JOE BONAMASSA - Different Shades Of Blue (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock / Blues

Label -

Track listing:

01. Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)

02. Oh Beautiful!

03. Love Ain't A Love Song

04. Living On The Moon

05. Heartache Follows Wherever I Go

06. Never Give All Your Heart

07. I Gave Up Everything For You, 'Cept The Blues

08. Different Shades Of Blue

09. Get Back My Tomorrow

10. Trouble Town

11. So, What Would I Do

As part of Black Country Communion or solo artist, there are few blues-rockers today who are as consistent as JOE BONAMASSA. And this comes clear on his new great record to be released next week under the proper title "Different Shades Of Blue", as ranges from heavy blues to funk / soul inspired blues.

To outdo himself and push his art forward with the bar already set pretty high, Bonamassa left his long-standing template of mixing in covers with originals and had a hand in writing every track for new album. But instead of writing the songs on his own, he partnered in Nashville with established composers like talented James House. 

Oh, and Bonamassa wrote with Jonathan Cain, too. Yes, that Jonathan Cain of Journey.

Joe B.’s songwriting acumen didn’t really require extra polish, but the input from these proven pros certainly didn’t hurt, either. And any anxiety that he went 'country' or 'Journey' on us should quickly be put to rest; these song bear his fingerprints much more than his songwriting mates. 

That improvement comes in a more aggressive push against the boundaries of contemporary blues, making an album that offers different, widely varied takes of the broader-based blues. That’s the freedom that often comes with writing all your own material.

The album starts off mighty strong, a killer string of four tunes that reminds us of the diversity Bonamassa finds in the broad context of the blues. The Hendrix re-worked instrumental intro “Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)” serves as a just-right passage into the killer crunch of “Oh Beautiful!”, quite heavy and very Black Country Communion in essence.

A sax from Ron Dziubla and a trumpet from Lee Thornburg give “Love Ain’t A Love Song” swift, soulful kick in the ass and the lyrics have the swagger to match the melody; it’s meant to be played loud. The horns reappear on “Living On The Moon,” a crisp blues shuffle, and Bonamassa gets a nasty thing going for his brief guitar solo.

But the best arrives in the middle of the CD.

The ultra melodic but a the same hard rocking bluesy “Never Give All Your Heart” will delight fans of classic Bad Company, and for those with a hunger for the dirty lowdown kind of blues, “Heartache Follows Wherever I Go” fills the bill and then some. It's like a song taken from Gary Moore's classic 'Still Got The Blues'.

These two songs alone worth this disc.

Kevin Shirley is on board as producer as he’s been for the prior fifteen Bonamassa albums and he declares "Different Shades of Blue" his 'favorite Joe Bonamassa record to date'. Agree with him.

This album rocks, in a bluesy style, but rocks with blood in the veins.

Like the title of the album and the deeply soulful song of the same name (another highlight), this new batch of songs points up the fact that the blues does come in so many different shades. And all of it is good.

Highly Recommended.

 

Rating - 9/10

 

 

BERNIE MARSDEN - Shine (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock / Blues Rock / Melodic Rock

Label -

Track listing:

01. Linin' Track

02. Wedding Day

03. Walk Away

04. Kinda Wish She Would

05. Ladyfriend

06. Trouble

07. Who Do We Think We Are?

08. Bad Blood

09. Shine

10. Dragonfly

11. You Better Run

12. Hoxie Rollin' Time

13. Nw8

### The following review is not my work but I couldn't agree more so I reproduce it here. All credit to the original author ###

Ex Whitesnake guitarist BERNIE MARSDEN new album "Shine" to be released next August 18, explores a wide ranging musical horizon including a cleverly updated bluesy, slick AOR, kick ass boogie, riff driven and twin guitar rock, a steaming bluesy shuffle and a book-ended instrumental.
By his own admission "Shine" includes some stockpiled material, but it’s subtly shaped, polished and nicely sequenced by his former Alaska band member turned producer Rob Kass.

Recorded in studio 3 in Abbey Road (where the Beatles cut ‘Revolver’), "Shine" sparkles with confident songs, sumptuous guitar tones, potent harmonies, magisterial playing and Bernie’s best ever lead vocals.
Producer Rob Kass strikes the prefect balance between the album’s song driven focus and the possibilities that an array of guests – including David Coverdale, Jimmy Copley, Ian Paice, Don Airey Cherry Lee Mewis, Joe Bonamassa and Mark Feltham – and a big studio offers him.
"Shine" is a coherent album that plays to Bernie’s strengths. He’s always been a consummate guitarist and a prodigious songwriter, but a combination of different vocals textures injects the steely arrangements with style and gusto.

Listen for example, to the airy, west coast vocal sweep of Danny Kirwan’s "Dragonfly" – included here as an ode to Peter Green – and the standout title track. The Cream style vocal harmonies are underpinned by Ian Paice’s pounding stick work and topped by Don Airey’s keyboard riffs and Bonamassa’s scintillating solo. All the elements coalesce seamlessly as if building to a naturally defining moment on the track.
But this is such a well paced album that the final four tracks find their sequential place as part of an integral whole, before coming to rest on Bernie’s acoustic instrumental outro.

"Shine" opens with a sledgehammer groove of Leadbelly’s "Linin’ Track" which mirrors the song’s lyrical muscularity, while the hot picking on "Wedding Day" has a lively feel, as part of an enveloping production.
The kick ass boogie and ZZ Top influenced "Kinda Wish She Would" is effectively a counterweight as Bernie’s slightly distorted vocal gives the track an extra bit of edge on a riff driven rocker with huge radio potential.

My absolute favourite is the AOR, keyboard led "Walk Away" (awesome Don Airey) with its '80s keyboard motif, uplifting hook and catchy chorus. It's a sister track to the eco message and vocal tour de force "Who Do We Think We Are", a mid-tempo melodic rocker full of magic.

The guests all make their mark, as Mark Feltham’s lyrical harp line colours the extended groove of "Ladyfriend", as it smolders, sparkles and envelops you.
It sets things up nicely for the percussive reworking of "Trouble" predicated on David Coverdale guttural phrasing. Bernie has never been reticent to explore his back catalogue and he’s rarely bettered himself than on this blast from the past.
Cherry Lee Mewis adds gritty vocal contrast on the laid back blues-rocker "Bad Blood" and just when you think the whole album has run its course on the hook laden "You Better Run", Bernie launches himself into a dirt tone wah-wah inflected Americana shuffle "Hoxie Rollin’ Time", which is surely destined to become a live favourite.

Shine" is a career high for Bernie Marsden. 

It’s an album glued together by his own deeply embedded imprint of harmony driven songs with significant hooks and burning solos. It’s almost as if he’s successfully pursued his own mission statement of cutting a definitive solo album. It may have taken him 40 odd years but it’s been worth the wait.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Rating - 9/10

The Players

Bernie Marsden - Guitars, Vocals

Ian Paice - Drums

Don Airey - Keyboards 

Joe Bonamassa - Guitar

David Coverdale - Vocals

Jimmy Copley - Drums

Mark Feltham - Vocals, Harmonica

thanks to Pete Feenstra

Joe Bonamassa - Driving Towards The Daylight (2012)

Genre - Rock / Blues / Blues Rock
Label -

Track listing -

01 - Dislocated Boy
02 - Stones In My Passway
03 - Driving Towards The Daylight
04 - Who's Been Talkin'
05 - I Got All You Need
06 - A Place In My Heart
07 - Lonely Town Lonely Street
08 - Heavenly Soul
09 - New Coat Of Paint
10 - Somewhere Trouble Dont Go
11 - Too Much Aint Enough Love (with Jimmy Barnes)

Does this man ever stop?
Smokin' Joe Bonamassa returns with his thirteenth solo album in the form of Driving Towards The Daylight, which comes hot on the heals of last years excellent Dust Bowl and the 2nd studio release from a certain supergroup by the name of Black country Communion! Man!
Not only are there some excellent Bonamassa represented here but there are also some absolutly brilliant reworkings of some classic songs, such as the master of the blues, Robert Johnsons, Stones In My Passway, which Joe manages to give a rather Jimmy page sounding Led Zepplin feelin too!
This album once again see's Joe teaming up with versatile produce kevin Shirley, a combination that really does seem to bring the best out of Joes work!
Stand out tracks for me include, Dislocated Boy, with its sublime mix of Bonamassa blues and who style lyrics, the afore mentioned Stones In My Passway with its Zepplin feel, the excellent title track, Driving Towards The Daylight, (which in my honest opinion my just be one of the best songs Mr Bonamassa has ever written!) and Heavenly Soul, with which once again Joe proves that a white blues guitarist can write a blues riff BB King and Robert johnson would be proud of!
A truly great album!

Rating 10/10

LESLIE WEST - Unusual Suspects

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic rock / Blues Rock

Track listing -
01. One More Drink For The Road (ft. Steve Lukather)

02. Mudflap Mama (ft. Slash)
03. To The Moon
04. Standing On A Higher Ground (ft. Billy F. Gibbons)
05. Third Degree (ft. Joe Bonamassa)
06. Legend
07. Nothing's Changed (ft. Zakk Wylde)
08. I Feel Fine
09. Love You Forever
10. My Gravity
11. Turn Out The Lights (ft. Slash & Zakk Wylde)
12. I Don't Know 'The Beetlejuice Song' (ft. Richard Christy) [bonus track]

"Legendary guitarist and Mountain founder Leslie West is releasing a brand new solo album entitled "Unusual Suspects" this September, his first since 2006’s 'Blue Me'."
Add Slash, Billy Gibbons, Zakk Wylde and Joe Bonamassa and TOTO singer / guitarist and legendary session musician Steve Lukather to mix and dare I say we're in for something a little special!
"Each of the songs on "Unusual Suspects" has been arranged with the guest musician in mind, which gives them another dimension. West has crafted 12 songs, ranging from the hard rocking “Nothing’s Changed” with Zakk Wylde to the awesome melodic and personal “Legend”.This album also features a couple of cover versions. One of these Leslie has cut before, Willie Dixon’s "Third Degree" which guest musician Joe Bonamassa was so impressed with first time around, he asked Leslie if he’d do it again and let him play on it. Joe also adds some vocals too, and his unmistakable guitar tone, compliments Leslie’s beautifully. The other is a take on Willie Nelson’s "Turn Out The Lights" where Slash and Zakk Wylde join in both acoustically and electrically, the result is nothing short of stunning!

Unusual Suspects is a stunning album, enhanced all the more by the quality of the talent guesting upon it, well worth checking out!

Rating - 10/10

Black Country Communion - 2

Genre - Hard rock / Classic rock / Blues Rock
Label - Mascot

Track listing -

01. The Outsider
02. Man In The Middle
03. The Battle For Hadrian's Wall
04. Save Me
05. Smokestack Woman
06. Faithless
07. An Ordinary Son
08. I Can See Your Spirit
09. Little Secret
10. Crossfire
11. Cold

New rock super group, Black Country Communion, follow up last year’s awesome debut album with "2". Pretty much continuing where the debut left off, with their bluesy soulful, Deep Purple meets Led Zepplin sound. With the pedigree within this band you expect the songs to amazing, and they don’t let you down!
The album opens with two powerhouse tracks, The Outsider and Man In The Middle, before the band slow things down a little with The Battle For Hadrian’s Wall, an epic bluesy track that could of easily have been a part of guitarist's Joe Bonamassa's album Dust Bowl. Save Me follows, a song with a very heavy Zepplin feel to it, which isn’t surprising considering drummer Jason Bonham claims that it has its roots in a jam that took place between himself and Zepplin Messer’s Jimmy Page and John Paul after the famous 02 reformation gig! Awesome song! Everyone pulls through with this with some great work from Joe and Glenn!
And it just doesn’t stop, with song after song of supreme high quality classic bluesy rock!

I truly hope that these guys can keep the egos in check, because so far they’ve delivered two fantastic albums, if they can stay together they will become a legendary band in their own right!

True pedigree shines through once again, very highly recommended!


Website - Black Country Communion

Rating 10/10

Joe Bonamassa - Dust Bowl

Genre - Blues / Rock
Label -

Track listing -

01. Slow Train
02. Dust Bowl
03. Tennessee Plates (featuring John Hiatt and Vince Gill)
04. The Meaning of the Blues
05. Black Lung Heartache
06. You Better Watch Yourself
07. The Last Matador of Bayonne
08. Heartbreaker (feat. Glenn Hughes)
09. No Love on the Street
10. The Whale that Swallowed Jonah
11. Sweet Rowena (feat. Vince Gill)
12. Prisoner



Joe Bonamassa is an American blues guitarist who regularly wins awards in guitar magazines and has been praised by BB King, and lead guitarist for the Super group of 2010, Black Country Communion. But beyond all of this, Joe is an established solo artist in his own right, with Dust Bowl being his 12th solo album to date.
There is just simply no questioning this man’s talent, his guitar cries, sings and wails, the emotion it purveys is phenomenal!
Joe is also one hell of a song writer too! This album is filled with modern day blues classics, from the opener, Slow Train to title track Dust Bowl, upon which Joe shoes a enough restraint to really build an atmosphere when the licks he plays. Another excellent song, which I find myself listening to over and over again is The Meaning of The Blues, a truly great song!
This is also full of surprises too, with Black Lung Heartache having a southern almost Celtic folk feel to it in place.
Joes Black Country Communion cohort, Glenn Hughes, puts in a brief appearance on Heartbreaker, another excellent song added to Joe’s cannon.
This album is probably THE blues rock album of 2011, it really is that good, and you really should check it out!

website - Joe Bonamassa
Rating 10/10

Pushking - The World As We Love It

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock
Label -

Track listing -

01. Intro
02. Nightrider (Billy Gibbons: vocals, guitar)
03. It'll Be OK (B. Gibbons: vocals, Nuno Bettencourt: guitar)
04. Trouble Love (Alice Cooper: vocals, Keri Kelli: guitar)
05. Strangers Song (John Lawton: vocals, Steve Stevens: guitar)
06. Cut The Wire (Paul Stanley: vocals, Steve Salas: guitar)
07. My Reflections After Seeing the Schindler's List Movie (S. Vai: guitar)
08. God Made Us Free (Graham Bonnet: vocals)
09. Why Don't You (Glenn Hughes: vocals)
10. I Believe (Jeff Scott Soto: vocals)
11. Tonight (G. Hughes: vocals, Joe Bonamassa: guitar)
12. Private Own (G. Hughes: vocals, Matt Filippini: guitar)
13. Open Letter To God (Eric Martin: vocals)
14. Nature's Child (Udo Dirkschneider: vocals)
15. I Love You (Dan McCafferty: vocals)
16. Head Shooter (Joe Lynn Turner: vocals)
17. Heroin (Jorn Lande: vocals)
18. My Simple Song (Dan McCafferty: vocals)
19. Kukarracha (All Stars: vocals, Steve Lukather: guitar)

Pushking is a melodic rock band that was formed in 1994 in Russia. Somehow they have managed together a pretty much who's who of melodic rocks finest stars to guest on this album with, to be honest mixed results.
There is absolutely no doubting the talents of the guest stars, they are all superstars in their own rights, Alice Cooper, Jorn Lande, Joe Lynn Turner, Glenn Hughes etc, but the obvious talents of the guest stars only serves to highlight the inadequacies of the band themselves.
There are some good songs on here, even if many of them do sound a little dated, but enjoyable none the less, but as I said many of them are saved purely by the talents of the guest stars, a great example is track five, Reflections, purely forgettable and skip able if not for some great guitar work from Steve Vai.

This album is for fans of the guest stars only, to be honest, and really only for completists.

The Band are
Konstantin “Koha” Shustarev - Vocals
Nikolai Yegerev - Guitar
Dmitry Losev - GuitarValeriy Sadakov - Bass
Vicktor Drobysh - Keys
Andrey Kruglov - Drums

The Guest musicians :
Paul Stanley (lead vocals)
Glenn Hughes (lead vocals)
Eric Martin (lead vocals)
Graham Bonnet (lead vocals)
Joe Lynn Turner (lead vocals)
Jorn Lande (lead vocals)
John Lawton (lead vocals)
Alice Cooper (lead vocals)
Jeff Scott Soto (lead vocals)
Dan McCafferty (lead vocals)
Udo Dirkschneider (lead vocals)
Billy Gibbons (lead vocals and guitar)
Stevie Salas (guitar)
Steve Lukather (guitar)
Matt Filippini (guitar)
Joe Bonamassa (guitar)
Steve Stevens (guitar)
Keri Kelli (guitar)
Steve Vai (guitar)
Nuno Bettencourt (guitar)
Eric Ragno (piano, organ)



Website - Pushking
Rating - 7/10

Black Country Communion - Black Country

(Genre - Classic Rock / Blues Label - J & R Adventures)

Track listing -

01 - Black Country
02 - One Last Soul
03 - The great Divide
04 - Down Again
05 - Baggarman
06 - Song Of Yesterday
07 - No Time
08 - Medusa
09 -The Revolution In Me
10 - Stand (At The Burning Tree)
11 - Sista Jane
12 - Too Late For The Sun

Black Country is the stunning debut from Black Country Communion the Anglo/American rock super group comprising vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple Black Sabbath, Trapeze), drummer Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner), Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Alice Cooper) and blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa. The problem with the albums released by most supergroups is that they tend to dissapoint a little, but theres no such fear here.
Opening with a furious bass line, Black Country sets the tone for the rest of the album. A brilliant song, executed to perfection, with Glenn Hughes and Joe Bonamassa dueling through out, a real call to arms. Glenn is in fine voice throughout this album, possibly the best he as sounded in years, and Joes guitar work is phenomenal. Jason, at times almost sounds like his late great father John Bohnam, to be honest I just cant say enough good things bout this album.
Stand out tracks include, Black Country, Great Divide, One Last Soul, the epics Song of Yesterday and Too Late For The Sun and Medusa.
A stunning album from the finest collection of musicians to grace a cd in years!
Very highly reconmended!

Website - http://bccommunion.com/
Rating - 10/10