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.

Track Listing

1. Ball Peen Hammer
2. One of These Days
3. Seagull
4. Dirt in my Pocket
5. Sloe Gin
6. Another Kind of Love
7. Around the Bend
8. Black Night
9. Jelly Roll
10. Richmond
11. India

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4240 in Music
• Released on: 2007-08-21
• Number of discs: 1

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

Customer Reviews

Where's the excitement?
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.

Every track is a mind-blowing guitar solo.
Joe Bonamassa's previous album You & Me received phenomenal reviews all over the world and saw him lifted to the top of the mountain in the blues/rock/guitar arena.
His live performances are simply spectacular and electrifying selling out prestigious venues like the Paradiso in Amsterdam, The Birchmere in Alexandria, MA and Sheperd's Bush in London, to name just a few.
Born in upstate New York, but resident in L.A., Joe Bonamassa comes with the academically precise imprint of The Blues Foundation, while infusing it with fire and originality.
Wild electric blues rock from hot young American guitarist Joe Bonamassa is currently the new guitar slinger in contemporary blues.
A musician prodigy who supported BB King at the age of just 12, his ability to fuse classic Chicago electric blues with a hard rock drive make him the natural heir to Rory Gallagher and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
"Sloe Gin" is the 30-year-old's seventh solo album showcasing wild electric currents of sound like few other contemporary guitarists .
Since his 2001 debut album he's delivered on an album-a-year schedule establishing his roots in the richly satisfying raunch of 1970s' style hard rock guitar-heroics
"Sloe Gin" was originally set out to be an acoustic album but once in the studio the album turned in more electric and a full follow up to "You and Me".
The album features eleven songs of sheer beauty and power. And every song is a mind-blowing guitar solo.
It's more blues and a little milder than his previous album and shows another side of him. Besides, this time a major focus is on Joe's captivating singing.
There's plenty of Joe's trademark blues rock guitar plus some acoustic with a mix of originals and covers including Bad Company's "Seagull".
It's self-indulgent as hell, boisterously energetic, but undeniably viscerally powerful.
It shows blistering guitar solos and delivers great songs, great vocals and of course smokin' guitars !
While listening to this album, I was blown away by this guitar phenomenon, who may be the overall best guitarist on the planet.
My favoutite tracks : "Sloe Gin", "Ball Been Hammer", "Jolly Roll" and the fantastic closer "India".
Essential listening.

Truth
Consequence of Chaos
Blue Velocity
Surfing with the Alien Legacy Edition (CD + DVD)

"Sloe Gin" Joe Bonamassa's Masterpiece......
I posted this review on the Joe Bonamassa Forum on 8/30/07.

I've held off making comments about this new work so I could have time to just listen to it. The past few days I've immersed myself in this album. I call it an "album" because calling it a "CD" just doesn't seem right. I purposely ordered extra copies of "Sloe Gin" so I would have a copy for at least my car and home. I also brought one to work and for the most part, since last Saturday, I've listened pretty much only to this album. I won't review it song by song, but here is how I feel about this work......

The first time I listened to this album was last Saturday and upon listening to it one time alone, I rejoined my family, looked at my wife and said, "This is a great work of art, it's not just music!" The musical blending of this album is extraordinary. For example, it starts off with two monster songs with "Ball Peen Hammer" and "One of These Days", but to then go directly to "Seagull" would have been quite a change. So what did Joe and Kevin Shirley do? Towards the end of "One of These Days" the song changes and we're eased into "Seagull." On "Ball Peen Hammer", I personally would have liked to have heard an actual ball peen hammer hitting some metal or something else to the beat of that song. I wonder if anyone had thought of that? I know, I'm a little a strange and maybe that would have been too gimmicky.

Joe's vocal power and range is better on this album than any of his past works. That, matched with his stellar use of different guitars on many songs, provides us with a constant feel of musical flow. I liked the idea of some strings being added to certain songs. It provides extra depth to the songs that they're used on. Rick Melick's piano/organ playing also adds an extra texture to many of the songs and is highlighted at the beginning of the song "Sloe Gin." Also, just when you think you've heard everything that this album has to offer, Joe throws us a major league curve with "India" as its final track. The other contributing musicians Anton Fig, Bogie Bowles, Carmine Rojas and The Bovaland Symphonic Orchestra should be commended for their work on this album. In addition, to the touring band and to all the people that support them on the road to bring this beautiful music to us let me say we all appreciate you.

In summary let me say this. I believe we've heard not just a great album of the day, but a masterpiece of work for our time and a long time to come. I really think that thirty years from now our children will be able to play this music on whatever device they'll be using at that time and it will sound just as fresh and fabulous as it does today. The only question I have is what will Joe come up with next?

As great as this album is, Joe Bonamassa live is unreal! If you ever get a chance to see him don't walk, run to buy your tickets. You'll be glad you did!!

Roy a/k/a BluesMan