I have no idea why it popped into my head, but I really wanted to listen to some Lone Justice the other day. Their first album dropped in 85, and I loved them from the get-go. I love that album cover (pictured above), it just has a classic feel to me, and she looks so gorgeous. It's kinda weird, because back then I wouldn't be caught dead listening to anything that had any sorta country twang to it, and yet there it was, my changing musical taste. Maria McKee, man her voice is something else; she can really belt out a tune. I've looked around a bit and was sorta pleased to discover that she's still recording and touring.With the popularity of artists like Neko Case, Gillian Welch, Laura Cantrell, Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Wilco, Ryan Adams (those are just off the top of my head, so please don't tell me I've forgotten so-and-so...I know I have); I wonder if Lone Justice would have more success had they started up in the mid or late 90s. Seems like maybe they were a little displaced or out of their time, which translated to poor album sales, personnel changes and eventually being dropped by the label.
So Lone Justice ended up making a pair of albums. The self-titled debut is pretty good, I'd say. Listening to it now, it still holds up for me, there are some really good songs, so pick it up if you can. I bet you can find it in the used bins for a few dollars. The second album, Shelter, is a different story. Apparently it was recorded by a completely different band, save for Ms. McKee, and, for my money, it just doesn't have the electricity possessed by the debut.
This track was their big "hit" way back when, and it was actually written by Tom Petty. His version of it isn't too bad, either, but we'll stick with the Lone Justice version for now.
Lone Justice > Ways To Be Wicked
2 comments:
Eeesh. But it's a bit 80s big hair, overglossed, slicked out, isn't it? I don't think this would fit in with the other artists you describe unless they were much more raw and intimate and not so hokey sounding!
Yeah, valid point. I think they suffered from the production of that time. If you can listen beyond that, the songs are pretty good, I feel. If they would have kept going, they might have evolved into the No Depression or Alt-Country stuff that we know today.
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