Joe Bonnamasa- The Ballad of John Henry
( Provogue Records PRO 7272 2)
Joe Bonnamasa- The Ballad of John Henry
( Provogue Records PRO 7272 2)
From Aural Innovations May 2009 update
It has been a few years since I have heard a Joe Bonammasa record but this
is pretty impressive and it contains a lot of great songs and excellent guitar
playing and tone. This is apparently his 9th record (I have only 4 of them).
The record contains quite a few really personal songs about ex-girlfriends,
things important to Joe and great liner notes about inspiration and other stuff
for each track. He has written some really nice liner notes as well in the deluxe
digipack version that I picked up cheap in London. The opening and title track
has a great guitar riff and is not really a ballad at all. Slow and heavy. Stop
is a nearly 7 min blues track with some really great guitar. I think he has
the best tone ever on this record. Last Kiss has a rough edge guitar riff and
some nice Hammond as well. Cool track. A cover of Tom Wait’s Jockey Full
of Bourbon is next and musically it is a really great version but vocally, it
just does not do it for me, when you have heard Tom sing it. Story of a Quarryman,
with the message from Joe, that you should play this one LOUD… Awesome
sound and song. Lonesome road Blues is one of Joe’s old songs and a faster
paced driving track. Short track. Happier Times is a slow dark track with some
great acoustic guitar playing. Fantastic stuff. Really moving.. Feelin’
Good features some slide guitar to compliment acoustic and other guitars.. Lots
of guitars on this one. Funkier than a Mosquito’s Tweeter he uses the
same set up as Jeff Beck was using back in 1974! The track is not all that funky
actually (except the horns-very JB inspired). The Great Flood, Joe says is the
best song he has ever written. You have to make up your own mind. From the Valley
features his 1931 national steel body guitar with some nice delay in this short
instrumental track. Great sound. As the Crow Flies, a Tony Joe White track ends
the CD and Joe rips… Great album.
Check out Joe's cool web site at: http://www.joebonamassa.com
Reviewed by Scott Heller