He may trade in some Spanish lingo in its title, but El Rio finds Frankie Ballard embracing his Midwestern roots, turning out a record that's a proud throwback to the heartland rock of the '80s. Unadorned yet muscular, El Rio easily evokes the lean crackle of prime John Mellencamp, but just in case you didn't get the point, Ballard covers Bob Seger's "You'll Accomp'ny Me," the ballad providing one of few quiet moments here. Which isn't to say El Rio is all high-octane roar, either. Sure, Ballard slides into the such ...
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He may trade in some Spanish lingo in its title, but El Rio finds Frankie Ballard embracing his Midwestern roots, turning out a record that's a proud throwback to the heartland rock of the '80s. Unadorned yet muscular, El Rio easily evokes the lean crackle of prime John Mellencamp, but just in case you didn't get the point, Ballard covers Bob Seger's "You'll Accomp'ny Me," the ballad providing one of few quiet moments here. Which isn't to say El Rio is all high-octane roar, either. Sure, Ballard slides into the such sensitive murmurings as the sepia-smeared "It All Started with a Beer," but the album is grounded by earthy open-road anthems -- music made for summertime drives with cruise control. If the leather coat on the cover wasn't a giveaway, Ballard does ratchet up his macho stance, leaning into his cigarette-and-whiskey growl and letting it get subsumed by guitars that both twang and howl. It's an appealing sound, one that zeroes in on the enduring appeal of classic rock, and it's also slyly versatile: the aside to Little Feat on "Southern Side" provides a gateway for a funky rhythm and "L.A. Woman" contains a widescreen splendor that's not entirely indebted to Southern California. Still, the charm of El Rio is its simplicity: with a handful of key collaborators -- including Chris Stapleton, who co-wrote "El Camino" and "Cigarette," but producer Marshall Altman is prominent here -- Ballard replicates the appeal of Scarecrow, a record that helped enshrine a certain idea of tarnished romantic Midwestern rock. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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Add this copy of El Rio to cart. $1.10, good condition, Sold by Warner Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Girard, OH, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Warner Bros..
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Seller's Description:
Good in good packaging. Originally released: 2016. EX) LIBRARY COPY. (WG) Moderate wear. Typical library, stampings, markings, stickers etc. CD comes in a heavy duty case, not the standard jewel case!
Add this copy of El Rio to cart. $3.48, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Warner Music Nashville.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of El Rio to cart. $3.98, poor condition, Sold by Movie Surplus rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Mobile, AL, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Warner Bros..
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Ballard/Johnston/Ni; Ballard/Warren/Warr; Bogart/Saenz; Christensen/Gelbuda; Criswell/Huckaby; Hayslip/Janson/Wise;... Poor. Used-Acceptable, withdrawn library disc(s) with liner notes. Disc(s) should play great without any playback issues. Disc(s) & liner notes may contain typical library markings like stickers, protective label covers, & writing. Discs may be repackaged in library style casing. Back artwork & any other promo material not included.
Add this copy of El Rio to cart. $11.97, fair condition, Sold by McConnell Content Creation rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dayton, OH, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Warner Bros..
