Streets of Sin

Thats the Joe Ely album I have on my iPod today. Good album title for urban running, conveys images of hammering through squalid scenes of iniquity, maybe with steam rising off of the pavement mixing with the smoke from my shoes. However there is not much iniquity, even on Philly streets, at 6 am (although there is plenty of inequity). Ran up to Columbia Bridge and back through Fairmount Park for 9 this morning (time was 69:37), first 3.5 in 28:43; second 2 in 15:08, and final 3.5 in 25:46. So there may not have been steam coming off of the pavement, but my shoes were smoking down Belmont Ave.

Ran on the treadmill over lunch for an additional 4 miles. That's when I listened to Joe Ely. The one good thing about treadmills is that I can give my undivided attention to the music I'm listening to. I've been meaning to listen to Streets of Sin for awhile now, but I found the same thing I have before, that most Joe Ely songs are not good running music. In fact, he is one of those artists whose live shows are much better than his albums. I've seen Joe various times over the span of two decades, and some of his shows rank among the best I've seen. But the only albums of his I would call great are, well, his live albums. Especially Liberty Lunch.

So there, you came for a running blog and you got a music review. How about tomorrow I'll swap recipes.