Joe Bonamassa???

I am left cold by Bonamassa, and wondering what all the fuss is about. yeah he can play some, but there's a lot of guys who can play. I keep thinking 'make me go wow!', and it doesn't happen.

And would it hurt to smile now and then?
 
frunobulax said:
I keep thinking 'make me go wow!', and it doesn't happen.
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Perfect summation of the problem I have with him. I can't knock abilities, but they don't speak to me. More importantly, his music doesn't speak to me. I could run a near endless list of players that may not be as "good" as Joe, but are players I'd always rather listen to. It's still sad as well that his licks are so blatantly that of other players. No, I'm no original voice in anything, but my favorite players and a bunch of folks that I don't listen to or care for have a uniqueness and originality that identifies them within the space of an average solo. The best I do that with Joe is thinking that this sounds like Eric Johnson, but I can't be sure it is, so there's a chance that it's Joe.

He is a HUGE success, but that's not a measure of anything about art and music to me is the highest of all art.
 
I think I'm one of the few on here that like Joe, generally. Like most players, there's a lot of his stuff that doesn't do it for me, but there's usually something that I like. :shrug:
 
I've been listening to the blues channel on Sirius lately and they play his stuff quite a bit. I don't care much for his stuff. To be fair, I don't like most of the newer blues music that they play. It's really dull to listen to at times.
 
I am not very familiar with Joe's work, but this thread prompted me to go listen to some of his music. While I recognize his abilities as a player, I don't find his music particularly compelling or original (I don't connect with it emotionally.) I wonder if he would be better as a sideman or part of a group with a stronger songwriter/band leader (such as John Hiatt or Lucinda Williams) who would push him in a different direction artistically. For example, I love David Lindley (and I owned several of his solo albums many years ago), but I always thought he was at his best when supporting Jackson Browne and others. I need to listen to more of Black Country Communion, but from the couple of songs I listened to, I like Joe's work and the BCC songs much more than Joe's solo music.
 
I spent like a year totally obsessing over his stuff, and I came to a few conclusions...

-calling him a straight up "blues" player is inaccurate, regardless of what he calls himself...anybody who's primary influences are Rory Gallagher, Jimmy Page, and other 70s Brit blues-rockers is at least 2 generations removed from the blues...

- he started very very young, and didn't really connect with the emotional impact of the music...it has always been my opinion the the young prodigy never does grasp that aspect of music...

-he has no life outside of playing guitar and tends to play for hours upon hours every day...the danger to that is technical prowess replaces feel...

- his business model, while extremely successful, requires a constant stream of new product which dilutes effectiveness of his original work...

I remain a huge admirer of him and his abilities but often find myself zoning in on specific songs and skipping others...but, damn, I wish I could play like that...
 
jelloman said:
I remain a huge admirer of him and his abilities but often find myself zoning in on specific songs and skipping others...but, damn, I wish I could play like that...
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The technical abilities aren't in question, it's just the lack of umph! or substance behind them.

To his the prodigy theory with a sledgehammer I have to offer Chris Thile. Masterful technician and expressive as any musician I've ever heard. It's really the player, no matter how they started...some folks have the intangible(s) while most seem to lack them. Technique would be a tangible. The ability to emote through your music and instrument, the more important aspect of music for me is completely intangible.
 
jelloman said:
I spent like a year totally obsessing over his stuff, and I came to a few conclusions...

-calling him a straight up "blues" player is inaccurate, regardless of what he calls himself...anybody who's primary influences are Rory Gallagher, Jimmy Page, and other 70s Brit blues-rockers is at least 2 generations removed from the blues...

- he started very very young, and didn't really connect with the emotional impact of the music...it has always been my opinion the the young prodigy never does grasp that aspect of music...

-he has no life outside of playing guitar and tends to play for hours upon hours every day...the danger to that is technical prowess replaces feel...

- his business model, while extremely successful, requires a constant stream of new product which dilutes effectiveness of his original work...

I remain a huge admirer of him and his abilities but often find myself zoning in on specific songs and skipping others...but, damn, I wish I could play like that...
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Nailed it! :thu:
 
surprised nobody mentioned how much of a nice guy he is.
as if that makes his music better?
being nice is my least favorite attribute of a bluesman.
 
B Valley said:
I like this album a lot. He seems like a decent guy, but he doesn't look the part and has to prove he gets the blues.
joe-bonamassa-driving-towards-the-daylight-cover.jpg
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I have that CD as well. I like it.

I have one of the Tour at Force Blu-Rays but haven't watched it yet.

I saw some of the Muddy Wolf show recorded at Red Rocks. That was pretty good.
 
I have not cared that much about his studio stuff. I saw him live once and he was spectacular. It was also like a trip to the guitar candy store to see the great instruments brought to him on a velvet cushion (okay, that was a hallucination). He opened with Rory Gallagher's Cradle Rock and nailed the intro. That raised the bar high for me and it stayed there the whole concert.
 
frunobulax said:
the guitar faces thrown would be like nothing ever before!
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The only way to take it to another guitar-face level would be to add Joe Walsh to the bill. However, his presence would nullify the notion of Blandstock.

You know how sad it is that Mayer and likely Bonamassa could play/sellout more and larger venues than Mr. Walsh. How fucked up is that. Walsh is complete package, but I guess he's just too old?
 
Dogsinotpalc said:
The only way to take it to another guitar-face level would be to add Joe Walsh to the bill. However, his presence would nullify the notion of Blandstock.

You know how sad it is that Mayer and likely Bonamassa could play/sellout more and larger venues than Mr. Walsh. How fucked up is that. Walsh is complete package, but I guess he's just too old?
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Mayer, Bonamassa and Walsh - you have a great billing for the next G3 .
 
I like Joe. I actually like Joe a hell of a lot better than I like Robert Cray, which may be fighting words.

I LOVE his cover of Just Got Paid on one of his live albums.
 
Joe B reminds when Gary Moore decided to do the blues thing. It was too busy, too overdriven, just too much all around. Unlike Joe B. Gary Moore was previous the change one of the best rock/hard rock guitarists ever. Everyone was creaming their shorts for Eddie, Yngwie, Vai, Slash, and a myriad of other and Gary was better than each of them, if not the lot of them. Joe B only has his corporate guitar geek blues rock thing and it just ain't to my taste.

Great technician with killer gear, but I don't give a shit about that.
 
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