21 March 2016

Joe Bonamassa – Blues of Desperation

David Farrell 21 March 2016 Album Reviews

Blues of Desperation

album by:: Joe Bonamassa

Version:

Price:

£11.99

Reviewed by: David Farrell

Rating:: 5

On 21 March 2016

Last modified:21 March 2016

Summary:

Absolutely stunning new release from an artist who just keeps getting better and better.

More Details

Joe Bonamassa is back with a new studio album “Blues of Desperation” which features all-new material, and once again is produced by Kevin Shirley. Recorded in just five days in Nashville, Joe delivers eleven stunningly good original tracks, backed by the dual drummers, Anton Fig and Greg Morrow, bassist Michael Rhodes, keyboardist Reese Wynans, horn players Lee Thornburg, Paulie Cerra and Mark Douthit, with background singers Mahalia Barnes, Jade McRae and Juanita Tippins.

Right from the first track “This Train”, you have a sense that this is something special, it’s not really traditional blues, nor is it rock music, it’s an amalgamation of them both. Normally when this happens, one genre has to dominate the other, however on this release Bonamassa has fused them together to bring you something completely different to anything you have heard Joe play before.

This is as innovative as innovative gets.

“Mountain Climbing” serves up a hard rock riff before Joe delivers one of his trademark solos. Already I can see this become a mainstay of his live shows, up there with the likes of “Sloe Gin” and “The Ballad of John Henry.”

“Drive” is simply stunning, a quiet beat, a laid back groove building up in crescendo, while all the time Joe is teasing the listener with a repetitive passage that just grows and grows until the solo bursts into life.

“No Good Place For The Lonely” is a heavy, slow blues track that incorporates some orchestral strings which work well with Joe’s distorted riff that runs deep throughout this song, one which will have you reaching for the repeat button without you even realizing it.

Title track “Blues of Desperation, “Distant Lonesome Train” and “How Deep This River Runs” allow Joe to go heavy on the riffs, yet still allowing a blues inspired solo to come to the fore, each very different in their approach to the blues, but all ultimately satisfying.

“The Valley Runs Low’ has Joe going back to basics, stripping the song right back to its roots and playing it acoustically, it’s still the blues, and it still rocks.

“You Left Me Nothing but the Bill and The Blues” is a great fast paced song that Joe decides to put not one, but two beautifully crafted solos into while Reese plays the piano like there’s no tomorrow.

The penultimate track, the Piano and Sax-fuelled “Livin’ Easy” takes us back in time, a more traditional blues track with Joe playing in the corner of a Chicago speakeasy.

The album closes with the emotional ballad “What I’ve Known for a Very Long Time”.

Favourite Track: Drive

“Blues of Desperation” will be released on 25th March 2016

Track listing:

01. This train
02. Mountain climbing
03. Drive
04. No good place for the lonely
05. Blues of desperation
06. The valley runs low
07. You left me nothin’ but the bill and the blues
08. Distant lonesome train
09. How deep this river runs
10. Livin’ easy
11. What I’ve known for a very long time

JOE BONAMASSA – MARCH 2016 UK DATES

JOE BONAMASSA IN CONCERT

A SALUTE TO THE – BRITISH BLUES EXPLOSION

Joe Bonamassa pays homage to the music of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page

BOOK ONLINE: ticketmaster.co.uk

www.jbonamassa.com/tour-dates

24 Hour Ticket Hotline: 0844 844 0444

With special guest

JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR OPENS FOR JOE AT HOGHTON TOWER, LONDON GREENWICH MUSIC TIME FESTIVAL AND NEWARK CASTLE

HOGHTON TOWER

SATURDAY 2 JULY 2016
with special guest
Joanne Shaw Taylor

Tickets: TicketLine.co.uk
www.jbonamassa.com/tour-dates