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Rating: A pretty tough live album for a true champion of Southern country-rock. Having reached his forties—these recordings are from April 1989—even Joe Ely has to take stock of his solo career, and here he really gathers a great selection from his previous eight albums. From the stunning opening track with «Me And Billy The Kid» (the album is “Lord of the Highway”) to the closing «If You Were A Bluebird», from his first “Joe Ely” and penned by his friend Butch Hancock.
Hancock's name is important for Joe Ely not only for the two pieces of his included in this album (there's also the intense «Row Of Dominoes») but also—and always—as a songwriting reference. However, in his interpretation, our Joe manages to scrape away certain country languors (just like another great Texan singer-songwriter Jimmie Gilmore: see here his «Dallas» and then maybe compare the versions of the two) leading us into musical territories close to roots-rock.
He also gets good support from the band accompanying him during the two nights at Liberty Lunch in Austin that generated this album: a hard and essential rhythm section (Davis McLarty on drums and Jimmy Pettit on bass, both unknown to me) with the gem of David Grissom's lead guitar giving us some gut-wrenching solos («Are You Listenin’ Lucky» or «Drivin’ To The Poorhouse In A Limousine» and the splendid «Letter to L.A.»).
Among the slower pieces, I like «B.B.Q. & Foam», while I find «Where Is My Love!» a bit too sweet, but my absolute preferences go to the more “energetic” tracks like the tongue-twister of «Musta Notta Gotta Lotta» and above all «Cool Rockin’ Loretta».
In short, an album highly recommended for anyone who still doesn't know Joe Ely, who after this “live” moment of reflection will still do great things (“Love And Danger”; “Letter To Laredo” already excellently reviewed on the DB; and the more recent “Satisfied At Last”) confirming himself among the most interesting musicians of the Lone Star State and beyond.
Tracklist
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