Joe Bonamassa - tin hats on....

Loobs

stickyfiddle said:

Talk of tin hats... 

http://www.musicradar.com/news/joe-bonamassa-using-pedals-that-make-you-sound-like-everything-but-your-guitar-is-fking-lazy

“I’ve really gotten over pedals. I can’t keep up with this craze of boutique pedals that make you sound like everything but your guitar. I can’t get my head around it. So you don’t want to play a guitar [properly] so you buy a box that makes it sound like an algorithm, like you just fired up your computer and you can spend the night staring at your fuckin’ shoes? C’mon man…

“I know I’ll get shit for saying this, but it’s fucking lazy. It’s insulting to people who spent 35 years playing and learning, like a lot of players. And we continue to work at it! These guys can barely play a chord but call themselves soundscapists. Get the fuck outta here! It’s bullshit. There’s so much masking and spin going on there. Can we get real for a minute? What do you actually play? Pick up an acoustic guitar… try that!”

He's a brave/stupid man... I guess his fanbase is the LP-into-5e3-plus-Klon crowd, so I'm not bothered, and I'm sure he doesn't literally mean every single use of FX is pointless, but for a man who has spent a career playing other people's blues licks boringly it seems a little shortsighted at best...

surprised not more has been said about those comments on here....

OilCityPickups

I'm basically a blues player, though I dabble in lots of other styles ... and while I have nothing personally against JB, I am with those who simply don't find his playing exciting. I'm not sure why ... I've tried to like his stuff, but somehow it seems to lack 'fire in the belly'. I will be contentious and say I think he's probably a far superior technician than say the late Stevie Ray Vaughn ... but I can listen to SRV all day in the workshop and not get bored ... or Jeff Healey, or Johnny Winter. With JB no amount of tinkering with his gear can overcome, for me, the essential 'blandness' of his solos or his voice.  

shaunm

TheGuitarWeasel said:

I'm basically a blues player, though I dabble in lots of other styles ... and while I have nothing personally against JB, I am with those who simply don't find his playing exciting. I'm not sure why ... I've tried to like his stuff, but somehow it seems to lack 'fire in the belly'. I will be contentious and say I think he's probably a far superior technician than say the late Stevie Ray Vaughn ... but I can listen to SRV all day in the workshop and not get bored ... or Jeff Healey, or Johnny Winter. With JB no amount of tinkering with his gear can overcome, for me, the essential 'blandness' of his solos or his voice.  

His playing seems mechanical in comparison to say SRV. It lacks soul or emotion and seems more like a caracature of what speedy blues should be. 

I like Joe but He’s no Derek Trucks. 

Conversely, I think Gary Clark Jr gets way more critical praise than Bonamassa when I don’t find that he is due that credit. I find GC jr’s Playing totally uninspiring.

AlexC

Anyone into Blues music should check out the Ruf records label. There's some really interesting contemporary players and singers in their catalogue. (And no - I have no vested interest in saying that)

dindude

Basically Joe, there is far more beauty, expression, creativity, and even tone in this track (from the 4 minute mark) than I’ve heard from your output, despite how “lazy” it is, with only 3 or 4 notes and effected sound.

https://youtu.be/3_ojOSHowRA