Bonamassa Megalomania?

[TheX]

SlyStrat is practicing his mean girl persona. I think it needs a little more work.

Oh shit, I guess the proper response would have been "you go grrrrl".

 

[Hootton]

I'll add my two cents' worth, as everyone else has!

In the interests of disclosure, I'd put myself firmly in the 'fan' camp when it comes to Joe.

I can definitely appreciate some of the comments about some of his stuff sounding a little sterile, I wonder if that comes from the fact the is almost too 'clean' of a player? Often it is the quirks and/or perceived sloppiness that give the inimitable character to the best loved axemen such as Slash or Page.

I find I go though phases with JB, sometimes it's great, other times it leaves me a little nonplussed, almost as if he finds it too easy and the solos are somewhat interchangeable. I get the 'playing for the sake of playing' viewpoint.

Then there are songs like If Heartaches were Nickels (check out the version live from Beacon Theatre!), or any live version of Mountain Time, The Last Matador of Bayonne (on Dust Bowl), The Last Song for my Resting Place from the latest Black Country Communion album, or some of the Etta James tunes he covered with Beth Hart (I'd Rather Go Blind live in Amsterdam is worth a look) that demonstrate a sense of touch and purpose to the guitar chops that can move you. Indeed having seen BCC live in January, they are a very different beast and there is some quite dirty playing on those albums!

Some of the merchandise he is peddling is pure tat, but I have no interest in buying it, I just have to laugh at some of the ideas his team come up with (branded dog apparel anyone?!), but I certainly don't begrudge him trying to squeeze a few more bucks when up against the laptop music generation. What I do take umbrage with is the increasing ticket prices, but that's another conversation.

Anyway, getting to the point I wanted to make (!), one thing that I think is worth bringing to the fore is the fact that he is promoting the genre of music we all love and helping to open it up to younger listeners. I personally have been inspired to delve back into some of artists that he has covered or collaborated with and do some 'music history' and 'rock appreciation' research (to borrow Jack Black's line from School of Rock). I have discovered a new found appreciation for artists such as Free, who are criminally under appreciated outside of rock geek territory, Deep Purple, Walter Trout, Jimmy Barnes (check out Stone Cold between the two of them!), Gary Moore, the three American Kings of Blues, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf but to name a few.

I would have been far less likely to dig through their respective back catalogues if I were still listening to since dead or retired rock artists from decades gone by. In fact, I have been surprised at just how much I have enjoyed the live tribute albums Three Kings and Live at the Greek (songs like Spoonful and Hummingbird).

He has also probably had some influence on my growing interest in the history and development of the instruments that we fawn over and the myriad of tone nuances achievable, albeit it I don't have the budget for a vintage 60s amp or '59 LP!

Surely that has to count for something?

 

[larryguitar]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spats_(footwear)

spats

 

[Leotis]

I have to admit, I have to draw a line there

You're not cuckoo for Yoko Puffs?

 

[gem12]

I never like the man and also his style of playing.
I don't know why!!!
Just saying.

 

[Martins LP]

I like Joe, I appreciate his guitar playing and I like the way he embraces modern media like YouTube and Instagram. The only thing I think he's missing is the core 'hits', the songs he's synonymous with. I think he started to have it with songs like Sloe Gin and Mountain time but he doesn't seem to play them anymore. He needs a Clapton/Layla, Hendrix/Voodoo Chile, SRV/Texas Flood type of thing. He is more of a technical player but I enjoy all aspects of guitar playing, emotional and technical.

I've never understood the Led Zeppelin thing, I find it a bit embarrassing and dated but that's mainly down to the vocal I suppose. Maybe I should revisit their albums and see if I can get past it now.

I'd probably prefer a JB version over the original. But that's ok, we don't all have to like the same things!

 

[Mindfrigg]

Oh shit, I guess the proper response would have been "you go grrrrl".

He's lucky I didn't hit him with my purse.

 

[TheX]

He's lucky I didn't hit him with my purse.

He would look at you and say "oh no you din't" and get all triggered.

 

[Mindfrigg]

Meow!

 

[ballou48]

I watched this link last night on another forum.

Tbh..Don't know why the guy just doesn't move me.

For all Joe's awesomeness he suffers from the same malady that a lot of other great guitar players have, he's not a song writer. Also there seems to be no spontaneity in his performance, he's so stiff and serious all the time that at times it's seems burdensome. He seems to need musicians he can bond with and play off of instead of using the same old same old.

 

[Mindfrigg]

I think he's somebody who would benefit from a songwriting partner. Zeppelin...that was a partnership. Beatles, of course. And apart they were never as good.

Can't think of any Blues partnerships offhand. Must be one.

Personally, I never liked Clapton much after Cream..or Layla. He spent most the '70s nicking JJ Cale's stuff. Of which...the originals were better. And his own stuff was a yawner for the most part. Just my opinion. So the material is very important, whatever your level of skill. Lots of very competent guitarists just don't appeal to me personally. And it's their material.

 

[nodrog5150]

Got an email today from Bonamassa saying to watch his Bona-Zeppelin rendition of a couple songs.

Bona-Zeppelin??? Are you kidding me? Now you're putting your self-important Bona stamp on Led Zeppelin???? Get over your pretentious Bona self!!! I like your playing, met you, seen you play a bunch of times and even bought one of your personal guitars. That said, I have also been trying like hell to justify not unsubscribing, but this is just too much. You may be a thing these days but your fricken' ego is out of control... send your mile-long pitchy emails selling your JB logo'd underwear to someone else, I'm done with you!

 

[nodrog5150]

If you got it flaunt it , I say. You don't spend your whole life on world stages and in the public eye not to want to let it all hang out!
These people ain't like the rest of us, they have a burning desire to get a reaction from the public. Remember what John Lennon said when touring the US way back then.
"We're bigger than Jesus" why would he say that? Because he could! Joe's just living the dream he always dreamed. Let's face it if anyone can cover Led Zep it's him! ️

 

[nodrog5150]

For all Joe's awesomeness he suffers from the same malady that a lot of other great guitar players have, he's not a song writer. Also there seems to be no spontaneity in his performance, he's so stiff and serious all the time that at times it's seems burdensome. He seems to need musicians he can bond with and play off of instead of using the same old same old.

For all Joe's awesomeness he suffers from the same malady that a lot of other great guitar players have, he's not a song writer. Also there seems to be no spontaneity in his performance, he's so stiff and serious all the time that at times it's seems burdensome. He seems to need musicians he can bond with and play off of instead of using the same old same old.

Sounds awesome from here. Be nailed that sound perfectly.... Beautiful. I could listen to him l night. Can't say the same for post Clapton

 

[MrP]

I think he's somebody who would benefit from a songwriting partner. Zeppelin...that was a partnership. Beatles, of course. And apart they were never as good.

Can't think of any Blues partnerships offhand. Must be one.

Mick Taylor with Jagger/Richards

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

He spent most the '70s nicking JJ Cale's stuff. Of which...the originals were better. And his own stuff was a yawner for the most part. Just my opinion.

One that I share. I also think Cale's stuff is a bit meh as well, even as originals and not covers.

 

[Mindfrigg]

I'm not sayin' Clapton doesn't have his moments...cuz he does. It all depends on context for me. And I always liked Cale's Tulsa sound..even when the material was not great. After Midnight and Cocaine were two songs that Clapton just basically did covers of, and in a kind of redundant way. But I enjoyed Cream's Royal Albert Hall reunion DVD very much. However it was as much the material and who he was playing with. The licks weren't perfection, but they were in the moment. And that's Blues and/or Rock IMO.

 

[Left Paw]

For all Joe's awesomeness he suffers from the same malady that a lot of other great guitar players have, he's not a song writer. Also there seems to be no spontaneity in his performance, he's so stiff and serious all the time that at times it's seems burdensome. He seems to need musicians he can bond with and play off of instead of using the same old same old.

I think this is correct, and others have made the same point. George Thorogood is a great interpreter and entertainer but never much of a songwriter. Which was fine, because he was such a great entertainer. Then he got that one song, "Bad to the Bone" which is pretty much a retread of Muddy and Bo but with GT's lyrics. But that's all it took. Now he's still a great entertainer and has his go-to song that everyone knows. JB doesn't get have his go-to song although I would have put money on either "Heavenly Soul" or "Drive" myself. But they didn't get traction. Still waiting.

 

[Mindfrigg]

Mick Taylor with Jagger/Richards

There ya go.


For what it's worth. My opinion and a couple of bucks will get you a large coffee at Duncan Donuts.

 

[major]

I love Bonamassa. Saw him live when he last came to the UK. Brilliant!

Listened to the "British Blues" thing.

Gotta say I was disappointed.

Every track is his rendition of an original, running into a 10 minute "play by numbers" live "leaning back whilst playing guitar" thing.

If you were there watching it, I'm sure you would have had a ball. Listening to it on record? No....

I kept wanting to replace his version with the (better) original.

The worst is his version of a great favorite of mine - Clapton's "Motherless Children".

Nor really JB's fault - but either the drummer, or the engineer who miked up the drums, manages to turn the song into a leaden dirge, and lose all the energy of the original.

To JB - I was born in 1950, so I lived thru the "British Blues" thing - I got it, but if you are not going to improve on it - leave it alone - do your own stuff.