[FM] FAME Review: Joe Ely's Live at Antones written by Tammy D. Moon

[David N. Pyles]

Live at Antones
Joe Ely
www.ely.com
11661-3171-2

Rounder Records Corp.
One Camp Street
Cambridge, MA  02140

A review for the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange By Tammy D. Moon 
(moon@moonbeamspublishing.com)


Former Flatlander Joe Ely, is in his element in "Live at Antones," recorded 
at the legendary Austin club last year.

Hotter than a rock in the west Texas sun, this disc rolls between classic 
country themes, breaks into Latin rhythms and never stops 
gut-punching!  Power-packed with adrenaline, even the slow numbers leave 
you reeling; simple story lines evoking every emotion known to 
man.  Although he covers a few numbers by fellow former Flatlanders (Jimmie 
Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock) and others, most were written by Ely, as 
original as the man himself.

Framed by experienced sidemen, Ely is surrounded by rich, authentic 
sound:  'El Gitano Punky,' Teye's familiar flamenco guitar strains, Lloyd 
Maines on steel and accordion antics by Joel Guzman all add to the Tex-Mex 
feel.  Rafael O'Malley Gayol on drums/percussion and Gary Herman's 
omnipresent bass lines are the glue that hold this manic mosaic 
together.  From mariachi to two-step, they carry it off with 
confidence!  Ely's own acoustic fretwork creates fireworks and when he 
plugs in his electric he sets the stage on fire!

The disc opens with "The Road Goes On Forever," a classic outlaw tune 
borrowed from the father of dark story-songs, Robert Earl Keen, Jr.  And 
only Ely could do a love-song with the energy of a dust-devil, as in "All 
Just to Get to You" (#2).  Cut #3, "Gallo de Cielo" (Heavenly Rooster?) 
really IS a story about a fighting cock, but of course, Ely weaves it into 
a rich tale about recovered land and honor, and sisters named Teresa.  He 
sings of "Ranches and Rivers" (#4), whines about "Workin' for the Man" 
(#5), and boasts about bestin' a bandit in "Me and Billy the Kid" 
(#6).  Can you get any more Texas that that?

Some of the finest guitar work around can be heard in "Up On the Ridge" 
(#7).  If slow dancing with your baby on Saturday night is more to your 
liking, track #8, "Rock Salt and Nails," is sure to get you 
belly-rubbin'.  Ely's cover of this tune by folk icon Bruce "Utah" Phillips 
does the master proud.  Stay on the dance-floor while you're out there, 
'cause a lyrical look at life, spiced by a sassy salsa beat in "Nacho Mama" 
(#9) will have you steppin' with the best of 'em.  The double entendre 
makes this song a blast of intelligent fresh air!

Jimmie Dale's "Dallas" (track #10) features Ely plugged in and tearin' it 
up followed by six minutes of slow sad lament of lost love, in "Thousand 
Miles From Home" (#11).  Teye's stringed intricacy winds throughout the 
number, ending with an extended solo so beautiful it leaves you 
breathless!  Butch Hancock's "Road Hawg" (#12) becomes an audience 
participation number when Ely's live, so we're treated (more than once) to 
outbursts of rowdy crowd, sounding more like the subjects of the next cut 
(#13) when "Everybody Got Hammered."  The repetitious chorus and no verses 
(to speak of) make this one drag on a little long, despite the raucous 
party mood.  Same with the swing number that follows, "My Eyes Got 
Lucky."  Lucky for us, the disc ends on an up note, a very upbeat rocker to 
be exact, written by Norman Petty, Bill Tilghman and Sonny West called "Oh 
Boy!"  (#15).

Ely's style defies typecasting.  The musicHound Folk Essential Album Guide 
(copyright 1998, Visible Ink Press) called his stuff 'new wave honky tonk' 
that 'baffled the country music establishment... too rock for country, too 
country for rock.'  The author of the article, Doug Pullen, insists that's 
the reason Ely's never hit it big in mainstream music circles.  I say it's 
because Nashville has lost its knack for nabbing true talent to make 
mainstream!

Nope, Ely's not in Nashville, and good for him!  He's in Austin for  "Live 
at Antones" where we can all be treated to the musician at his home-turf 
best.  Like the guy yelling from the back of the room, "We love ya, Joe!"

Edited by: David N. Pyles (dnpyles@acousticmusic.com)

Copyright 2001, Peterborough Folk Music Society and Tammy D. Moon. This 
review may be reprinted with prior permission and attribution.

================
David N. Pyles
Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
P. O. Box 459
Brattleboro, VT 05302-0459
(802) 257-0336 Mon-Thur 9:30am-4:30pm
http://www.acousticmusic.com/frames
http://www.acousticmusic.com/frames/fame.htm
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The last time somebody listened to a Bush, folks wandered in the desert for 
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