Joe Bonamassa - Redemption - new studio album September 2018

I love Joe Bonamassa! I think he is one person truly immersed in his music and craft. I don't necessarily like everything that he does, but he has an honesty that I truly admire in this day and age. He has an encyclopedic knowledge on guitars, amps, and individual playing styles that he is more than willing to share. Not exactly you atypical Guitar Hero type that we have come to know over the years.

 

Finally had time to listen to this.

Like most of his recent solo albums I am finding some songs on it that I absolutely love, some that I find to be unmelodic boring blues, and others I find to be totally unlistenable (with overpowering horns that are like acid in my ears).

Ironically my favorite song is the album closer which is one of the exclusive Target bonus tracks (Somewhere Down the Road) so I'm really glad I found out about this version in this thread.

Anyone else do a double-take and think the first song was a Led Zep cover when it started out? The opening drums is a total Zep fakeout!

 

I consider it a tribute to Led Zeppelin, I think it is 100% identical to the intro to "Rock 'n' Roll".

I love that first song, though. It really grew on me after a few listens.

There are some really great YouTube "in the studio" videos online for many of the songs on the new album. These videos are very well done, and you get a sense of all the great musicianship on this album. I really noticed how his guitar work on this album was done with a lot of taste and finesse. No to demonstrate technical skills (which he sure has), but very great guitar playing that fits to the songs. He really composed some great solos and other guitar work on this album.

 

I am not core Bonamassa fan, but this record is growing on me listening every time when commuting to work. Now tempted to buy vinyl or CD version. I see that CD has been mastered by Bob Ludwig and it is of course a bit compressed - DR around 8 - I think it could be better, but at least over the Spotify it sounds pretty ok. Do you have any comments about the sound quality for vinyl or CD?

In case of music, which is of course the most important I would say from non-core fan that's is very captivating and class itself - even my 6yo doughter told me last time while driving in the car: "Dad, could we buy this record?" ;-)

BTW, being the fact that is has been mastered by famous Bob Ludwig (I think a guy who is against loudness wars?) it looks pretty much not up to the possibilities. I see on some songs clippings as well :-( In that case I pulled the trigger for regular black vinyl edition - I will report back.

Dropbox - bonamassa.png

 

Bummed out that his current Tour is skipping Seattle. Vancouver & Portland, but no Seattle. Looks like he's not coming West during his 2019 Spring Tour either.

That won't stop me from buying the new album, tho. Just wish he was coming to town. I know Portland isn't that far away, but that means hotel, etc., that I'm not interested in doing.

And, I don't have a passport to get across the border to BC. Not much of a traveler, me.

 

Bonemassa is boring

 

Thank you for your insightful comment. It must be difficult to find threads in this forum where you can exercise that razor-sharp wit of yours.

 

I prefer Joe's more "rock" work with Black Country Communion, than his "blues" work and having listened to Redemption a few times, tracks like Molly O and Self Inflicted Wounds wouldn't sound out of place on a BCC album.

Can anyone recommend some other BCC-like tracks on Joe's other solo albums?

Thanks.

 

Not "BCC-like" per se, but like you I prefer his ROCK work and am not that fond of the blues stuff, and with that in mind I feel his best album is his second one, called SO IT'S LIKE THAT, which is ALL ROCK and has some very catchy melodic rocking songs. I play that album of his more than any other and really like it.



If you sample the songs on youtube/etc and decide you want to pick it up on CD, try to find one of the old original 2 disc sets, where disc 2 is a live DVD that is great. I talked about this recently in more detail in another Bonamassa thread.

I can't really pick out one song to recommend, just start with the first one (My Mistake) and give the whole album a listen.

Other than that I'd say try his first album, A New Day Yesterday.




It was after those that he became more of a "blues" artist than a "rock" artist.

 

Good call- I have the version of So... with the live DVD, and while Joe's backup band isn't made up of the most stellar musicians, they're very workman-like and get the job done (see also Double Trouble). I need to pick up some of the earlier stuff- I remember hearing some tracks from A New Day Yesterday and Blues Deluxe (even Sloe Gin) and really liking the rock aspects of them.

I was a member of the Rave Recordings board (RIP) for many years, and a guy named Chip B. who would put together CD-Rs of various bluesy tracks and send them out. Bonamassa was a heavy favorite. Man, I miss them days.

Edit: Looking over Joe's discs at AllMusic, I'm shocked (shocked!) at how many discs he has out. Prolific.

 

Listening to this album right now and I think it might be my favorite of his studio albums. The growth in his lyric writing is commendable. And of course, he plays like a mofo.