Live at Liberty Lunch
A roaring testament to Ely's vitality on stage, this set marries strong lyric-centered material with a protopunk country attitude.  The alchemy is volatile, and Ely has never quite harnassed such power again. His timely association with The Clash was probably the inspiration he needed: he reworked classic material--"Me and Billy the Kid," "Letter to L.A." and "Bluebird," featuring the harmony of Butch Hancock--and squeezed the utmost energy from every song.  His band--featuring Jimmy Petit, Davis McLarty, and David Grissom--was stripped down but rocked harder because of it, and Ely sang like he'd never get another chance.  Believe it: This is one of the most exhilarating  live albums, ever.--Roy Francis Kasten