Joe Bonamassa - Royal Tea

TINMAN82

“It angers me how scholars associate the blues strictly with tragedy”... B.B. King

I think you’d struggle to find a single remaining bluesman from the “golden era”...not many left right enough, who’d find issue with Joe Bonamassa keeping the tradition alive.

Ironic how pretentious some people’s opinions on this subject are. JB wasn’t “a bedroom player who got good”. He was playing live with BB King at 12years old.

soma1975

Mick Hucknall played with BB King. Really makes you think, eh?

Joe B is an industry. The industry is 'watered down blues-influenced music'. It's completely valid has clearly has a big audience. It's just not my bag and I look for authenticity in my music as opposed to someone giving me a all singing stage show all the edges rounded off impression of various types of music. 

Of course people who make money out of playing blues music are not going to knock people who champion blues music. But do you reckon Buddy Guy listens to Joe B at home?

EricTheWeary

soma1975 said:

Mick Hucknall played with BB King. Really makes you think, eh?

Joe B is an industry. The industry is 'watered down blues-influenced music'. It's completely valid has clearly has a big audience. It's just not my bag and I look for authenticity in my music as opposed to someone giving me a all singing stage show all the edges rounded off impression of various types of music. 

Of course people who make money out of playing blues music are not going to knock people who champion blues music. But do you reckon Buddy Guy listens to Joe B at home?

FWIW Mick is a big fan of blues and soul and made a very fine blues album ( as well as appearing on record and live with BB). 

TINMAN82

Authenticity being what..Black? Previous occupation on a cotton field? Drug addiction/ alcoholism? Low socioeconomic status? Music isn’t real unless a musician satisfies one or more of these?

If the actual music isn’t your thing, fair enough. Plenty of music around that’s not my bag too. Like I said, the authenticity argument (in 2020) seems a bit pretentious to me. 

soma1975

TINMAN82 said:

Authenticity being what..Black? Previous occupation on a cotton field? Drug addiction/ alcoholism? Low socioeconomic status? Music isn’t real unless you’re satisfied one or more of these apply?

If the actual music isn’t your thing, fair enough. Plenty of music around that’s not my bag too. Like I said, the authenticity argument (in 2020) seems a bit pretentious to me. 

Authenticity being believing what you are singing, no matter what this is. An album cover with the hard work-stained hands of a man from the fields (not necessarily cotton) is frankly laughable except as part of the blues theme park ride. 

soma1975

EricTheWeary said:

soma1975 said:

Mick Hucknall played with BB King. Really makes you think, eh?

Joe B is an industry. The industry is 'watered down blues-influenced music'. It's completely valid has clearly has a big audience. It's just not my bag and I look for authenticity in my music as opposed to someone giving me a all singing stage show all the edges rounded off impression of various types of music. 

Of course people who make money out of playing blues music are not going to knock people who champion blues music. But do you reckon Buddy Guy listens to Joe B at home?

FWIW Mick is a big fan of blues and soul and made a very fine blues album ( as well as appearing on record and live with BB). 

That reads a lot better if you read it in Alan Partridge's voice. 

jumping@shadows

I wholly agree Joe B’s original music is tedious to the extreme, and his ‘performance’ voice so contrived to the point of pastiche, but having been up close and personal can attest he can play like a mo’fo off the cuff, and has earned his dues in that regard. 

Inspiration and a gift for melody/harmony are much, much harder to come by than technical chops, and stems from true artistic talent, and I don’t believe he even aspires to achieve such a thing really..

soma1975

Oh the guy can play his arse off. I love when he's demonstrating other people's styles or songs in an informal setting. 

LPManic

Somebody used the word above in a different context but it is the perfect word for JB: naff.

That is exactly what he is: naff. 

From the suits and shades to the crap songs and the crap voice. Pure naff.

That doesn't mean that he can't play. He obviously can. But Jesus there is nothing deeper in there. Embarrassing.

jamesoliver1234

I’m sure the album comes with a free tea bag 

EricTheWeary

soma1975 said:

EricTheWeary said:

soma1975 said:

Mick Hucknall played with BB King. Really makes you think, eh?

Joe B is an industry. The industry is 'watered down blues-influenced music'. It's completely valid has clearly has a big audience. It's just not my bag and I look for authenticity in my music as opposed to someone giving me a all singing stage show all the edges rounded off impression of various types of music. 

Of course people who make money out of playing blues music are not going to knock people who champion blues music. But do you reckon Buddy Guy listens to Joe B at home?

FWIW Mick is a big fan of blues and soul and made a very fine blues album ( as well as appearing on record and live with BB). 

That reads a lot better if you read it in Alan Partridge's voice. 

You have a point there. 

kin

The album would have to come with a free tea bagging before I would even consider buying it

AndyJP

I kind of prefer him when he's got someone else singing.  Great player but his solo tunes don't rock my chod.

Blaendulais

Barnezy said:

TINMAN82 said:

Barnezy said:

A guy playing blues on a $300k LP does make me laugh.

Because blues as a genre isn’t worthy of an expensive vintage guitar? Is Kirk Hammet playing thrash metal on Greeny more deserving? Some chill required methinks.

It's just ironic. Blues was created from the hardship of life by ex-slaves and people from extreme poverty on instruments that matched that life. 

Now some privileged white geek tries to emulate the same music on a $300k guitar to middle-class white audiences.

I'm a fan of blues, just not of JB. Although his stuff may be technically good, I find it very souless.

What makes you think hes priveliged he worked his F'in arse off

Blaendulais

Schnozz said:

He was charging £100 a ticket in Carlisle - You can buy a house for that there.

Yes and now they have a covid offer - buy one get 7 free

idiotwindow

Blaendulais said:

Barnezy said:

What makes you think hes priveliged he worked his F'in arse off

I don't think anyone disputes Bonamassa has worked hard but I think he also has a fairly privileged background. His father owned a musical instrument dealership or something like that. He's like an American Lee Anderton but with more skill.

Skipped

Can I just say:

Good Luck Joe B. And Good Luck Joe B.