Joe Bonamassa - new album...

matt1973

If Frank Oz was a Rock singer. |:D

As a guitarist, he's stunning. I find the Beth Hart stuff the most palatable material by far. 

Bucket

The constant slew of overpriced signature gear and guitar magazine articles is a bit annoying, and I suppose familiarity breeds contempt, but whenever I listen to him playing it strikes me that he really is very, very fucking good. I always enjoy listening to him.

Lixarto

RocknRollDave said:

Lixarto said:

I don't like JB's music though. He spoiled BCC as far as I'm concerned.

Have you heard the California Breed stuff..? I really don't like the guitarist Hughes and Bonham have gone for..

I have heard the first track. It was so "Zeppelin" I turned it off in (mock) outrage.

Must find time to give it a proper go

Octahedron

I think the guy that they picked for California Breed (Andrew Watt) is actually a legitimately good guitarist and he has a solo EP up on iTunes as well which has some good stuff on it - and there's a video here which some might have seen:

I don't remember, who produced the California Breed album?

Just looked it up - Dave Cobb. No idea who he is. What else has he done? At least they didn't pick Kevin Shirley!

I think my (harsh) criticism of California Breed is "Glenn Hughes is the problem"

Let Watt sing and let him have more of a guitar break!! 

That said, Watt's solo stuff is quite bass-heavy, which the CB album is also. Which I don't necessarily like. When you match it up that Hughes comes across to me (when he sings) as having a bit of an over-inflated ego. 

Kebabkid

I think JB is branching out into a new line of work but he's still keeping a hand in

http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/307919/#Comment_307919

hubobulous

Typical Bonamassa. He'll be selling replica vans soon, along with decals that you can affix to your own car/bus/van. ;-)

TPReggie

I may get ridiculed for this, but I am kind of a JB fan, the title track off this album is pretty cool, I love the Blues and he is on my list of acts I desperately want to see live - which begs the question...

WHY ARE HIS SHOWS SO F$££" EXPENSIVE??????????

Going to see Kenny Wayne Shepherd in November, reasonably priced tickets. £22 each, smaller venue, and smaller/less known artist I know - but still, good price.

JB in March 2015, £117 per ticket - what the hell is up with that? Can anyone tell me why he is at least double the price of any other gig I have seen? I am never going to get to see the guy at these prices, the wife would go nuts 

)

RocknRollDave

£117 a ticket?! Wtf?!


Guess there's a lot of 1950's guitars to pay the HP on...

richardhomer

RocknRollDave;308200" said:

£117 a ticket?!

I wouldn't pay that to see a reincarnated, reunited Beatles, supported by Elvis and Jimi Hendrix!

Danny1969

TPReggie said:

I may get ridiculed for this, but I am kind of a JB fan, the title track off this album is pretty cool, I love the Blues and he is on my list of acts I desperately want to see live - which begs the question...

WHY ARE HIS SHOWS SO F$££" EXPENSIVE??????????

Going to see Kenny Wayne Shepherd in November, reasonably priced tickets. £22 each, smaller venue, and smaller/less known artist I know - but still, good price.

JB in March 2015, £117 per ticket - what the hell is up with that? Can anyone tell me why he is at least double the price of any other gig I have seen? I am never going to get to see the guy at these prices, the wife would go nuts 

)

I saw him in Shepards Bush last year. The show had been massively oversold. We walked in the door stepped forward 2 feet and that was as far as we could go. Couldn't see shit and sound from there was just muffled crap. Great I think, that was £60 each  well spent! So despite complaints from other punters we edge slowly down the side towards the bar. From there we could see the bass players arm and the occasional glimpse of a guy playing brass. 

FOH sound was interesting, it was a whole lotta Joe's guitar and not a lot else

This is the gig I wish I saw ..... note to guitarist : if you wanna look good as a  player "do not" invite Greg Koch up on stage

Zodiac51

I saw him at the Paris Grand Rex in the spring, paid 90 euro, 2nd row great big leather comfy armchair like seats - It was like he was playing just for me in my living room

I would have happily paid twice that. Listen to those Jubilees and Dumbles roar was just epic

Si_

I've seen him live about 8 times over the last 5 years.. TBH his shows are getting boring, same set lists, same stupid acoustic crap in the middle.. 

was thinking of going to see him again but his prices are now taking the Pi$$. £117 for a fecking blues guy in London.. I paid £75 to see Black Sabbath, Sound Garden, Faith No More, Motorhead and a load of others in 1 day..

He's up his own Ar$e these days..

hubobulous

I must admit, whilst I really do love what Bonamassa does in both the marketing and playing senses, that is just a mad amount of money to be charging for a gig.

But, if he sells out the venue for 4 nights, then the market has dictated that he got it spot on. I won't be paying that amount, but will keep my eye on prices to see if they come down.

Elx

That's a lot of money for 2 hours of I IV V, sorry...no matter how well it's played...

Axe_meister

I think JB needs to sit down with a really good song writer, and maybe a different producer.

Even Mr Clapton uses other writers.

The problem Joe has is he is part of a three way partnership.

Him performing, a producer and a money guy. They are running a very good business and the model clearly works well at the moment. But arguably Joes best work is when he steps outside of the business, e.g.  BCC/Beth Hart, etc.

The same with Clapton, when he is out of his comfort zone he plays very well. 

Octahedron

Have a wisdom Axe_meister.

I think you've given the most accurate assessment of the situation in this thread so far. 

The BCC and Beth Hart albums are all fantastic... Just saying. He's a tool to let BCC slip. CB is good but it's not what BCC was for sure. 

beed84

His new album is shit and I haven't even listened to it yet. Funnily enough, I doubt I ever will.

hubobulous

Interesting isn't it. I couldn't stand the BCC stuff, mainly to do with those bloody nasal vocals of Mr Hughes. :-(

richardhomer

Axe_meister;309158" said:

Even Mr Clapton uses other writers

And albums like 'Behind The Sun' were all the better for it.

There's nothing more annoying that some one putting out an album of craps songs just so they get the publishing. 'Original' blues songs are particularly irritating...

EC has relied of J J Cale, Jerry Williams, Dylan and many more to provide the bulk of his material and openly admits he is not capable of writing enough good songs himself.

JB would be well advised to follow suit.

hubobulous

richardhomer said:

Axe_meister;309158" said:

Even Mr Clapton uses other writers

And albums like 'Behind The Sun' were all the better for it.

There's nothing more annoying that some one putting out an album of craps songs just so they get the publishing. 'Original' blues songs are particularly irritating...

EC has relied of J J Cale, Jerry Williams, Dylan and many more to provide the bulk of his material and openly admits he is not capable of writing enough good songs himself.

JB would be well advised to follow suit.

I sort of know what you mean, but if he sells the albums/merchandise and gets punters to gigs, then he'd probably be in a strong position to say that his approach is working.