No More Takin' Recreation With Your Dark Defeated Friends: the LONE JUSTICE 'Lone Justice' Poll

Hmph the image didn't work.

https://i.ibb.co/pBpqsbhp/Lone-Justice-Lone-Justice.jpg

Ways To Be Wicked is so good, is there anything better on the rest of the LP?

I voted for After the Flood, also love Sweet Sweet Baby and Soap, Soup and Salvation. Granted, they don’t sound like Tom Petty songs, but McKee is a good songwriter herself.

O mang gonna havta list to alb ag
Omnivore has come up with prev unreleased live sets, also The Vaught Tapes, their early club act melting down live in studio---talk of those and s/t and others on

TS: Lone Justice or Cruzados or Drivin' & Cryin' or Green On Red or Del Fuegos or Jason & The Scorchers or Long Ryders or Bodeans? And maybe Maria's own thread, don't remember how far back that goes.

I never wanted them to sound like TP & H! Liked then despite that effect on some tracks, not because (Big 80s blare discreetly toned down on The Millenium Collection, ca. 2000 on Hip-O).

Went with "Wait 'Til We Get Home" - they wrote it themselves and I don't think the song bears too much influence of many outsiders (aside from Benmont Tench sitting in and he's great). McKee's vocal also clinched it for me.

(and happy belated birthday to Maria McKee)

Yeah, that's a barn-burner. The archival releases have really made me wish I could've seen them live in the early days.

Here's After the Flood, fwiw. This is one of those songs I'm surprised more people haven't covered, feels like the Americana crowd would be all over it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX-ESxITxBI

Ways To Be Wicked is so good, is there anything better on the rest of the LP?

― that's not my post, Sunday, August 16, 2026 8:23 AM (two days ago)

At the time "Sweet sweet baby mine" seemed as big as "Wicked".

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

"Sweet Sweet Baby (I'm Falling)" sounds like it should've been a bonafide hit. Maybe not #1, but something that should've made its way into the top ten. I guess it peaked at #73 which feels crazy.

Have barely heard this album, but will be here when Shelter gets polled.

This is the only album I've heard by them. Am I right in remembering Maria disowned it from the getgo bcus Geffen or maybe Iovine (or both) pushed them towards a big radio-friendly sound?

I listened to Sweet Sweet Baby - it's been 40 years but I don't remember it from back then. It's a good tune though I prefer After the Flood (also new to me).

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Good range for an expectedly light turnout, I love all the songs that got votes. Of the ones that didn't I most love "Soap Soup and Salvation," great burst of gospel fervor. "Workin' Late" is really good too.

Love this album. Voted "Sweet Sweet Baby" but surprised "East of Eden" didn't get one.

Am I right in remembering Maria disowned it from the getgo bcus Geffen or maybe Iovine (or both) pushed them towards a big radio-friendly sound?

Doubt it was this one. Might have been Shelter.

Shelter definitely has that big late '80s gloss. Bunch of good songs there too, tho.

Shelter, yes, was the record McKee tried to disavow. Agree that it has some really strong tracks, too.

Will highlight that one of (the great) Patty Loveless' first hit singles was a cover of this album's "Don't Toss Us Away." More polished than the LJ version, but still absolutely worth checking out.

I'll need to give Shelter a listen then. I've had Life Is Sweet earmarked for some time as the great antithesis of Show Me Heaven.

man, I do not like "Shelter." I don't hear a song strong enough to support the gloss.

I'm surprised to learn this morning that "Shelter" earned heavy MTV rotation in spring '87.

Shelter is like that episode from The Larry Sanders Show when Phil sells a pilot about a ska band, but by the end he's screaming, "I have NO idea why I'm writing for a Black show!" Just look at the album credits, it's like WTF happened, where did everyone go, who are these guys? And then you play it and it sounds just like that.

Reference for those with HBO Max

On that album I like the title track, "I Found Love," "Wheels," a few others. But definitely they would sound a lot better with more stripped-down production.

They were ahead of their time really, if they'd landed in the early '90s they would have been part of the big alt-country wave. But by then Maria McKee was off doing other things.

Heard Shelter then found the debut later, so it's kind of my first love. I understand why she'd try to bury Shelter, though...it wasn't really a Lone Justice record. It was Maria & Ryan and a team of hired hands, no longer the scrappy band that kicked around LA initially.

Seeing the SNL performance of "I Found Love" was a real moment for me at that age. I'd never seen anyone that revved up behind the mic.

Also, I think that song—and that performance in particular—made a wiry baritone guitar one of my favorite sounds. Sorry, Duane Eddy. Shane Fontayne found me first.

surprised "East of Eden" didn't get one #2 for me and maybe others?

It does open the album with a mighty yawp.