| Love and Danger | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Tony Brown, Joe Ely | |||
| Joe Ely chronology | ||||
| ||||
Love and Danger is an album by the American musician Joe Ely, released in 1992. [1] [2] It marked Ely's return to MCA Records. [3] He supported the album with a North American tour. [4]
Recorded in Nashville, the album was produced by Tony Brown and Ely. [5] [6] Ely and Brown wanted to place emphasis on the songs and Ely's voice, rather than a band sound. [7] Ely had written between 40 and 50 songs over nine months, some inspired by his Texas road travels. [8] David Grissom played guitar on the album. [9] "Every Night About This Time" is a cover of the Dave Alvin song. [10] "The Road Goes On Forever" and "Whenever Kindness Fails" were written by Robert Earl Keen. [11] [12]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [13] |
| Calgary Herald | B [10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [14] |
| The Indianapolis Star | [15] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [6] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [16] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 4/10 [17] |
The Chicago Tribune wrote that the album, "bursting with a crazed and dangerous sexual energy, rocks as hard as anything Ely has ever recorded, yet that rootsy Texas twang is never far away, nor is his startling poetic flair." [18] The Guardian noted that "Whenever Kindness Fails" "meshes perfectly with Ely's gruff but ironic delivery." [19] The Los Angeles Times determined that "Ely is taking the outsider/loner's view of love and life, spinning witty, frequently brilliant metaphors ... and setting them to melodies that seem at once familiar and fresh." [20]
The Calgary Herald opined that Ely's "delivery is too intense, like he's trying to be heard over a roadhouse crowd." [10] Stereo Review concluded that "it's got the dynamic locomotion of rock, the righteous sassiness of the blues, the narrative twang of country, and the hook-filled, melodic sheen of pop." [21] The Indianapolis Star wrote that "Ely's America entails bawdy romances, squelched ambitions and lonesome highways." [15] The Orlando Sentinel stated that "the ultra-crisp, hard-rock drum sound here is downright annoying on otherwise worthy songs." [16]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sleepless in Love" | 4:04 |
| 2. | "Pins and Needles" | 4:16 |
| 3. | "Love Is the Beating of Hearts" | 4:22 |
| 4. | "Slow You Down" | 4:27 |
| 5. | "The Road Goes On Forever" | 4:33 |
| 6. | "Settle for Love" | 4:25 |
| 7. | "Highways and Heartaches" | 4:14 |
| 8. | "Whenever Kindness Fails" | 4:05 |
| 9. | "She Collected" | 3:42 |
| 10. | "Every Night About This Time" | 4:11 |
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