CD 1: "Who You Gonna Run To"
Artist: Joe Zelek Band
Release Date: 2010
Label: Apothecary Records
CD 2: "Glad To Be Alive"
Artist: Joe Zelek
Release Date: 2008
Label: Apothecary Records
Artist: Joe Zelek
Release Date: 2007
Label: Apothecary Records
Armed with a guitar, laid back country boy allure and a voice oozing with down home goodness, Ohio born Joe Zelek is making a name for himself in the country music community. Joe Zelek has a high energy passion that grabs his audience from the first note and won't let go until he's left the stage. His cd releases, "Jamboree in the Hills", "Glad to Be Alive" and his latest, "Who You Gonna Run To", project that enthusiasm and energy, the emotion that is the solid foundation that his dedicated followers continue to build upon. I thought I'd do a triple play cd review of all of Joe's most current releases.
"Jamboree in the Hills" may only contain 3 songs, but it contains much more than you might think. The cd cemented his reputation as a proven, skilled songwriter in country music. This year marks the fourth consecutive year that Joe Zelek and his band will be featured artists on the main stage at the Jamboree in the Hills. The title track is a boot tappin, head bobbin' tribute to the yearly Morristown, Ohio music festival of the same name. The second track, "Saturday Night", is a boot scootin' boogie that makes you wanna be in a bar with a cold beer in hand nodding your head in time with the band playing on stage. I can actually visualize a line dance forming now in my head. The final song, "Homecoming King" takes you back to the days of high school, being the one that didn't exactly turn heads when you walked into the lunchroom except those of the jocks laughing at you and winning over the girl you had your eye on.
"Glad To Be Alive” is a mix of rousing harder rockin' songs such as "Glad to Be Alive", "Get Our Country On" and his tribute to his true love, "Football Friday Night" infused with slower, more meaningful compositions including his lyrical look inside himself in "On My Better Days" and "Nothing in Our Way". The cd also has a song that truly lives up to it's name, "Priceless", a moving tribute to our troops and the personal price they pay everyday without a second thought. "Glad to Be Alive" has secured 2 spots on XM Radio's Nashville XM 11's playlist with indie hits "Part Time Country Star” and “Brought To you By Drinkin”.
Joe's latest release, "Who You Gonna Run To" is perhaps his best work to date. You can almost hear the growth and evolution since the 2008 release, "Glad to Be Alive". With a full set of 10 well written tracks, Joe's set the bar with this one in my opinion. The opener and title song has the sound that today's country audience is gravitating towards, a pop element that still retains enough "country-ness" to not quite cross that line. "There's No Place Like Home" actually hits home for me bringing up memories from days gone by, things like cane pole fishing, Piggly Wiggly's, and trampolines. What a great song and it's probably one of the most truthful titles because there truly is no place like home. "What I Meant to Say" pretty much says it all, thinking about the words that so many of us tend to swallow instead of saying out loud, questioning what you should have said and what you should have done to keep love in your life and then realizing that you want another chance to say and do what you should have done the first time. I think this should be my theme song. The cd is full of other great songs, none of which I'd skip over.
Joe Zelek has hit a triple with these three releases, bases are loaded and just waiting on the next one to be the musical grand slam. If Joe's in your area, buy a ticket and get your ass down front ready to party because that's exactly what he's gonna do, bring the party right to ya! You can get Joe's music on iTunes and Amazon. Just a side note: Joe's earlier cds are listed as "Joe Zelek" whereas his latest release is listed as "Joe Zelek Band".
