Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Lord of the Highway, Joe Ely's sixth studio album, is something of a return to form for him, in both qualitative and stylistic senses. Ely released five albums (four studio sets and the concert recording Live Shots) on major label MCA Records between 1977 and 1981, gradually modifying his style from country to rock. 1984's Hi-Res took the transition a step further, as Ely returned to record stores after a three-year break with an album on which synthesizers played a major part, but fans and critics had mixed reactions. Ely then parted ways with MCA, and Lord of the Highway, another three years on, finds him with the independent HighTone Records label. Mitch Watkins, who played those synthesizers on Hi-Res, is still around on keyboards, along with an otherwise all-new backup band (Davis McLarty on drums; Jimmy Pettit on bass; David Grissom on guitar; Bobby Keys on saxophone). But the roots rock sound of Lord of the Highway is much closer to 1981's Musta Notta Gotta Lotta than to Hi-Res. Taking more time to write, Ely makes several excellent additions to his songbook, starting with the shaggy dog Western saga "Me and Billy the Kid" and including "Are You Listenin' Lucky?" The lengthy "Letter to L.A." is musically reminiscent of the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," a connection accentuated by the presence of Keys, a longtime Stones sideman. The concluding "Silver City" seems to be an allegorical cautionary tale about what happens to the dreams of an idealistic young man when he encounters the outside world. As on earlier Ely albums, Butch Hancock provides a couple of strong compositions, the title song, and "Row of Dominoes." In 1981, Ely seemed to be on the verge of stardom. He doesn't anymore, but Lord of the Highway suggests he will still be out on the road playing his powerful music for some time to come. At a transitional time in the record business, Lord of the Highway was released as a ten-track album on LP and cassette, but in order to stimulate sales of the CD format, that version came out simultaneously with an eleventh bonus track, "Screaming Blue Jillions," a rock & roll song set to the Bo Diddley beat and the sort of enjoyable minor number that used to be reserved for the B-sides of singles.
© William Ruhlmann /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From £10.83/month
David Grissom, Producer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Mitch Watkins, Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Greg Leisz, Producer, Recording Producer - BUTCH HANCOCK, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy Pettit, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Davis McLarty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - DUSTY WAKEMAN, Producer, Recording Producer - Bobby Keys, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Ely, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Little Johnny Fader, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2004 Craft Recordings.
David Grissom, Producer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Mitch Watkins, Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Pettit, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Davis McLarty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Keys, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Ely, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Little Johnny Fader, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Don Dykes, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1987 Craft Recordings.
David Grissom, Producer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Mitch Watkins, Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Greg Leisz, Producer, Recording Producer - Jimmy Pettit, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Davis McLarty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - DUSTY WAKEMAN, Producer, Recording Producer - Bobby Keys, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Ely, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Little Johnny Fader, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2004 Craft Recordings.
David Grissom, Producer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Mitch Watkins, Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Greg Leisz, Producer, Recording Producer - Jimmy Pettit, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Davis McLarty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - DUSTY WAKEMAN, Producer, Recording Producer - Bobby Keys, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Ely, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Little Johnny Fader, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2004 Craft Recordings.
David Grissom, Producer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Mitch Watkins, Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Pettit, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Davis McLarty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Keys, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Ely, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Little Johnny Fader, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 Craft Recordings.
David Grissom, Producer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Mitch Watkins, Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Pettit, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Davis McLarty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Keys, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Ely, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Little Johnny Fader, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 Craft Recordings.
David Grissom, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Mitch Watkins, Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Pettit, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Davis McLarty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Keys, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Ely, Drums, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Little Johnny Fader, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 Craft Recordings.
David Grissom, Producer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Mitch Watkins, Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Pettit, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Davis McLarty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Keys, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Ely, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Little Johnny Fader, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 Craft Recordings.
David Grissom, Producer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Mitch Watkins, Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - BUTCH HANCOCK, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy Pettit, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Davis McLarty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Keys, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Ely, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Little Johnny Fader, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 Craft Recordings.
David Grissom, Producer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Mitch Watkins, Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Pettit, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Davis McLarty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Keys, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Ely, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Little Johnny Fader, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 Craft Recordings.
David Grissom, Producer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Mitch Watkins, Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Pettit, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Davis McLarty, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Keys, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Ely, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Little Johnny Fader, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 Craft Recordings.
Album review
Lord of the Highway, Joe Ely's sixth studio album, is something of a return to form for him, in both qualitative and stylistic senses. Ely released five albums (four studio sets and the concert recording Live Shots) on major label MCA Records between 1977 and 1981, gradually modifying his style from country to rock. 1984's Hi-Res took the transition a step further, as Ely returned to record stores after a three-year break with an album on which synthesizers played a major part, but fans and critics had mixed reactions. Ely then parted ways with MCA, and Lord of the Highway, another three years on, finds him with the independent HighTone Records label. Mitch Watkins, who played those synthesizers on Hi-Res, is still around on keyboards, along with an otherwise all-new backup band (Davis McLarty on drums; Jimmy Pettit on bass; David Grissom on guitar; Bobby Keys on saxophone). But the roots rock sound of Lord of the Highway is much closer to 1981's Musta Notta Gotta Lotta than to Hi-Res. Taking more time to write, Ely makes several excellent additions to his songbook, starting with the shaggy dog Western saga "Me and Billy the Kid" and including "Are You Listenin' Lucky?" The lengthy "Letter to L.A." is musically reminiscent of the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," a connection accentuated by the presence of Keys, a longtime Stones sideman. The concluding "Silver City" seems to be an allegorical cautionary tale about what happens to the dreams of an idealistic young man when he encounters the outside world. As on earlier Ely albums, Butch Hancock provides a couple of strong compositions, the title song, and "Row of Dominoes." In 1981, Ely seemed to be on the verge of stardom. He doesn't anymore, but Lord of the Highway suggests he will still be out on the road playing his powerful music for some time to come. At a transitional time in the record business, Lord of the Highway was released as a ten-track album on LP and cassette, but in order to stimulate sales of the CD format, that version came out simultaneously with an eleventh bonus track, "Screaming Blue Jillions," a rock & roll song set to the Bo Diddley beat and the sort of enjoyable minor number that used to be reserved for the B-sides of singles.
© William Ruhlmann /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:44:00
- Main artists: Joe Ely
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: HighTone Records
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Country
© 1987 Craft Recordings. ℗ 1987 Craft Recordings.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.