Audio CD review:
Joe Ely - The Best of Joe Ely

Joe Ely - The Best of Joe Ely

Band: Joe Ely Title: The Best of Joe Ely Rating: Release Date: 21 November, 2000 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: She Never Spoke Spanish To Me 2: Suckin' A Big Bottle Of Gin 3: Tennessee's Not The State I'm In 4: Boxcars 5: Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown 6: Honky Tonk Masquerade 7: West Texas Waltz 8: Fools Fall In Love 9: Standin' At The Big Hotel 10: Musta Notta Gotta Lotta 11: Dallas 12: Fingernails (Live) 13: Long Snake Moan (Live) 14: Cool Rockin' Loretta 15: Settle For Love 16: Me And Billy The Kid 17: If You Were A Bluebird (Live) 18: Letter To Laredo 19: Roll Again 20: All Just To Get To You

Editoral Review His incomparable stories overflow with humanity and humor, not to mention an idiosyncratic West Texas perspective. He's never had a Top 10 single, none of his albums have gone platinum, and yet Joe Ely has carved a unique--and influential--niche for himself during nearly 25 years as a solo performer, most of them spent on MCA. He was "alt country" before the genre existed and can be justly credited as a fountainhead of that movement. This generously programmed set may not matter to hardcore Elyphiles who have everything he recorded. To the newcomer, however, these 20 songs--dating back to his first MCA album (Joe Ely, 1977) and ending with his last (Twistin' in the Wind, 1998)--are a compelling introduction, the music reflecting Texas's rich musical stew. Numbers like "She Never Spoke Spanish to Me" and "Me and Billy the Kid" wear well, and the inclusion of material from his two stunning live albums for MCA (Live Shots, 1980, and Live at Liberty Lunch, 1990) conveys his onstage presence. One may always quibble with selections on best-ofs, but short of a box set, this is an effective first look at his enduring vision. --Rich Kienzle .. You can see a complete list of all Joe Ely discography, or go back to the Joe Ely tabs