Search - Joe Ely :: Settle for Love

Highlights from Ely's two Hightone LPs

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 08/01/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"During a brief intermission from his work with MCA, Texas country iconoclast Joe Ely recorded a fine pair of LPs for the Oakland, CA based indie, Hightone. Both 1987's "Lord of the Highway" and 1988's "Dig All Night" captured a maturing artist who'd not only recorded a groundbreaking West Texas classic with The Flatlanders, but waxed a half-dozen solo albums and toured with The Clash through Europe. By the late-80s, having taken four years off from recording, the rock inflections in Ely's music drove him towards the sort of roots-rock Springsteen eventually used to fill arenas, and artists like Rodney Crowell and Steve Earle discovered from the country side. The result can sound a bit dated at times (e.g., the plodding drums and synthesizer lines of "Rich Man, Poor Boy"), but Ely's prowess as a songwriter easily makes up for this.



This single disc smartly excerpts the original pair of LPs, capturing both the better-known songs that have stuck in his live repertoire, as well as less-known albums tracks. Highlights include the Western-hues of "Row of Dominoes" and "Me & Billy the Kid," the cathartic romance of "Settle For Love," a twangy cover of Merle Haggard's "White Line Fever," and a duet with Rosie Flores on "Love and Danger." This enhanced CD includes a video of "My Baby Thinks She's French." Fans who don't have the original pair of LPs (both of which are still in print, by the way) will find this to be an excellent addition to their collection of Ely's recordings."