here (especially David Grissom on guitar and Davis McLarty on drums), and if the tone of this album is more mature and subdued than the raucous Live Shots, Ely is more than up to the challenge of making the songs communicate, and from the first verse of "Me and Billy the Kid," he has the audience in the palm of his hand. In short, this preserves a truly gifted writer and performer having a great night in front of an appreciative audience in his hometown, and in this case, thats the formula for a superior live disc. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 25 Title: Love and Danger Released: 1992 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sleepless in Love (04:03) 2 Pins and Needles (04:16) 3 Love Is in the Beating of Hearts (04:22) 4 Slow You Down (04:27) 5 The Road Goes on Forever (04:33) 6 Settle for Love (04:24) 7 Highways and Heartaches (04:14) 8 Whenever Kindness Fails (04:05) 9 She Collected (03:42) 10 Every Night About This Time (04:11) |
| Love and Danger : Allmusic album Review : Despite some great songs, notably Dave Alvins "Every Night About This Time" and Robert Earl Keens modern-day western "Whenever Kindness Fails," Love and Danger rocks hard but never finds its groove. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 25 Title: Live Shots Released: 1993 Tracks: 14 Duration: 54:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Fingernails (03:00) 2 Midnight Shift (03:00) 3 Honky Tonk Masquerade (03:49) 4 Honky Tonkin (03:12) 5 Long Snake Moan (05:10) 6 I Had My Hopes Up High (03:13) 7 She Never Spoke Spanish to Me (03:53) 8 Johnnys Blues (04:48) 9 Fools Fall in Love (04:37) 10 Boxcars (04:37) 11 Crazy Lemon (03:56) 12 Not Fade Away (03:42) 13 Treat Me Like a Saturday Night (03:09) 14 Wishin for You (04:41) |
| Live Shots : Allmusic album Review : Joe Ely had earned a reputation as a Texas honky tonk man who wasnt going to play by Nashvilles rules long before he took the Clash up on an offer to tour Europe and the U.K. as their opening act in 1979. Thankfully, someone had the bright idea of bringing in a recording truck to document Elys set opening for Joe Strummer and company in London, and Live Shots captures Ely and his band tearing it up in front of a spirited audience. While Ely and his bandmates didnt have to worry about playing too fast or too hot to trouble a Kenny Rogers fan who may have stumbled by, they also didnt feel the need to rock up their set more than usual to please the Clashs audience. If this is tough, furious honky tonk music, its still honky tonk to the core, with Lloyd Maines steel guitar and Ponty Bones squeezebox taking their honored places in the arrangements, and Ely delivers the broken-hearted "She Never Spoke Spanish to Me" with the same fervor as he wails on the bluesy "Long Snake Moan" or the rollicking "Johnnys Blues." Live Shots also shows just how great a band Ely was working with at the time, as these takes sound just about as tight as their studio counterparts, but with a good bit more sweat and swagger, and Elys vocals are as impassioned as anyone who appeared on the stage that evening. Live Shots is the sound of a Lone Star roadhouse being shipped over to Great Britain for the evening, and the Brits who stopped by clearly knew they were catching something good; on this night, Joe Ely casually made one of the best records of his career. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 25 Title: No Bad Talk or Loud Talk Released: 1995 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:02:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Honky Tonk Masquerade (03:45) 2 If You Were a Bluebird (03:01) 3 Dallas (03:27) 4 Fingernails (02:11) 5 Boxcars (03:58) 6 Tonight I Think Im Gonna Go Downtown (02:11) 7 I Had My Hopes Up High (03:35) 8 Fools Fall in Love (04:07) 9 Treat Me Like a Saturday Night (03:01) 10 Maria (03:54) 11 Down on the Drag (04:37) 12 Hard Livin (02:28) 13 Musta Notta Gotta Lotta (02:35) 14 Suckin a Big Bottle of Gin (03:17) 15 Johnnys Blues (04:06) 16 She Never Spoke Spanish to Me (03:36) 17 Because of the Wind (04:00) 18 West Texas Waltz (04:57) |
 | Album: 12 of 25 Title: Letter to Laredo Released: 1995-08-29 Tracks: 11 Duration: 10:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 All Just to Get to You (04:15) 2 Gallo Del Cielo (?) 3 Run Preciosa (?) 4 Saint Valentine (?) 5 Ranches and Rivers (?) 6 Letter to Laredo (?) 7 I Saw It in You (?) 8 She Finally Spoke Spanish to Me (?) 9 I Ain’t Been Here Long (?) 10 That Ain’t Enough (?) 11 I’m a Thousand Miles From Home (06:13) |
| Letter to Laredo : Allmusic album Review : While Joe Ely had been making good to great albums since his 1977 self-titled debut, 1995s Letter to Laredo was one of the most striking and ambitious projects of his career, and was clearly an effort to raise the creative ante on his earlier work. While Elys trademark had always been a heady mixture of honky tonk country and roadhouse rock & roll, with Letter to Laredo he aimed to generate the same passion and emotional fire but with a (primarily) acoustic ensemble backing him up, while also striving for a more literate and mature tone than hed brought to albums like Dig All Night and Musta Notta Gotta Lotta. If the results didnt sound like a typical Joe Ely album, Letter to Laredo isnt as atypical as the surfaces might suggest; the sophisticated storytelling Ely indulges in here is only a step or two removed from his best work up to this point (more a matter of tone and emphasis than a radically different lyrical perspective), and the strength of "All Just to Get to You," "Run Preciosa," and " "Im a Thousand Miles from Home" is in the details of his characters and their lives, not unlike "Honky Tonk Masquerade," and "Because of the Wind" and "Saint Valentine" show he hadnt lost his sense of humor or way with a shaggy dog story. Musically, Letter to Laredo is dominated by Teyes acoustic flamenco guitar, which adds a wealth of color and drama to the songs, but drummer Davis McLarty and bassist Glenn Fukunaga put a steady fire behind the musicians, and David Grissom and Lloyd Maines add some superb six-string accents of their own; despite the lack of amps, this sounds as full and strong as anything Ely ever cut. And Elys vocals are splendidly nuanced, with some fine assistance from guests Bruce Springsteen, Raul Malo, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Joe Ely seemed to been aiming for a masterpiece with Letter to Laredo, and that isnt quite what he got, but he did create a great album that gently altered his audiences expectations of what he could accomplish in the studio, and its an impressive and moving disc. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 25 Title: Twistin in the Wind Released: 1998-05-12 Tracks: 12 Duration: 58:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Up on the Ridge (04:59) 2 Roll Again (05:01) 3 Its a Little Like Love (05:32) 4 Twistin in the Wind (05:16) 5 Queen of Heaven (04:36) 6 Sister Soak the Beans (04:44) 7 I Will Lose My Life (05:35) 8 Youre Workin for the Man (03:54) 9 Nacho Mama (03:30) 10 Behind the Bamboo Shade (06:58) 11 Gulf Coast Blues (04:45) 12 If I Could Teach My Chihuahua to Sing (03:08) |
| Twistin' in the Wind : Allmusic album Review : Joe Ely, like fellow Texans Billy Joe Shaver, Guy Clark, and Townes Van Zandt, is pure originality. An artist whom other artist seek to emulate, he never disappoints. With this release, Ely continues his wild ride into the heart and soul of a man and the landscape he inhabits. Effective as a songwriter and performer, Joe Ely became more potent with each passing year. His diversity buoys him up as he works his way through both the dark and the light. The title cut, "Up on the Ridge," and "Youre Workin for the Man" display his ability to cast a deep shadow upon lifes more rugged passages. "Sister Soak the Beans" and "If I Could Teach My Chihuahua to Sing" are light and humorous, reflective of Elys geography, Texas, and create a balance that too few artists ever find. With "Gulf Coast Blues" and a wonderful honky tonk concerto, "I Will Lose My Life," Ely proves to be a master painter who creates his songs from a vast palette of colors, textures, and experiences. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 25 Title: The Best of Joe Ely Released: 2000 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:16:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 She Never Spoke Spanish to Me (03:36) 2 Suckin a Big Bottle of Gin (03:15) 3 Tennessees Not the State Im In (03:03) 4 Boxcars (04:03) 5 Tonight I Think Im Gonna Go Downtown (02:11) 6 Honky Tonk Masquerade (03:45) 7 West Texas Waltz (05:03) 8 Fools Fall in Love (04:11) 9 Standin at the Big Hotel (04:10) 10 Musta Notta Gotta Lotta (02:35) 11 Dallas (03:29) 12 Fingernails (live) (02:54) 13 Long Snake Moan (live) (05:13) 14 Cool Rockin Loretta (03:23) 15 Settle for Love (04:24) 16 Me and Billy the Kid (03:23) 17 If You Were a Bluebird (live) (04:12) 18 Letter to Laredo (04:39) 19 Roll Again (05:01) 20 All Just to Get to You (04:15) |
| The Best of Joe Ely : Allmusic album Review : For all his critical hosannas, Joe Ely is something of an acquired taste, since his rebellious neo-traditionalist country fluctuates between heartfelt honky tonk evocations, self-conscious modern-day mocking, and material that falls somewhere in between. He did cut a series of albums that were acclaimed and influential, including the rollicking Live Shots, one the great country live albums of its time, but MCA Nashvilles 2000 The Best of Joe Ely is the best introduction to his sound and aesthetic. Spanning his career from his 1977 debut to 1995s Letter to Laredo, this touches on every defining moment Ely had, including songs that he initially cut with the Flatlanders. In this setting, his blend of honky tonk, folk, and rock & roll is remarkably effective and consistent, with "She Never Spoke Spanish to Me," "Tonight I Think Im Gonna Go Downtown," "Musta Notta Gotta Lotta," and "Letter to Laredo" all standing out as progressive/alternative country classics. Given his cult status -- the kind of cult where all his recordings are acclaimed equally -- this is the best way for outsiders to fall in love with Ely. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 25 Title: Live at Antones Released: 2000 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:13:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 The Road Goes on Forever (05:03) 2 All Just to Get to You (04:09) 3 Gallo del Cielo (07:04) 4 Ranches and Rivers (04:11) 5 Youre Workin for the Man (04:56) 6 Me and Billy the Kid (04:11) 7 Up on the Ridge (05:33) 8 Rock, Salt, and Nails (04:57) 9 Nacho Mama (03:42) 10 Dallas (04:09) 11 Thousand Miles From Home (06:25) 12 Road Hawg (05:09) 13 Everybody Got Hammered (04:17) 14 My Eyes Got Lucky (05:11) 15 Oh, Boy! (04:22) |
 | Album: 16 of 25 Title: Joe Ely / Honky Tonk Masquerade Released: 2000-09-11 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:06:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Had My Hopes Up High (03:34) 2 Mardi Gras Waltz (02:52) 3 She Never Spoke Spanish to Me (03:36) 4 Gamblers Bride (02:36) 5 Suckin a Big Bottle of Gin (03:17) 6 Tennessees Not the State Im In (03:06) 7 If You Were a Bluebird (03:00) 8 Treat Me Like a Saturday Night (03:03) 9 All My Love (03:11) 10 Johnnys Blues (04:09) 11 Cornbread Moon (03:29) 12 Because of the Wind (04:02) 13 Boxcars (04:03) 14 Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumbling Down) (02:54) 15 Tonight I Think Im Gonna Go Downtown (02:12) 16 Honky Tonk Masquerade (03:46) 17 Ill Be Your Fool (02:52) 18 Fingernails (02:13) 19 West Texas Waltz (05:03) 20 Honky Tonkin (03:27) |
| Joe Ely / Honky Tonk Masquerade : Allmusic album Review : This two-for-one disc, remastered from the original tapes, combines two of Joe Elys very best recorded works; in fact, Honky Tonk Masquerade was picked by Rolling Stone as one of the best albums of the 1970s. The energy and intensity delivered here remain true to his stage shows, and those who have seen him know that he takes nothing back to the dressing room with him, as it is all left on the stage. The band has that tightness that only comes from years of constant touring and playing to all kinds of crowds. This is roots music before it was a genre, heightened by the energy of the musicians believing in the music they are playing. The songwriting is exemplary, as the songs are primarily by Ely, Butch Hancock, and Jimmie Dale. The latter two are known mainly as songwriters, and have begun to get some recognition for their own discs. Early versions of the songs hold up to later versions, which is the sign of a strong song. There is a beautiful rendition of "If You Were a Bluebird," which inspired the title of an Emmylou Harris LP and became a big hit for her. This collection of rocking roots country music from one of the hardest workers around gives ample indication of the work to come. The energy heard here comes from a combination of dedication to craft, good songwriting, and the desire to give it all each and every time. At the same time, this disc contains some of the best work this performer has done. Three cheers to BGO for combining these two previously hard to find discs. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 25 Title: From Lubbock to Laredo: The Best Of Released: 2002-04-15 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:17:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Treat Me Like a Saturday Night (02:57) 2 She Never Spoke Spanish to Me (03:34) 3 Johnnys Blues (04:05) 4 Honky Tonk Masquerade (03:44) 5 Fingernails (02:11) 6 Boxcars (03:56) 7 West Texas Waltz (04:56) 8 Because of the Wind (04:00) 9 Down on the Drag (04:36) 10 Musta Notta Gotta Lotta (02:33) 11 Dallas (03:28) 12 Cool Rockin Loretta (03:23) 13 Slow You Down (04:27) 14 The Road Goes on Forever (04:34) 15 Settle for Love (04:24) 16 Letter to Laredo (04:37) 17 Run Preciosa (04:53) 18 Sister Soak the Beans (04:37) 19 Nacho Mama (03:30) 20 If I Could Teach My Chihuahua to Sing (03:08) |
 | Album: 18 of 25 Title: Streets of Sin Released: 2003-07-15 Tracks: 12 Duration: 48:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Fightin for My Life (02:56) 2 Im on the Run Again (03:40) 3 A Flood on Our Hands (03:55) 4 All That You Need (05:02) 5 Run Little Pony (04:26) 6 Streets of Sin (04:20) 7 95 South (03:04) 8 Carnival Bum (04:17) 9 Twisty River Bridge (03:51) 10 Thats Why I Love You (04:19) 11 Winds Gonna Blow You Away (03:52) 12 I Gotta Find Ol Joe (04:31) |
| Streets of Sin : Allmusic album Review : Texas singer/songwriters tend to be a hardy breed, and Joe Ely is no exception; more than 25 years after he released his first album, the man remains a potent honky tonk poet following his own muse. Streets of Sin, his first studio set in five years, finds him paring back his sound much as he did on Letter to Laredo (though with a subtle but strong electric edge and a willingness to periodically up the tempo), for a collection of songs about people struggling along lifes margins -- a family struggling to hold together a failing farm ("All That You Need"), a veteran carny drifting from show to show ("Carnival Bum"), a gambler desperate for a winning bet on a horse ("Run Little Pony"), and the people of a small town desperate to beat their retreat before a flood swallows their homes ("A Flood on Our Hands"). With the exception of two songs from Elys gifted friend Butch Hancock, Ely wrote all of the material on Streets of Sin, and the disc has a thematic unity and musical consistency thats confident and compelling in its tightrope walk between emotional strength and the fear that collapse lurks around the corner. While its a smart and ambitious album, Streets of Sin also finds Ely occasionally repeating himself and treading water in territories hes explored with more energy and fresher vision in the past. But while this isnt quite top-shelf Joe Ely, it still captures a superb singer and songwriter doing his work and doing it well, and if it isnt a masterpiece, anyone who has found something special in his work in the past will find some moments to revel in on Streets of Sin. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 25 Title: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Joe Ely Released: 2004-03-09 Tracks: 12 Duration: 42:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 She Never Spoke Spanish to Me (03:34) 2 Suckin a Big Bottle of Gin (03:16) 3 Tonight I Think Im Gonna Go Downtown (02:11) 4 Honky Tonk Masquerade (03:46) 5 Fingernails (02:12) 6 Fools Fall in Love (04:11) 7 Dallas (03:30) 8 Musta Notta Gotta Lotta (02:34) 9 Settle for Love (04:24) 10 The Road Goes on Forever (04:33) 11 Me and Billy the Kid (03:52) 12 All Just to Get to You (04:15) |
 | Album: 20 of 25 Title: Settle for Love Released: 2004-07-20 Tracks: 12 Duration: 57:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lord of the Highway (03:57) 2 Rich Man, Poor Boy (04:13) 3 Row of Dominoes (03:39) 4 Are You Listenin, Lucky? (03:22) 5 Me & Billy the Kid (03:23) 6 Letter to L.A. (08:14) 7 Dig All Night (04:40) 8 Settle for Love (04:34) 9 Maybe Shell Find Me (05:22) 10 Silver City (04:35) 11 White Line Fever (04:19) 12 Love and Danger (07:01) |
| Settle for Love : Allmusic album Review : When Joe Ely left MCA for the first time after 1984s Hi-Res, he hid out for a few years before landing with Oakland blues and R&B; label High Tone. It was a stretch for the label, and given Elys new band, proved to be one for him as well. His Lubbock cum Austin country/rockabilly septet (which included Lloyd Maines, Jesse Taylor, and Ponty Bone) had been honed to a quartet that was built around young guitar slinger David Grissom and played Texas-brand rock & roll. Settle for Love compiles ten tracks from Elys two High Tone outings, 1987s Lord of the Highway and 1988s Dig All Night, and adds a couple of bonus cuts to round it out to 12. The five tracks from the former include the Spanish-flavored "Row of Dominoes," the studio versions of his road staples "Are You Listenin, Lucky?" and "Me & Billy the Kid," and the amazing "Letter to L.A." This latter song offers an interesting view of Ely in transition; one can hear the influences of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, with its epic length (for Ely), its winding guitar solo by Grissom, and the saxophone lines by guest Bobby Keys. Additionally, he wrote all but the title cut (by Butch Hancock). The five selections from Dig All Night are deeper in the rambling rock groove than its predecessor, as evidenced by its title track and the tough guitar crunch of "Settle for Love," with vocal backing by Rosie Flores and the Neptunes. The Springsteen/Mellencamp connection here is unmistakable, but Ely, despite his comparatively small recording budget, delivers the goods in spades, so much so that Grissom actually went on to join the Mellencamp band in the 1990s. These tracks are more cocksure and swaggering, and the touring Ely did behind these records in small venues all over the country displayed a rock & roll wildman who had something to prove. The final two numbers on this comp come from two disparate sources. First there is his version of Merle Haggards "White Live Fever," done for Tulare Dust, a tribute to the songwriter, and then comes a duet with Flores on "Love and Danger" (the title of his return album for MCA) from her Once More With Feeling album. These are nice bonuses to be sure, but they were unnecessary; the real story lies in the power of Elys music from his High Tone period. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 25 Title: Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch Released: 2007-02-06 Tracks: 11 Duration: 49:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes (03:37) 2 Sue Me Sue (03:14) 3 Hard Luck Saint (05:34) 4 Jesse Justice (04:26) 5 Miss Bonnie and Mister Clyde (04:51) 6 Little Blossom (03:40) 7 Firewater (04:11) 8 July Blues (05:50) 9 Up a Tree (04:24) 10 So, You Wanna Be Rich? (03:38) 11 River Fever (05:58) |
| Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch : Allmusic album Review : The week of his 60th birthday, Joe Ely released Happy Songs from Rattlesnake Gulch, his 12th album of new studio material in 30 years, to launch his own Rack Em Records label. A subtitle printed in three places on the packaging read "Pearls from the Vault, Volume XX," and that may have meant to suggest that the album was a collection of archival recordings, a suggestion that the multiple backup musicians appearing on different tracks (five guitarists, for instance, including Ely) might support, although there was no further information to illuminate the matter. In any case, the disc was Elys first since 2003, and it consisted of previously unreleased tracks that had the feel of a diversified, coherent album. In fact, Happy Songs from Rattlesnake Gulch was a fairly typical Ely album full of guitar-driven, country-inflected blues-rock with a Southwestern sensibility, ranging from the neo-rockabilly of "Sue Me Sue" to the Cajun arrangement of "Little Blossom" and the electric blues of "July Blues." As usual, the locales were spread along the Gulf Coast and points west -- New Orleans, Evangeline, Shreveport, Dallas, Clovis -- and the characters in the story-songs included roughnecks, gamblers, and outlaws. In his most ambitious lyric, Ely created a sequel to his earlier "Me and Billy the Kid" with another fantasy set to the same tune, "Miss Bonnie and Mr. Clyde." He also touched on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in "Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes." But the lyrics were less important than the feel and the performance, especially because Ely wrote nearly all the songs this time. The one exception, a de rigueur contribution from Butch Hancock, "Firewater" (the title song from his 1981 album), was so full of wordplay it showed up the rest of the disc. It may also be the only track on the album worthy of being included on a future Ely best-of, however. This is not one of his best albums, just a good one. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 25 Title: Silver City Released: 2007-04-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 40:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Silver City (04:08) 2 Santa Rosa / Saint Augustine (04:01) 3 Indian Cowboy (03:14) 4 Wounded Knee (04:28) 5 Cloister Mountain (03:28) 6 Time for Travelin (03:33) 7 I Know Will Never Be Mine (04:14) 8 Drivin Cross Russia (04:19) 9 Windy Windy Windy (01:57) 10 Billy Boy (07:26) |
| Silver City : Allmusic album Review : It is not unusual for a veteran artist to go back into his archives and come up with old songs he wrote many years back to present anew to his public, especially when that artist has come to form his own independent record company. Joe Ely founded Rack ‘Em Records in 2007 and here issues Silver City, its artwork including photographs of him as a young man, including one marked "Lubbock c.1967," the year he turned 20. The scant annotations, meanwhile, contain the subtitle, "Pearls from the Vault, Vol. 1." The presumption, therefore, would be that the albums contents date back to that period, long before Elys successful solo career and even before his participation in the Flatlanders. The compositions, indeed, may go back that far, but it turns out that the actual recordings are new; the 60-year-old Ely is re-creating the work of his 20-year-old self. To do so, he sings and plays acoustic guitar, sometimes overdubbing more vocals, more guitars, harmonica, and percussion. Occasionally, Joel Guzmans accordion joins in. The songs lean a bit more toward storytelling than in Elys later work, whether he is addressing history in "Wounded Knee," or telling the tale of an "Indian Cowboy" who saved lives at a circus. He also sings in the first person, sometimes launching into a shaggy dog story, such as the lengthy closer, "Billy Boy," or the phantasmagorical "Drivin ‘Cross Russia," which anticipates later absurdist fables like "Me and Billy the Kid" and, as it happens, is set to the same tune. While nothing here is quite up to the standard of Elys mature songwriting, he does show early talent as a writer, especially with a veteran singer to perform his material. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 25 Title: Live Cactus! Released: 2008-03-11 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:03:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Up on the Ridge (05:06) 2 Slow You Down (04:29) 3 Because of the Wind (04:38) 4 All Just to Get to You (04:09) 5 Miss Bonnie and Mr. Clyde (05:10) 6 Letter to Laredo (05:30) 7 Where Is My Love (04:58) 8 Ranches and Rivers (04:02) 9 All That You Need (04:31) 10 Winds Gonna Blow You Away (04:23) 11 Maybe Shell Find Me (04:36) 12 Im a Thousand Miles From Home (05:36) 13 White Freightliner Blues (05:56) |
 | Album: 24 of 25 Title: Satisfied at Last Released: 2011-06-07 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Highway Is My Home (04:46) 2 Not That Much Has Changed (04:12) 3 Satisfied at Last (03:52) 4 Mockingbird Hill (05:01) 5 You Can Bet Im Gone (02:52) 6 Leo and Leona (03:57) 7 Live Forever (03:49) 8 Roll Again (02:41) 9 Im a Man Now (03:20) 10 Circumstance (04:55) |
| Satisfied at Last : Allmusic album Review : The second song on Joe Elys 2011 album Satisfied at Last is titled "Not That Much Has Changed," and its hard not to think that sums up the album pretty well. That isnt an insult: Ely has been making records since 1972, he knows his craft well, and hes still one of the most consistently rewarding artists to come out of the Texas singer/songwriter community. His voice is in great shape on Satisfied at Last, he brings a genuine passion and soul to his performances in the studio, and his tales of outlaws and ramblers trying to make their way under the big sky of the Southwest are still resonant, intelligent, and down to earth. But while some Joe Ely albums find the man experimenting with his style or embracing a more ambitious concept, Satisfied at Last is 39 minutes of the man doing what hes been doing for a long time, and as a consequence, its somewhat short on surprises. But plenty of artists in their mid-sixties who are nearly 35 years down the road from their first solo LP would be expected to sound as if theyre just going through the motions, and thats not the case with Ely. These ten tales of life and love in hard times (seven are Ely originals, with others from friends and compatriots Butch Hancock and Billy Joe Shaver) reveal plenty of the wisdom Ely has earned with the passage of time, and Ely is fully engaged with his material, sounding eager to share what life has taught him. He also produced the set, and his studio band is tight, emphatic, and brings just the right personality to the tunes, while the audio is crisp and gives this material just as much space as he needs. So sure, not that much has changed; in 2011, Joe Ely is still one of the best things the Lone Star State has to offer, and Satisfied at Last shows hes not about to stop making albums worth hearing, and still finding things to say within the style hes made his own. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 25 Title: Panhandle Rambler Released: 2015-09-18 Tracks: 12 Duration: 45:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wounded Creek (03:27) 2 Magdalene (03:35) 3 Coyotes Are Howlin’ (04:18) 4 When the Nights Are Cold (02:53) 5 Early in the Mornin’ (03:14) 6 Southern Eyes (04:15) 7 Four Ol’ Brokes (02:56) 8 Wonderin’ Where (04:35) 9 Burden of Your Load (04:48) 10 Here’s to the Weary (03:33) 11 Cold Black Hammer (03:42) 12 You Saved Me (03:45) |
| Panhandle Rambler : Allmusic album Review : Panhandle Rambler, the 14th studio album by veteran alt-country troubadour Joe Ely, is a thoughtful 12-song meditation on life in the Texas Panhandle. More dusty and windblown than anything hes done in years, he creates a world of wide-open vistas, bleak desert fringes, and the folks who call that square plot of Northern Texas and the Southern Oklahoma plains their own. A native of Lubbock, Ely has always had a heart full of the Lonestar State, and the eerie Southwestern flavor he presents here, while familiar to fans of his music, feels particularly robust and concentrated on this set of tunes. Rather than create a strict narrative, he describes the region in evocative sketches on songs like the lonesome "Wounded Creek" and "Coyotes Are Howlin," each rippling with nimble Spanish guitars and fluttering accordions. The production is effectively sparse, even on more uptempo tracks like the strident barn burner "Southern Eyes" and the warm honky tonk of "Heres to the Weary," a name-dropping paean to the hard-living traveling musician. Ely is at his best, though, on the moodier, more introspective tunes like "Cold Black Hammer," a haunting ballad of Texass ever-present oil rigs, and especially on his cover of fellow Texan (and close friend) Guy Clarks "Magdalene," which provides the most poignant vehicle for his gentle timeworn tenor. As a thematic mood piece, Panhandle Rambler hits its mark squarely, and the songs themselves are of the consistent high quality listeners have come to expect from Ely who, for reasons unknown, still seems to be one of Texas more underappreciated exports. | ||