John Ford Coley has released a double CD, “Long Way Home,” produced by The Fourth Way World. Coley is most revered as half of the duo England (with Dan Seals). The live album includes performances from Los Angles, California and Israel.
On the Israel CD, the Sea of Galilee concert presents pristine renditions of hits, including “Long Way Home,” “It’s Sad To Belong,” and “What’s Forever For,” as well as compelling new compositions. He rocks hard with “Cottonmouth Grove” and gets the crowd singing his latest anthem, “Should’ve Never Left Texas.”
Coley has a warm spot for Israel and visits often. He dedicated “Soldier In The Rain,” a tribute he wrote for Vietnam vets, to Israel. In perfect Hebrew, John serenaded the crowd with “HaTikva” (“The Hope”), Israel’s national anthem. After the trip, he wrote “I Stand With Israel,” the one studio track on the album. The video link features concert footage and finds Coley most at home on horseback, in a jeep, or walking through the streets of Jerusalem.
On the raucous L.A. concert CD, fans jump in and sing loudly and banter with Coley. From the opening notes of “Gone Too Far,” (played on Elton John’s piano, no less) to “Nights Are Forever,” Coley makes it a nonstop party at this career celebration at The Village Studios, interspersing songs with the hilarious and often moving stories behind them.
