and Gary (who Mastered the record).<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Go With Me<\/i><\/b> opens with a swell of strings that immediately reminded me of Sir George Martin\u2019s work with The Beatles.\u00a0 Come to think of it, the drum track also sounds very \u2018Ringo\u2019, but this isn\u2019t by any means any form of \u2018let\u2019s write a song that sounds like The Beatles\u2019.\u00a0 Peggy is a true master when it comes to writing songs that tell a story, in this case the theme is about \u2018moving on\u2019.\u00a0 Eannelli excels at balancing the instrumental tracks so they compliment the feelings played out in the lyrics.\u00a0 Blending excellent lyrics with the right musical arrangement is kind of like alchemy, only in this case, it really does make \u2018gold\u2019.\u00a0 The string flourishes throughout <\/span>Go With Me<\/span><\/i> support the melody without overpowering it.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Track two, <\/span>Willow<\/b>, is a great example of Peggy\u2019s C&W leanings.\u00a0 From the \u2018clip-clop\u2019 rimshots to the crying steel guitar, it is a track that would be at home on any roadhouse jukebox.\u00a0 <\/span>And somehow find a way to carry on<\/span><\/i> may not be about the plight of folks in the pandemic era, but it is another \u2018hopeful lyric\u2019 Peggy shares with us all in our time of need.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Thousand Reasons<\/b> sways with all the charm of a <\/span>Jimmy Buffet<\/b> song filtered through <\/span>Fleetwood Mac<\/b>.\u00a0 The swirling background vocals don\u2019t exactly sound like <\/span>Stevie Nicks<\/b> but I could see her singing this song.\u00a0 The finger picking guitar break connects the fore and aft sections of the song perfectly.\u00a0 If we keep the Fleetwood Mac reference line going, the guitar bridge does indeed remind me of <\/span>Linday Buckingham\u2019s <\/b>style.\u00a0 Dare I say the claves add a country-pop-calypso feel in this wonderfully arranged tune?<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The first of the previously released tracks, <\/span>Guardian Angel<\/b>, lifted my spirits immediately when I heard it at first release in early 2021.\u00a0 The song moves from the feeling of floating in the first segment to a driving pulse of drums, guitar, and bass that drives the song from the 1:22 mark to the end of the song.\u00a0 <\/span>So Guardian Angel stay with me with please, don\u2019t leave me this time<\/span><\/i> pretty much sums up how we all felt in the middle of the pre-vaccination phase of the pandemic.\u00a0 Peggy James has the angelic pipes to carry this song and make the listener feel it.\u00a0 Earwig alert:\u00a0 I find myself humming this for days everytime I listen to <\/span>Guardian Angel.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The first single released in the fall of 2020 was <\/span>Hard Times<\/b>.\u00a0 In the first review I said it was the perfect summary of the general mood being created by the pre-presidential election rancor mixed in with the on-going COVID troubles.\u00a0 <\/span>If we hold on tight, from sea to shining sea, we\u2019ll find a way to get back to our sanity <\/span><\/i>are still words to live by.\u00a0 The guitar fills weaving in and out of this arrangement really bind things together, especially the lower string passages leading to the next verse.\u00a0 Having played with a true country picker in years past, these riffs are the sound Jerry Monk used to coax from his <\/span>Gretch Country Gentleman<\/b>.\u00a0 By name checking 911, Peggy really does put the focus on how serious things were in 2020.\u00a0 This was one of the first songs to come out of the pandemic that made me feel we had ample reasons to feel optimistic about the future.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In <\/span>Best in Me<\/b>, Peggy sings about \u2018twists, turns, and regrets\u2019 and about \u2018learning a thing or two along the way\u2019.\u00a0 She sings, there is <\/span>No harm at all in looking back,<\/span><\/i> and it sounds like musical therapy to me.\u00a0 The subtle echo effect employed on the guitar, drums, and vocals gives <\/span>Best in Me<\/span><\/i> a big, but not boomy, sound.\u00a0 If any song could conjure up the warm feelings one remembers thinking about the good parts of past relationships, this would be the one.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Speaking of subtle, track 7, <\/span>So Subtle, <\/b>is a gentle rocker with a nice rhythm.\u00a0 <\/span>Taylor Swift<\/b> could cover this tune, but I doubt she could keep the tight focus Peggy and Jim employ to keep it moving along.\u00a0 Peggy James could teach young singers like Swift a thing or two about getting the story out without the patchwork feel some seem to fall into when recording their songs.\u00a0 It is all about lyrical flow and James should be conducting a Master\u2019s class in this art form.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The third song released before the full album was <\/span>Joan of Arc <\/b>and by the time I heard it, I was convinced that Peggy should hang out her shingle and perform musical therapy sessions for anyone feeling beat down by the events of 2020 and 2021.\u00a0 <\/span>Joan of Arc, where are you now, can\u2019t you come back and show us how to be strong and true and proud.\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>Yes, more words to live by and a stellar arrangement.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Indoor Cat<\/b> has a spooky vibe that made me think of our big black cat, Mr B.\u00a0 The fiddle accents give it an \u2018Indian\u2019 feel which made me listen closer to see if they snuck in tabla drums and sitar into the mix.\u00a0 Living on the shores of Lake Superior, I could relate to the nautical and weather themes used here.\u00a0 A moody song but not \u2018moody as in depressing\u2019 – Peggy has a knack for making the listener \u2018feel\u2019 her stories.\u00a0 Mr B would approve of this lovely arrangement.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Track ten brings back the \u2018clip-clop\u2019 country feel for <\/span>Crossroad Moment<\/b>.\u00a0 Like most<\/span> of Peggy\u2019s songs, this tune could be carried by acoustic guitar and voice alone, but the countrified guitar licks, moving bass line, strings, and soft drums elevate the song to a higher level.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The album\u2019s final track, <\/span>The Parade<\/b> gave this old marching band drummer an urge to high step around the room.\u00a0 Okay, it isn\u2019t exactly a march, but the feel is definitely there.\u00a0 <\/span>Now I stand on the sidelines and watch it all go by, I find it hard to be part of the cavalcade <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>The Parade is over<\/span><\/i> echoed in my head for a long time after the song faded out.\u00a0 Using The Parade as a vehicle to ponder the passing of life gives it a light feel, but the feeling of humanity here runs deep.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Peggy James is a wordsmith with few equals.\u00a0 This is not just a good album that came out of the\u00a0 COVID-19 pandemic era – it is the best album I have heard in years.\u00a0 I love watching <\/span>The Joy of Painting <\/b>on <\/span>PBS <\/b>because <\/span>Bob Ross<\/b> had the ability to give his paintings depth with each layer he added.\u00a0 Peggy, Jim, and Gary do the equivalent with this recording.\u00a0 The layers of instruments, effects, and voices give each track a tremendous amount of depth.\u00a0 Mind you, I have only listened to the entire album a few times at this point.\u00a0 I am looking forward to giving it more ear time so I can pick up more of the intricate parts they weave into the mix.\u00a0 It is hard to get tired of a record when one hears something new with each listen.\u00a0 It will take even more time for me to appreciate the depth of the words.\u00a0 With each pass, Peggy\u2019s songs make me feel better about the world.\u00a0 What a wonderful gift to share with us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Joe Bonamassa<\/b> says he could have called <\/span>Time Clocks<\/b> the \u2018New York\u2019 album or perhaps his \u2018Return to New York\u2019 album.\u00a0 In the liner notes for this 2021 release, he describes living in the city while recording his 2003 covers record, <\/span>Blues Deluxe<\/b>:\u00a0 \u201cI was hungry.\u00a0 Literally and figuratively.\u00a0 The music business is tough, very tough.\u00a0 Especially back in those days when major labels pulled all the strings and in my case, all the punches.\u00a0 I subsisted on a basic diet of peanut butter and jelly and ramen noodles, purchased at the bodega on the corner of 83rd and Columbus Avenue.\u00a0 Once a week, I would buy a \u2018Win for Life\u2019 lottery ticket.\u00a0 \u2018Literally my ticket out of this hideous business,\u2019 I thought to myself at the time.\u00a0 My love for the guitar and music was just too strong to give up.\u00a0 Cut to 2019 and I find myself back in New York and inspired by the city again.\u00a0 My living conditions had changed dramatically in the subsequent 20 years but the energy that makes New York City great still remained.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The \u2018changes in his living conditions\u2019 Bonamassa described were mostly self driven.\u00a0 In 2002, Joe had a couple of releases under his belt but he was not setting the world on fire.\u00a0 He and <\/span>Roy Weisman<\/b>, his manager, decided to take control of his career by forming <\/span>J&R Adventures<\/b>.\u00a0 Having already been dropped by<\/span> Sony<\/b> and with no offers pending from other labels, they decided to finance the next album on their own.\u00a0 Their $10,000 investment would produce the aforementioned Blues Deluxe LP.\u00a0 It made enough noise in the market to give them the confidence needed to take control of everything Bonamassa.\u00a0 Performance wise, J&R employed a film industry concept called \u2018fourth-walling\u2019 where they would rent a performance space which allowed them to retain the ticket receipts.\u00a0 Relentlessly touring with marketing, publicity, and promotion all controlled in-house by J&R, they had expanded this fourth-walling idea from a two show experiment in 2008 to a 100 percent world-wide business plan.\u00a0 Even as the traditional music industry crumbled in the era of streaming (and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic), J&R Adventures has been able to profit by employing a team of twenty people whose only client is Joe Bonamassa.\u00a0 It has proven to be a financial boon for all involved.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Some say there are just too many Bonamassa records on the market at one time, but his willingness to bet on himself and the variety of projects he pursues is a direct result of the J&R business plan.\u00a0 I can not think of another artist who has put as many live albums on the market in the last twenty years (18 if you are counting), but every one of them has a different hook to attract album buyers.\u00a0 Be it a <\/span>Muddy Waters \/ Howlin\u2019 Wolf<\/b> tribute show (called Muddy Wolf) or a nod to Joe\u2019s influences (<\/span>British Blues Explosion<\/b>), Bonamassa covers a lot of musical territory.\u00a0 Space here does not allow a complete discography, but a small sampling includes live disks recorded at <\/span>Royal Albert Hall, Red Rocks Amphitheater, The Greek Theater, Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, <\/b>and the<\/span> fabled Ryman Auditorium<\/b> in Nashville.\u00a0 Add to the list 15 studio albums and 15 video albums and one can certainly see that no moss grows on this rolling Joe.\u00a0 Prior to the release of Time Clocks, Bonamassa\u2019s four most recent studio albums include <\/span>A Different Shade of Blue, Blues of Desperation, Redemption, <\/b>and <\/span>Royal Tea.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0One of the key ingredients in all of these successful albums is the collaboration between Bonamassa and producer <\/span>Kevin Shirley<\/b>, owner of <\/span>Caveman Productions<\/b> in Los Angeles.\u00a0 A South African by birth, Shirley began getting rave reviews for his work behind the board after relocating to Australia.\u00a0 He first met Joe after seeing him play at a club in Chicago.\u00a0 Backstage Kevin gave him the advice he needed to hear:\u00a0 \u201cJoe, you\u2019re a wonderful player, but unless you\u2019re willing to trust me and go outside the box, there isn\u2019t much I can do for you.\u201d\u00a0 Bonamassa called him a week later, said, \u201cAll right, I trust you.\u00a0 Let\u2019s do it.\u201d\u00a0 Working with Shirley on a regular basis since 2008\u2019s <\/span>Live from Nowhere in Particular<\/b>, they have been doing annual recording projects ever since and not all are Joe B solo projects.\u00a0 His collaborations with <\/span>Beth Hart<\/b> and <\/span>Glenn Hughes (Black Country Communion)<\/b> have also been steered by Shirley.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0All of this background brings us back to February 2021 as Bonamassa recalls,\u00a0 \u201cWe found ourselves at <\/span>Germano Studios <\/b>cutting music as a trio (but not trio music) and having to invent ways of making records when your lifelong producer is stuck in Australia due to travel restrictions.\u00a0 Kevin Shirley came up with a way of linking continents and consoles to where we had literally zero-latency.\u00a0 Add <\/span>Steve Mackey<\/b> and <\/span>Anton Fig <\/b>to the mix, a few masks and curse words and we have the \u2018New York Record\u2019 aka \u201c<\/span>Time Clocks.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/b>If you have never heard a Joe Bonamassa record, this is a great place to start.\u00a0 It is a diverse offering of solid guitar pop and blues without being just one or the other.\u00a0 The themes and arrangements are strong.\u00a0 The melodic sense will appeal to the blues purists and to those who prefer guitar driven rock.\u00a0 If one is familiar with Joe\u2019s past work, be prepared to hear \u2018familiar Joe stuff\u2019 but a \u2018brand new Bonamassa\u2019 at the same time.\u00a0 You do not have to be a guitar player to appreciate this record, but either way, I am betting everyone who buys it will spin it more than a couple of times.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Remember those magazine polls where they ask people to list the one (or two or dozen) albums they would want to have if they were shipwrecked on an island?\u00a0 With more than sixty years of listening under my belt, I can tell you the first two on my list would be <\/span>The Parade<\/b> and <\/span>Time Clocks<\/b>.\u00a0 We will be spinning both records along with other albums by both Peggy James and Joe Bonamassa throughout December and on into the new year.<\/span><\/p>\nTop Piece Video:\u00a0\u00a0Hard Times –\u00a0<\/em>the first of the trio of singles Peggy James released before The Parade came out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In the space of one week in early November 2021, two albums landed in my mailbox to remind me it was time to do a good old fashioned album review column.\u00a0 Regular readers of this column would no doubt agree the range of topics covered here is \u2018eclectic\u2019, but in the early days, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,8,6,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bands-musicians","category-from-the-vaults","category-new-music","category-woas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2380"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2384,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2380\/revisions\/2384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}