Audio CD review:
Joe Ely - Silver City

Joe Ely - Silver City

Band: Joe Ely Title: Silver City Rating: Release Date: 10 April, 2007 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Silver City 2: Santa Rosa / St. Augustine 3: Indian Cowboy 4: Wounded Knee 5: Cloister Mountain 6: Time For Travelin 7: I Know Will Never Be Mine 8: Drivin' 'Cross Russia 9: Windy Windy Windy 10: Billy Boy

Customer Reviews Early Ely lyrics with new performances Joel Guzman contributes some nice accordian touches to these songs written pre-Flatlanders. This is the Joe Ely I love - folk and country with sparse arrangements. Some of the songs appeared on Ely's albums, but with different lyrics. As a companion to his other 2007 release Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch, I liked the music better on this one. "I Know Will Never be Mine" is the favorite and the song that convinced me to buy this. Although the running time is short, the songs here are wonderful. The price is right and Ely is in strong voice. Ely is a very consistent artist and even though the lyrics on these songs date from Ely's younger years, they still sound fresh thanks to the grit and emotion he instills in them. It's a worthwhile purchase not just for established fans, but for those curious to see what he sounds like. He sounds at his best here. Sparse genious. It was fabulous. I saw Joe Ely with Joel Guzmán in concert three or four years ago. This record shows that spirit. It is a studio recording, so the sound is perfect and current. Excellent. + 1/2 stars...Acoustic Versions of Pre-Fame Joe Ely Songs During the previous decade he only released two studio albums (1998's TWISTIN' IN THE WIND and 2003's STREETS OF SIN). Joe Ely turned 60 last February, and it must have invigorated him. We're not even half way through 2007 and Ely's already released his second album of the year. First was the February release of HAPPY SONGS FROM RATTLESNAKE GULCH (on his own label RACK 'Em Records) and now SILVER CITY just months later. Both albums came about as a result of Ely's first published book earlier this year, "Bonfire of Roadmaps," which consists of Ely's journal entries from a life on the road. All of the songs on SILVER CITY pre-date his 1977 MCA self-titled debut. However, while these songs were all written during the span of 1968 to 1973 (hence the photo of a very young smirking Joe Ely on the cover), they are all new recordings. According to Ely, "Cloister Mountain" and "Billy Boy" (the longest song by far at 7:27) were the earliest songs, with "Silver City" being the most recent. [Note: Two of these songs have appeared in full band arrangements on earlier albums. "Time for Travelin'" was on 1979's DOWN ON THE DRAG, and "Silver City" was on 1987's LORD OF THE HIGHWAY. In addition, "Indian Cowboy" was on the 2004 Flatlander's album WHEELS OF FORTUNE with Butch Hancock handling vocals. ] But on this album, all songs are presented in an acoustic format with Ely accompanying himself on guitar. ("Cloister Mountain" adds harmonica, and "Windy Windy Windy" includes accordion. ) These unplugged renditions provide an intimacy to these songs and provide a glimpse into Ely's formative years as a songwriter. For fans (including me) who enjoyed such albums as JOE ELY and HONKY TONK MASQUERADE, this is a welcome addition. [Running Time - 35:41] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED . . You can see a complete list of all Joe Ely discography, or go back to the Joe Ely tabs