Honky Tonk Masquerade

I'm just not into country. I'm sure it's a 5 for those that are.

Just reading "honky tonk" leaves such an unpleasant taste in my mouth. I read that it's comparable to the Redheaded Stranger, which meant it can't be that bad, and hit play. The first track was on the right track for about a second before it turned into something I didn't need. Eventually I gathered the positive quality lies heavily in the talented use of instruments and the production. It's not difficult to leave playing in the background. It's definitely not attractive because of the quality of the lyrics, which leave a lot to be said for me, if not for the music picking up when the lyrics find no way out. 1.2/5

2.5/3 Não é meu estilo

For a country album, this isn't that bad. I'm usually not a huge fan of country but enjoyed a lot of this album.

More bloody slide guitars! Argh!

Fun bar country

Great, a random country guy I've never heard of. The big names were excellent, but I don't know about the smaller names like this. Turns out, I didn't need to worry too much. This album is mostly mediocre country that can often sound like the shit radio "country" that is incredibly insipid, but it has a few legitimately great country songs. It is more rock-inflected than most country of the period, with noticeable synth flourishes and even a guitar solo on one track. The lyrics are mostly just ok, but sometimes they are good. This album is not as good as the big name country of the 1970s, but it definitely deserved to be heard. It actually feels quite ahead of its time in many ways. This album is ranked #27 of 32 albums for 1978. Other 1978 albums rated by me: Van Halen(4/33)-4 Darkness on the Edge of Town(6/33)-5 One Nation Under A Groove(7/33)-5 Stardust(8/33)-4 C'est Chic(9/33)-4 Live and Dangerous(10/33)-4 This Year's Model(13/33)-3 All Mod Cons(14/33)-4 Germfree Adolescents(19/33)-4 Third/Sister Lovers(25/33)-4 Duck Stab/Buster & Glen(32/33)-3

Quickly zoned out. Psychedelic country doesn’t work.

That’s a weird last name

Honky tonk fluff. I've got a soft spot for a lot of folk and country music, but this just felt totally unremarkable.

I grew up in the country, surrounded by questionable music tastes. I could totally see Fingernails being played by one of the good old boys and everyone spilling lots of beer in the process. That is not to say I personally enjoyed this. Indeed, I would go as far as saying that I can see a very real lineage from this to the pop country garbage we have nowadays. Plus writing a song about telling a woman "hey, if you don't get with me I'll tell people you're frigid" but pretending it's romantic by linking it to the Walls of Jericho didn't enamour me to him. But Boxcars was OK, and it was just over 30 minutes so it wasn't complete torture.

Full of old school country jams. Very fun.

cosmic balance. (crashing out).

An album titled Honky Tonk anything is always going to make me wary. And so it came to pass. It's whiny and painful. The steel guitar belongs in the same league as the harmonica and bagpipes: instruments of aural torture. I totally respect the thousands—nay, millions—who love this whiny, soundalike country drivel. As I also respect the millions that love Mongolian throat singing. Surely millions can't be wrong? right? Hmmm.

No

Joe Ely is an Austin legend and seems like a cool dude. Wearing sandals on the cover is a choice. And this was just ok unfortunately. I like some of his other songs a bit more.

How can anyone record this in 1978 and think it's still relevant ? Does Joe even know the 60s and 70s happened ? I guess he at least heard about the Summer of Love, since he was bold enough to pose barefoot on the cover, instead of wearing a suit like an old square. But apart from that, his music sounds like it's stuck in 1965, when the Rolling Stones were the new hot thing and the shadow of Elvis still loomed large. It's mostly bland, derivative and quite boring, with some of the worst traits of folk and country music, and even a bit of pre-80s corniness. A masquerade indeed. It's really a pity because I can absolutely get behind some good old honky-tonk crooning when it's done right. There's a couple of songs here that could almost save the album, like Boxcars... But it’s not nearly enough for me to get me excited. Ideally I'd rate this a 1.5*. I'll round it down because right now I'm really fed up with country. 2/10

Yesterday’s album with the trio of mature women with perms suddenly sounds a lot better. Joe Ely feels like some washed-up guy playing a live set at the local community centre. I absolutely hate everything about it: the production, the bland voice, the fucking slide guitar… An absolute horror show.

He has a good voice. "Because of the wind" and "West Texas Waltz" were good. Most felt like routine county songs. 3 out of 5.

More fun than expected. Not bad

Always a pleasant surprise when passable country is on the menu. That accordion gave everything such a fun Bourbon St quality to it.

Nag

Honestly not bad, for not being the country I'd gravitate towards (not that I'd really gravitate towards country), but... is he barefoot on the cover? Why is that bothering me? That should not bother me. I am bothered. Bird feeders are televisions for indoor cats.

All I needed to see was "honky tonk" to know I would hate his. Ironically, the closing track, called Honky Tonkin' kinda rocked. There was a decent piano number on here too, though pretty off-putting that it was written about Fingernails. Neither could really save this for me.

Meh. Didn't hate it. But I didn't really like it either. Not a fan of country.

“You sure look fine tonight, in the beer sign light.” That pretty much sums up my opinion of this album. It was a real stretch to listen to this until the end. Another time and a different cultural aesthetic. I’m not really into lives or women who bask in the light of beer signs

Rate: 7 5/10.

Classic Texas country music. Very American, Ill say that much

It’s very forgettable

Det er vel country.. Findes meget bedre, men også meget værre. Siger mig ikke nok

Det gør ingen fortræd. Det er fint men bliver måske en anelse kedeligt, og gør ikke det helt store for mig. Enten et stort 2-tal eller et meget lille 3-tal.

*48 Næsten en 3’er. Jeg synes sku, det er meget sjovt. Det har dog lige 10% for yeehaw til mig.

Gabegabesen.dk - hold op en steneren omgang

Ikke min kop te, det er alt for 'murican cowboy. Boriiiiiiinnnnnnnggggggg 2.3

Nej

I was a bit doubtful going into this album, but it really grew on me as it went along. Most of the tracks have a lively, upbeat vibe that mixes honky tonk country with rock and blues. This isn’t something I’d listen to regularly, but I enjoyed it and would definitely be interested in checking out more of Joe Ely’s work.

I’ve always enjoyed Ely’s voice and choice of songs. It holds true here as well, however, I was not a fan of the semi- country swing style of the music.

So so boring. Does not deserve to be on this list in the slightest

Not for me

A surprisingly theatrical country album for 1978, feels a bit over-the-top and doesn't offer very interesting composition or lyrics for me though. Highlights: "Cornbread Moon", "Fingernails", "West Texas Waltz"

Notable Textzeile: She is to me like the breeze that blows from Corpus Christi She is to me like the breeze that blows up from the sea Now if she is like the breeze that blows from Corpus Christi Then I must be like the trees 'cause Caroline blows through me Wind und Langeweile. Habe nix zu ergänzen.

Joe Ely wird bei the Clash gename-checked, tourt mit Springsteen und den Stones, ich dachte das sei so ne Alt-Country Legende aber der macht einfach bock Standard Honky Tonk Country Poprock. Vielleicht ist das wie bei den Dexys und Fats Domino und in dieser Woche sind nur Künstler die live wild und auf Platte lame sind.

Alabama, Arkansas, West Texas Nervtötung

This is what a country album should sound like.

This album is really good. Very much of a common country album, without much innovative aspects or anything to highlight. But it really works pretty well. The songs are all quite nice, and Joe Ely's voice is very warm and pleasant. So, I've got not much to say, except that the first track is great and, as an opener, really gets you interested into the album. And I must say I've liked and enjoyed listening to this one. So, it is good, it is quite good. And you sure have such a good time listening to it.

Country shite

Production sounds a little too tinny for my taste, and the songs don't really grab me. I can see trying this again sometime later in my life and maybe gelling with it then but only "Fingernails" and "Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumblin' Down)" being the only tracks that click for me now. (2.5/5)

Boring

bad country

If all you know about the late Joe Ely is that he had famous friends (most notably Springsteen and the Clash) then you might be expecting some gritty, soul-wrenching, capital-A Artistic statement from this. Not to take anything away from Ely's gifts but what we have here mostly isn't that; rather, it's just a good serving of mostly upbeat, pop-infused country that sounds and feels like country should sound and feel. There are some sonic innovations, most notably the Moog on "Boxcars," but principally the strength of this collection is in its restatement of the eternal themes - forlorn men chasing reluctant or absent women until they get tired, then heading to the honky-tonk, meeting someone new, feeling a spark, and then starting the cycle over again. And I don't know how many Renaults there have ever been on the streets of Lubbock but I'll award Ely's bandmate Butch Hancock points for finding a new word to rhyme with "waltz" ("West Texas Waltz"). Girls and cars - no wonder Springsteen liked this.

Forsvant stille forbi i bakgrunnen. Minuspoeng for ekkel tittel.

I've never been a fan of country music, though this is much better than the new pop country that has existed for the past 20 years or so. These songs are simple, the lyrics are cheesy, the twang is grating, and I hate the steel guitar in this kind of music. I would not come back to this or want to explore anything else from him, it's totally not my kind of thing. I get why some people like this though. 2/5

It was fun. Probably won't revisit though.

Cool. Sounds classic. Glad I listened. Wouldn't remember it existed tho

2/5

Decent classic country-sound album; easy listen.

Better than I thought it be. A bit of zydeco noodling

Boxcars

Do you know what, if I'm going to listen to this genre, I'd listen to this. Best compliment it is going to get.

Niet heel goed, niet heel slecht.

This is oddly specific but this is prime the only album your girlfriend in high school’s dad has in his station wagon. No part of this was amazing or life changing but it’s all enjoyable and just fine. Title track was probably my least favorite, cornbread moon sticks out.

I liked "Boxcars". The rest, not so much.

Flying home from Texas, felt great with this on. Classic country is so good, and holy hell yeah the ganre has kinda fallen so hard, like Morgan wallen is the biggest act generally right now. Just so different then these cowpolk and outlaw guys of the past. Crazy, is what it is.

The biggest thing I have learned in going through 1001 Albums is that I do not like Honky Tonk even a little. This album does not change that. Bailed on it.

Kjennskap: 0% Helt ordinær og grei country. Basert på antall streams, er det litt rart at dette albumet er med på lista.

Funky country? I don’t think so

Not for me

The album was bordering on being good, however, with country I do prefer a female voice.

Nah

Never heard of Joe Ely before so like the introduction. Not great, not terrible. I guess you could say, a little bit country, a little bit honky tonk.

Not as good as the other country albums on here but not terrible pop country.

“Boxcars“ - is that a synth bending up and down to imitate a steel pedal guitar? Brilliant stuff. This was a really neat track. Sticks to a very tight composition with a sticky melody. “West Texas Waltz” was some needed 3/4, with all the same catchy hooks the rest of the album had. This is super solid pop songwriting functioning under a country disguise. Surprising one. Soft 4/5

This is so corny and not even catchy.

Basic but cool country rock.

Lame ass honky tonk but some good musicianship tucked in there.

I'm definitely not a "No Country!“ guy, but this one pushes me too close to my level of tolerance for the genre and what it has become in modern times. The sounds used here (is that a synthesizer on whatever the hell that opening track is?), along with his anemic country twang voice and cliche lyrics, just grated on me from the jump and it never got on track.

There's some fun elements to this I guess. The pedalsteel is solid and there's some pretty impressively ahead of their time guitar tones, but the songs are pretty predictable and not that interesting.

i like his voice. sounds friendly

Ihan letkeää kantrirokkia. Hyvät soundit ja soitantaa.

Jools Holland runs the long running, best and now only live music program on British TV and has the unfortunate propensity to playing boogie woogie piano which is dull as dishwater, especially on the hootenanny new years specials. Granted boogie woogie is a more blues form than Honky Tonk but there definitely very similar, and I assumed I would hate this country variant just as much. But then it was pretty good and Joe was a bit of a legend immortalised by The Clash on their "Should I Stay or Should I Go" track. Then the brain started whirring back 35 years and I had a hunch that I saw him live supporting someone, probably Bob Dylan, at the Hammersmith Apollo in Feb'91. Turns out I was wrong as that was Graham Parker, but on the same webpage confirming that info it showed that Joe Ely DID support Robert Cray a couple of weeks before at the same venue, which is when I DID see him. Can't remember much about him but think it must have been pretty good, even if I never went on to listen to his music at the time (whereas with Graham Parker I DID, whilst Bob was a total mess). I ended up listening to this three times and who knows I may listen to his music more in the future.

When I rate albums of a genre I don’t follow, I try to consider how it rates among other albums in that genre. This is one of those. Although I liked the few honky tonk songs on this album and think I’d really like hearing them in a bar, the country ballads were painful. Schmaltzy lyrics and uninteresting melodies with too much twangy guitar (im not against slide guitar, but this was especially twangy). I’m giving it three stars to average out the four for honky tonk and two for country

I may have vaguely heard of this guy but wow I quite liked this. Good voice, not corny typical country lyrics.

This should, objectively, be at least three stars, because it's a well-produced, accomplished album. But, because I don't really like country music I'm afraid I was already predisposed to mark it down... and was then confronted by a song about clacking fingernails. Yuk!

Eihän tätäkään kuuntele kukaan ja sille on syynsä

ich dachte mir schon beim titel das dieses album nichts ist für mich. korrekt!

I don’t need this much honky tonk country in my life.

What is it masquerading as? I don’t get it. And I don’t like it very much.

I’d only pretend to like this to impress honky tonk women.

This is what I imagine serial killers listen to

honky tonky

Just don't like this style of music.

Heard Before? No! At this point in a little wary of stuff I haven't heard, but at least this isn't 90s britpop. Notes: - finally some accordion! a seriously underrepresented instrument on this list. plus the pedal steel work is fantastic! - lyrics are cheeseball country, occasionally amusing enough. no real tearjerkers. - production is bright and clear, arrangements are nicely varied, performances are lively and engaging. - wonderful breadth of songwriting and genre choices. loved the bridge on "Jericho". - every song the right length, and just the right number of them. - "Boxcars" has an odd kind of magic to it and "West Texas Waltz" is the silliest thing I've heard in a while. Verdict: Not life changing, but wild West Texas fun. Put on yer dancin boots. Listen Again? Three times today is enough but I'll be trying out more Joe Ely soon.

Outlaw Country/Country Rock/Honky Tonk Favorite Song: Honestly, I didn’t really paid too much attention to the album all that much due to my feelings about Country overall, but if I have to say, I thought that Fingernails was at least tolerable. Least Favorite Track: 1 in 9, you can take your pick. Ooooooh dear. 1001 Albums site gave me a country album. That’s…not gonna be pleasant. And here I thought I’d dodged a bullet with the last album I’ve listened to. Yeah, Country isn’t really my thing. The main reason why has to do with the twang on the guitar that just made me feel all icky inside. I don’t really like country all that much due to it feeling like I’m listening to the same song over and over again, and the worst part is that I know that I’m a hypocrite/wrong because I listen to electronic stuff all the time and would prefer listening to that instead of this. Overall, this is not an album for me. 4/10.

I will admit I'm not a huge country fan outside of Willie and alt-country, but I do hold a special place in my heart for country music featuring an accordion. It gives it that Cajun flare that makes it more palatable as I'm in south Louisiana. It's not a bad album at all. My favorite songs here are "West Texas Waltz" and "Honky Tonkin'". Also, it's a fairly short album, so it's perfect for people like me who like their country in small doses.

It was ok. Not bad not good.

Yes, I know Honky Tonk is in the name of the album but hot damn! That is a lot of Honky Tonk.

I don’t know enough about country to properly rate this album. The keyboards sounded cheap, it was a very short album, none of the songs made me want to repeat them. Surely country has better work to offer?

Cornbread Moon - 3.5/5 Because of the Wind - 3.5/5 Boxcars - 3.5/5 Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumbling Down) - 3/5 Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown - 3/5 Honky Tonk Masquerade - 3/5 I'll Be Your Fool - 3/5 Fingernails - 3/5 West Texas Waltz - 3/5 Honky Tonkin' - 3/5 Never heard of this guy before, but it turns out he worked with the Clash and Bruce Springsteen so he had some cred. For me, this is similar to whatever was coming out of the Texas country scene with a few things sprinkled in to make it more unique. The first three songs are definitely the best, as unfortunately the rest of the album feels like filler. Not bad but didn't exactly blow me away. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: Cornbread Moon, Boxcars

no estaba en mood para escuchar country

skipeada historica

Country. I don't mind, I don't hate it, I don't love it.

This was okay, I guess. I understand why it’s on the list, as it’s a bit different for country, especially in the 70s. Personally, though, it was just alright and nothing really stood out.

Donnerstag, 06.08.2026 2x in der Philologischen Bibliothek beim Schreiben meiner Hausarbeit (Spaß bei Youtube, Twitter und Schach)

What makes Honky Tonk Masquerade special is its seamless blend of genres. Ely doesn't treat country and rock as opposing forces; instead, he uses the heat of a road-tested West Texas band to bridge the gap. ​ Ely drew heavily from his Flatlanders running mates. Butch Hancock contributed poetically sharp tracks like "Tonight I'm Gonna Go Downtown" and "Boxcars," while Jimmie Dale Gilmore penned the iconic, melancholic "Honky Tonk Masquerade." Ely’s own writing (like "Fingernails") adds an energetic, rockabilly punch. ​The record hinges on two phenomenal musicians: Lloyd Maines on steel guitar and Ponty Bone on accordion. The interplay between Maines' soaring pedal steel and Bone's Tex-Mex accordion gives the record its distinct sound—half neon-lit Lubbock dancehall, half border-town street party.

i like country music overall (not pop country, or bro country or whatever the fuck is on the radio) and had only heard of joe ely. this is a fun record and a solid country album. maines is tearing it up on the pedal steel.

just kind of fine. obviously a decently fun time. hey this guy hid his toes on the album art that's kinda funny. anyway this would probably be a blast to listen to on a dance floor or something but just listening in isolation it's just kind of repetitive

Real country music is hard to find these days, which is why the 1001 albums challenge needs to go back to the 70s to find it. This is a pleasant listening experience with good songs, good storytelling, and good singing/instrumentation. Nothing spectacular, but a fine representation of the country-western art form. A 3.

This is so, so good. The filthiest slide guitar work you've ever heard with plenty of love and angst in the vocals. If only Strummer had lived...

It's a good thing there aren't that many Country albums on this list. Country in small doses is actually not that bad. This album was ok, not great but not bad either. However, I would have absolutely hated it if I had just listened to another handful of similar sounding ones.

Tracks to go back to: Cornbread Moon Boxcars Jericho Honky Tonk Masquerade I’ll Be Your Fool West Texas Waltz Storytelling isn’t terrible. Songs get repetitive but that’s a consistent problem in country albums. Don’t love his voice but the band is on point, how can you not love pedal steel. Not my favorite country album of all time by any stretch but not a bad listen. 10/9/26

Not my thing but I don’t hate it

He almost seemed close to branching out into something different but then shrank back into regular Honky Tonk. Was fine, not big on my list.

Perfect length of an album- just when I thought, “alright, I’ve just about had enough of this,” it ended.

Subtitled “MCA gets into the outlaw country movement a little bit late”. Joe Ely had been knocking around Texas/Louisiana for several years by the time of his late 70s solo debut, and was already close to 30 at the time. It’s the usual story – too rock for country, too country for rock, so never achieved much of an audience. That said, this and his debut are the most country that he ever got. This is a good album, evoking a time and place about 25 years earlier. Good sounding accordion and pedal steel, a bunch of sturdy tunes (about half originals by Ely, supplemented by a handful penned by ex-Flatlanders bandmate Butch Hancock) and Ely’s world-weary vocals combine for a good old time.

Honky tonk, boogie woogie, waltz, country, rockabilly…this album has it all. The lyrics are dorky sometimes. The music is fantastic.

Country music is insipid dross, and listening to it makes me think America was a mistake. That being said, performed well, recorded well. Seems like it would be a good country album if you're into it. Personally I think this is a cloying, corny, dire collection of syrupy bullshite and it actively detracted from my day.

almost comically stereotypical country music

Giver mig ikke ligefrem lyst til at lære hvad en honky tonk er

Når jeg plejede at sige at jeg ikke kunne lide country, så var det lige præcis sådan noget her jeg mente

Not a single braincell made a connection by hearing this.

A really cool prog country album, great zany energy, off the wall and hard rock at times. Def insopo for Ween's country album.

This is not for me. This is a little too ballad-y for me. Although, George Strait should probably send him a check for all his success. I think I'd prefer George Strait. West Texas Waltz is the best song on the album, even with the silly ass lyrics. Of course a Hank song is the best song on the album...minus the synthesizer.

Another tough sell country album... I can't deny there's some good musicianship on here -- I appreciate the steel guitar and accordion. But man, some of these lyrics are really out there. Does anyone really want to hear a song about fingernails clacking on piano keys? It's just not pleasant. If there's an album out there to change my mind about country music, this wasn't it.

I attempted to listen to this with an open mind but most of it sounds how I was afraid it would, pretty predictable and boring to me. There are some fun ideas early on that aren’t well-built upon. Generally, this record only gets safer as it progresses. 1 listen Favorite Tracks: Cornbread Moon, Boxcars, Fingernails

Expectation: -> By album title alone, this should be country. After listening: -> Indeed, country. Not an artist I am familiar with. Yet, a sound similar in 1978 to many country artists I listened to in the 90s. I liked most of this and disliked none. Some of it was average but I could listen to it with regularity, albeit in short bursts and when in such a mood. Track ranking: Cornbread Wind Masquerade Jericho Honky Fool Downtown Fingernails Boxcars Waltz

This is just not for me

It’s okay. I LOVE the road goes on forever by him. I imagine these songs live in a packed Texas roadhouse.

I can see why Joe Strummer was into this.

Adoro country mas o album completo foi demais para mim.

6/10

Too farking easy. I've never heard of Joe Ely before, though I don't need to pontificate too hard about what this album could be - it's obviously a country release. Might as well get this show on the road. Here goes. Oof, that runtime is pretty nice. Not that I can really complain - I've just recently cleared out all of the albums which are over an hour in length. This guy sounds a hell of a lot like Bob Dylan. Fortunately, Ely's voice is leagues more rhythmic and melodic than whatever Dylan's Jewscreeching was meant to encompass, so I had a pleasant time listening along to this album. The instrumentals are no slouch, either. The traditional, warbling country guitars are intersected with some nice, plucky ragtime pianos. Even the harmonicas are intersected with this music in a way that isn't completely fucking jarring and disorienting. Fuck Bob Dylan is what I'm saying. Overall, I enjoyed the rich sound of this album and its self-contained runtime. Book time. Ely supported The Clash during their late-70s shows, which resulted in him getting widely booed by The Clash's audience. "...a country classic", with Rolling Stone magazine calling it "...one of the finest albums of the 1970s." Ely has forever been relegated to a cult act due to him being "...too individual for country radio and too country for rock radio." Ely is lauded today as "...one of the godfathers of alt. country". Ely's early influences were Hank Williams and Bob Dylan. Go figure. The band supporting Joe Ely is competent, with Ely himself bringing his best vocal performances. Wikipedia says that this album was well-received by the handful of critics that have reviewed it, with the album receiving some enduring acclaim in the years following release. The album charted nowhere, however. Yeah, I'm favourable to this album. It's a lot more competent than some of the other country albums I've listened to, it appears to have had some influence and I appreciate the honesty on behalf of the curator of this album. I cosign this inclusion.

Another country music album I did not need listening. Well, Fingernails and Cornbread moon weren't that bad. 5/10

not my kind of music 2/5

Nicely produced and performed! A little inconsistent songwriting-wise but I still dug this. He toured with The Clash ?

Average at best, not un-listenable in any way, but just didn't do anything for me. There wasn't a single track that stood out about the others.

this world needs more accordion. we don't need the fingernails thing though.

Solid country songwriting

Quizás está bueno pero no voy a volver a escuchar country en estos 1001 días.

я не понял что я послушал чем это кантри отличается от другого кантри с жанром я познакомился, но выдающаяся ли эта работа - нет не буду переслушивать может что-то из этого и есть в моем кантри плейлисте, но случайно

the second album release by country songwriter joe ely. very critically acclaimed in a lot of different music circles. it's said to bridge both traditional country music and rock in a way that a lot of people like. the production is really great in this one. it's a strong 3.5. there still won't be much if any country music that will sway me, but even so, this album is very accessible. this is honestly REALLY good contemporary country music. realistically if you'd turn it on, you'd say the same. if you like it, if you hate it, no matter what you'd agree that the music is objectively good.

It honky tonks, that’s for sure. Not really my flavor of country, but it has that 60s-70s Nashville sunshine country twang that’s fine to listen to once but definitely not over and over. Nothing I’d add to a playlist but far from the worst thing I’ve heard.

A good survey of country music styles from ballads to honky tonk to bluesy slide-guitar songs all in one album.

Une tite puff de bovril?

Favorite songs: Cornbread Moon, Boxcars, Honky Tonk Masquerade, I’ll Be Your Fool 2.5

A country album that's not complete dog??? Crazy concept.

Appreciate the music but not for me.

What a fun album. Really enjoyed this

This was so scrubbed clean and sanitary you could eat off of it, like a shitty diner’s Formica counter.

3 - kinda crappy music with really crappy audio wuality

Not my taste but I think its pretty good for its genre

I mean it's alright I guess. I liked a few songs, but most of it is mediocre as hell. 2.5/5

Honky tonk indeed. Country in every sense of the word. Definitely wasn’t bad but it couldn’t hold my interest for long and likely won’t involve many repeated plays.

Not really my thing. Wasn't bad for what it is though.

I appreciate Joe Ely doing something interesting by combining quite traditional country songwriting with more modern (for the 1970s) production, even if I'm not convinced it always gelled.

Never heard of this artist. Not a huge country fan, I do have lots of respect for the old school classic country-blue artists. Not sure if this is that. Not for me.

Admittedly, I'm not well versed in classic country, but I couldn't connect with this one. It sounded over-produced, especially compared to the country I have enjoyed, like George Jones and Willie Nelson. Several songs had really odd decisions made musically, like the abrupt tempo change on Cornbread Moon, or the sweeping minor key violin coming in really loud on Boxcars.

There's way too much country in this list.

Starts off kind of like a slightly bluesy version of country. The album kind of wavers around through blues, more jangly classic country and some folky songs that I don't mind. There's also some old time rockabilly 50s-style rock. I wouldn't go back to this because I hate country, but some stuff here doesn't bother me as much as most country. 2/5

This week i genuinely got metal folk country back to back

wonderful and delightful ! the underlying musical logic feels more Rock oriented than country to me...a lot of country/blues/folk appeal for me is a song carving out a space and just staying there, not a lot of additional developments or surprises except for micro-moments of expression are necessary, but the songs here are more fleshed out and dexterous in a traditional way. not a bad thing to exist at all, nor does the country timbre feel extraneous or disconnected from the material. just great songs, great performances. Fingernails isnt the best song but its the quickest demonstration of the record's capacity to be light and playfully creative while also being muscular and full of intent. makes a weird amount of sense this guy toured with the clash. and when the record does slow down and get a bit more emotional its even more effective, smells super cozy. short and sweet, i'll probably listen to this again soon!

Made me wanna two step

Tvö rennsli. Fínt áttundatugar country, en ég efa ég muni þetta lengi.

Skiva inneholder til tider noe helt alright gitarspill, men alle andre elementer er danseband 101. I sine mørkeste øyeblikk er det faktisk slowdanseband. Det eneste sporet det er mulig å høre på er Boxcars, som best kan beskrives som Outlaw Country uten noe som helst edge. Lawful Country? Into the dumpster it goes.

Liker energien på albumet. Hvis det skal være sørgelig country må det nesten være Gram. Når det er sagt så liker jeg ikke det glattpolerte soundet, det høres ut som noe Bjøro Håland-opplegg

No me gusta el country

Had a hard time putting my 70s hat on for some country, a genre I'm already pretty "meh" on.

It has some good songs I like the instruments in because of the wind 5.2/10

Buen disco de country. Desconocido para mi.

Enjoyed this a ton! Really great slightly weird country that feels like it was a stepping stone to the alt-country stuff that’s around today. A cracking driving album as well, had fun cranking this one up in the car.

Boxcars was a decent song- the rest is too country and I don’t really like country

Siin on head pillimängu ja ka okeid laulmist. Aga see on tõesti-tõesti igav ning mitte midagi ütlev album. Ma kujutan ette, et see oleks 70ndatel kuskil Lõuna-USAs väga peale läinud, aga praegu on see lihtsalt õudne kuulamine. 2.3/5

Hmmm…..Country. Not my thang as a rule. And this doesn’t sound like anything to change my mind. 1.5

Honky Tonk Masquerade was completely new to me. Looking at the title and album cover, I was expecting a fairly traditional country album, so I went into it with a reasonable idea of what was coming. What I got was a slightly more modern and adventurous take on country music, with touches of experimentation in both the music and production. While I can appreciate that approach, it didn't really do much for me. The album has its moments, but overall I struggled to connect with it and found a lot of the lyrics fairly uninspiring. As country albums go, it's perfectly decent, but it's just not a style of music that resonates with me. There are flashes of quality throughout, but not enough to make me want to revisit the album in the future. Favourite tracks: “Cornbread Moon” is a really strong opener and immediately grabbed my attention. “Fingernails” was the other track that stood out for me Least favourite tracks: “Honky Tonk Masquerade” felt quite dull and never really got going Album artwork: A standard country album cover that gives you a good idea of what to expect from the music inside

Not for me

Easily forgettable. Nothing special here, and twangy country is not my thing.

Another "why is this even on the list?" album. It's not bad, but it's not great.

The 33-minute runtime gets a half-star adjustment, and, on a second listen, I enjoyed some of the earlier songs more. But I think I now have enough Joe Ely in my life.

Minus one star for attempting to rhyme “piano” with “Texarkana”

nyt on random kamaa. Albumin avauskappale meni omalle listalle, oli oikeasti aikaw hyvä kappale. Loput sit aika mieleenpainumattomia kappaleita, ei mitään kummempaa.

Well that wasn’t a long stop before returning back to the land of country music. This time from the 70s. Starting the album, I actually enjoyed the first couple tracks. I liked the melancholy of Because of The Wind, the overall atmosphere and the guitar solo on Boxcars, which is my standout track, and the energy of Cornbread Moon. But once I got to the halfway point of the album, around Honky Tonk Masquerade, the song quality just dropped. It went from a cool, country sound with some soft rock influences, to really cheesy country songs, such as I’ll Be Your Fool with Joe Ely doing is best pubescent donkey impression, and Fingernails, which was just a ridiculous song idea. This album definitely had potential, and some of it was realized through the first couple tracks, but it fell of in the latter half. Definitely the true definition of a three, halfway good, halfway bad. Now I’m gonna hop back on my horse and saddle on to the next album.

not my taste, not rly a fan of country

Honky Tonk Masquerade

Gentle southern country music. It's not my favorite, but I didn't hate it. Easy listening, though sometimes this music that is "American" makes me feel like an outsider in my own country because I'm not that type of American. I guess. Also, I really hated the song about his fingernails. Gross.

not really my style but I kinda enjoyed it

This was a fun honky tonk record with more musical soul than I expected. I really enjoyed it, but like a smoky BBQ sauce, the flavor can get a little old after a full album. Four stars.

Aangename country

Aangenaam

not into country at all but it was okay really, better than some other country stuff

Cozy afternoon vibes

Honestly pretty good!

Dangerously close to a 1

A modest and highly lyrical country album from an artist I’d never heard anything by. A worthy entry in country’s singer-songwriter canon.

Kind of a good time

Second half was better

A fun album, but not my kind of country.

The only honky tonk I want to experience is The Honky Tonk Man from 80’s WWE. This is just another trash ass country album that no one should bother with.

Wow. This one sounded like an average singer at a bar singing to a badly produced karaoke track. And I'm sorry, but the song "Fingernails" that is literally about his fingernails made me want to throw up. WTF dude.

Hørte halvdelen. Country.

I was expecting a regular country album, but at the beginning my expectations were subverted because the production was more brutal and different from what I anticipated. But then from there, it became exactly what I expected. Still gets points for surprising me.

I actually really enjoyed this. I've gotten into country a good bit in recent years...definitely not "bro country" but the real stuff....which this is. Great pedal steel guitar here. Some great hooks. Ely has a great voice. Giving this a 4. This is how country should sound.

It’s alright. The 70s sheen doesn’t do these songs a lot of favors. The performances are solid and energetic, and I’m sure this guy is capable of making music I’d really like, but there’s too much polish to see the songs for what they are. I do appreciate that it’s not a nostalgia trip, but some of the songs sounded overstuffed and cluttered to me. Too much embellishment by a heavy hand makes things sound corny.

Very fun country album. It has all the best elements that country music offers. Sing-a-long choruses, slide guitar, sincerity and more. A lot of country albums I've got on here have been mostly mopey, I just like from time to time just having an album that is unapologetically happy and upbeat, as much as I love melancholy, sometimes sunshine is needed. The album simply just kept getting better as it went on, which is unthinkable. If anything it should be the other way around. I had an amazing time with this album, this generator has single-handedly improved my confidence in country music, bit by bit. Highlight Song/s: "Boxcars", "Jericho (...)" and "Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown"

TURN THIS SHIT OFF

Very much meh

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. The first half of the album I was like this is really fucking good and then the Middle I was like this is really bad and then the end brought me back to good

Better than I expected, not a terrible listen. Country music never gets me though.

Dont usually like this kind of thing at all But maybe im in a good mood or something. Thought it was okay. Really okay. Not great, not bad. Acceptable Low 3 maybe, a 2 pushing

I enjoyed listening to this. Even average country music in the 70s was pretty dang good.

10 seconds into the first song I needed to see if this guy was legit or was pretending to be a country guy. I'm glad to hear he grew up broke and said he wasn't hard off because there was always enough for rice and a couple of potatoes. This being genuine has a bit of charm and there is so some good playing going on. It's pretty simple and not really doing anything special but I could see the right audience appreciating it. Probably not mandatory by any stretch but there's worse on the list.

If this album is in anyway responsible for new country, then I cannot forgive it. The wikipedia article being so thin makes this questionable. This isn't my cup of tea when it comes to country, but that being said this has some great production value. I didn't mind the title track.

no estuvo mal. it's just honky tonk, that´s all

It’s alright, I think he does better with the rocking songs than the country songs. Something about his voice

Some really cool moments on this one! Not quite long enough to leave more of an impression on me though? Before i knew it, it was done. The hook on Fingernails is kinda gross?

rock folk country tranquilo, no esta mal para tener de fondo, pero tampoco tiene nada especial

I guess it's only fair that all genres have representation on this list. But truly: fuck this.

As far as country this was better the majority of the genre. It’s not Dolly though, and it’s still country. So I will pass on this

Dope

Really enjoyed this. Makes me want to wear out a hardwood floor. I’m all in on this type of country. Gave me flashes of Turnpike at times. This is the original Texas country. Beautiful and pure.

4/5

A fun old school country album with vocal twang.

I found this perfectly acceptable and inoffensive 70's country. I wont be going back to it but i didn't dislike it. Sits exactly in the middle of the bell curve.

could honk a bit more, but not bad

(12/100)

-"cornbread moon" BANGS. -skimmed ely's wikipedia page and i'm so giddy about his having worked with the clash. really fun and unexpected. he sang backing vocals on "should i stay or should i go". small world, lol. -"boxcars" WOW! crazy good. -fuckass barefoot toes on the cover. i dig it. -i can't get with the "twangy" country sound of a song like "jericho". it just doesn't work for me. -i like "fingernails"! fun tune.

Country is criminally underrepresented on this list. This album wouldn't be my choice but it's a good example all the same.

Aika perus country rallatteli

Being from south Texas makes it really hard to hate on tejano accordion and pedal steel. 4/5

Country kan vara så tråkigt eller så kan det vara så här poppigt och kul. En stark trea.

Short and sweet

Review - I'd never heard of this guy but he's good. When I imagine country rock this is what I'd always expected. Rather than 70s rock but with a slide guitar, it's actual country music with the occasional distorted guitar solo. Lovely stuff Score - 7/10 Need to listen? YES

Ok listen.

People have such a weird unearned superiority complex on here about country music so I feel weirdly defensive about this genre in general. Many genres all sound the same, not just this one. Anyway, I'm more willing to be generous with this rating than the endless slog of brit pop and just bizarre things on here. This isn't the best thing I've ever heard but it's not bad and I'm glad it's on the list.

אחלה של אלבום, וייב של רוקנרול פיפטיז עם איכות צליל של הסבנטיז

אהבתי מאוד את השיר הראשון בעיקר, וייב טוב ומפתיע, הגיוני שאחזור אליו

Some of the slick steel guitar sounds is what I doubt like about country music of this era. And I think I’m hearing an accordion? But so far I like the opening track. Ok second track is what I hated about 80s country. They were trying to play the old the upright alternating bass lines, but now it rings and does not have the character or an upright. If the rest of the album is like this, this will be a long record for me. The last song is my favorite. I’d like to see these songs covered or live. I might like them better

Fun!

hell yeah

J’ai trop aimé En fait j’aime trop la country

This was the first artist in this project that I had zero history with whatsoever, and I really enjoyed it. Cool to learn he performed with bands like the Clash, and is in the country music hall of fame.

With his Lubbock background, Ely help make Austin the second best music capital in the world

A lot of twang, but catchy

More country, less punk and EDM!

Morceaux assez dynamiques parfois avec des instruments inhabituels qui sont pas mals pour un album country car proposition de choses différentes qui sortent du cadre "country" habituels. On arrive bien à comprendre ce que raconte joe Ely. Il y a aussi du très mauvais qui fait presque un peu fête de village. Le honky tonk semble être l'un des styles les plus connus de musique country. Respirant souvent la joie de vivre, mais ne dédaignant pas la mélancolie, c'est une musique "à boire et à danser" qu'on jouait souvent dans les bars du sud des États-Unis. L'un des meilleurs albums de country.

This is like when Greg "The Hammer" Valentine was the Honky Tonk (greatest Intercontinental Champion of All-Time) Man's tag-team partner in the failed before it started "Rhythm and Blues." It was a Honky Tonk Masquerade with black hair dye.

This album starts out surprisingly strong, but then it’s a steady slide down to the end

Enjoyed this

I like my country a little more polished but I’m embarrassed to say.

I wake up every day glad that mediocre country has remained confined to the hellscape that it crawled out from

Butt clenchingly awful, but thankfully quite short

It's short, it's fine, there's certainly some toe-tappin' goin' on. I gather that this is generally considered to be fantastic, and I wouldn't mind it in the background of a restaurant, I guess, but I won't be playing it again. 3.

Fine, not as good as Steve Earle.

The album reminds me of Saturday Nights in Cambridge City when it was late in the bar and people would be dancing to this sound. It was depressing. Some of the lyrics were interesting but I still don’t like twangy country music.

Detta tyckte jag var tråkigt. Ingen låt stod ut för mig.

Did not particularly vibe with this. Honky tonk is not my fav.

I see why The Clash used Joe Ely on "Should I Stay or Should I Go" . This version of country I like.

I’m convinced I’ve never actually heard this before, but it reminds me of my dad. There’s so really good songs on here and I hear the influence this had on the 80s and 90s country to come. Fun and enjoyable.

Cool

I love me some honkin and some tonkin 4 ⭐️

I really don’t care for this. Maybe it was the production, but it just seemed hokey

A lot of tootin' and hollerin'.

This was both kinds of music.

This is what hipsters think country music is. I’ve never enjoyed Joe Ely and I can’t quite say why. It’s not bad but like Tom waits I can’t see the appeal. Giving 3 because I can’t give it more and it seems churlish to give less. .

Unimaginative. Mundane. Hum Drum. Boxcars was ok, not a bad feel. but is a recording career built on being ok? Talk about snooze against the dying of the light, oh death come to thee from this boredom.

I can't get a handle on why this is supposedly so great. It sounds OK -- I like the touches of Cajun feel in the accordion playing -- but really, I found this not gritty enough, ambitious enough or different enough to be interesting. I kept wondering why this instead of, say, Tony Joe White?

meh

ej min grej

Inte riktigt provocerad nog för en etta men det här honky tonkandet hade jag inte behövt höra ens en gång.

Ganska tråkig.

6/10

so fun

I thought I’d really like this, but alas not really, no outstanding track either

An accordion AND a lap steel geetar on the 1st song? my heart is won...great/solid country/honky-tonk rock (reminds me of my days in Salem with a group of drunken/stoner Oregon hippies). Just a real fun album. 4 country-rock solid album.

An enjoyable listen. This was my first listening experience with Joe Ely and it was a fantastic feel good album from start to finish. I don’t know about lyrically but vibe-wise I it reminds me of a rockier John Prine.

4 stars Starts out with a bang. Wasn’t sure what I’d think and I liked it a lot. Listened to it twice. 70s country on here has been more promising.

It was a country album. I didn't love it, but there was a few decent lines in West Texas Waltz.

Amazing. I've been discovering many country artists this year. Another incredible one! 5 stars

Nope.

Good

When did Country become not a music evocative of a place (the American South), but of a whole worldview of a subset of white Americans? Rhetorical question, I know. This record stands firmly outside of what I thought of country music at the time it was made: sequined leisure suits and helmets of hair held in place by hairspray. It's refreshingly different from the era in which it was born, and a great listen.

Too yank for me

This was AWESOME! Incredibly country, but the quality is so high that even I fell in love. Felt incredibly modern, even with the stripped down production. Standout Tracks: Opener, Boxcars, Closer 3.9

More country. But not awful country. Though now all I can remember about this album is how proud the dude is that he has long fingernails.

I like country, listen to it often, grew up in Texas but have never heard of good ol' Joe Ely. I don't really care for old timey country but this guy's voice actually sounds a bit more modern. I can see how it spawned the likes of George Strait and Garth.

Twangy 70s country music

This was like... Fine... Idk why its on the list tbh

fun

That rich 70's country sound. Fun.

It’s country, which is all you need to know

I’m pretty allergic to this style of country, and especially this type of voice. The chaotic honkytonk jam song at the end bumped it to a 2.

I have spent a lot of time at a bar in Austin called The White Horse. It’s a two stepping country club. They play a lot of music like this. A lot of the songs on this sound very familiar, there’s a chance I’ve heard some of them before. I just kind of find this type of music doll and un interesting. Maybe it’s because I never learned how to two step properly.

I don’t think I’m a honky tonker. First track was a little misleading. I thought I was in for a raucous good time, with shifting tempos and soloing. unfortunately it was a bunch of ballads and chintzy production throughout. wasn’t familiar with this dude and I’m not a big enough fan of line dancing to dig deeper.

Solid stuff. A lot of toe-tappers on here for sure. 3.5

Album 26/1001. Listened 4/10/2026. First Joe Ely album, and I really loved it. Classic alt country vibes. Will definitely spin it again.

This is an alright album. Nothing too exciting, but it was fine leaving it in the background while I was doing other stuff. It is fairly old, so it was probably pretty decent back in the day, but I feel like it's a bit meh nowadays.

I didn't know him. Liked his style

Fuck. It. This is fun as hell. Easy goin' country with some damn-impressive vocals. Doesn't try to do anything but be a honky-tonkin' jamboree, and for that I give it props. 4 stars it is. Fave tracks: - Cornbread Moon - Boxcars - Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumbling Down) - I'll Be Your Fool - Fingernails - Honky Tonkin' Edit: Okay, this was generous. Still a lot of fun. But very simple and I don't even like 40% of these songs.

Забавно, бодренько, но ок.

I was dreading this based on the title, however it actually proved to be an eminently listenable country album. Aside from the fairly cookie cutter lyricism for the genre, which holds no resonance for me whatsoever, and the twangy vocal style, musically it was palatable and bright enough with nothing too objectionable going on to speak of. What is that foot doing on the cover though 🤢.

Geezer ahh country with a few nice tunes

I actually didn’t mind this and mostly because his voice wasn’t as obnoxiously twangy as most country singers.