J.Bonamassa New Album Dustbowl to be released in March

[Blaze]

http://jbonamassa.com/2011/01/new-album-dustbowl-to-be-released-in-march/

 

[marnold]

Saw that via his mailing list. Duets with John Hiatt and Vince Gill could be interesting. Maybe Joe will become a bigger name now.

 

[Jimi75]

Mass production. Sorry to say, but his last albums were pretty boring.

 

[Blaze]

Mass production. Sorry to say, but his last albums were pretty boring.

Agree !!

 

[Commodore 64]

ba·nal/ˈbānl/
Adjective: So lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring.

Joe Banalmassa

 

[marnold]

Banal? Really? I realize everybody is entitled their opinion but that seems rather harsh and dismissive.

I personally think that "The Ballad of John Henry" is a great album, second in my estimation to "You and Me." His RAH DVD is spectacular. Even "Black Rock" which I seemed just OK when it came out has grown on me.

 

[guitartango]

Joe needs to hire some decent song writers and make a "f hell what a album", rather than another zzzzzzzzzzzzz rock album. His version of STOP is brilliant but as you know it is a cover of a 80's song.

 

[marnold]

Here's a teaser clip for everyone to hate:

 

[duhvoodooman]

People here have been commenting that Joe should branch out from the heavy concentration on blues & blues-based rock, and from the listing of songs on this upcoming album, it appears that he's trying to do that.

His last effort, Black Rock, is probably my least favorite album of his, with the possible exception of So, It's Like That. but I enjoyed The Ballad of John Henry greatly--thought that it had a number of very fine tunes on it. My favorite remains his Live From Nowhere in Particular double-live CD; live performance is where I think Joe really shines.

To his detractors, I would just say.....hey, if you don't enjoy electric blues and blues-based rock, go listen to someone else. And the comment re: "banal" I just find flippant (see following) and uninformed.

flip·pant /ˈflipənt/
Adjective: Not showing a serious or respectful attitude

 

[Blaze]

I ve been a Joe s fan for a while mow , i love the Gibson Tone and his playin but I think that a come back on Fenderish tools would make him sound and play different ..Could be cool to mix Gibsons and Fenders styles in a futur album..Just my 2 cents..

 

[duhvoodooman]

I ve been a Joe s fan for a while mow , i love the Gibson Tone and his playin but I think that a come back on Fenderish tools would make him sound and play different ..Could be cool to mix Gibsons and Fenders styles in a futur album..Just my 2 cents..

Yeah, I would like to see that happen, too. I kind of suspect that after all those years on the road playing to small crowds and not making much $$, Joe jumped on some sort of lucrative endorsement deal with Gibson that in some way limits him from using Fender products. I know he routinely performs with Music Man guitars, though, so it's not an "exclusive" endorsement deal. I miss that gold metal-flake Strat he used to play a lot--fantastic sounding guitar. The Blues Deluxe CD in particular was crammed full of great Strat tones. Those custom Gigliotti Tele's he had were fantastic sounding, too. I'd like to see him play more slide again, too, on those great sounding Chandler LectraSlide's.

 

[Tig]

I plan on giving the new album a fair listen with no expectations, just an open mind and wax-free ears!
Not knowing what to expect helps tremendously what first listening to a new release or new movie, for that matter.

 

[duhvoodooman]

...I miss that gold metal-flake Strat he used to play a lot--fantastic sounding guitar.

Well, I guess we won't see Joe playing it again. But for the right bid, YOU could!

http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/publ...ItemNo=4910106&iSaleNo=19226&iSaleSectionNo=1

 

[Tig]

Wow...
Bonamassa says of this guitar generously donated to the auction:
"This gold sparkle stratocaster has been part of my music since I have been 17 years old. There was a time in my very early 20s that I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue pursuing music as a profession. I had grown tired of the grind and the task ahead of me to even make a modest living seemed monumental. I sold off all my guitars except one. For some reason or another I kept the gold Stratocaster that I assembled from various vintage parts. I have always and will always have great affection for that guitar down to the pin-up girl sticker that I found in a Omaha antique shop for the grand sum of 5 dollars.. This is the guitar that inspired me to pull myself up by my boot straps, refocus and go on to have a successful decade of making solo albums. There is only one person in this world whom I trust to see to the sale of it and that is Eric Clapton. It is very important to me that it finds a loving home. I am honored to be a part of such a wonderful auction for a great cause."

 

[Jimi75]

I have posted the link to the Clapton auction and piece number 135 or 136 was Joe's formerly beloved Strat. I have seen him couple of times playing that guitar and to my impression he loved that instrument. At the time Fender brought out their golden Strat, Joe was still a little number in the musical circus, so I never understood why he blamed them for producing a pesudo JB sig. Same thing goes for Phillip Sayce and his Strat. If I was Joe, I had changed the look of the Strat, mabe painted it differently to set a clear sign, but the instrument itself has a certain character that you as a musician fell in love with, so why parting ways? I hope that he doesn't regret this step. Like most of you guys I really wish he'd go back and play some nice Strats and Teles again. His sound on Blues Deluxe was tremendous.

 

[marnold]

Maybe the new album will address some people's concerns here?

 

[Tig]

A few listens and I'm liking it. Most of the songs are huge and well produced with several texture layers and great guitar tones. I see it as a return to past greatness without repeating past albums. The blues songs are, well, nice and bluesy. He manages to continue to explore newer musical styles, and his efforts are better served this time than with Black Rock. "No Love On The Street" is a good example. My favorite track is "The Last Matador Of Bayonne".

Needless to say, Joe's playing is incredible here. Most of the songs sound like they came together easily, flowing well, with a few solos coming straight from the soul ("The Last Matador Of Bayonne" and "Prisoner"). There are some songs that I don't necessarily like, but that goes with most albums. I can see this album staying in my play list much longer than some of the recent JB albums, so I recommend it for most past/present fans.

 

[Eric]

"Prisoner"

I like the song "Prisoner" by King's X...

Seriously though, I guess I might try this album out...if I remember to get it.

 

[marnold]

I bought it this morning but haven't had an opportunity to listen to the whole thing yet. I had to spend today doing my taxes. "Heartbreaker," unsurprisingly, sounds like a BCC song since Glenn Hughes is on it. My wife and I both liked "Dust Bowl" when he played it in concert.

I got the one from Amazon with the digital booklet. That's a nice compromise for people who miss the album art/liner notes. Since it's a PDF, you can view it as big as you want. I know that's not a JB-specific thing, but that's pretty cool anyway.