NMC # 248 JOE BONAMASSA - BLUES OF DESPERATION

[RJhog (Admin)]

*by "haven't even listened to this yet" RJ

**CRB purchases our music.  Please be fair to the artists represented here and do the same.

Joe Bonamassa - Blues of Desperation

1. Mountain Climbing

2. No Good Place For The Lonely

3. The Valley Runs Low

4. Distant Lonesome Train

5. Livin' Easy

[Scott]

That first track really didn't grab at me at all.  In fact my impression was that I was in for more of the same blues work that he's done in the past.  But that second tune, albeit similar to other work, really did work very well!  Loved that riff, and his guitar work is stellar, but that's the minimum expectation for him anyway.  But the overall song structure of "No Good Place For The Lonely" is that "other level" I haven't heard from him lately.  A classic take on a familiar blues beat and riff and he blew it out of the park!  Great tune...

The Valley Runs Low is also nice, not in that stellar range mind you, but I do really like the gospel feel mixed with the bluesy acoustic. His solo stuff is really progressing...

Distant Lonesome Train..  I'm a sucker for a good railroad jam!  I grew up in a railroadin' town, a huge majority of my family were/still are railroaders, so this one works at a few different levels for me.  I love the Claptonesque feel that can be heard in pieces and parts of the soloing.  This is another one of the take it to a higher level tunes for me. 

You picked a ragtimeish tune for the closer (even though you didn't know you did).  David Gilmour did a bit of this on his latest album as well (Rattle That Lock) and I liked it, so maybe I'm primed to hear this in some weird way.  Or maybe I've enjoyed this sampling so much that I'm in a good place!  Whatever it is , I liked this.  So now I have to go back and listen to that first track and figure if I missed something...  And so I don't think I missed too much, but I did miss some cool bass work.

This is going into the Wish List with a bullet! Fine post boss!

[Jon]

Blues Of Desperation--Thumbs Up

I've been listening to this for almost 2.5 hours now and I think I like it. The first song smokes, don't know why anyone wouldn't like it. Second and third are ok, they get better after repeated listens. They were ALMOST a letdown after that first track, but it's just a change of style. Maybe it's a bit jarring, maybe not.

I had a train set when I was a child, so the 4th track has special meaning to me. Ok, it doesn't, but it's also smokin', not as much as the first track, but close. The last track has the old-timey feel, and I like stuff like that. So, I've liked this whole album, BUT......

...I don't think I'm going to get it at this time. I don't know what the hell is going on, but I'm getting really selective on what I'm getting, at least with new releases. Maybe that'll eventually change and I'll pick this up.

   

[Scott]

Ive been very picky so far this year as well.  Ive liked the quality of what I did buy so far more than what I did last year...  This one may make into the shopping cart, but Ive not decided on it yet either...

[TageRyche]

I picked this album up yesterday but haven't yet had the chance to listen to it.