Honky Tonk Masquerade

Might as well just be one big song about whatever the fuck a honky tonk is

Honky Tonk is the worst combination of words known to man

Score: 70 Album art: 50 Dirty dirty fingernails Why does this guy want to hear his nails clacking on piano? It's very strange. Anyway, the first song is really fantastic. After hearing it I asked myself, is this really going to be an amazing country album?? Sadly the answer is no, but it is definitely good! I listened to the 2022 remaster and I don't know how much of this is the remaster but this thing is produced and mixed immaculately. Sure the mixing is flat but it's by no means bad. It's corny and cheesy but I was never groaning or upset with what I was hearing. Compared to modern country music that alone is an insane compliment. Also I could be wrong but I don't think there was a single mention of a truck so props for that. My personal enjoyment of this album is around a 3 as I'm not a huge country fan, but it's clear to me this is a cut above the rest so I'm giving it a 4

Late 70's country...you can hear the 80's on the horizon. Nasty slide and electric tones throughout. Some corny bits here and there but some bangers too. At its best when the West Texas vibes come through.

Joe be looking pretty fly on the cover and Cornbread Moon is a great song title. A mix of honky tonk, and classic Texas country, it can be a little corny, but I think it's easy to listen to. Great voice, with nice clear production. If you are not a country fan, I don't think you'd hate this but it probably won't change your mind about it. It is definitely way better than whatever the hell they're making now. Some of the slower songs sound samey but Boxcars is an absolute standout.

All those times I said I liked "anything but country and rap", turns out I was lying.

Ok this was cool - a little bit country, a little bit rock n roll ha ha! I'll never listen to it again but it's an easy 4/5.

So this thing was just added to the list for some reason, no? Slip past the censors or something? I'm glad someone threw it a life preserver, because this baby slaps and slaps hard. It walks a fine line of suggesting what country rock would become, all the while remaining both timeless and of it's time. Ely's vocals at times remind me of everyone from Poco, Randy Meisner (himself a founding member of both Poco and the Eagles), Jeff Freaking Lynne, Townes Van Zandt, and Gram Parsons. And you can also hear how future country greats like George Strait and Dwight Yoakam were influenced by this. Anyone who suggests this album to be in the running for consideration as one of the greatest country music albums ever will get no argument from yours truly. No wonder The Clash loved this dude. I thought this was my first exposure to Joe Ely, but it turns out I've been listening to him for years: Ely provided backing vocals on "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" with the aforementioned Clash.

I've never heard of Joe Ely before, but this was a decently fun album to listen to. It definitely oozes the feeling of Texas country from that time period, with sounds of rock and rockabilly mixed in. "Cornbread Moon," "Fingernails," and the title track are the standout songs here, but everything else feels a bit like filler. It's not bad filler, but it definitely pales in comparison to the rest of the album in my opinion. Even though I wasn't blown away by this, I'd still give Joe Ely another listen.

What happened here? Put this on early today, noted “plod plod plod country, v well”, put it back on this afternoon and then spent the next few hours sort of lightly mesmerised by it. Easy listening in a lovely sense of the term, this honey just glugged down by the old radars.

I’ve reached the 900th album here :) Much like the 600th and 700th, it’s a country album. But wait- this ain’t no run of the mill country! “Cornbread Moon” gets a 4/4 breakdown (in contrast to the swing) not unlike punk rock, & “Boxcars” gets a hard rock guitar solo. It’s a crossover that is more in tune with the musical trends of the late 70s, and less with the outlaw/country rock of the 60s. However, many of the other tracks are pretty traditionalist; still glad we get that variety that’s missing from a few country records on this list Rounding up to a 4 today

Crisp, killer country. A strong, nearly suite-like set of songs. In the modern tradition, there's some knowing humor to the songs but also moments of real pathos. Editors are right: this man should be much better known.

Honky Tonk Country Rock + a Moog synthesizer... Does that work? Hell yeah it does and this album is a great example as to why and how. It's a passionate Country record that seems to push the genre onto new paths while still holding true to what it is: an American genre that depicts the simple life of an American in different ways. Yes, it does sometimes slip into different things like it does here with the whole Outlaw Country imagery but it still seems rather "simple" (in a good way) than let's say the philosphical aspects of some 90's Death Metal groups. It is simply beautiful and easy to devour while still having enough to offer that a full album doesn't feel shabby or boring. The opening track 'Cornbread Moon' starts things with an energetic, lush and dense Progressive Country song that is topped with a pretty good vocal delivery from Joe. The added accordion is really fun and just adds to that overall "Country vibe". It's a really fun song, that's all I can say. It does maybe try a bit too much with the way it builds tension but still, this is a great song. 'Because of the Wind' gets a bit slower and lets the synth shine a bit more while still having the typical Country instrumentation. It overall just feels more like a typical slow Country song that has some weird added bits. This type of Country music can be really effective but also easily fu**ed up which happens here. It's not bad but the way it plays out doesn't really sound all that great and the songwriting and vocal delivery seems a bit "eh." It's not a good song and I'd even go as far as to say that it's "below average". His best received song 'Boxcars' is neither as up beat as the first nor as slow as the second. But it definitely has a certain darkness to it that is amplified with the mix of some incredibly well put together accordion and synth. The false end that returns into a mix of synth and guitar solo is just a cherry on top. This song is a perfect example of Progressive Outlaw Country and I'm all for it: This is a perfect song. On 'Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumbling Down)' Joe Ely returns to a more groovy and faster Country song that shines with the great songwriting he put here. It's just structures so well throughout. Additionally, the lyrics and the chorus are both catchy and feel special on their own. At the end of verses, before he goes into the chorus, he does something that reminds me of another artist but I can't really pin down who... Maybe Donovan? I'm not sure but this song here is surely a great one. 'Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown' closes the first half of the album and returns to a more laid back sound but this time he does it much better. It's still not perfect or anything but it's fun, it's short and I think that it's decent. Nothing that seems disruptive but also not much great stuff. The title track 'Honky Tonk Masquerade' follows with another slow approach but not only his vocals but the entire song just feels much more emotional than on songs before and even though it isn't as great as 'Boxcars', it's still a great Country track that only messes a bit up after the bridge. 'I'll Be Your Fool' is a bit obnoxious especially because it's not as special as most other Country songs in that field of sound. The songwriting is basic, the instrumentation is boring, neither chorus/hook or lyrics have anything of value and the vocals sometimes do anything but sound good. It's a bad song, sadly. Luckily, 'Fingernails' returns with some more interesting songwriting. Yes, it's silly but also really fun. The piano works so well with the Rock & Roll style and it's just really, really playful all the way through. This feels a lot like Jerry Lee Lewis but more Country of course. It's a great song. On 'West Texas Waltz' he turns a bit to Tex Mex together with the Outlaw Country style and while it isn't bad, I am really uninterested by it. There are some moments I like but also some I really don't so it equals out to average, maybe slightly below. It's just way too long. The closing track 'Honky Tonkin'' starts off by sounding like it's about to turn into a Stones track but it of course doesn't turn Blues Rock, no it turns Honky Tonk (who would've guessed.) It's okay. There are some fun parts but even the chorus is pretty annoying and obnoxious. It's also mixed not all that good. It just turns out pretty below average with a tendency to bad but not quite. favourites: Boxcars, Honky Tonk Masquerade, Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumbling Down) least favourites: I'll Be Your Fool, Honky Tonkin', Because of the Wind, West Texas Waltz Rating: strong 6 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

No. 208/1001 Cornbread Moon 3/5 Because of the Wild 4/5 Boxcars 3/5 Jericho 3/5 Tonight I Think 4/5 Honky Tonk Masquerade 3/5 I'll Be Your Fool 3/5 Fingernails 2/5 West Texas Waltz 3/5 Honky Tonkin' 3/5 Average: 3,1 Good country album.

Not bad for a country album - some really nice instrumentation and the lyrics were fairly interesting/clever.

I had heard the name but wasn’t familiar with his work but I ended up really liking parts of this album. A few songs were a lot of fun and I can definitely see the appeal.

bit basic, innit?

Won't listen again. Competent but uninteresting 2.2

What in the west Texas hell is this

As far as country goes it's not bad. Not my style and probably won't get any future plays but wasn't terrible.

Fuck this.

Honky Tonk Masquerade is a kinder term than “Stale, Vacuous Redneck Drag” so I understand picking that as the title.

On the cover he has his capo on his guitar strap. So cool. I will definitely copy that.

Yes

Great album - easy to listen to, strong lyrics (especially Boxcars). I feel like this is what I wish Bob Dylan sounded like.

Another hometown hero of mine, this will probably be an acquired taste that most of y'all will not have acquired yet. Twangy vocals over country/tejano/rock 'n roll, lyrics filled with rants about the South Plains and other things that make sense to west Texans. Lighthearted, honest, and probably misunderstood by most.

Great country sound!

I'm just a simple country boy. Love this album very much

Diggin it Good dance songs 5 stars

Loved this, had never heard it before, but will definitely listen again and check out more by Ely.

Who knew Honky Tonk could be so good.

man I've never listened to a Joe Ely song before but this was such a good experience. he straddles that line between country and blues and rock and introduces some interesting ideas. from bluegrassy sounds in Because of the Wind and West Texas Waltz, or more country rock/blues of Honky Tonkin' or Cornbread Moon, or the ballad stuff like I Thinl I'm Gonna Go Downtown. also he sure says Honky Tonk a lot!

country goodness

Favourite songs: Fingernails, West Texas Waltz, Cornbread Moon, Boxcars, Honky Tonkin', Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumbling Down), Because of the Wind, Honky Tonk Masquerade Least favourite songs: I'll Be Your Fool 5/5

I'd line dance to this.

Joe's vocals are great-very much enjoyed this album. Nothing like today's generic, bro country, this is the real deal if you're looking for some country music to enjoy.

Didn’t think I would enjoy this but it’s awesome!

Good

Very good. I’ll need to explore some more of his work

Really catches the heart of Texas country. A great listen with clever lyrics and good dance songs.

Really loving this album. This is an outlandish statement but I'm going to make it anyway: this album is to country as Kind of Blue is to jazz - as in, it's a genre defining, exemplary and well executed example (I'll stop the analogy there). Apparently this was too outside for country radio at the time, but clearly its DNA has found its way into country music that's followed it. Baffling that he opened for The Clash, and suffered abuse from their audience - but perhaps is illustrative of how this music didn't initially find its way with a mass audience (i.e. not country enough for country, not rock enough for rock). The band is tight, the songwriting solid, and his voice strikes me as an authoritative storytelling voice that is commanding and believable.

I would generally say I hate country, but listening to something like this makes me appreciate that what I hate is modern arena country, because this rules. I loved the rockabilly cuts the most, but even the slower and twangier tracks were enjoyable.

Brilliant vernacular folk music

Loved it! Old school country with a gentle rock edge - with catchy tunes and engaging lyrics.

Great, great record.

yeah that was honkey tonk alright really enjoyed i can't even lie

Had me interested 30 seconds in, a whole lot of fun, this is why I’ll never say I’ll hate a genre, 5 years ago I would’ve said I hated country, I hadn’t found stuff like this yet.

B-

Great country fun album

Honk that tonk Joe!

Alright Joe- getter done.

I didn’t realize this was from the 70s at first, I thought it was contemporary with a throwback sound to seem more classic. Great production, great variety with some of the tracks. Added ‘Boxcars’ to the list but liked ‘Cornbread Moon’ as well. 3.5/5

I was expecting a pretty standard country album, which would have been totally fine but what we get here is a very innovative country album especially for 70’s standards. The implementation of the accordion and synth really add a whole other level to this record. Starts with a banger with Cornbread Moon and they let you know the dude on slide means business right away. Joe Ely leads a great band with full confidence in his vocals on this honky tonk jam. Boxcars is the standout for me as it puts the whole outfits strengths on full display, this song held the most depth and I’ll be returning to this many times moving forward. Just a solid country album, this was great. 4 stars

Really good once you're past the first couple of songs. For me in any case.

He's got a good twang that I find pleasant and enjoyable. 4.5

solid, meat and potatoes 70's country -- the best vintage for the genre, if you ask me. can the tropes get a bit grating if you're not a fan of the whole country thing? sure, but if you are it's just a very nice, well performed slice of, well, honky tonk. music for the night after a shit day at work. also, they use the moog pretty good on this thing. makes me wonder if more country is out there using wires and knobs.

Found this one fun.

Pretty good country sound. Reminded me of George strait

I’d never heard of Joe Ely or his second album “Honky Tonk Masquerade” until today. It turns out Ely has spent much of his career on the fringes of country music, railing against the polished Nashville scene, rejecting the Bakersfield sound, and living his life as a champion of Texas progressive country (I could have sworn that was an oxymoron). Later, he became great buddies with Joe Strummer and contributed backing vocals on the Clash’s “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”. A country-rebel indeed. That in no way means he’s a self-serious type, though: I feel “Honky Tonk Masquerade” is notable for its verve and levity. There’s a good sense of humour running through the album: the conceit of lead single “Fingernails” is a daft but memorable one, with its central line “I keep my fingernails long so they click when I play the piano”. Ely may not have been up to scratch in the hygiene department, but he knew how to have a laugh. The lyrics to “West Texas Waltz” raise a chuckle too, as does the gibbering hook of “I’ll Be Your Fool”. It’s hard to resist. But where “Honky-Tonk Masquerade” shines even more is in its musicianship. The instrumentation here is a lot of fun, with some absolutely top-notch performances. Lloyd Maines- something of a mainstay in the country scene- is brilliant on lap-steel throughout, delivering a particularly gorgeous solo in “Because of the Wind”, and a stunningly disciplined one in “West Texas Waltz”. A little more edge is provided with searing fuzz guitars in “Boxcars” (there are three different electric guitarists here, so no idea who supplied them). And opener “Cornbread Moon” is bonkers: switching from a straight intro to swung verse, and then back again, tossing in dexterous guitar and ACCORDION solos, structuring its whole verse around the idea of a… well, a cornbread moon. Inspired. At times it feels a little fluffy- there isn’t much lyrical depth here, and often a nagging feeling of country-by-numbers. But the rowdy, raucous outro of final track “Honky Tonkin’” sealed the deal for me: this is a darn good time, and solid country music.

When did country get so bad??

Good stuff.

Yeeee to the hawww We making it out the cornfield with this one Ely really honks my tonk

Not normally a fun of country but this was chill

Is this Honky Tonk music or is this some of that Masquerade imitation Honky Tonk? Sounds like the real thing to me but I'm not really experienced in the ways of the Honk and the Tonk. I especially like Boxcars, Think I'm Gonna Go Down Town, Honky Tonk Masquerade and Honky Tonk'n. I'm about a 3.5 with this album but that fucking honky tonk accordion in the last song boots it up to a 4 for me dang gummit.

I don't love hearing about bunions or not cutting one's fingernails but otherwise this is some pretty fun West Texas country music.

Very interesting suggestion today, which allowed me to put the *Flatlanders* / Lubbock honky tonk "mafia" on the map, right in North-West Texas. It's a group of country music performers / songwriters I had absolutely no knowledge of before today, and browsing through the music made by that gang (Joe Ely, Butch Hancock--who wrote almost half of the songs in this record--Jimmie Dale Gilmore or Terry Allen), it seems to me that they managed to keep their C&W roots authentic while implementing interesting instrumentation and/or artful flourishes in their music at the same time. Which is no small feat in my book--the sort of feat only greats such as Willie Nelson or Johnny Cash could pull off in my honest opinion. "Progressive country", that thing is called, and barring a small bunch of country-rock artists (Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons), it's the only country music worth listening to for outsiders of a genre often plagued by bland compositions and clichéed lyrics. Case in point: *Honky Tonk Masquerade* and the stellar arrangements that grace half of its tracks (along with some very endearing lyrics once in a while). I don't have the time to go into details today, but let me just say that the hectic electric guitar solo at the end of "Boxcars"--one of the standout cuts--is just simply incredible, and gives an epic mood to the whole ending. The southern rock influences are on point in this record, and some of the ballads are quite effective. Three or four tracks might be more "run-of-the-mill" for my admittedly demanding taste in that genre, but the whole collection is dynamic enough and it never stays in one particular groove for too long (which is a real repellant for me for that particular style of music). And the production and sound of this thing aged pretty well--I was surprised to read other reviewer saying that it didn't: c'mon, this is no eighties gated-drums horror flick à la Dwight Yoakam here! Not sure yet if I can include this record in my own list. 1978 was a stellar year for music of all stripes, and I just can't sacrifice some pretty important albums for me, whether in that year or another. But as of now, I leave the door open and boost my overall grade a little to make up for any future omission of this good album. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4. 8.5/10 for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: 119 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 384 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 226 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 283

Bluesy, very country I thought I wouldn't like it, but it's actually quite catchy. The lyrics have a quality where I was kind of listening in the background, but it really hooked my attention I just heard the title track and Fingernails - The groove of these songs are so cool, it really makes you want to dance 4

Pleasantly surprised to see Joe Ely made the list. Hope there's more like this.

Loved it!

Really like this!

I enjoyed this a fair bit. It’s a bit corny, but not enough to be annoying.

Fun country/rock, opens with some Texas swing styling. I don't know enough about country to say that this is absolutely better than other albums by artists of similar status and era, but I will say it's a damn sight better than the "country" crap that seems to be prevalent right now.

This feels like a fresh and original country album for the 70s. Good songwriting all around, unique chords and progressions. I was pleasantly surprised throughout the whole of the album, but never enthralled. Still, I enjoyed it thoroughly. 4/5

Maybe I’m a honky tonk kind of girl!

Real schamltzy and sweet! A lot of the country that I love really wears its heart on its sleeve and this reminded me of some of my favs (John Prine, Hank Williams) - liked it!

A pure delight, get in.

Very fun

PRetty damn fun

Really nice timeless country music. I enjoyed listening to this a lot.

Even having worked in country radio for a while, I don't recall this name or any of these tracks. A classic country sound, for sure, which at this time in my life is just swell.

Why have I never heard this? Very fun!

I’m glad to get some more country on this list, although I have to say this didn’t quite live up to the expectations I had after reading the wikipedia article. It was good but I think there are a lot of albums I’d put ahead of this that I fear won’t make this list.

Seriously man what happened to country music? Why did we stray from this? Shit sucks now

Country in general isn't really my genre, and this end of country particularly isn't, but I actually enjoyed this a surprising amount! I coulda done without the slower more maudlin numbers, but the upbeat tracks were quite a bop. I can see myself getting into this under cold fluorescent lighting, buzzed on cheap, nasty American beer, and surrounded by people in stetsons, and beyond them the huge skies and distant horizons of Texas... 🤠 Fave tracks - "Cornbread Moon" for sure - did a great job of winning me over straight out the gate. "Boxcars" was good too...

Kinda folky and also swing. I liked it. Made me listen to some Johnny cash

I may be a honky who doesn't often tonk but this was fine. Maybe it's because I can't stand modern country that seems so intentional with the twangy accent or whatever and also how it's formulaic garbage. This is much more enjoyable and I liked it more as it went on

A well executed country rock album. This is the sound that a lot of current country musicians are trying and failing to emulate.

Surprised by this, it's pushing country about as far as it'll go.

I'm not 100% sure why this is on the list, but I like it! Reminds me of Byrds country era, and kinda a forerunner to Dwight Yoakam. I've been eBaying "Lot of 30 country tapes. $14!" for the past year or so, and this seems like one of the tapes I'd keep.

4/5. A solid mix of calming country and heavy blues, with soft yet powerful vocals. The production quality also elevates this one above other country albums. There are some sweet lyrics along with some heavy lower class struggles. Some super generic country songs does prevent it from being a 5 but they were enjoyable nonetheless.

Surprised by how much I enjoyed it. A couple bops I listened to multiple times

I rarely listen to country music, but this is was pretty great.

Pleasant, strong start to the album but gets a little samey

I really like this album. West Texas Waltz and Honky Tonkin were my favorites. Plus there’s synth on this album?!?!? In 1978?!?! On a country album?!?!? Loved it

I can't believe I've never heard of this album. Although I've never been much of a country fan, this album is top shelf. Thanks for "broadening" me.

The accordion gives it a Mexican feel. I really enjoyed “Jericho.”

Joe Ely is the 2nd wave of great Americana artists. (Cash and Jennings). I love when the country haters loose their mind...... Good album. A ton of good songs.

Album # 29 Fingernails gave made me think..EWWW but then I thought of Dolly and how she tells the story of when she was recording 9-5 she used her nails throughout the song. She did it, she didn't write a song about it. It's funny the only 2 songs on this album that made me think "that's a pretty good tune" were two JE did not write., West Texas Waltz" & "Honky Tonkin'"

This album made me smile- especially the last couple of songs

I apologize honky tonk, I was not familiar with your game