
Redemption Reviews
PROVOGUE/MASCOT
By. Paddy wells (Mojo UK)
Prolific blues-rock titan diversifies for latest studio album.
Divisive as Joe Bonamassa can often be among blues aficionados, there's no denying the man's tireless work ethic. Inspired by a tumultuous period in his life, the 13th album from the guitar virtuoso has distinct shades of dark and light, making for some of his most interesting work to date. A prominent horn section adds heft and swing to uptempo rockers Evil Mama and King Bee Shakedown, the driving groove of Deep In The Blues nods to '60s supergroup Blind Faith, while The Ghost Of Macon Jones finds Bonamassa duetting with Nashville country singer Jamey Johnson on a tale of a wayward renegade. As if to prove that Redemption is an album unequivocally striving to be different from its predecessors, Stronger Now In Broken Places — a plaintive and stripped-back acoustic lament to lost love — even eschews a guitar solo.
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JOE BONAMASSA
Redemption
By. NIGEL WILLIAMSON (Uncut)
Third album of the year from prolific American bluesman
2018 has already seen Bonamassa release a collaborative album with Beth Hart and the in-concert set British Blues Explosion Live. Now comes a set of 12 original compositions steeped in his ongoing addiction to muscular 60s blues-rock.
"Evil Mama" references Led Zep, and "Molly O" and "Deep In The Blues Again evoke the heyday of Free, Ten Years After et al. Yet there’s a new-found vulnerability heard on "Self-Inflicted Wounds" the melancholic acoustic ballad "Stronger Now In Broken Places" and the title track that suggest Bonamassa has been living the blues as well as playing 'em.
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Guitarist Magazine
Smokin’ Joe Finds New Fire
After 13 solo albums, anyone familiar with Bonamassa’s work will know the drill, but there’s fresh conviction here that strikes real sparks. Redemption sees Joe fire off Stray Cats-style upbeat shuffle on “King Bee Shakedown,” propulsive Zeppelin-meets-Doobie Brothers funk on “Evil Mama,” gothic Americana on “The Ghost of Macon Jones,” and raw songcraft on “Stronger Now in Broken Places.” This smorgasbord could be seen as artistically restless, but when it’s done with such sincerity and force, it’s impossible to deny Bonamassa his status as the reigning king of blues-rock.
For fans of: Warren Haynes, Tom Waits
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