|
| Sloe Gin | 
 enlarge | Artist: Joe Bonamassa
Label: Premier Artists
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $10.98
You Save: $8.00 (42%)
New (38) Used (9) from $9.69
Avg. Customer Rating:  72 reviews
Sales Rank: 4361
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 60283
UPC: 805386028323
EAN: 0805386028323
ASIN: B000SO7IX0
Release Date: August 21, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
|
| Tracks:
| • | Ball Peen Hammer | | • | One of These Days | | • | Seagull | | • | Dirt in my Pocket | | • | Sloe Gin | | • | Another Kind of Love | | • | Around the Bend | | • | Black Night | | • | Jelly Roll | | • | Richmond | | • | India |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
In the liner notes of Sloe Gin, emerging guitar great Joe Bonamassa explains that one of his objectives is to experiment with acoustic elements he first encountered while listening to Rod Stewart's earliest work. "I think the heavy blues and acoustic mix well together," he writes, and the inviting variety of the disc's 11 tracks--from the rousing electric rave-up of the title track to the closing, tabla-propelled acoustic instrumental--persuasively underscores his point. Bonamassa is a major talent with a growing following, and as his fan base inevitably expands it may become difficult for him to keep everyone happy. Hardcore blues devotees no doubt will yearn for Bonamassa to stay perpetually plugged in, but in the long term that would be a disservice to his broad range of skills. Bonamassa rocks formidably and convincingly on "Dirt in My Pocket" (a bristling original composition), the title track (well suited for air guitar), and his Claptonesque rendering of John Mayall's "Another Kind of Love." Yet his softer works suggest that he sounds a little more comfortable and natural--vocally, at least--on the acoustic tracks. His retooled version of "Around the Bend" (his first take on this original composition is found on an earlier release) is an engaging, pastoral gem, and his paean to his upstate New York home ("Richmond") is perhaps this disc's most memorable selection. Bonamassa knows the blues (at the time of this release, he was the youngest member on the board of the Blues Foundation), but he also knows how to rock and how to sagaciously, artfully ease off the gas. --Terry Wood
Product Description
Voted by Guitar Player readers as 2007's Best Blues Guitarist, blues-rock guitar virtuoso, vocalist, and songwriter JOE BONAMASSA is set to release his seventh solo album, SLOE GIN, on August 21, 2007. Bonamassa's fourth release, the disc re-teams him with producer Kevin Shirley (Joe Satriani, Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Led Leppelin), who produced 2006's YOU & ME, which debuted at #1 on Billboard's Blues Chart in June of last year.
SLOE GIN effortlessly ranges through heavy blues and acoustic numbers alike, a textured flow that Bonamassa says was in part inspired by Rod Stewart's legendary 1969 debut solo LP. In the liner notes, Joe adds, "I sequenced the album as a throwback to the side A/side B set-up of vinyl records...listening to an album as a whole is a lost pastime. i wanted to bring that experience back around.
Renowned for this fluid phrasing and post-modern fusion of traditional roots blues with rock and roll guts, Bonamassa began playing guitar at age four, and toured with blues icon B.B. King when he was twelve. Recently, Joe was named Best Blues Guitarist in Guitar Magazine's 2007 Reader's Choice Awards. He is also the youngest member of the Memphis, TN-based Blues Foundation's Board of Directors, and a spokesperson for their respected Blues in the Schools Program.
Album Description
Named best blue grass guitarist in guitar player magazines 2007 readers choice awards, blues rock guitar virtuoso, vocalist and songwriter Joe Bonamassa is set to release his new solo album, Sloe Gin, on August 21. Bonamassa's sixth studio release re-teams him with producer Kevin Shirley who produced 2006's You & Me, which debuted at #1 on Billboard's Blues chart in June of last year.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 67 more reviews...
 Where's the excitement? September 3, 2007
29 out of 38 found this review helpful
If you've heard about Joe Bonamassa and are wondering what all of the excitement is about, this is probably not the best place to start. This seems to be the fist release in Joe's catalog to create dissent amongst his fan base. It's not bad. It's just not great.
Joe is one of the most passionate an inspired artists to come along in years. He is a true gem for fans of blues rock. A unique and powerful vocalist with an astonishing command of his guitar. Anyone who has seen him live can attest, his explosive musicianship is jaw-dropping. As a performer Joe is humble, passionate, uncompromising, unapologetic and sincere. On his worst night he will stop you dead in your tracks and command your attention. At his best he's downright hypnotizing.
This CD doesn't come close to capturing that experience. It IS very well crafted. The performances are soulful and nuanced. The production values are impeccable. There are some nice moments. It's also rather boring, calculated, self-conscious and restrained. This is Joe's second collaboration with producer Kevin Shirley. Many of his fans are hoping it's his last. Though they wouldn't dare speak of it on the official fan forum. Just look at some of the defensive comments posted here on amazon to get an idea of the zealotry.
After hearing all of Joe's previous releases for the first time I simply couldn't wait to hear them again. I've forced myself to listen to Sloe Gin many times in an effort to identify what's missing. What's missing is the excitement of Joe as a performer. The excitement that earned him his reputation and grass-roots, word-of-mouth fan base. I hope and expect this is just a transition. And I can't wait to see him again live. I know it will be better than this disc.
If you are just getting started with Joe try Blues Deluxe, Had to Cry Today or any of his live releases (DVDs). As for Sloe Gin?... The best I can say is that it doesn't suck.
 Looking forward for the blues... August 25, 2007
19 out of 33 found this review helpful
Joe Bonamassa is undisputedly a very talented musicians and a superb guitarist. I have seen him playing live six times so far, twice in Italy and four times in UK and I can testify that his live performances are always spectacular independently from the fact that he is playing in a small club or in a big venue. However I have to say that his new work doesn't convince me too much. There is a bit of everything (also a hint of blues) in the mix but, at the end, nothing really memorable. As always the guitar work is outstanding both in the electric and acoustic tunes and Joe's singing is excellent. Sloe Gin is an enjoyable rock album and I like it. However for me, or for my taste if you prefer, it is not one of Joe's best efforts so far. Maybe my judgment is due to the fact that knowing Joe potentialities every time that he publishes a new CD my expectations are very high, and when you expect too much it could happen to remain disappointed at the end. I believe that when Joe plays the blues he is the best electric guitarist around period. He has "the gift", something that makes him unique in the electric blues scenario and that only few can claim to have as well. B.B. King has it, Buddy Guy has it, Albert Collins, Luther Allison, Albert King, and SRV had it. From my point of view Joe is already in the same league if not a step forward. Unfortunately when the accent moves towards different style I cannot honestly maintain my statement. I hoped that Blues Deluxe was a starting point rather than (as it looks now) an episode. I fully agree with Mr. Goldstein: Joe could be the greatest Blues electric guitarist in the business if he only would play straight ahead blues and I hope that it will happen soon. Having said that Sloe Gin remains a good album that surely deserves attention and consideration both from old and new fan.
come on Joe, you can do better August 22, 2007
18 out of 28 found this review helpful
sorry this just didn't do it for me. Joe come on it's time to stop doing covers of other's songs. Alvin Lee's, One of These Days & sorry Joe didn't measure up. Again covering Bad Company, Seagull?, it's just ok. Than are you at a point that you need to cover a song you've done before Around the Bend? or did you forget that you did that on another cd. Joe take the time to write some blues songs & come back. You need more than just cut a cd & show up. I admire what you wrote on the cover sheet but you didn't deliver the goods.
 S-l-o-o-o-o-o-o-e G-i-n-n-n-n-n-n August 27, 2007
17 out of 24 found this review helpful
It's Sloe all right. Kinda the way Eric Clapton went from Slow Hand to Slow Blues to just, plain Slow/Easy Listening. I'm so sorry to say that I find this collection of tunes to be boring to the point that I would never recommend it to anyone I was trying to introduce to the Smokin' Joe who can tear up the joint.
JB is at a point where he has to decide if he's going to follow in SRV's footsteps or John Mayer's babysteps or just sell out completely and play Soft Hits All The Time. It's not easy to be in that position. I know the drill for this album: a slight, painful voice inflection, a little sly touch here and there, a mystical note in the background and a mournful lament...but none of that saves this CD for me.
Almost all of his fans agree that the sounds and boldness of his earlier albums were what attracted them to Joe B. I don't understand why they say, almost unamimously, that SILT or ANDY or HTCT or Blues Deluxe were their favorites, but they keep encouraging this Slow Down of what we consider a genius.
His most rabid fans are hoping for some kind of all-rewarding SuperStardom for this incredibly talented player. If he can put out something this "beige" and seemingly lifeless and his fans still buy it up, isn't that a sign of true Superstardom? We'll buy anything and everything from this musician.
The group of fans who give 5 stars to everything the guy does aren't helping him find himself. It must be a terribly lonely path to have people all around you incapable of critical thought and honest feedback.
Where'd you go, Smokin' Joe? Where can you go from here?
The first (at least somewhat) disappointing Joe B Album... September 11, 2007
17 out of 29 found this review helpful
OK, Joe was on a roll from the start in 2001..alas, it has ended. Every album heretofore provided a new twist, better songs, better playing, whatever. This album falls short on all accounts, unfortunately. It's still good--hey, it's Joe B! There's gonna be quality, no doubt. But on this album he's just too restrained--boring at times. His tone is KILLER. That's the best aspect of the music on this CD. But he can do so much better! And like some of his other fans, I wish he would do more straight-ahead blues and play his heart out. And what's with the duplicate recording of "Around The Bend"???? He already recorded that song on one of his earlier albums, and it was fine. Why re-record it? I thought this CD was a little heavy on cover tunes, but one of his own, too? Come on, Joe! He's taking it easy on this CD...well, OK, Joe, enjoy your little breather. Now get back into the studio and really let it rip next time!!!
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
