Honky Tonk Masquerade

Pretty nice folky old poppy cowboy tunes. I think that the songs are actually quite good and this is a bit of a hidden gem after looking at some of the play counts. I was surprised at some of the production ideas too, it felt a little bit exploratory and a little bit of messy execution? High 2 for me, enough to round up to a 3.

was fun, different to listen to, didn't love it, didn't dislike it. Jericho was the only one I remembered after.

Starts strong, finishes strong, keeps it interesting throughout. There are some surprisingly modern touches in a sound that can too easily disintegrate into pure tropes. For instance, the guitar/synth solo on "Boxcars" or the lyrics on "Fingernails (which I swear Marty Stuart covers) or "West Texas Waltz." Stays true to the Honky Tonk sound, as far as I know it. Accordions, steel guitar, fiddle... it's the Western in "Country and Western." Feels sincere and unapologetic, not trying to be popular, just trying to be what it is.

Wow! A C&W I actually like!

Country

The most interesting thing about this was that I didn’t hear anything here that Garth Brooks didn’t do in the 90s. That realization alone makes me like Ely more than Brooks (who I like not at all). But the music and storytelling here wasn’t half bad!

Not bad. I'm not a huge country fan, but this guy's pretty good. 3.5*

Ok

No masquerade. This is just straight up, middle of the road, good old honky tonk music.

Ganz in Ordnung.

I’m stuck about halfway between 2 and 3 stars. I think there are some well written songs in here, but overall it’s a little too honky tonk for my tastes. I did not know or expect that he toured with the Clash, I guess I’ll declare that enough to push this to a 2.5, rounded up to 3 stars. I wouldn’t be mad is someone put this on, but I don’t think I’ll be coming back to it either. Maybe I’ll look into some of his later works, according to the bio he moved more towards a mainstream rock style, those albums might be more my speed.

Pretty decent country album (that's high praise from me, frankly). The band sounds good and it's not a pop country album nor is it completely maudlin slow ballads. A weird production choice - I don't know if it was the guitar or the pedal steel on "Boxcars" but there was an absolutely horrible pedal effect used on that song that sounded horrible. It pops up again on the solo in Honky Tonkin'. Woof, it sounds so freaking bad. It's a decent country album, well executed. And Joe sang on the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go" so that's something. No issues with this one. Better than expected frankly.

Thus began the lame-ification of country music.

Did anyone else expect his voice to sound a lot different based on the album cover? I'll just listen to Johnny Cash if I want country. This wasn't bad to listen to but wasn't special,. Except Fingernails, I'm all for a carefree song but wtf are we doing here. A 3/5 if I ever heard one.

I really like Cornbread Moon and Fingernails.

Country

Fun country rock

For what it was - I thought this was pretty good. But I’m not totally down with what it was.

West Texas honky tonk dancers.

Pretty good!

I liked this. Country gets a bad name. This is such a party record!

Okay country album. It wasn't terrible, which already tells a lot. Nothing I would like to listen to again, but much more entertaining than other country records on this list.

That sure was some honky tonk. 2.5

Ganz gut

This was very solid, hard country. This album has a pretty specifically Texas sound that sets it apart.

Solid enough, but failed to grip me like a lot of the other country albums that I've loved here. Seems like a cool enough guy, but I think I'm missing some of the cultural relevance to really get it.

All a bit shiny and showy for my liking, lacking the emotional heft that I would associate with the best country music. This Joe Ely character tries to be a bit cute, and almost gets away with it.

Please no more honky tonk

I really don't get why this is on the list. It doesn't seem notable or special in any particular way? That said, I really enjoyed it. I really like steel guitar heavy country music, and this has a fun bounce and groove to it. Just some good old fashioned country. Favorite Song(s): Cornbread Moon, Jericho

Pure country

Inoffensive country

First new artist to me. I liked this particularly the track Boxcars.

Only listened because it was recommended. Worth a listen

3/5

Feel like I'm getting my Flatlanders fix satiated, but not quite fully. Some transcendent moments but some just okay moments too, which are, need I say it, okay. All around great job but some refinement here and there would go a long way--as if safe repetition got in the way of daring exploration.

His voice wasn’t ‘big’ enough for the music.

This album creates an smooth atmosphere reminiscent of driving a pickup truck in a rural area with the windows down.

Feels like there's a bit more energy and variation in the instruments than a lot of older country i've seen on the list. Made for a fun listen.

If I had to listen to something country, the country-rock genre is always preferred and there are many really artists I listen to. During the late 80's artists such as Steve Earle and Dwight Yoakam brought their brand of country-rock to the mainstream which caught my attention and led me to follow bands like, Blue Rodeo, Beat Farmers and Beat Rodeo to name just a few. This was also when I first heard of Joe Ely whose sound was more similar to the later bands, more rock, but I hadn't heard his earlier record, "Honky Tonk Masquerade", which is more country, with some honky tonk thrown in (if that's a thing?). It feels a little dated and corny, but if you're into this type of music it's pretty good. Not for all tastes and I struggled to get through the whole thing, but it wasn't a long listen and overall it's something that I can see myself listening to again in another 20 years or so...

Album 626 of 1001 Joe Ely - Honky Tonk Masquerade (1978) Rating : 3.25 / 5 Country isn't my go-to and country that is unknown to me is usually an even harder pass. This is an exception to that rule. Decent album. He really reaches with his rhymes at times but some decent country/rock. I had saved this on Spotify when I first listened through the playlist so this is the 2nd time it caught my attention.

It’s a perfectly fine country rock album with some synths thrown in. Not something I would be rushing to revisit. Favorites were Boxcars, Jericho, and Fingernails

cool album but really unsure how it made the list

This is a fine album. But I have not clue one as to what about it necessitates interaction with my ears prior to my demise. 3

Yet another record where the vocals bring down every single track. It always seems like he is slightly off pitch. But, the instrumentals are just incredible including some very cool solos.

Solid country, bordering on some more mainstream sounding orchestration but still feels true to its Texas roots.

Joe Ely's Honky Tonk Masquerade delivers a mix of country rock and Tex-Mex influences that feels authentic and well-crafted, with Ely's distinctive voice and storytelling at the forefront. The musicianship is tight, and tracks like "Fingernails" and "Honky Tonk Masquerade" stand out as highlights. While I appreciate its craftsmanship, the album didn't fully resonate with me, and I wondered about the hype surrounding it. It's a solid record, but perhaps its legend outshines its actual impact—at least for me. It's a good listen but not a personal favorite.

Country no es precisamente lo que está en mi camino

quando eu vi que era country, fiquei triste. aí escutando, a tristeza passou. achei esse bão até. to passando mal, então um countryzim animado desse caiu bem, sei explicar não

Boxcars kinda rules

This album isn’t bad, but it struggles to hold attention, eventually fading into background noise. The overuse of "Honky Tonk" becomes tiresome.

Pretty nice. Definitely fits the title as it feels like a country ball/dance. It teeters on some folk/americana as well not just flat out country. Really beautiful/straightforward. Cornbread moon is "corny" but fun. Because of the wind is a beautiful country ballad.

Not much to it, nice to listen to

Not unpleasant but not something I’d return to as it’s not my regular cup of tea. Didn’t hate it though.

Because of the Wild

Generic honky tonk; not a super big fan as it seemed uninteresting. At least it was short. 5/10

Good country rock album. Ahead of its time, really.

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, blues, and a good dose of southwestern Tex-Mex flavor. It even made me wonder if Joe Ely had some influence on a band like Calexico with their modern take on Tex-Mex country rock. 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’ll give this a solid 3/5. Good classic country music before it became commercialized and generic. The concept of a cornbread moon put a smile on my face.

The first song, Cornbread Moon, sounded like an early country-pop song (IDK who the country pop stars are - maybe Brad Paisley??). I liked the remaining songs on the album much more. The pacing was a nice mix of upbeat and slow songs, the lyrics seemed genuine, and there was some really nice guitar throughout. Not bad Joe. Favorite song: Boxcars Least favorite: Cornbread Moon Knew before? No

Day286 - maybe in 1978 this was something cool and different,not that it’s bad but it doesn’t seem important now.

Not my normal listening fair, but not terrible.

Приятно, но нейтрально

Enjoyable in the way of "haha listen to how country this guy is".

It's good. Just not for me.

Hard to review because I used it as background music. But not really my style

Didn't have time to do a proper listen to this album, but I appreciate what I heard and would listen again. Needs more: slide guitar. Needs less: accordion, and the lyrics "I keep my fingernails long so they click when I'm playing the piano?? "

Is this where the trope of man-standing-with-guitar-with-one-leg-on-a-wall began? Either way, less offensive than most country albums, and even a little fun.

Kantrilevyksi yllättävän kuunneltava.

otima ref country 3 estrelas

Solid music for some honky tonk dancin! Surprisingly good for how obscure this is. I’ll be your fool is def a standout. I love when people do that little country yodel lol

Despite being an American Southerner, until now Joe Ely is someone I only knew of via his proximity to The Clash. Upon first listen, he feels like someone I should've heard throughout my entire life. My only beef is that he can't quite hit those George Jones high notes he's always striving for.

I didn't have high hopes for an album with "Honky Tonk" in the title but fortunately the "Masquerade" was doing most of the heavy lifting because this thing was fun! A good dose of rock influence made this a pretty lively album, with more introspective tracks worked in appropriately. Reminded me of Sturgill Simpson's "A Sailor's Guide" album, the DNA of it is solidly country but the execution mixes a few different genres in satisfying ways.

"Cornbread Moon" was a fantastic album starter, not what I expected to hear out of the gate from a 70's country-rock album. Not that the tracks immediately following it were overshadowed, but it's hard to live up to a track titled "Cornbread Moon". The rest of the album is honestly pretty fun and adds its own take on the Hank Williams-esque, honky tonk country music from yesteryear via the electric guitars and the synth sound that was beginning to emerge in the music industry.

Hmm, this one is tough. I didn't like a lot of it, but some of it I liked quite a bit. I'll settle on middle of the road, but I won't be mad at anyone who thinks it should be higher or lower.

At least we had masks on.

There are some decent moments here, but overall, I don't have much to say about this album. 'Boxcars' is by far and away the best song here - with this twisted guitar scraping the mix and an incredible accordion passage driving the instrumental interlude. It contains an edge I was hoping this album carried more of - especially in Ely's gloomy lyrics. This song's honestly incredible and I'm really happy I discovered it here. 'Fingernails' was a fun and catchy classic Rock N' Roll throwback type song that's pretty cool - if a bit cliche sounding. I don't have much to say about Ely's writing on most of this album - it's pretty standard in this vein of country music. There are some other good songs, like 'West Texas Waltz' and 'Because Of The Wind', but most of the music here doesn't stand out as all that unique or anything. It is still, however, well done all the way through.

Country rock. Ni fu ni fa.

I didn’t expect to like this album either. I don’t know if I will go looking for it much but it was a great listen. I am planning to adapt my own grooming habits so that I too can “keep my finger nails long so they clicking when I play the piano”, though my wife may have a problem with that. Key songs were Cornbread Moon and Jericho. I appreciate how you could hear the influence he gave to future artists like Brooks and Dunn and Garth Brooks.

Never heard of Joe Ely before this. I enjoyed this despite it not being my kind of music. "Fingernails" and "Honky Tonkin" were standout tracks. Dude can get after it!

Harmless

I enjoyed this more than I should have - 3.5/5

Man's got a great voice. Good album

I went in with low expectations, but actually this was alot more serious than I expected and I enjoyed it first bit. Country rock and roll.

Don't think I'd ever heard of this guy, or this record. Good; I'm up for obscure discoveries (or unknown to me at any rate). This is a bright, jangly, enjoyable country rock romp.

This was interesting...it was very Hill Billy Rock. His voice had a very Texas twang and drawl with traditional country elements (steel guitar and fiddle) but then had some very rock elements in songs (like Jericho). His voice had the twang but also something rockish folkish about it with the story telling elements. Something was there, not my favorite but something was different and I appreciate it.

I dig some older honky tonk, as I’ve discovered through this project, but this album didn’t do a lot for me. Feels like it’s missing the soulfulness of a Waylon or a Willie or a Loretta. It felt a little generic to me compared to the legends. It was perfectly pleasant and had a decent energy, but something was missing.

Wow…that is 100% country and kinda fun. While it is not my favorite genre, I can certainly appreciate it. I think it set the table for the current batch of country stars incorporating some rock in their country. I give it 3 stars because of its influence. Not a go to for me, but I did enjoy it.

It was an album. It has a place and is good old country. It is nothing too exciting and basic sit around the campfire in the woods music.

:)

Honky Tonk Masquerade I kind of know who Joe Ely is, as he features in the Joe Strummer doc The Future is Unwritten and seeds to have been pally with the Clash. Which kind of makes sense as the Clash clearly loved Rockabilly and country. He also seems to be an interesting guy. So I was interested to hear this. I like alot of Country but I’m not that familiar with the differences within the genre. From the title I presume this is Honky Tonk, which I think I like. And philosophically it feels to me it sits in that gap between the more confessional singer songwriter early 70s country and the more bombastic line dancing 80s country. Some great slide tones, quite jarring, but in a great way, especially on Boxcars. They kind of counterpoint the country format, like an evolution of some of the stuff on the Burrito Brothers albums. There’s also some slightly unusual instrumentation like the accordion on West Texas Waltz and the synth on Fingernails. I enjoyed this a lot. It’s not the best album we have come across but it’s a fun listen within enough moments musically and lyrically to separate it from other country. A very solid 3 with good re-listenability. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Playlist submission: Tonight I Think I’m Gonna Go Downtown

This is pretty fun for country, gets a bit too close to that god awful modern country for my taste, but still admirable.

Solid country record . It did not impress me that much to warrant a higher rating nor was it bad in any means.

This was a good listen. Country is a genre I appreciate but don't listen much of. I enjoyed this album. It was good for working and I can appreciate the guitar chops Joe Ely has. The lyrics and tracks were fun to listen to.

Had to dock a star because the Fingernails one creeped me out

meh country

Still not into country.

Love the instrumentation blending a lot of classic country with some contemporary (for the release) rock stylings. The vocals approach that style of country twang that grates for me at times but overall they aren't bad.

If someone ever asked me "What is honky tonk?" I would point them to this album a definitive work on honky tonk. It epitomizes, screams and bleeds honky tonk. I don't like honky tonk, though.

Fun little country Album. 3 stars is probably the highest I will ever rate a country album.

Too honky tonky for me, but an interesting listen nonetheless.

Okay country album. Starts off promising. 3/5

1001 Albums Day 9 A fun little 70s country album, a couple of the songs try to move with the times with some experimental tape effects, but the rest of the album fails to live up to their promise. Despite this, I still had fun with it, there's not really anything to write home about lyrically, but the lyrics serve their purpose just fine, and I think that actually describes the album perfectly, 'just fine'. Favs: Cornbread Moon, Boxcars 70/100

Short but sweet.

I had fun, but some of the songs were noticeably weaker than others. A quick energetic listen!

um, sure. dunno this guy but he sounds all right. i've gotten a lot of random country lately and this guy doesn't really stand out. it's fine but eh. favorites: cornbread moon, boxcars, tonight I think I'm gonna go downtown, fingernails

When I like country it’s for its clever lyrics - one liners and quips. This has that and it has all the cliches I’d expect, west reverb wind and trees. Etc. nothing really stood out though

The problem with this list is that there are hundreds of fantastic albums that don’t rate more than 3 stars to me.

3 stars

This has to be the most obscure album on this entire list! I guess we were due for some Honky Tonk representation .. pretty okay album - still scratching my head at this one's inclusion ...

Not my favorite country album on this list. Still pretty good but not overly memorable

I liked the fingernails song!

HONKY TONK - it's honestly fine - old me would hate it.

B- Cornbread Moon 3 Because Of The Wind 3 Boxcars 3 Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumbling Down) 3 Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown 3 Honky Tonk Masquerade 4 I'll Be Your Fool 4 Fingernails 3 West Texas Waltz 3 Honky Tonkin' 3 Country, YEE haw

Country

Quite fun, maybe too country for me - don't think I'd play many of these songs on the reg

nice little release but a bit too simple for its time. it doesnt feel like it wants to be anything other than basic country which is fine but keeps my enjoyment from being very high. high 6/10

This sounds late 70's and I would say a bit ahead of it's time. I'm not Country expert. This is in the neighborhood of Gene Clark, but more country. Similar to what Elvis was doing later in the 70's...but more country. It's Country rock, but not quite Lynyrd Skynyrd...more Country.

Honky-Tonkin' with the Honky Tonk Masquerade. This is great album I've never heard before. It reminds me of Lyle Lovett's later stuff with his Big Band - the only difference is this predates Lyle's music by three decades. 3.5/5

Well if someone were to ask me what my favourite country album is I guess it could be this one. What a fun listen with a timeless sound. Fave: Boxcars. I do also like the joyfulness of the last three tracks.

“Honky Tonk” is the best way to describe this album.

I really liked this one. Very simple blues and country stylings, but enjoyable for sure. Dude's voice and storytelling ability are great. Pleasantly surprised I even liked it.

3.4 - I was sorta vibing with this, imagining little tow-headed girls in sundresses two-stepping with their grandpas. I liked the twangy Texas sound, big and ballsy. But he lost me at, “I keep my fingernails long / So they click when I play the piano.” I can’t get behind that sentiment, Mr. Ely.

Not a bad country album. Not my thing, mainly because honky tonk isn't my thing. 3/5!

Simple et dépouillé, éminemment sympathique et d’apparence candide

Old honky honk. Slow country.

Not a fan. Lots of steel guitar, and country and western lyrics. Not really relatable to my experience. If a person likes this style, it is a quality album for the 70s.

El country no me interesa mucho, pero es agradable de escuchar.

Country, Rockabilly und Tex-Amex. Sehr abwechslungsreich und storylastig.

Album is lekker kort. Niet de grootste country fan, maar dit is voor een half uurtje prima te doen hoor. Favoriet is absoluut I'll be your fool, vanwege de lekkere voice crack die Joe hier er de hele tijd in gooit, verder klinkt het allemaal redelijk hetzelfde. Honky Tonk is natuurlijk een fantastische naam al, dus dar krijg je van mij een sterretje extra voor. Nee maar echt, dit is een album wat me geen seconde verveelt, omdat het zo bizar kort duurt. Country is eigenlijk een soort tiktok muziek voor rednecks, change my mind! FAVO: I'll be your fool, Fingernails

Some interesting songs and nice instrumentation throughout, but not something I see revisiting.

I enjoy a spot of country, but this style isn't exactly my vibe. Still, it had some really nice moments sprinkled throughout where the songwriting shone through.

honky tonk

This is a weird one - I will say if Townes Van Zandt was singing some of these songs I’d give it 5 stars. But he doesn’t, so I won’t. Ely’s voice works for the more trivial songs, but to my ears lacks the grit for the more pleading country tunes.

I thought this was about to be a nice country honky-tonk thing, but "Boxcars" kind of rocks a little bit. This isn't particularly my genre, and I think this has to have the least amount of Spotify plays of any album I've listened to on here, but it's not terrible. It's very Texas-sounding overall. It's got a reasonably good mix of low-key country ballady-stuff, and some songs that rock more. I wouldn't listen to this all the time, but it's a fairly nice change-of-pace album. Favorite song: Boxcars Other: Because Of The Wind, Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown, I'll Be Your Fool, West Texas Waltz 3/31/24

Decent, and well timed as we listened whilst walking round a farm.

I dunno, seems fake?

Just not my style at all, but not a bad country album.

Pretty enjoyable country actually

Pretty good

The opening track is a barnstormer but it slows down after that. Some great slide and backing instruments but recording doesn’t do it all justice.

joe ely slay?

Not really a big fan

So very many crimes were committed in the mixing of albums in the 1970s. This is fun though.

god i miss my local two-step dance night. wouldn't listen to this on it's own but its not the worst honky tonk i've ever witnessed by far. also, i think the masks at the honky tonk masquerade should be made of straw but styled like a masquerade ball

This is definitely more "Texas honky-tonk" than the country music I usually listen to - it's honestly a fully different subgenre from the folk/americana/gospel, mountains area kind of stuff. I still liked it well enough, but I'm not sure I'd put it on again and it got overwhelming.

Ely's pure, unadorned vocals and wry, gently philosophical songs revive the Hank Williams-Lefty Frizzell honky-tonk tradition in country music without showing any traces of nostalgia or self-consciousness.

He is deffo honkytonking. Would have been a 2, but then the dog went to obedience school, forgot how to herd and learned to dance. That made me smile.

Enjoyed listening to it but not really a style I'd go out my way to listen to again to be honest. Did have a few catchy bits but most of it was just nice backing music so good for that I suppose

Sometimes cozy and sometimes groovy country music. Nothing special in my ears, but worth a listen or two.

это довольно трогательно) хонки тонк и пение мимо нот это конечно не мой жанр, но вижу как может быть тепло и ностальгично от всего этого

Some solid honky tonky tunes. Pretty good voice, a mix of slower and upbeat catchy tracks. Quick listen, as well. I'd say a 3.5.

Not a huge country/country-rock fan, but I thought this one was pretty enjoyable.

Country rock. Ni fu ni fa.

It's just okay. I like country music but this just doesn't make a case for being here. Nearly every other classic album of the genre on this list (that I've heard so far 800+ in) blows this out of the water. Gotta give it at least a 3 because in my opinion country is the most unfairly maligned genre.

3.5/5. It’s like a water downed Cormac McCarthy novel.

It's Honky, it's Tonky, and it's wearing a mask

Nyt on sitä Tuukan HonkyTonkya :D Oispa kesä eikä loskaa ja märkää.Parhaat: Because Of The Wind, Tonight I Think Im Gonna Go To Downtown, Honky Tonkin

If you must have a honky tonk album on this list let it be this one?

For the sort of boogie boogie alt country I can happily say this did not offend me as much as expected. I think he writes great pop, just in a style that doesn't do much for me.

Niet vervelend, niet heel speciaal

I’m not sure how the timeline of country music went but this to me sounded like a good transition from the older outlaw country style to the honky tonk rocking fun loving country. Ely brought in many instruments (for a country album) to entertain on this one. It’s a good album that has good range. 6.6/10

I am not sure I would intentionally search this album out, as I am more of a Joe Ely's Greatest Hits person. Still, a very good Texas country album (which I separate from other subgenres of country) and also influential. I can hear some Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen in here. I would recommend this album be heard, because it's a great example of true Texas country music. Also, I don't care for "Fingernails," but it is a clever lyric.

Some good old-fashioned Texas country. Yeehaw.

An interesting record, maybe esp because I'd never heard of this guy before. This is a bit cheesy for sure by modern 2024 standards but overall very enjoyable and rockin'! There is some grade A honky tonk guitar on her. Cool mix of ‘rock’ solos also. The addition of saxes and stuff gives it a bit of a Huey Lewis vibe by times. It’s a bit…. 80’s (?) for me haha but I do see the lineage through the ‘alternative country’ I came to love so much 25 years later. I can def hear some Jayhawks and Old 97’s in here.

This was an odd little country album. It seems to be pretty obscure, and I definitely hadn't heard of it. In country music, I often speak of late 80s country that is giving way to that 90s country sound...well, this album very clearly a 70s album giving way to the 80s country sound. This was a strange album; a lot of the lyrics were campy as hell, but the musicianship definitely felt solid. I can't say that I loved this album, but I didn't hate it, either. It straddled a fine line between "quirky" and "ridiculous".

Good Ole Country honky tonk!

1. Cornbread Moon - Well done 2. Nononono 3. Boxcars- slaps! 4. Catchy, not clever Meh Meh Fingernails soooo bad Honky Tonkin’ - catchy, great end

Really liked some songs, but I really did not like others.

Pretty easy and approachable folk country sound. Fingernails sounds like a bet he lost... write a song about the next thing that pops into your head. Maybe, we all lost on that one. The rest is fine, with Boxcars and West Texas Waltz being the standouts for me.

Ok

Pretty good country. But god damn, this man's numbers on this album on spotify are almost like dita hanzelova lmao

Pretty good but forgot most of it

This didn't do much for me. Not bad, just not my cup of tea.

I was Honky tonken, just never again

Boxcars is a jam

Sounded like generic country music to me. Nothing super appealing about it. Except "Fingernails", that was a fun surprise.

Joe Ely is pretty good, but I find he lacks a certain gentle touch to the finer aspects of country. Every song lacks the proper dynamism to make me fully enjoy them. That said, there's nothing explicitly wrong with this album. It's well-performed and a fun choice for social functions.

Album was an easy listen. Good story telling, good voice, nice mix of ballads,twang and rock n roll.

Standouts: Boxcars 3.5

Liked some of it. True country sound.

Texas country with a rock influence - particularly in the rhythm section. Great guitars: delicate crystaline steel string acoustics, twangy as hell tele sounds, gorgeous lapsteel and slide solos. The vocals are classic semi-nasal country baritone with the odd yodel and some close harmonies thrown in - lively, engaging, and well suited to the melodies. The titular honky tonk comes mostly from the pianah-based tracks like Fingernails that are just basic I-IV-V blues tunes played fast with a twangy vocal. I could do without the frequent accordian parts with make a lot of the arrangements sound like really corny fake Irish folk music. 4 pretty great tracks, a bit of filler, and 2 pretty bad ones. Favorites: Because of the Wind, Jericho, Downtown, Masquerade

Country

Not great, not terrible. I will probably forget this one.

Inoffensive honky tonk country.

Good album. I prefer my boy Dwight Yoakam, but still good.

They’re a few cool tracks on here. Boxcar has this fuzzy, almost kazoo like guitar sound, that has a rocking’ solo at the end. Fingernails is super fun to sing along to. Overall it’s a bit flat, but a few cool songs.

definitely some honky tonk shit to be had here. i enjoyed!

An inoffensive album with a few fun moments. I had a longer review and then the site reloaded and it all disappeared. Horrible. Favorites: Boxcars (a fun song!!), Cornbread Moon, I'll Be Your Moon Evil lyrics: Fingernails Everything else was like. Fine. Some truly cheesy moments of 70s rock instrumentation, but otherwise it's the kind of album that I would never put on but wouldn't notice playing in a public space.

I was disappointed when I saw another country album in my list. Fortunately, I was wrong. There’s something about this work that connected with me. I think it is the production: sound palette and chord progressions, that impressed me. Later I found that The Clash included Joe in one of their American tours as an opening act. Maybe not the wisest decision, but I can definitely see why they put their eye on him. Good country record.

This was...alright. Not my first choice of music, but wasn't necessarily bad. I am also not sure why this is significant enough to be on the list?

Crazy that this has virtually no streams on spotify but made it on this list. It was a good album! Singing about Texas in that era is not really my jam but ofc there is some pretty awesome country guitar playing on this record with tons of great pedal steel moments and also just some wild country licks. Really quite impressive. The lyrical content and even song structure was not very exciting for me though. I wont give it something less than a 3 though, it's just not for me but it is good for what it is!

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, the country twang and the guitar solos were surprisingly good! Fun morning listen for me Stand out was fingernails for me, I was v amused by it

2/10, 20%

i don’t know what it means about me that i actually prefer this kind of country song then influential rock n roll like bob and jimi…i accidentally gave jimi only 2 which i feel bad about, it should have been a 3/4. i like this quite a lot and could listen to more of him, my results will be skewed, i wanna give a 4 but that’s too high, so it’s gonna have to be a 3.

A little too Honky Tonk for my liking personally, but not bad, just a lot.

A thoughtful take on core country, doing what it’s always doing by figuring out how to look back just right. Mostly it succeeds, though not always (“Fingernails” wtf). His voice isn’t beautiful or memorable or ugly enough to be great, and neither are the songs. It’s probably one of the best country albums of its year or several years, though I doubt that’s saying much. I’d like to hear it at least once more. Can’t hold a candle to Lucinda Williams.

It's solid. Not really much more to say, just that I enjoyed it. "Fingernails" is a weird song topic though, right? Call it a 3.5, anyway. Favorite tracks: "Boxcars", "Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown"

Love the sound, makes me wanna boogie.

Música country tradicional. Voz asociada al género. Sin nada que le haga diferente al resto.

Honky tonk C&W. Can't really think of a genre I would dislike more. However its short and well produced. Not for me but a 3 down the middle.

Not my usual cup of tea but on my second listen I found more to like about it. I couldn't comment on how it sounded when it was released but some songs sounded quite bold. My standout track was, by FAR, the most listened to on the album according to Spotify. Standout Track: Boxcars

Songs.

Not really the kind of country that I enjoy but I need to give it more listens to really see if its for me. After all the Clash loved Joe Ely so I should give them as much rope as I can. 3 stars

This is the most mid album ever. It’s not good, but at the same time it’s not bad.

No where near our last album but still pretty good. Felt like an early dose of that "Honky tonk" that so many country singers talk about.

Eh, it was ok. Catchy songs, playful (sometimes questionable) instrumental (shout out to the slide guitar), but not the best lyric wise. A bunch of lyrical cliches. It’s not bad necessarily, but there is room for improvement.

Was not expecting a lot from this. But it really caught me off guard in a good way. Boxcars is a legit banger and many of the other tracks had be stopping to listen. This record is short, Texas and the perfect bridge between the 70's and 80's. It FEELS like the 80's. And I really enjoyed it.

Tout est dans le titre. Une vraie mascarade. Comme 80% des albums de ce générateur.

Un bel album de country bien ringard bien Robert

best country music. still only a 3

Midt på 3

Solid album. 10 tracks, 34 minutes. Get in, take care of business, get out. I don't listen to much C&W, so it's hard to tell if this is great. But this is pretty good.

Pleasant enough honky tonk 70s country. I enjoy a bit of honky tonk now and then, and the production on this album was great. Overall not super memorable but I liked it.

Leans into Texas twang and mostly makes it work. Favorite: Boxcars. Too much: I'll Be Your Fool, West Texas Waltz

A bit of honky tonk country. Nothin bad, nothin groundbreaking.

I liked fingernails

Honky as well as tonky providing some nice padding to my rough country bar playlist

Some of these songs were silly! Good honky tonk action

Well done for its genre.

Surprisingly enjoyable!

Decent but ultimately uneventful country, album

This is my second country album in a row, and much like that Dwight Yoakam opus, I find this reasonbly pleasant to listen to, but I don't really find myself able to appreciate its significance. Some of this is just not having the context for that was happening in country at the time. It's possible that a lot of country that I've listened to is aping this sound, and that's why it doesn't mean much to me. Either way, it's nice enough, but I'm never planning on coming back to this album 3/5

It's funny, I really love alt-country, contemporary folk and Americana type music like Steve Earle, Justin Townes Earle, Lucinda Williams, The Be Good Tanyas, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, etc. It's some of my favorite music. But there is a fine line between those genres and more traditional country. I can't quite put my finger on what makes something one or the other, but something about more traditional country I just don't care for. This is better than most, but it still falls into that more traditional category to me. 3 stars.

It's OK for a country album. The outro of Boxcars rocks.

Last night I saw Lee Kernaghan perform during the halftime show of the Len Hall tribute match, which is an annual fixture marking the life of a great west Aussie on ANZAC Day. Ahead of the match we pay our respects, we witness the rites remembrance, we hold our respectful silence and we sing the anthems. A little bit of football later and Optus Stadium transforms into a shimmering disco ball of iPhone camera flashes, with the centrepiece of the spectacle being a guitar-toting Australian man standing on the 50 yard line and sporting the most brazenly honky tonk accent imaginable, reeling off hack vignettes of cliches he’ll invariably christen “Australian Boy” at each verse’s terminus. The whole thing was so remarkably incongruous: the reverence, the reflection, the release of the sport, the really fucking crap patriotic bumper sticker of a song. Anyway. It’s from the seeds planted by Joe Ely that mighty oaks like Lee could grow. Or something like that. Whatever it is – a couple of spins around Honky Tonk Masquerade and I didn’t once want to do a little sick in my mouth, so I’m assuming I either missed the insipid lyrical themes – e.g. the offensively narrow distillation of an entire country’s identity to three pretty shit activities – or there’s more to Ely than there is 99% of his contemporaries. I don’t think I missed anything. Ely is simply a cut above. From the racing verses of “Cornbread Moon” to the guitars in “Boxcars”, the choruses of “Jericho…” and yodelling of “I’ll be your fool” – this is an album that could organise mist into a line dance formation. Surely the best of its breed.

Non male interessante simpatico

Ahead of its time. This sounds like a mid80s classic country album. Great smooth country with just a little twang. Standouts: Boxcars, Tonight I Think I’m Going to Go Downtown, Honky Tonk Masquerade, Damn Good! 3.5/5

Un buen álbum de country, pero nada fuera de lo común. Quizás un tanto innovador en la producción, sobretodo para 1978, adelantando un poco las tendencias de lo que serían los ‘80s para la música norteamericana.

Fine album by country standards, wasn't wowed but also didn't hate it and dug a few of the tracks. Perhaps the most median album of the project so far - I have no strong opinions one way or the other

Fun album!

I do not dig country music, but this one is ok

nice country record! I was surprised to see that this one isn't as bad as other ones. Still it's got some downsides but it was actually a good listen. I'm between a 3 and a 4 but for me it's a 3

Like a greasy grilled cheese sandwich.

Satisfactory country eating.

Meh. Nothing significant, but not bad.

I wanted to like this more, and I did enjoy it, but it ended up coming off just a touch dull.

Enjoyable Texas honky tonk with a rock edge and some really great guitar. A nice warm sound that grows on you as the album goes on and still sounds pretty fresh today. Great stuff. Fave Songs: Because of the Wind, I'll Be Your Fool, West Texas Waltz, Honky Tonkin', Boxcars, Cornbread Moon

Starts with a couple of songs with an edge, then becomes rather uneventfull country.

I would much prefer hearing this music in an old saloon than listening to it in my bedroom. 6/10

Country in alle vormen die je al 1000 keer eerder hebt gehoord. In een zeer degelijke uitvoering. Alles is keurig gezongen. Knap, maar na een paar nummers heb je het wel weer gehoord.

Ik luister te weinig cuntry om dit echt goed op waarde te kunnen schatten. Wat maakt dit nu uitzonderlijk en waarom wordt dit blijkbaar in 1 adem genoemd met een aantal andere iconische country platen (die me net zo veel of weinig zeggen)? Het is altijd lekker om een steel guitar te horen en het zit verder prima in elkaar. Er lijkt me nog best wat variatie in te zitten, voor zover het genre dat toelaat. Ik heb me er prima mee vermaakt voor een keurige 3 sterren.

Ei pöllömpi. Vähemmän häiritsevä länkkäri, mutta ei mee lemppareihin 3/3

Ihan hyvää kantria taas, toimii juuri tämän puoli tuntia.

Some good ole country vibes, nothing out of the ordinary, twangy and light.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Fingernails

Honky Tonk with a Moog. Really unique, really interesting, but honestly it wears a bit thin by the end. Best track: Boxcars

M'ha sorprés. Més accessible que la majoria de discos de country de la llista. Honky tonk pur, però temes com 'Because of the Wind', 'Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown' o 'I'll Be Your Fool' fan de bon sentir i mereixen ser conservats

A fully polished and workmanlike artifact but I couldn't escape the feeling that in all ways, but particularly lyrically, it was a little basic and on the nose. Not entirely my genre so maybe I'm missing the subtlety as it certainly seems to be very well-regarded.

Country

This album is noticeably stifled by its outdated, and now cheesy, instrumentation. The vocals are a little shaky, and the lyrics are a bit uncomplicated. There’s an endearing earnestness to all of the aforementioned. However, not endearing enough to push it above a 3.

this album has the distinction of the least spotify listens of any we’ve had so far — the final song has only 1,033 total. for all that, i was expecting something terrible or transcendently great. this is… solid. there are some nice moments (cornbread moon), but also some really bad ones (i’ll be your fool). Overall, a totally fine country record

Un bon album country, pas le meilleir ici 3.5

Look again it's country and I just cannot deal with most country, but I have to admit there were a couple of not terrible tracks there...

Some great storytelling. Not all of it was for me, musically.

Things didn’t get off to a good start, for me. Within 20 seconds, Cornbread Moon kicks into over-produced Country-Swing. The next ballad didn’t exactly redeem things. But Boxcars is a dark, country classic with a wicked guitar solo at the end. It's easy to see why it has 4X more plays than the rest of the LP combined. The rest is passable, a bit cliched and not as twangy as I’d like, but it is 1978 after all.

Sounds like your typical old school C/W fare. I liked The West Texas Waltz, combining the two styles like that. I'm just not into that style, although I will acknowledge that style more than the new "Americana" style of country (rock + steel guitars). They all had that sound to it, but the songs did not drag on and overstay their welcome, I will give them that. They were well done, produced well, but just not a style I am a fan of. Next.

I really enjoyed the opener Cornbread Moon, it definitely felt like rock and roll honky tonk, with some nice guitarwork. It made me read up on Joe Ely, and I was surprised at how much different stuff he did and how he and the Class were big fans of each other. I might have to check out some of his more eclectic stuff. But back to this album, it felt a little bit bland with a few highs - the opener, Jericho, I'll Be Your Fool, and especially Fingernails. That last one was a ton of honky tonk fun; I could put that one on repeat all day. Honky Tonkin was alright, but not any better than Hank Jr. or Sr. So yeah, I'm curious to seek out more Joe Ely but not because the whole album blew me away, just a few parts and tidbits.

Not much to say about this. It was a pleasant country album. I liked it but not enough to go exploring his discography afterwards. Favorite tracks were “Boxcars” and “West Texas Waltz”

Jarrod fell asleep. So I had it turned way down. Good story-telling lyrics. Generic country sound. I would go to a concert if the tickets were free or really cheap.

nothing special here. it was just ok.

3.5

It’s okay

Easy listening.

Leuk album. Vooral als je van country muziek houdt maar ook voor de liefhebber van rustige, melodieuze popmuziek. ***

Average.

This is so corny and not even catchy.

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.

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!

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

Just don't like this style of music.

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.

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?

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

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.

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

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

This is just not for me

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

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.

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

Une tite puff de bovril?

Appreciate the music but not for me.

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

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

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

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