{"id":1406,"date":"2018-11-05T21:16:12","date_gmt":"2018-11-05T21:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/?p=1406"},"modified":"2018-11-05T21:18:42","modified_gmt":"2018-11-05T21:18:42","slug":"ftv-joe-b-revisited","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/?p=1406","title":{"rendered":"FTV: Joe B Revisited"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0We last visited Joe Bonamassa-land after the release of his 2016 album <\/span>Blues of Desperation <\/span><\/i>(FTV: <\/span>Joe\u2019s Blues<\/span><\/i> 5-4-2016). \u00a0At that time, we found Bonamassa riding the crest of a wave of creativity that saw him releasing multiple live CD\/DVD packages of his own work (<\/span>Live at Royale Albert Hall <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>Live at Radio City Music Hall<\/span><\/i>) as well as his homage to some of his blues<\/span><\/p>\n

heros (<\/span>Muddy Wolf Live at Red Rocks<\/span><\/i>). \u00a0Since then, he has taken a similar approach touring with the music of his British guitar heros (<\/span>British Blues Blast Live<\/span><\/i>). \u00a0With the release of his latest album of original music (<\/span>Redemption<\/span><\/i> – 2018), Dave Everley from <\/span>Classic Rock Magazine<\/span><\/i> caught up with Joe B between European tour stops. \u00a0While their tour bus conversation covered a lot of territory, Bonamassa\u2019s mood was somewhat sullied by relationship problems with his girl friend back in Los Angeles. \u00a0The last time we checked, he was keeping time with Mahalia Barnes (a singer who has appeared on record and stage with Joe for several years) and it reminded me of the last track of his <\/span>Blues of Desperation <\/span><\/i>album. \u00a0Back in 2016, we described it as follows: \u00a0\u201cThe album closes with Bonamassa\u2019s <\/span>What I\u2019ve known for a Very Long Time<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0A slow blues crawler about love, misery, and trouble that leads the blues man to recognize that love is what he needs.\u201d \u00a0I wasn\u2019t peering into a crystal ball when I reviewed <\/span>BoD<\/span><\/i> in 2016, but in hindsight, it does have a little bit of a prophetic ring to it with Joe feeling blue about his long time squeeze.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A quick run down on <\/span>Redemption<\/span><\/i> confirms another statement we made about his song writing on <\/span>Blues of Desperation<\/span><\/i>: \u00a0\u201c…when it comes to writing original material, Joe B plays well with others.\u201d \u00a0Besides Bonamassa\u2019s own writing credits, five of the tracks on <\/span>Redemption<\/span><\/i> bear the name of James House who also contributed to <\/span>BoD.<\/span><\/i> \u00a0Tom Hambridge (drummer, songwriter, producer) \u00a0added his touch to five tracks. Long time Bonamassa producer Kevin \u2018Caveman\u2019 Shirley gets six co-writing credits to go along with his usual duties producing and mixing the album. \u00a0Interestingly, the title track also includes input from one Dion Dimucci (Dion and the Belmonts) whose last album release was his own nod to the blues. Bonamassa\u2019s regular studio and touring cohorts appear on the album: \u00a0Michael Rhodes (bass), Anton Fig (drums), Reese Wynans (keys) and his aforementioned girl friend Mahalia Barnes (with Jade MaCrae and Juanita Tippins) on background vocals. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0On the road between between shows in Holland and the Belgian town of Ostend, Bonamassa unloaded a lot of baggage in his conversation with Everley. \u00a0Perhaps it could be attributed to being worn down from the rigors of touring, but whatever the reason, Joe voiced his frustrations on a number of fronts. \u00a0The prospect of touring life ruining his long term relationship back home loomed over the proceedings. Discussion about the European tour lead to the admission that he had made a name for himself across the pond before he dented the American market. \u00a0Joe B\u2019s assessment of his career back home was a bleak, \u201cWho the hell is Joe Bonamassa? That\u2019s what it\u2019s like back home.\u201d Perhaps that was true in the early days, but the fact that he has racked up more Number-One albums on the blues charts than any other artist belies this statement. \u00a0When this is pointed out to him, Joe B said, \u201cNo, no, no. The only reason I have the most number-one albums in the history of the charts is because of sheer volume. I\u2019ve made thirty-seven albums in twenty years. It\u2019s unsustainable. I have to take a break, It\u2019s impacting on my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is no wonder that Joe B is feeling burned out. \u00a0Beside his prodigious album output, he and his business partner Roy Weisman over see J&R Adventures which can only be described as a juggernaut of music marketing concerns. \u00a0Some accuse J&R Adventures of taking the blues in the same direction that Gene Simmons has taken the Kiss brand. Anything and everything that J&R can emboss with Joe Bonamassa\u2019s name is marketed on their web pages. \u00a0Keychains, mini-guitar replicas, tee-shirts, deluxe VIP tour packages, and music are all fair game. Regular mass emailings and the weekly <\/span>Sunday Cup \u2018o Joe<\/span><\/i> blog postings are designed to keep Joe in touch with the masses and vice versa. \u00a0As he explained to <\/span>CRM, <\/span><\/i>\u201cThere are a lot of artists out there who look like they are doing very well, but when the tour is over and they pay the bus bills and the venue fees and the agent\u2019s fees and the potato chips backstage and these pesky things called taxes, they come home broke. \u00a0I don\u2019t.\u201d As to why other bands don\u2019t follow the Simmons \/ J&R template, he offered, \u201c(other bands) don\u2019t want to bet on themselves. They.Don\u2019t.Want.to.Bet.on.Themselves!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Bonamassa learned one basic tenet of the music business early (\u201cpromoters are greedy, bands are naive\u201d) and decided to take control of everything in his world, with the help Weisman (on the business side) and Shirley (on the music side).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When Joe B was still an up and coming hotshot guitar guy, Kevin Shirley was sent some photos of a show Bonamassa had played at the House of Blues in Cleveland. \u00a0He offered some pointed criticism about what he saw. Essentially, he told Bonamassa that he looked like a slob on stage and was doing a disservice to the old masters like BB King with his appearance. \u00a0Joe B admitted that the critic was spot on, \u201cI was this pudgy guy in an ill-fitting shirt playing to a half-full club.\u201d Though his first cheap suit was an improvement, he stepped up big time for his 2009 Royal Albert Hall show by donning his now familiar Versace suit and dark shades. \u00a0The Royal Albert Hall show was an important juncture that <\/span>CRM<\/span><\/i> describes as, \u201c…a turning point in Bonamassa\u2019s career, the point when he went from schlubby foot-soldier to superstar-in-the-making. \u00a0That night, he was officially anointed blues rock\u2019s next big thing when Eric Clapton joined him on stage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Being in control of his assets seems to be working for Bonamassa. \u00a0He describes his home in Los Angeles as \u201cNerdville\u201d because it is the home of a real \u2018guitar nerd\u2019. \u00a0With some 380 to 400 guitars in his collection, he alternately refers to his home as \u2018a museum\u2019 and a \u2018theme park\u2019. \u00a0Joe\u2019s relationship problems surfaced again when he admitted that other than playing guitar, he really doesn\u2019t do anything else. \u00a0\u201cUnfortunately, I do nothing else,\u201d he says, \u201cThat\u2019s part of the problem.\u201d Quoting a lyric from the <\/span>Redemption<\/span><\/i> track <\/span>Self-Inflicted Wounds (\u201cI\u2019m praying for forgiveness, but there\u2019s none to be found\u201d)<\/span><\/i>, Bonamassa sadly confirms, \u201cThat song is pretty much on the nose right now…Things aren\u2019t good. \u00a0As of right now I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ve got a relationship.\u201d Perhaps it was the post gig drink that had him in a blue funk, but he doesn\u2019t blame others for his current situation: \u00a0\u201cThere\u2019s a pattern of behaviour from me – one hundred percent from me – that I need to take responsibility for\u2026 I was becoming angry. Bitter and jaded.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Watching the <\/span>Muddy Wolf <\/span><\/i>show from from Red Rocks (2014), Joe saw a different, joyous guy on stage that he doesn\u2019t recognize anymore. \u00a0Buying more guitars (\u201cSix string dopamine\u201d as he calls it) only seems to make the problem worse. By the end of the conversation, Joe B has resigned himself to get his guitar addiction under control as a first step in rehabbing his life. \u00a0By the time the bus reaches their next tour stop in Ostend, he sums up where his head currently resides: \u201cI\u2019m emotionally exhausted – just drained. There\u2019s a wall – and it is coming soon.\u201d If one thinks that success and making money is the be all – end all for a musician, Bonamassa\u2019s comments definitely tilt the balance back to a more realistic perspective. \u00a0\u00a0Success doesn\u2019t make life easy, especially when the success requires commitment, time on the road, and a whole lot of work.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Not wanting to leave reader\u2019s in as much of a blue funk as Bonamassa was during this part of his European swing, let\u2019s take a look at <\/span>Redemption<\/span><\/i> a bit closer. \u00a0Opening track <\/span>Evil Mamma <\/span><\/i>is a punchy, rollicking tune that features everything an artist would want as an ear catcher. \u00a0Pulsing bass and drums, full horns punctuating the verses and solid background vocals gets your attention. \u00a0Add Bonamassa\u2019s gritty guitar break and <\/span>Evil Mamma <\/span><\/i>is an up beat number that is one of the best he has released. \u00a0<\/span>King Bee Shakedown <\/span><\/i>isn\u2019t the same song but the formula is close enough to the opening track that one could see them as a great one-two opening smackdown for a live show. \u00a0If you aren\u2019t tapping your foot by the second verse of <\/span>King Bee Shakedown<\/span><\/i>, you better check your pulse.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Molly O <\/span><\/i>slows the pace some but the funky riff will make heads nod along with tapping feet from the open tracks, just at a little slower pace. \u00a0The song concerns a 22 year old Irish woman who went down in a shipwreck in the Atlantic. It isn\u2019t immediately clear if this is a Titanic tale (hint: \u2018<\/span>No distress signal was sent\u2019, <\/span><\/i>so no, it isn\u2019t about the Titanic sinking), but the eponymous Molly O could be a composite of many immigrant casualties from any number of ocean born shipwrecks \u2018<\/span>from Halifax to London Town\u2019.<\/span><\/i> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Deep in the Blues Again<\/span><\/i> perhaps mines the Irish backstory from <\/span>Molly O<\/span><\/i> and opens with a jaunty opening riff with a sound that feels like an Irish country reel. \u00a0It is a false set up because the tune turns out to be more of a \u2018driving back home to you\u2019 song. \u00a0Even so, the opening riff reappears in the background at times and the lead guitar break sounds very much like something Rory Gallagher could have recorded. \u00a0Four tracks into <\/span>Redemption <\/span><\/i>and I can\u2019t turn the record off. \u00a0Joe B has hit me right between the eyes and I can\u2019t wait to hear what comes next. \u00a0We quoted a short lyric from <\/span>\u00a0Self-Inflicted Wounds <\/span><\/i>earlier and it is the first moody blues offering on <\/span>Redemption. \u00a0<\/span><\/i>Perhaps Joe was already seeing trouble ahead during the production of this album as this is the second track on the album (besides the title tune) that brings up the idea of \u2018redemption\u2019. \u00a0It is another slow burner blues worthy to grace a yet unreleased <\/span>Best of Bonamassa<\/span><\/i> album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Track six (<\/span>Pick up the Pieces<\/span><\/i>) slinks in on a greasy Reese Wynans piano riff underlined by Paulie Cerra\u2019s sax. \u00a0If this isn\u2019t a New Orleans\u2019 groove, then I don\u2019t know what the term means.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the slip and sliding <\/span>Pick up the Pieces<\/span><\/i>, Bonamassa ups the tempo into a peppy story song <\/span>(The Ghost of Macon Jones<\/span><\/i>) featuring some interesting organ and piano fills and chimes. \u00a0<\/span>Ghost<\/span><\/i> rocks during Joe B\u2019s solo section while Fig and Rhodes\u2019 drum and bass work hold the song together. \u00a0<\/span>Just \u2018Cos You Can Doesn\u2019t Mean You Should <\/span><\/i>finds Hambridge and Bonamassa mining soulful blues with more punchy horns, organ flourishes and stabbing guitar. \u00a0Bonamassa\u2019s soloing can contain a lot of notes, but just when you think he will start shredding the neck, he proves that the title might refer to just that: \u00a0one need not play a thousand notes when ten will do. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0By the time Joe B gets to the title track (five writing credits including Dion Dimucci found on this song alone), we have heard rocking blues, NOLA slip and slide, country funk and electric blues. \u00a0<\/span>Redemption<\/span><\/i> starts \u00a0the album\u2019s home stretch as an acoustic blues bed that ping pongs between Americana verses and Stax – Motown choruses. \u00a0The simple bass drum beat that supports the verse fits nicely with Rhode\u2019s fretless bass work. The background vocals on the chorus are outstanding and well arranged. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The album\u2019s final three tracks (<\/span>I\u2019ve Got Some Mind Over What Matters, Stronger Now In Broken Places, <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>Love is a Gamble) <\/span><\/i>vary in tone from funky blues, a nylon string lament, to a final blues shuffle. \u00a0After the lovelorn feel of <\/span>Stronger Now<\/span><\/i>, it feels good to hear Bonamassa \u00a0exorcise his blue feelings with a true driving blues. \u00a0Soon after reading about his relationship problems, I saw an ad inviting fans to sign up for a blues cruise that Bonamassa will be taking part of in the summer of 2019. \u00a0Let us all hope that he has put his blues behind him and taken a little time off to regroup. Perhaps the emotional turmoil helped him make his strongest album to date, but I for one would hate to see him not enjoying the fruits of his own hard labor! \u00a0Listeners will be hearing <\/span>Redemption <\/span><\/i>on WOAS-FM and future plans include a day set aside for an <\/span>All Joe B<\/span><\/i> day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Top Piece Video:\u00a0 Joe Bonamassa and crew with the title track of his new album\u00a0Redemption<\/em>