Audio CD review:
Joe Ely - Live at Antone's

Joe Ely - Live at Antone's

Band: Joe Ely Title: Live at Antone's Rating: Release Date: 2000-06-06 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: The Road Goes on Forever - Joe Ely, Keen, Robert Earl J 2: All Just to Get to You 3: Gallo del Cielo - Joe Ely, Russell, Tom 4: Ranches and Rivers 5: You're Workin' for the Man 6: Me and Billy the Kid 7: Up on the Ridge 8: Rock, Salt and Nails - Joe Ely, Phillips, Bruce "Ut 9: Nacho Mama 10: Dallas - Joe Ely, Gilmore, Jimmie Dal 11: Thousand Miles from Home 12: Road Hawg - Joe Ely, Hancock, Butch 13: Everybody Got Hammered 14: My Eyes Got Lucky 15: Oh, Boy! - Joe Ely, Petty, Norman

Wow As with most live cd's, this captures Joe's energy much better than studio recordings. This cd is absolutely awesome! Ely is the definitive Texas Troubadour. All of the songs are a joy to listen to. The guitar playing (Teyo on Flamingo, Jesse Taylor on Electric & Lloyd Maines on Steel) is superb. The back of the cd words it better than I can ". . . Ely's powerful & offbeat mix of rock, country, folk & Tex-Mex influences never fails to invigorate & surprise an audience. " I dare you to see Ely live & not have fun & come away wanting more. This is a great starter cd for new fans & a must-have for seasoned fans. Between tracks 7 & 8, we hear someone in the audience scream, "We love you Joe!!" Indeed we do. Best Live Album For proof, just buy it and listen. I won't try to top the other reviewers - they're right! I do believe this is the finest live album ever. After fifteen songs, you don't think it's possible to up the ante. But Joe and this amazing band do just that. After all the great songs and solos, after the abolutely brilliant second guitar solo, the last verse of Oh Boy! cranks it up one final time to the peak. Can't wait for 2010. Not Enough Stars in the Universe to Rate this Album Unfortunately chances to see Joe, to say nothing of Jesse or Lloyd, are always few and far between in these parts, but thankfully Live @ Antone's captures this group, along with Teye and the incredible Joel Guzman, at their very best. As a son of the South Plains that was transplanted to VA, I grew up on stories of Joe and the Lubbock gang, Tornado Jams, Stubbs-the original, etc. No studio accurately captures the energy and furry with which this group plays, and if this album doesn't give you chills then you may want to check your pulse. Chances are that if you're reading this then the songs are familiar and there's no need to go into detail. All that really can be said is, BUY THIS ALBUM!. Stunning CD!!! I've generally preferred artists like Dwight Yoakum and Mary Chapin Carpenter, "tweeners" that don't always get the airplay on today's country radio airwave stations (thankfully, satellite radio has solved that, with channels like XCountry on XM Radio). I've been a casual listener of Country music for the last decade or so. Every so often over the last few years I'd hear a song by Joe Ely and make a mental note to keep an ear out for more of his stuff. A few weeks back, I heard the live version of Gallo del Cielo on XM Radio . . . it was the first time I'd ever heard the song and loved it. Literally the next day I got an e-mail from Amazon for Joe Ely's Millenium Collection (you know the old "based on your past purchases, we thought you might like this" e-mail). I bought that CD and, after reading several of the reviews here, rolled the dice and bought Live at Antone's. I can't recall ever buying two CDs at once for an artist I was previously unfamiliar with. It was an excellent move!!! I've probably listened to the Live at Antone's 30+ times already, and it gets better and better. From the opening song on, this album flat-out impresses. Gallo del Cielo is a classic "crank the volume and sing along and I don't care what the people in the car next to me think" song. Ranches and Rivers, Road Goes on Forever, All Just to Get to You, Me and Billie the Kid, Up on the Ridge, Everybody got Hammered . . . they're all wonderful songs, perfect for his voice, and accompanied by a top-notch band. If you like to roll the dice every once in a while and take a reach on a new (to you) artist, start with this CD. Ely is at his best live! This album is outstanding, featuring a tight band. I find Ely's live work to be his best. Some of these songs (Gallo del Cielo; Thousand Miles) will break your heart; others (Road Goes On Forever) will inspire you, and others will rock yer socks off. This album, along with Live at Liberty Lunch, are Ely's best. You can see a complete list of all Joe Ely discography, or go back to the Joe Ely tabs