Joe Ely – Driven To Drive (Rack ‘Em Records/Thirty Tigers) 13th Floor Album Review

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With five decades of touring behind him, Joe Ely has amassed plenty of material for this, his first “road” album.

At age 77, Ely has slowed down a bit, just enough to go through his archives and “stitch together” these 12 tracks, recorded over several decades. The thread Ely uses to sew these together is the two-lane blacktop highway and when you’ve got Bruce riding shotgun you know you’re in for a helluva ride.

Mr. Springsteen adds his wizened voice to Odds Of The Blues, singing harmony with Ely and taking the third verse himself. The track itself is slow and sinewy driven by a strong bassline  and stinging electric guitar.

The production, handled by Ely, is sparse…opener Drivin’ Man is a bluesy number featuring just guitar, voice and accordion, while Watchin’ Them Semis Roll sounds like a Johnny Cash train song sung by a young Bob Dylan accompanied by slide guitar and not much else.

Highlights for me are found in the heart of the album, what would be the end of side one and beginning of side two.

Didn’t We Robbie gets a full band treatment and a rollicking honky tonk piano as Ely tells us how he “rolled with The Stones”.

Actually Joe did rock with The Clash early on in his career…he can be heard on Should I Stay Or Should I Go.  But I digress…

Ely’s punk rock roots show on Ride A Motorcycle, with its machine-gun drums and West Texas guitar.

That’s Bill Guinn playing the honky tonk piano and Jeff Plankenborn on guitar, but its accordion player Joel Guzman who gets my vote as MVP on this record.

“Nashville is a fiddle, ain’t no violin”, Ely sings on Nashville Is A Catfish as Guzman’s accordion weaves in and out of the mix.

There is no filler on this killer as Joe Ely and his friends live their own life in the fast lane with Driven To Drive and Jackhammer Rock closing things out. With a title like that you know your pedal will hit the metal. Just take it easy around those curves!

Marty Duda

Joe Ely’s Driven To Drive is due out Friday, August 2nd. Pre-order Driven to Drive

 

 

 

 

 

Marty Duda
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