Letter to Laredo

Amazon.com
As a teenager, Joe Ely wandered about Lubbock, Texas, on weekend nights, listening to the Mexican farm workers strum guitars and sing their lilting corridos. Those formative experiences are reflected in Letter to Laredo, which draws a line of Spanish-American influences--both thematic and musical--from the cowboy music of the West Texas ranch country, across the Rio Grande River to the mariachi music of northern Mexico, and across the Atlantic Ocean to the gypsy music of Spain. In contrast to the hard-edged roots-rock feel of Ely's best known work, this project has an acoustic folk-rock feel, created by the convergence of Teye's flamenco guitar, Ponty Bone's Tex-Mex accordion, Lloyd Maines's honky-tonk steel guitar and Ely's own Dylanesque harmonica. Several of Ely's compositions--most notably "Run Preciosa," "Ranches and Rivers," and the title track--recall Cormac McCarthy's novels about penniless cowboys on the run from the law and angry fathers. In the same vein is Tom Russell's "Gallo del Cielo," a wonderful story-song about a Mexican peasant who steals his village's best fighting cock and carries it across the border in search of his fortune, and Butch Hancock's "She Finally Spoke Spanish to Me," a sequel to an earlier Hancock song recorded by Ely, "She Never Spoke Spanish to Me," which was itself a response to the old standard, "Spanish Is the Loving Tongue." Longtime Ely fan Bruce Springsteen adds high, howling harmonies on two songs, including "All Just to Get to You," a worthy sequel to Ely's "Settle for Love" and "For Your Love." --Geoffrey Himes

Tracks:

All Just To Get To You
Gallo Del Cielo
Run Preciosa
Saint Valentine
Ranches And Rivers
Letter To Laredo
I Saw It In You
She Finally Spoke Spanish To Me
I Ain't Been Here Long
That Ain't Enough
I'm A Thousand Miles From Home

Amazon.com

As a teenager, Joe Ely wandered about Lubbock, Texas, on weekend nights, listening to the Mexican farm workers strum guitars and sing their lilting corridos. Those formative experiences are reflected in Letter to Laredo, which draws a line of Spanish-American influences--both thematic and musical--from the cowboy music of the West Texas ranch country, across the Rio Grande River to the mariachi music of northern Mexico, and across the Atlantic Ocean to the gypsy music of Spain. In contrast to the hard-edged roots-rock feel of Ely's best known work, this project has an acoustic folk-rock feel, created by the convergence of Teye's flamenco guitar, Ponty Bone's Tex-Mex accordion, Lloyd Maines's honky-tonk steel guitar and Ely's own Dylanesque harmonica. Several of Ely's compositions--most notably "Run Preciosa," "Ranches and Rivers," and the title track--recall Cormac McCarthy's novels about penniless cowboys on the run from the law and angry fathers. In the same vein is Tom Russell's "Gallo del Cielo," a wonderful story-song about a Mexican peasant who steals his village's best fighting cock and carries it across the border in search of his fortune, and Butch Hancock's "She Finally Spoke Spanish to Me," a sequel to an earlier Hancock song recorded by Ely, "She Never Spoke Spanish to Me," which was itself a response to the old standard, "Spanish Is the Loving Tongue." Longtime Ely fan Bruce Springsteen adds high, howling harmonies on two songs, including "All Just to Get to You," a worthy sequel to Ely's "Settle for Love" and "For Your Love." --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

Takes me home.......2007-07-06

I first heard Joe Ely with the Flatlanders on KGSR in Austin, TX. His voice is one you won't forget and his glittering flamenco guitar can send chills down your spine. I'd liken him to Texas' Springsteen as far as his composing talents are concerned.

The other reviewers are right when they say that Ely's better live. No artifact comes close to capturing his humor and energy and yet this CD is as close as anything. The cover art on this CD is superlative.

While Ely's rooted in Country and Tejano, he's got some solid rock backing too. Bruce Springsteen sings backup on "All Just to Get to You."

"All Just to Get to You" got the most airplay in Austin at the time of the CD's release, but so much of this CD is timeless. "Letter to Laredo" could stand with "Town of El Paso" and many of the classic outlaw greats. The urgency of the message runs clear through the music and literally makes my heart pound.

And this is definitely real Texas music. Who else but Joe Ely could get me to listen to a song about cockfighting? Like it or not (and I really don't), cockfighting is a part of the Tex-Mex culture, and the song tells a story of a man who steals a prize rooster to gamble:

Hola my Teresa I'm thinkin of you now in San Antonio
I have 27 dollars and the good luck of your good luck of your picture framed in gold
Tonight I'll put it all on the fighting spurs of Gallo Del Cielo
Then I'll return to buy the land Pancho Villa stole from father long ago

Ely takes you to that moonlit fight and you find yourself rooting for the thief and his rooster. Totally unexpected, but that's the kind of magic that Ely can weave.

Joe Ely at his Best .......2007-07-05

This is one of Joe Ely's best cds. The guitar, vocals and his intensity deliver a fantastic musical experience. There just isn't another Joe Ely. In his music you can hear the West Texas land he was raised in filtering through him from the guitar style to the cowboy and Spanish references in the lyrics. Sometimes I just have to listen to "Gallo del Cielo" and then I remember how much I thoroughly enjoy every song on this album. Other favorite Ely tunes on this cd include "All Just to get to You," "Ranches and Rivers" and the title track, "Letter to Laredo." I was delighted to learn that Joe Ely has been getting together with his buddies from Lubbock in their old band, The Flatlanders, with Butch Hancock War and Peace and Jimmie Dale Gilmore Spinning Around the Sun. Their cd Wheels of Fortune is a real treat for Joe Ely fans. Also check out the DVD Lubbock Lights, Limited Edition. It has some great background on their musical influences.

You should be listening to Ely.......2006-07-13

If you want to touch a womans soul, if you want to touch your own inner mind then you want to listen to Joe's words.
The sounds are good, the words are meaningful but put them together and they go into you.
This album doesn't sit on the shelf, it stays in the player.

Brilliant.......2005-12-07

Something about Joe Ely, not sure what it is. He has this unique sound that makes him Joe Ely. You can find it in his rocknroll albums, his honky-tonk albums and even his country albums. Some brilliant nuance that makes each recording a Joe Ely recording, regardless of the genre he is experimenting with. I have all of his recordings and feel this is his best studio release. Great story-telling coupled with wonderful guitar. Each song is strong and stands out, it would be impossible to say one is the best, all are so unique and wonderful. Someday, someday, Joe will be gone and millions will realize what a genius they were missing out on.

Does it again........2004-04-30

I must say you know this world is in trouble when Joe Ely isn't on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry CMA awards night in 1995 performing "Gallo Del Cielo" and sweeping the awards all for this CD.

Unlike most Alt. Country artists, Ely has his own sound and style. He could sing anyones song's and make them his own.

All songs here have a tex mex/cowboy flavor. I could have actually seen Marty Robbins releasing this album, if that says anything.

Plus, I'm a stickler for good album artwork, and the cover of this Cd is a classic.

Letter To Laredo
Average customer rating:
Letter To Laredo
Joe Ely
Manufacturer: CBuJ
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music
General | Country | Styles | Music
Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music
Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000M2E37M
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Tracks:

All Just To Get To You
Gallo Del Cielo
Run Preciosa
Saint Valentine
Ranches And Rivers
Letter To Laredo
I Saw It In You
She Finally Spoke Spanish To Me
I Ain't Been Here Long
That Ain't Enough
I'm A Thousand Miles From Home

Music Album:

Music Album