Reviews (page 4 of 7)
12/11/2025 Never heard of this guy before, he wasn't too shabby. Spotify listeners: 61.3k
180° flip from yesterday's album also released in 1978. This not enjoyable for me. I was glad it was a short album. It was just cliche filled country. There were so many other, better country albums from this era. It's either a 1 or 2 star album at best for me.
Was hoping to like this more. Perfectly fine but not too interesting and so, so twangy. Need a little kore substance in my country. High 3.
Good Texas country & western music. Reminded me a lot of Steve Earle.
Decent country but not really sure why this is on the list.
Je ne sais pas trop quoi penser de cet album. D’un côté, son aspect country rock me rebute. La slide guitare, l’accordéon, c’est pas pour moi. D’un autre côté, l’énergie de Joe Ely est contagieuse (malgré que ce n’est pas pour toutes les tounes). Et l’influence du honky tonk donne à l’ensemble un souffle que les autres albums de country rock que j’ai écoutés n’avaient pas.
Wow really not my thing
Best Song: Boxcars. If the whole album was full of songs like this, it could have been merely boring instead of downright annoying. Worst Song: Fingernails. Absolute dollar store Jerry Lee Lewis. Overall: Why is it that the only type of tonk we ever hear of is honky tonk? I find it telling that there are no examples of non-honky tonk.
Was okay, up until the three bangers that finished the album!
Listened Before? N Now THIS is why I'm doing this project. This is a hidden gem. A really great throwback country-rock album. Ranging from poppy hooks to storytelling epics, this one has it all. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Boxcars, Fingernails
Super easy country record to listen to. Not a ton of twang. Great voice. Rocked at times. This was good and I never heard of this guy. Very pleasant record.
Not my usual listen. Surprisingly, I kinda liked some songs.
292/1089 - First song was cool but then there was no variation for the rest of the album. I've been thinking about how Country and Hip-Hop have a lot in common recently.
Excellent honky tonk country and western album. I enjoyed all of it. If you're stuck on, "I just hate country music no matter what", maybe it's time to move on from middle school and listen to the music. 4 / 5
I don’t like Honky Tonk. Extra star for musicianship
Great sound
The start of this album hits you with a very professional, rich sounding take on country. There are moments of absolute brilliance sprinkled thereafter, but there are also whole songs which are quite plain and forgettable.
A decent country album today, enjoyed the last track a lot but a lot of the rest simply passed me by as it’s not my thing, high 2 from me
Country entre melancolico te extrano mucho y bebe avisame y caemo al pari. Por momentos me parecio monotono pero divertido los cambios. Estaba estudiando para fertilidad, nunca me senti mas agro en mi vida. 07/11/2025 - 3/5
Shite. 1001 have you got it out for us? Sick of country music. Sorry Joe, just not for me. Only thing I like is the name of the album. In all seriousness, I just don’t really like this type of music. I don’t feel much connection to it.
Not my style. Jangly songs about nonsense. Feels really low risk. Honky Tonk is a descriptive title that’s about the highest compliment I can give it.
Not my style of old country at all. Much prefer outlaw.
👍🏻
Can’t decide how I feel about this. My first thought was ‘this is actually quite fun, despite it being the kind of cheesy country I don’t usually like’. Second thought (around tracks 2 and 3): ‘actually this is legitimately good, not just a guilty pleasure!’ Third thought was ‘ah… we’re back to cheesy country again, but now I’m enjoying it slightly less’. Tempted to give 2 stars but that would probably be somewhat disingenuous, as I did have a nice time listening to it for the most part.
2,4/5
pretty fun country romp. i wasn't sure what to expect, but it's a really enjoyable, high energy album. there's some fuzz guitar on here which was a little wild to hear. some of it's more rock n roll, and some of it's more fiddly, but either way, it's a pretty nice surprise of an album.
Classic honky tonk, and I’m glad I got introduced to Joe Ely.
2.5…rounded up because I feel bad?
Started out promising but then got TOO Honky Tonk for me. 3/5
Enjoyable country/blues album
I am somehow not familiar with this album or Joe Ely at all. Which is surprising because it sounds like most of what I was exposed to listening to WIVK every day growing up in East Tennessee. And I'm sure he was in heavy rotation on that station back then. As a teenager I would have hated this. Having (mostly) shed my lifelong disdain for all things Country, I don't love it but I definitely find it listenable and interesting. I'm now reading the Wikipedia entry for Ely and I can't believe this dude toured with The Clash. (He sang backing vocals on "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?"!!!) Time really is a flat circle. "Fingernails" is bizarre.
This was a really enjoyable album even if it's not perfect. Great guitar and singing, I understand why the Clash liked him
This could be any generic country album. Couple of interesting moments, but not something I'd consider 'must'.
Favorite Track: Honky Tonk Masquerade
I don't like Country, especially B-grade Country singers who don't deserve to be included here.
Honestly, this is why I wanted to do this list. This album is really good. Good roots modern country. This is before "country" just became propaganda for morons. It's a going out album, it's a crying in your beer album.
Some fun diddies but overall it didn't absorb me.
Snore country
You know, there was a very specific window in my life when this could have been a really significant album for me, somewhere around age 27-29 when I was obsessed with "authentic modern country" like Steve Earle, Alejandro Escovado, Fred Eaglesmith, all that No Depression stuff... feels like a lifetime ago, and now I can only give this a sort of genial thumbs up and admit that I don't give much of a damn about this genre anymore. I guess this is actually pretty remarkable for coming out in 1978, it feels very much like a mid-90s alt-country thing, more on the milder, rootsier, Tex Mex end of that spectrum than the rockin end.
The fingernail song is pretty gross.
More country.
I thought I would really hate it from the description, but for some reason I quite like it. The slide guitar stuff is actually done quite interestingly, so that it kind of sounds like a synth in some areas. There are also some quite cheesy pop rock ones which I definitely like less. Vocals are fine could be a lot worse. Not too much else to say. Favourite songs: cornbread moon, boxcars, honky tonk masquerade, West Texas Waltz. Overall around 5/10
Generic country music with lyrics that a teenager would find deep and romantic. That being said, I do kinda like this. I could see myself having fun with the fun parts of this one at a bar. Unfortunately, there are a few lame tracks here that bring this one down.
nice enough
genuine ass :sob:
Not for me
Ok country singer. No real hits.
Pretty terrific, if MOR, traditionalist country, that's easy to like. Bonus points for properly pronouncing "piana."
This is why I hate country music. This guy has some great ideas and I was impressed the way the songs would jump between grooves! Everything was clearly thought out. But. And I mean but. The lame country lyrics, that horrible country twang, and the synthy honky tonk really brought this album down. I listened to this album while doing school work in my classroom. It really brought down my already miserable Sunday morning. It was listenable. Just. 2 stars.
This is like sitting in a diner in Middle America at about 2.30 on a muggy afternoon. The plastic water cups on your table are fresh out of the washer, so they are hot enough to warm any water beyond room temp. The jukebox is playing up again, so it is just repeating the same three second stretch of music. There is a rusty ceiling fan on low, but it is so hot that it is only pushing warm air on to you. You have arrived just after the lunch time rush, so the kitchen can only offer you a chili con carne that is thermonuclear in heat. The bean to meat ratio is heavily favouring the beans, so you're pretty sure you're gonna shit yourself on the drive home. There is a dusty old cougar wearing leather and leopard print, keen to talk to you because your out-of-town accent arouses her.
Quite good for a country album. Seems a bit smarter than your average country singer
Dette var til tider skrale greier. Trist hvis nivået på country musikk skal representeres av dette albumet. Sikkert fortjent to stjerner totalt, men det er noen låter som irriterer meg grenseløst både tekstmessig og musikalsk, så det blir 1,9.
This was OK. I get it, you're from Texas. Starts off slow, then picks up a bit. Not for me.
That was a ton of fun the whole time. A few of those are up there with my favorite country songs. It's cool to read his unexpected connection to the Clash. It looks like he didn't make that many albums unlike other legends who have released 100 so excited to go through his work. Rating: 4.7
How cliche. My pick em up is broke, my honey left me, wha wha wha. 2
I definitely enjoy this kind of country more than others and the album starts strong with the first couple of songs. But then it kind of honky tonks into samey tedium with not much standing out. Some great guitar playing throughout but the songwriting doesn't do a whole lot for me.
Not familiar with Joe Ely but I am with his fellow Texans and contemporaries Guy Clark and the incomparable Townes Van Zandt, and theres flashes of both here. The Texas country sound is so much better than the sleek corporate Nashville one, Ill always prefer it. Not every song here is the most original or interesting, but if I happened upon a band playing stuff like this in some old honky tonk I'd be happy
You Brits sure have a weird obsession with honky tonk music. Even The Clash were taken in. He does remind me of Hank Williams Sr, that is to say, the best of honky tonk, so I actually enjoyed this way more than I thought I would.
I really enjoyed this album
de rocknummers vallen mee.. het echte countrywerk is niet aan mij besteedt (en al zeker niet als er bijbelse taferelen mee gemoeid zijn)
I thought it was a British person's attempt at country at first.
Pretty fun album, not quite my jam though
Nope
Puts the 'try' into country. Insipid.
Decent country blues twang thing in places; noise and sub-standard country shit in others.
The voice, intonation, and song writing/interpretation more tha make up for the slick Nashville sound of this album.
Late 70s country. Country rock. Fairly standard fare.
I laughed listening to this - it's like a self-mocking meme. There are several good moments, but there's also "....pickup truck is actin' up, the sewer is backin' up..." and a reference to "...mah dawg...."
fine. i'm bored
Great choice
Some cool guitar work but probably won’t be coming back to this one
I enjoyed this album, even if every other song sounded practically the same.
This was fine. but nothing overwhelmingly amazing...… as are most of the albums on this list.
Country/western with blues and even jazz/big band elements. Some rock n roll too. Quite interesting (Cornbread Moon) Interesting fuzzy electro sustain sound on Boxcars Generally nice instrumentals/transitions between songs As album progresses I'm seeing less of interest. Best track - Cornbread Moon 3 stars
Just a regular country album, don’t know why it’s so revered, if you’re really into country you’ll like this album
Honky Tonk Masquerade is fine or whatever.
When settling down with Joe Ely's Honky Tonk Masquerade, one is bound to find that it is nothing but a grand ol' time to be had. There is little to no flaws to be found for the better part of thirty plus minutes, which delivers a country rock gauntlet that can throw down and make one cry at will. It would be a mistake to leave this out when considering really great country albums, for they wouldn't be worth thinking of without Honky Tonk Masquerade. Favorites: Cornbread Moon, Because of the Wind, Boxcars, Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown, Honky Tonk Masquerade, Fingernails, West Texas Waltz.
It’s a 3.5, but I’m not feeling generous just because singing about honky tonkin seems silly. Most of the songs sound great.
Len Houmous’ birthday party in 1982 was a Honky Tonk Masquerade Ball. He was 26…..apparently! 3.5 7/10 I’ll be Your Fool
I was not previously familiar with the artist or album, but from the cover and title, I would have guessed it was country. I did not care for this at all. It was painful to get through even though it's relatively short. I would not listen again.
recórcholis :/
Honky Tonk Masquerade is just your typical old country album with a few neat features but still is pretty basic. If you can think of any country album from the late 1970s, then there is a 90% chance that it sounds a lot like this. This uses all the same instruments (with a few ones i don't hear too often) the same vocal style and the same lyrical themes. If i had to pick a most interesting track from this album, it would be Boxcars since that song does have some sounds that i'm not all that used to hearing in country music. Other than that, i really don't have much to say about this album, It's fine but nothing all that special. Best Song: Boxcars Worst Song: Honky Tonk Masquerade
It's a country album
brz brz
no es lo mio, pero es entretenido
she honks on my tonk till i masquerade
Wow never have I known that an album was going to get a 1 so fast. Still, I persisted and listened to the whole thing. The guitar tone is discordant with the general honky-tonky vibes in some places, more of a new wave tone than twangy. Odd
Polished, but still finding all this honky tonk country to be shallow, dull and soulless.
The arrangements are a far cry from the stultified country schlock churned out by the overwhelming majority of country music artists during the late 1970s. “Boxcars” alone almost defies categorization, and it’s a shame there aren’t more songs like it on the album. As it stands, there’s too much nostalgia-ridden hokie-ness in just about everything else to warrant its “progressive country” reputation. I would take it in a heartbeat over most of the god-awful pop/country and outlaw country prevalent at the time, but that isn’t saying much.
A fun listen (representing Lubbock!). Enjoyed the album and I appreciate Ely representing West Texas. Didn't include "West Texas Waltz" on the playlist because I thought "I'll Be Your Fool" and "Honky Tonkin'" better represented the album.
Actually really liked this
I have to admit that if this album was released today I still wouldn’t like it.
country met lekker accent en alle stereotypen
shits bangin
It's pleasant enough, maybe it's essential for country fans, but it sounds fairly generic to these ears.
Honky tonk twat
Ugh. This is awful.
This is bound to rate poorly as it's not a genre I enjoy, however, I was impressed by the instrumentation and lyrics. Also, if The Clash liked him, he can't have been all bad. There were some upbeat numbers and some catchy little things in there.
20 seconds into the opening track and things have already spun on its head! I couldn't figure out what this album was meant to be. Sure, it's country, but those random balladry-electro-swing-bluesy moments, gawd knows, did I enjoy it? I dunno, maybe, I'm so confused!
I don't like country, but this was kind of okay. I would consider listening again if the mood struck me
ass
good stuff
I've liked some Ely in the past, but nothing really stood out here.
Hey, hipster alt-country didn't come from nowhere; Joe Ely is obviously essential to the tattooed bearded dudes with guitars that haunt us to this day. This is the real deal.
I definitely prefer country from around this time and earlier than current fare. This isn't terrible and I was surprised by the horn section in the first track.
I can appreciate some old country like this at times but its generally not music I gravitate towards. The standout to me was the ending guitar solo in Boxcar.
Country 2,5
Old country, extremely honky tonk. To much even.
Did not listen
i don't ever have high expectations for country albums, and this was right on what i expected for this album (esp when i saw the playcount on this). there was nice instrumentals bits in this but the vocals were so cringey lmaoooooo. not a bad album at all
It was a decent country album, but seriously nothing special at all. The book seriously mentions how he was underrated and deserved more attention as a member of the Clash. Not really deserving of this list, but whatever, I guess.
4/10 So this is where the horrible sanitised music if Garth Brookes. Lame and disappointing
This is almost alt-country in places. Not my genre of choice, but I can hear how Ely must have influenced bands like REM, Grant Lee Buffalo, and Wilco. Boxcars is very, very good.
Hmmm…strange rockabilly meets Hank Williams thing happening here. Not wild about it. Only managed 3 tracks…
This was very average but I’m a sucker for a bit of country
Funky
++: Cornbread Moon, Boxcars, Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumbling Down), Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown, I'll Be Your Fool, Fingernails, Honky Tonkin' +: West Texas Waltz +-: Because of the Wind, Honky Tonk Masquerade 7,9/10
Definitely honky tonk. I like
Standard country with a tinny feel with a little nod in the direction of rock.
Boxcars is good. Most of these songs are so middle of the road country. A couple sound like big band jazz country. That must be why "he was considered a rebel of Texas music" Not great. Not good
Someone needs to make forgettable background music. This album pairs best with a lukewarm beer and bar peanuts.
Was it awful? Yes. Was it understandably included? Yes. 3.
I did not need to listen to this before I died. Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 1/5
70s Country... just ok.
This album made me think of Gram Parsons. I'm kind of a sucker for good steel pedal guitar country. I enjoyed this so much I listened to it again right after the first listen!
Not my style.
Well produced, but country is just not for me…
not my cup of tea but really enjoyable, the first song is a great starter, it made me dance immediately
Cornbread moon is the sort of thing Chat GPT would come up with, this whole album had a bit of an uncanny valley feel to it actually. Still not a country fan but to be fair this guy could sing a bit and it was a short album so I wasn't immediately begging it to end. But it's pretty bad and I won't listen again. 1.5.
Really jogged along. Cornbread Moon is nice. Boxcars has a hint of Horse with No Name - lovely stuff. Fingernails was a gross song - keeping one's fingernails long so they plink along the piano. Absolutely turned my stomach. Imagine the filth under the nails - cow dung, mud, rope strands. Clean yourself up Joe. 4 stars but lost a star through being a dirty little boy.
I quite enjoyed the first track which was a surprise given a lot of the other country albums we've had on the list. I do think this was better than most of the others, but it still doesn't really grab me. As far as country goes though, I enjoyed it. 2.5
Starts off strong with Cornbread Moon. Unfortunately, that’s as musically ambitious as this album gets. After that, every song just sounds like a different version of a song you’ve already heard. Very generic country.
I like him! Pretty good honky tonk country.
I had fun, but there were no real standout performances or songs for me on here. Everything mostly blended together
ykw i think there actually is a time and a place for honky took (just maybe not a tuesday morning)
Great if you want to drink moonshine and stare longingly at someone across a cornfield I guess
I heard the first 10 seconds and instantly guessed the time this album came out. Not necessarily a bad thing. The fact that I don't love it was a bad thing however.
It wasn't really my thing. Good for me to experience it nonetheless, given all the praise by critics
oh no... why god why? Please no more steel guitar. The rest of this would be good but he had to have that awful steel guitar.
Favorites: Cornbread Moon, Boxcars, Honky Tonk Masquerade A relatively decent, albeit not great (with the exception of Boxcars), country rock album. I don't really have any complaints, nor do I have very many praises (again, with the exception of Boxcars). Have I mentioned how good Boxcars is? 6.5/10
I was expecting this to be much worse. But it's a country/honky tonk album that actually slaps. How I wish more Country sounded nowadays.
Pretty standard - I'm sure there's a reason critics like this guy particularly, but it goes over my head.
Heard enough to know. It’s not for me. 2.25
Normalito, sin más. Es un disco muy plano donde todas las canciones suenan prácticamente iguales. Sonido country clásico sin pretensiones. 2/5
Not much wheel reinvention going on here, but it's still pretty solid overall. Ely's got a nice voice and there are some interesting sonic textures that definitely elevate it a bit. The only major misstep, in my opinion, is the "Honky Tonkin'" cover, so it ends on a slightly awkward note in my book. But I could easily return to this. 3.5/5
I just don’t love country styling more than folk and many of these could be great folk songs which would just be better Nonetheless the honky tonk honks and tonks
pleasant
I believe, quite understandably, for some people that actively dislike Country Music, taking a gander at the name of this album would be enough to write the entire thing off just like that. It’s me, I’m those people. I was all ready to give it a 1 and move on. But then I listened to it, and you know what? As far as Country is concerned, I found a few songs in here that were actually pretty good. Joe Ely, I don’t know who you are, and I’m unlikely to hear you again, but you know what? I don’t dislike some of your music. Sure, it has a LOT of songs that are just annoying Country garbage, and I never want to hear the words Honky Tonk again, but “Cornbread Moon” and ESPECIALLY “Boxcars” are the clear standouts here. Those songs genuinely surprised me. This one is getting a 3.0 on the dot since I managed to listen to it all day and found at least 1 hidden gem in the mix. That puts it well above most other Country albums I’ve suffered through so far.
3 Short and sweet. No real stand outs though
Its fine. Bob Dylan from second hand
If you put aside just how bad 'honky tonk' sounds as a phrase - and that is no mean feat - what you're left with is some very listenable country music with a clear 80s bent to it and some interesting technical parts... but a certain lack of soul, for me.
There is nothing objectively terrible about this album, and I can understand the appeal of this is the type of music that you gravitate towards, but it’s just not for me. There are very few country albums that I like, and this one can be added to last list. Sure, it’s composed fine, and it’s not a mess of sound, but I just found myself bored while listening.
Rating: 5.5/10 A country album I found mildly enjoying, how surprising.
Always interesting to see which country artist gets in with Music Row and who stays on the outside looking in (with some deliberately positioning themselves there). Anytime someone records in Murfreesboro or really anywhere outside Davidson County, my eyebrows raise a touch. And in the case of Ely, a West Texan, I was a bit quizzical but quickly charmed. The combined sound of the steel guitar and accordion immediately took me back to my summers in south-central Texas (although that usually had a Tejano or German tilt). It’s a personally pleasing sound but at the time of this recording it was, if not quite a throwback, a declaration that this is not Music Row country music. Which I can respect. Moreover, there’s a guitar or synthesizer (moog?) lead at one point that would not have been out of place on a Wire or Eno-helmed record and probably makes about as much sense as that sounds hanging around a bunch of fellas from Lubbock and Austin. Evidently this was a much celebrated record by Joe Strummer and co., so much so they toured together and Ely ended up doing backing vocals on Combat Rock, which leads me to suspect its inclusion here is less a celebration of late-1970s country rock and more because they were, somehow or another, down with The Clash.
It was fine overall but not great Standout songs Boxcars
Track 1 - Cornbread Moon Changed vibes several times which I thought was cool, pretty stock standard twelve bar blues type stuff. Literally "they're groovin'" meme. Track 2 - Because of The Wind Some absolutely beautiful guitar playing, gives very melancholy but nothing super crazy. Track 3 - Boxcars Some absolutely insane instrumentation, is that an accordion? Not too bad. Track 4 - Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumbling Down) Not much to say about this one, kinda just generic late 70s - early 80s country shit. Track 5 - Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown I didn't know the accordion could sound so gorgeous. Also his guitar is fantastic. Track 6 - Honky Tonk Masquerade Ooooh shit we got a title track! Unfortunately I have very little to say about it, it's perfectly fine. Track 7 - I'll Be Your Fool I fucking hate that sort of yodel voice Track 8 - Fingernails Gross fingernails sound but kinda a vibe Track 9 - West Texas Waltz I think I'm getting sick of the accordion. This song did have me swaying though. Track 10 - Honky Tonkin' Back to just some good fucking vibes. Thoroughly enjoy this one. Summary Ultimately I already know that country isn't super my thing (with some exceptions) but I am impressed with the instrumentation in some points of the album. There's some really cool parts where old country meets new which I really really appreciated but I can not for the life of me get past Joe Ely's vocals. They are very impressive but his tone is just not for me. Might give it a relisten one day, also might not. 2.5-3
The country album of all time.
I thought this was pretty fun and a bit different as far as typical country music. Might listen to it again in the future.
This is an interesting blend of a number of country and country-adjacent genres. And it doesn't even suffer from the modern affliction of the Country Music Patriotism Arms Race. Unfortunately, I don't really enjoy most of the genres represented. I enjoy all of blues, bluegrass, folk and Americana, which are closely related to this. But I don't like this. 'Fingernails' was the most blues-inflected and enjoyable and had the least yodel-style pedal steel, which, ironically, are a bit like fingernails on a chalk board for me. The accordion on 'Honky-Tonkin'' was great -- it's nearly a zydeco number. I'm going to do that thing I've been doing lately: 3/5 out of respect and a suggestion that you should listen to this. *You* might like this and it's interesting to get all the influences of modern country all crammed together into one record.
Nothing Special.
Old country. Well I made it to the end
Folky stuff 3/5
I'm glad that this project exists to remind me that there is such a thing as "good country artists." Case in point, Joe Ely! I didn't know who this guy was before but now I vaguely know that he's a fairly talented guy who worked with the Clash at one point. Neat! This album of his is pretty good. It's not the best country album I've heard, but it's a solid time. The instrumentation is enjoyable. I do generally enjoy my country to be more on the mellow side of things, but I can appreciate some strong country rock like this every so often. This thing has a Moog synthesizer on it, okay? It's good. Joe's singing does the job. Definitely country singing alright. The writing's respectable. He's no John Prine or anything, but at least these songs have more soul to them than the manufactured crap you hear on the radio these days. This isn't a super exciting album, but it's one that I can get behind. I like other country albums more, but I'd be a fool to call this album bad. High 3/5.
Not my thing, sounded like generic upbeat country music. The piano is good. Fav track is "Fingernails" it was kinda funny and had an enjoyable piano. 2/5
nice country
I expected this to be very country but Cornbread Moon rocks pretty hard too. The second track is more in line with what I thought I'd be getting, relaxed and folksy. The steel guitar work is pretty satisfying throughout. A lot of this has me nodding my head, so I can't complain. Fingernails stands out - a short piano-driven romp. Old school for 1978, surely. Overall this doesn't feel essential for me, but it's cozy and at a modest 10 songs and 33 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome, either.
1 stars
When I saw the title, I was expecting "Honky Tonk", like the genre. This wasn't remotely the case - but that's not a bad thing! I really enjoyed how this thing used a lot of various instruments not commonly found in country music of the time, a lot of synthesiser, different drum patterns, etc. Hearing the word Honky Tonk over and over again started to get annoying (I still don't know what the fuck 'Honky Tonkin' even means). But that's really my only gripe with the album. Anyways, this was a super enjoyable listen, but I don't think I'll come back to for a relisten any time soon.
A little dry and samey in the vocals but really propped up by some diverse and fantastic instrumentals. A definite surprise among this list
What if we made country music but boring?
Really great single artist, just a good album. 7/10
It is shocking how listenable this is. Every song has its own charm and special twist to it. I listened to this five times without taking any notes, just soaking it in. This album does make me a little bitter that there isn't a lot more of this kind of thing on here. The autoplay afterwards gave me some more of Ely's work and this guy just doesn't miss, how have I slept on him all my life? Would it kill this bloke to wear some shoes though? Highlights: Basically every song, side A is slightly better though
Honky tonk country, great instrumental variety (guitar, piano, accordion, slidesteel)
Ok, so here we go again, yet more country. But to be honest I really enjoyed this. Perhaps it was the light relief from the previous few, but it put a smile on my face. Even the more dour ones were done in an upbeat style. With the title track, West Texas Walts, and Honky Tonkin' being the stand out tracks. Only problem now is what to score it.... It's a very high 3 at the very least, but is it worth a 4? As I said on the previous one, I, I'm in a generous mood.
I. Just. Can’t.
Nothing for me here. Softer than an Andrex factory, and I'd soon listen to their mascot puppy being taught to sing by the choir in Ely Cathedral.
Lovely album of an artist I didn't know, but with a rather prolific life in music, and who has influenced the likes of The Clash, being even featured in Should I star or should I go. I do listen a lot of influences of the American country music, and of the likes of Johnny Cash & Neil Young. Quite an achievement for a second album!
A simple country album from an artist I've never heard of. Apparently, he sang the Spanish lyrics on Should I Stay or Should I Go. Lucky for him to get an album included in this book. It seems he's made other more popular works than this. It was pretty short and alright I suppose.
Lazy boring and uninspiring
First impression pre listen: White guy with a guitar on the cover? Check. Cliche southern motif in the title? Check. A two word "average joe" name? Check. Will this be the least interesting thing ever created? I don't know, but all the signs are pointing there. The more contemporary country tries to be the less I'm likely to like it. So far country has had to have some stripped back folkiness to it for me to really appreciate it. This does not look like that. Going into this with low expectations and hoping for the best. Individual track notes: Cornbread Moon Mixed really loud. Very "blues-rockey". Steel guitar sounds nice. Did not expect it to be so jammy. Bland and corny premise. It's fun and some good energy to it. Fine. 3/5 Because of the Wind Very cliche. Typical pandrering country crooning, makes me fall asleep. I get it... Texas. I guess the slide guitar is kind wobbly and cool. Minus points for rhyming "bend" with "wind". Strongly dislike. 1.5/5 Boxcars Cool opening, the instrumental sounds almost in distress. Tropey as hell. Whatever makes that alarm like sound in the transition is pretty cool. (guitar maybe?) Great keyboard solo, love how it transitions into the guitar solo. Fun and attention-grabbing track. Good. 4/5 Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumbling Down) Middle of the road. The castle imagery is pretty fun I suppose. Okay premise. Fine. 3/5 Tonight I Think I'm Going Downtown Whole song went by without me finding anything to comment on. This speaks for itself. The only emotion I felt was annoyance at having to type in the title. Dislike. 2/5 Honky Tonk Masquerade Definitely a song. The musical equivalent of a plain ricecake. Inoffensive but as bland as it probably gets. Dislike. 2/5 I'll Be Your Fool I mean the little yodel he does in the opening is kinda cool. I like that he continues the gimmick throughout the song. Let's not talk about the rest of the song. Average. 2.5/5 Fingernails Kinda charming premise I suppose. I hate the way he says "piano". Very rock n roll. Kinda anticlimatic solo. Decent energy. Average. 2.5/5 West Texas Waltz It's very hard to get more cliche than this. Only missing "dirt road" at this point. Tells a story which panders to a nostalgia that is very hard to relate to unless you're from West-Texas or similar regions. Dislike. 2/5 Honky Tonkin' That I have had to type "honky tonk" multiple times today says everything you need to know about this album. The song does what it says on the tin, nothing more, nothing less. Kinda annoying to be honest, though it sounds like he's having heaps of fun at least. Predictable but harmless, got a decent atmosphere to it at least. Fine. 3/5 Final Review With this entry Joe Ely joins the elite company of George Jones and Steve Earle in the prestigious "male-country-artists-I've-given-a-2-to-club". It's a WIP name, but the main idea behind it, is that it's a club for cliche-laden, inoffensive sounding filler country with little replayability. It's not where you'll find the worst of the worst, instead it's the grade slightly above royalty free slop. It's not bad, it's not even notable enough to be boring. It just goes by, barely registering before it ends. This album specifically has maybe half a dozen moments where you'll actually realize there's audio playing. About a third of them are unpleasant, another two thirds are pretty cool, though half of those moments are in a single song. The rest melts into the background, and is exactly what you'd expect by looking at its cover. It's an overall forgetable experience, but at least I didn't want to rip my ears off. 2/5
An album that is exactly what it says on the tin. I've never been the biggest fan of honky tonk country, but Ely's performance has a genuine energy that makes the songs infectious. Wasn't interested in the "honkier" songs and I wouldn'tmind if the album was even shorter, but there is something fun to enjoy here. Top tracks: Because Of The Wind, Boxcars, Honky Tonk Masquerade
Unwichtig.
2/10 - a country crossover with Elvis, bad
I don't process country music well. This seems pretty good.
I’d never heard of Joe Ely before. He’s a honky tonkin’ good time. 4/5 Highlights: Cornbread Moon I’ll Be Your Fool Honky Tonkin’
Honky tonk is very much not my thing at all, but I guess this is on the treatable side.
His second album. Country. Cornbread Moon - opening track, fuck me that was shit ! Ugh ! This album is corny as fuck. 'The trees bend becuse of the wind, almost all the time' Wow ! Well fuck me ! What lyrics ! The production and tones are all off. Apparently he somehow found himself opening for The Clash at a gig. He had beer thrown on him and was spit on by the British Punks. I don't blame them.
Starting an album with a song called Cornbread Moon is tough. I almost feel like this is a parody album. Very few listens and baffled why this is on the list. Even the instruments bother me and seem more poppy than country. What's with the synths? Made it halfway through and had to stop. 3/10 (1.5/5)
Good album, classic country music. Solid listen. 5.9/10
Meh, had it's honky tonkin' I guess.
"I keep my fingernails long so they click when I play the piano" This guy is nuts
Nope
I wouldn't have listened to this on my own. I enjoyed it.
I always enjoy older country music.
No idea who this is but this was a blast
Un album muy country highway american way y esta bien para ese publico tiene frescura igualmente en la manera en que joe ely canta pero es eso un album de Country rock para genre que escucha country rock, divertido y sencillo escuchable pero no memorable pero eso no lo hace malo.
classic country
Album starts like a traditional country album, but starts to shine with the rock influences in Boxcars. Jericho is actually kinda fun, but then the album goes back to slow classic country with Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown. I'll Be Your Fool is a delightful little ditty. I like the tiny howl he puts on certain words in it. Fingernails is also a fun song. The back half of the album is a little stronger than the first bit.
Another incredible artist and album I totally missed. This is country at its best. Real. Not Nashville. I need to go back and listen to his entire catalog.
Surprisingly not terrible for 70’s country.
Nice sounding but a bit dull
When you think of country, this is what it's supposed to sound like. Doesn't necessarily make it good, but this is what country is supposed to sound like.
Yee haw
Straight up country music.
Fun Outlaw country album. Pleasantly surprised to see it here, since this isn't the most well known of albums. The songwriting is great here and Joe manages to combine traditional country well with modern instruments. The album is a bit on the short side sadly, wish it had just 1 or 2 tracks more.
This album grew on me. I'm sure that Ely influenced a lot of artists that I enjoy more and hold in a higher regard i.e. Yoakum, Robert Earl Keen , and Steve Earle. It's arguable that they are better song writers and or performers but at least for me their voices are much better sounding. That being said this is a solid album that I will listen to again.
Interesting. It's like, I can tell a top class chef has made a shrimp dish, but I still don't like shrimp
unexpectedly good. quite fun country of a different flavor fingernails is wild lyrically. interesting perspective. nice Best tunes: cornbread moon, because of the wind, boxcars, jericho (your walls must come tumbling down), honky tonkin'
Ok, I'll give it a spin. Puns galore. This is a Saturday night at the bar located on the city limit line. Lot's of sweaty beer bottles and trips to the bath room. Is this early Bro-Co? If your a country band you need the steel guitar and Joe Ely does.
Not really sure how this made a top 1000 album. It’s listenable enough but it’s hard for me to say this album is anything unique or interesting. Just a bunch of country western Texas trope
Not really my thing.
das isch mega das woni hüt cha bruche glaub. uptempo country. irgendwie meh instrument alsi erwartet hett abem cover. aber cooli gitarre und ui die kicks vorem solo geeil. find alles sehr agnehme country mit bitz 70er production. sehr cool. title track isch super. fingernails huuere geil haha de cheesy synth mösst nöd sii aber jo geil. oke bi scho fast am schluss, isch etz meeeega nüt bsunders gsi so nöd mega geili harmonies gsanglich und d songs recht standard. ich has mega gern trotzdem aber finds etz nüt bsunders i sache country. het aber sehr viel charme. west texas waltz isch suuper find walzer passt gad no und de text isch fun.
MAISBROTMOND???? ok er het na e cooli stimm! schön warmi gitarre bi becausr of the wind aaaaber chli langsam für mini begriff jericho macht no easy spass hahaha au wennsmer fast zu folk/schlagermässig isch I'll be your fool isch iwie recht cool gsi? hahah hützutags wär das en simp hä ABER ICH CHEGGS NÖD iwie erinneret mich de rhythmus amigs chli ah schlager? ischs eifach de ¾? FINGERNAILS BANGER IWIE? DAMN OMG RIESIIG west texas waltz hani iwie au mega gern HÄ WISO jaa ich chegg nöd ganz, was füren spot er troffe het, will wie gseit mengisch hets mi fast chli gnervt, aber schlussendlich hani e gueti luune gha. knapps 4i
Boxcars Honky Tonk Masquerade
Listened to a lot of Joe in the early 90s, when was a young rocker. There sure is a lot of prejudice against anything country at the top of these reviews. Guess country is an acquired taste, but seeing as my parents would on occasion listen to some and so I got into uncle Tupelo and the No depression stuff I have always been open to it. Joe did, still does a great rock country sound and I wore out the Live at liberty lunch album. Glad this reminded me how much I like this, 4.5 Star - so against all the 1s round it up. 5 Star.
Fun record.
It seems uncharitable to offer an opinion about an album I’ve never heard about and a genre I do not really understand. Anyway. Pleasant enough.
Cool
No gaire el meu estil, curios la vritat
Didn't enjoy! Was looking forward to a country album, but it felt full of chiché lyrics and basic or discordant melodies. Not for me. *
Cornbread Moon - 2/5 Because of the Wind - 3/5 Boxcars - 4/5 Jericho - 3/5 Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown - 3/5 Honky Tonk Masquerade - 3/5 I'll Be Your Fool - 1/5 Fingernails - 1/5 West Texas Waltz - 1/5 Honky Tonkin' - 1/5 Average score: 2.2/5 i had a feeling this would be a big fat 3 just looking at the album title i was wrong it's a 2
Solid country-rock with some of Zydeco flair with the accordion. Enjoyed this one a fair bit
Not sure why this is here when there is so much better and exciting country albums from that era that could have taken its place. It came off pretty generic and no songs really stood out. I didn't hate it but wish we had more Kris Kristofferson or Waylon Jennings on here
Am I starting to like country music 🤮
en aijjo valehdella (ehkä viimeinen asia mitä tässä tilanteessa alkaisin tekemään). erittäin hyvä albumi peukut pystyyn tykkäys. kantria parhaimillaan on tämä mielestäni. etenkin kun käytetään sitä ihme poljin-soitinta twääääng äääninen siis niin joe käyttää sitä oikein honkki tonkki tyyppisessä rallatuksessa sen sijaan että jotain hidasta balladi hingutusta johon tämä äänimaailma ei koskaan tai hyvin harvoin toimii. näyttäisi olevan vähän satunnainen lisäys listalle taaskerran eikä kovin kestävä ollut taiteilijana tämä jätkylenssi mutta ainakin meikäläinen herran vuonna 2025 nautiskeli. cornbread nation
3/5
Most people who claim they hate country are talking about the modern version of it, pop with a southern accent and an acoustic in the background (morgan wallen), a more appropriate name for that by the way would be pop(with country influences). 3.5
Pretty solid country, if you're in the mood for that - Boxcars was probably my favourite track.
2.5
1.5 - Bad
good listen, quite relaxing 3/5
Once joe was playing at the continental club in Austin. I went to see him. And I met this big thick cowgirl and we had one hell of a night. Thanks joe.
A good album, I liked Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumbling Down) the most.
honky tonkin my schlong
36/1001. Unknown artist for me, and I can't really claim to be a country music afficionado. By the third song I think I have to get to know the artist and the genre better, but then Jericho drops the mood down, and it just keeps going down. A promising 4 turns to 2 as I walk by the railroad tracks towards the next album.
2.6 2x
I’m sure country music fans appreciate this more than I do.
I honestly liked this.
Late 70’s country-rock. This was pretty catchy and surprised me how much I liked it. Stand out tracks are West Texas Waltz and Cornbread Moon.
#611. It's alright, but nothing more. I dont hate it, but i wouldn't recommend it. 3/5: fine
Is there a bad album that has "honky tonk" in its name? If there is, I've yet to find it. That was greeeat!
It was fine.
Boogie country. Real honky tonk music. Toe-tappin' tunage.
I like some of Joe Ely’s later stuff, but this is a bit too twangy for me.
A rock solid country album where his singing isn't too twangy. Had a good time with this.
Just kind of average country. Lot of other country albums from the 70’s would have been better.
very kitschy, but a few of the songs were pretty good - 7/10
Thai was cool in a honky to k kinda sound
This album was so much fun to listen to but I literally cannot rank it high just because it is so basic. I'm not saying that basic is a bad thing, but it is just a typical southwestern country-rock-blues album. Like all the lyrics and the instrumental come together to form the most stereotypical country-rock sound, which does make the entire thing quite forgettable. It's not bad but once you've heard one track you've pretty much just heard them all, although it would be quite interesting to look into other albums that Joe Ely has made.
Too much pedal steel for my liking
Rating: 4.6/5 Like a bar fight between country and rock, but everyone buys each other a beer after. Joe Ely basically looked at Nashville, nodded politely, and took his guitar to a place with more tequila and less glitter. This feels like my version of Texas. Not touristy cowboy-hat Texas, but dusty-road-at-sunset Texas, where feelings are worn under denim and heartbreaks smell like gasoline. It’s outlaw country without screaming about it. “Honky Tonk Masquerade” This is the song you hear playing on the jukebox after your heart gets stepped on by someone in snakeskin boots. God I miss West Texas .....
I like to think I am a fan of classic country, but I haven't heard of this guy, so I question what I actually know. Maybe, I'm more of a Honky than I am a Tonker. This is solid classic country. It has a place, for sure. Good lyrics, nice music. I would rarely ride around vibing this, but I like it. I'll Be Your Fool is a good one. I'll give this a 3. I just check his other stuff out, and his 1977 album is baller.
A new one to me. Though not my preferred genre, Joe Ely does a good job bringing country to a more upbeat tempo and modern (at the time) stylings. "Cornbread Moon" has a jazzy bend to it and goes from a swing to a rock feel and back, while the organ smacks a bit reminiscent of watching professional games at the ballpark (Go Phillies!). Americana, eat your heart out. "Because Of The Wind" stands testament that Joe can write a middle-of-the-road country tune, even throwing in an "Amarillo" for good measure. "Boxcars" could have been a Johnny Cash tune. "Jericho" brings in some Mexican bordertown influences and seems to add a bit of Jimmy Buffet in the chorus. He reserves his crooning for "I'll Be You Fool." "I keep my fingernails long so they click when I play the piana" is an odd theme for a song, but ok, let's tell Ray Stevens to step up his game. I can't say that Joe Ely is an inspiration for Alan Jackson, but my ears hear a connection. Not my cup of tea, but quality soundwriting, singing, and musicianship.
I'm not a huge Country person, but I gave this a fair shot, and while it didn't set my soul on fire, it had many little moments that I liked enough. Nothing jumped out as a flaw. I probably liked Boxcar the best.
Good old fashioned country (or western?) music. Enjoyed listening to this even though I am not a big country music fan.
I have always liked Joe Ely. There is something different about him.
I've heard better cuntry music in a Smokey and the Bandit movie!
Nog een keer luisteren
I'm not an expert on country music, and don't really enjoy the genre in general, but this album for me doesn't really rate that high, even in comparison with other country albums. The first half of the album is quite alright, and I didn't mind listening to it, but the second half just sounds kind of goofy, with bad lyrics and instrumentals. All in all, not a very enjoyable listen
Not really an album for me. I won't be going back to it. 4/10
I’m from Texas and enjoy Texas country sometimes, but any album with the words “honky tonk” in the title just isn’t for me. I got to Fingernails and I couldn’t take it anymore. Nobody wants to hear your fingernails clicking on the piano.
Pretty cool. Nice mix of honky-tonk and ballads. Reminds me of Dwight Yokum mixed with Jerry Jeff Walker.
The songs on this are undeniably great, but oh man is that production dated. Still, the songs hold up and Joe's voice is excellent. But those keyboards especially...holy muzak.
I wanted to be harsher on this one because it still does nothing to change my negative opinion on country music. However, despite disliking the majority of songs I have to admit that the guitar work was pretty impressive, he can actually play.
a sta ja znam. ima toliko zanimljivijeg countryja
Nisam sluša prije negdi na polovici mi postane malo dosadan
джинсики крутые у старины. в глории джинс брал наверное.
It’s good for what it is, but I hate it for what it is
It was a nice fluid country album, just not my thing
Should have "got the hell outta dodge" after track one. Whatever the honky tonk country phrase is for "No Thanks, not for me", I bet it's annoying
I saw Joe Ely as part of a songwriters tour with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt and Guy Clark at the beautiful Chicago Theater. It was a great show, four songwriters, four stools and four guitars. Each took turns telling a story and then playing a song, sometimes accompanied with additional guitar from one of the others. I was familiar with Lyle and John at the time but Joe and Guy were new to me. I was particularly impressed with Guy Clark but I thought Joe Ely was just fine. I honestly never did dig any deeper though beyond that show. This album from 1978 starts off a little cajuny zydeco but ultimately it’s a bit too country twangy for my tastes.
Was hoping this would sound a bit more classic, but I guess the late 70s is still too new to sound like the kind of country music I really enjoy.
Waaayyy too country for my liking
This is some Honky Tonk bs Eagles did it better. This album is basically a tequila sunrise but boring and lame singing
Haha, I liked this one. During my monotonous work day, this was very cheerful. :) But this definitely is not my genre of music. :D
Country + nick cave vibes. 2
78% Best: Cornbread Moon; Boxcars Must-Hear? Not quite
the best country music barely even sounds like country
As i’ve got older, i’ve found more ‘country’ music seepiing into my music. Modern country is not that fair from more mainstream Americana or more general modern folk. This is not that. This is old fashioned county with lots of Honky tonking. Best i can say is that is generally easy listening and moves along at a reasonable lick
It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t close to being good either.
"Ely sang backing vocals on the Clash single "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"." 😳 I always, without listening to much at all, assumed I didn't like Country music. It turns out that's true. I liked Boxcars, and can objectively see this is probably a good example of a Country album, but it just doesn't grab me like other genres of music. 2/5
A surprisingly pleasant little country album. All I could think is that, even tho this was released in the 70s, it sounded like late 80/early 90s country, so I have to imagine the production here was really influential for the genre.
Average country album
Correcto
Box Cars was a really good song but I hated every other song so much. Genuinely suffered through this album. Not a fan at all. 1/5 stars.
Pretty boring, all sounds mostly the same country from the 70s
Not my usual fare, but honestly a pretty good album. Good energy, some real vulnerability. It's vocal forward, musically kind of one-note country, but it's country at its best before the stadiumification of it all, and there's some real emotion behind the songs. I enjoyed it!
Cheesyyyy chord ending Cornbread Moon! Couldn't continue with the rest after two bars of 'Because of the Wind' - just so not my thing.
4/5
Enjoyed it
decent record, country ain’t really my thing all that much but tidy
Kind of fun, but still a bit country for me.
I like the pedal steel, but that's the only thing I like about this record. It's not awful, but it's far from great. Current rating is 2.68. That's pretty accurate. Somewhere between 2 and 3. Closer to 2 for me. Favorite song: boxcars.
Honky Tonk AND Masquerade! No thank you.
I like country but I didn’t like this. I’m trying to figure out why but I can’t quite place it. Too much rock? Corny in that 70s way? His voice isn’t very interesting either (I like my country singers to sound like Randy Travis ooo baby). I feel like I’m dining at a Famous Daves listening to this. I’ll give it a 2 because I appreciate it being 33 mins and he didn’t try to hot dog his way to an hour 15.
..
Vomissement incessant, suivi d’une période de paix intérieur, enchaîné par une immense diahrée
Good country rock
Good surprisingly
nah