Recorded during their 1980 tour of England supporting
the Clash,
Live Shots is
Joe Ely and his band at their rocking best. And while it could merely serve as a live, 'best-of' sampler of
Ely's first three records, many of these songs seem to have found a home here. Tracks such as "I Had My Hopes Up High" and "Johnny's Blues" from his debut;
Honky Tonk Masquerade's "Fingernails," and "Crazy Lemon" (one of four songs recorded in Texas) from the more recent,
Down on the Drag, make the studio versions seem tame by comparison, while a relentless cover of the
Blind Lemon Jefferson derivation, "Long Snake Moan," and a swinging "Midnight Shift," which had been recorded by fellow Lubbock native,
Buddy Holly, and
Ely's duet with
Carlene Carter on
Hank Williams' "Honk Tonkin'" are electrifying. Elsewhere, the melancholy country of "Honky Tonk Masquerade" and
Butch Hancock's Southwest classic, "She Never Spoke Spanish to Me" are nearly as strong as their studio counterparts, though they may lack some of the originals' subtlety, while
Hancock's "Fools Fall in Love" and "Boxcars" seem all the more ominous in this setting. It's not hard to see why
the Clash handpicked
Ely and his band to open their British dates; there's an energy on show here that's on par with the best that punk had to offer before becoming a commodity, but with a tightness that had been honed for years on the road and in the bars and clubs of Texas.
Live Shots remains one of
Joe Ely's best, and is as good an argument as you're going to find for releasing a live album. The four songs from the bonus, Texas Special EP included with the original vinyl were added to the CD release. ~ Brett Hartenbach