Joe Sun "Old Flames Can't Hold A Candle To You" (Ovation Records, 1978) (LP)
Joe Sun "Out Of Your Mind" (Ovation Records, 1979) (LP)
Joe Sun "Livin' On Honky Tonk Time" (Ovation Records, 1980) (LP)
Joe Sun "I Ain't Honky Tonkin' No More" (Elektra Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Brien Fisher)
A sorta-outlaw set picking up where Bobby Bare, Moe Bandy and Billy Joe Shaver left off. Sun didn't have the greatest voice, but he did project the same sort of old-coot vibe as Guy Clark, and you can't help but rootin' for him here, even when he does a clompy cover of the old Spencer Davis hit, "Gimme Some Lovin'," or closes the album with a shrill, sprawling boogie-rock song like "Boys In The Back Of The Bus." It's the stuff in between that makes this a real country album, forlorn boozin' tunes like "I Ain't Honky Tonkin' No More" and "Holed Up In Some Honky Tonk," which just barely cracked the Top 40 when this album came out. There are other nice tunes on here, and if you like the Shaver vibe, you might also like this.
Joe Sun "The Sun Never Sets" (Sonet Records, 1984) (LP)
Joe Sun "Twilight Zone" (Dixie Frog Records, 1988)
Joe Sun "Hank Bogart Still Lives" (Dixie Frog Records, 1989)
Joe Sun "Dixie And Me" (Crazy Records, 1992)
Joe Sun "Some Old Memories: 1988-1993" (Crazy Records, 1994)
Joe Sun "Heartbreak Saloon" (Dixie Frog Records, 1998)
Joe Sun "Out On The Road" (Dixie Frog Records, 1991)
Joe Sun was a pretty rootsy country singer who had several hits in the late 1970s and early '80s, but who faded pretty firmly out of sight after his record label folded and was swallowed up by Elektra Records. Apparently his work was lost in the machine -- you'd think a fella that had over a dozen songs in the middle rungs of the charts would deserve at least one best-of record in the digital age... But so far, no go. Oh well... it's a nice challenge for crate-digging vinyl fans! Here's a quick look at his work.
Joe Sun "The Best Of Joe Sun" (Elektra Records, 1982) (LP)
