OK so in case we missed the memo somehow, Joe Bonamassa has released a pair of new songs on the interwebs.
One 'launched' on Friday, titled "When One Door Opens". The music video for this track can be found here:
https://youtu.be/48Dl1e4afnYThe other was released a number of weeks ago now, named "A Conversation With Alice"
https://youtu.be/_SKxbA2YtW8
So there is a few things going on here and I think it's an interesting pair of songs. They don't strike me as being comparable to what he's done in the past - stylistically.
I would say "A Conversation..." has a real southern rock vibe to it, there's a groove in that main riff that I really dig. The subject matter, lyrically, is clearly very personal to Joe. The solo is melodic and tasteful and doesn't shred, which I like. Everything in the song's performance feels very tight.
"When one door..." caught me by surprise, because there's so many twists and turns in there. I've only heard it twice so far. I like it but I'm not hooked on it except for that heavy riff that kicks in further into the song...
These two raise a couple of questions for me... mainly, "is it blues?"
Comments
I never really thought he was all that as a 'straight' blues player, preferred him as a rock guitarist...can imagine hm sounding great in a band like Lizzy. Suppose that's the Gary Moore thing...anyways...Good stuff!
I think JoBo is at his worst the more he tries his hand at blues authenticity, that Muddy Wolf thing he did ( probably not called that) was horrendous. A bit of a return to wanting to sound like it's 1974 isn't a bad thing in his case. I've got One Door on and that would have worked well as a Black Country Communion song, indeed this with Glenn Hughes on vocals probably better than most of what they actually did.
That thinline Tele has a B bender I think?
And... I liked these two tracks. I also prefer him doing rock than blues, more in terms of the songs than the way he plays on them. Although (again) I found Black Country Communion underwhelming.
I'm no Bona-hater but I'm pretty fed up of the same old Kevin Shirley production. Its a bit tiresome now because really it all sounds the same. This is his angsty mid-life/ post Oz singer girl breakup record.....