2024 Charity Shop Purchases #4 - Joe Ely - Lord of the Highway
A couple of years ago at the Edinburgh Bloggers summit The Swede very kindly gave me a vinyl copy of Joe Ely's Honky Tonk Masquerade LP.
I am happy to say that it has now been joined in Kallax vinyl shelves by 1987's Lord of the Highway on Demon (in the UK) which I picked up at a reasonable price (for Oxfam) in Troon. The cover is a bit bashed but the vinyl is in pretty good nick.
Critics rate it from between 5 to 7.9 out of 10. There is nothing startling on it but would agree with the Chicago Tribune that Ely's "tales of hard living and even harder loving work both as true life tales and striking, image-rich fragments of a new American mythology."
I'm not sure that I would go as far as as the Los Angeles Times who state that Ely's cooked up a tasty rock 'n' roll chili with country flavoring based on much the same recipe as Let it Bleed/Sticky Fingers Stones
I much prefer Record Collectors take that Ely's setting is a cut above standard bar room chugs thanks mainly to the wit of the lyrics
I have been having problems with my updated MP3 turntable which was sending everything to Apple Music (which I don't have) rather thank my Music folder so you are getting the sanatised versions from You Tube. Thankfully I have now resolved this issue so from now on it will be warts and all.
Joe Ely - Me and Billy the Kid
WE WANT WARTS!
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