Joe Bonamassa in Phoenix

[Verne Bunsen]

My dad and I went to see Joe Bonamassa in Phoenix (Arizona, USA) last night, jeez louise what a phenomenal talent! He's a guy who's name and reputation I knew, but I hadn't really delved into his body of work. I'm officially a dedicated fan...

He played a whole stable of beautiful guitars: a blonde/blackguard Tele with a mini-humbucker (might have been a PAF, was tough to tell...) in the neck, a tobacco burst Strat, a honey burst (or similar) Les Paul, a Les Paul with a really cool blue finish, a gorgeous sunburst Firebird, and a blonde Flying V.

He had four Tweed amps on stage. I had thought he was playing through two Bassmans (Bassmen?) and two Hi Power Twins, but they were all the same size. Two High Power Twins and Two Twin Reverbs maybe? Whatever it was, it cooked. Really juicy tone throughout the night. I thought for sure a couple of times that one or more of them was about to explode. He'd go from his Tele to one of his Les Pauls and never adjust a thing on the amps and it always sounded great. That's impressive in and of itself.

 

[AirCap]

Glad you enjoyed. Personally, the guy makes me yawn.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Well, the show and the drive back to Tucson kept me up well past my usual bed time, so in that way I guess he made me yawn too. But I don't think that's what you meant....  :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Cagey]

I think he means too much of a good thing makes you numb to it. Kinda like Steve Vai or Yngwie and their non-stop lightspeed shredding. Ok, we get it, you practiced a little. Joe B is kinda like that with the blues. Helluva player and he does a fantastic job, but 12 bar blues full of flatted 5ths and half-step bends are as predictable as sunrise. After about the 3rd or 4th iteration of the same formula you start to wonder if you're doomed. Don't get me wrong - I love the blues and Joe's presentation of that style is phenomenal. I also love New York style cheesecake, but wouldn't one to be my entire meal.

 

[mayfly]

I like Joe. I think he plays honestly and is pure to his vision.  And he's a gear hound 

 

[TBurst Std]

I think he means too much of a good thing makes you numb to it. Kinda like Steve Vai or Yngwie and their non-stop lightspeed shredding. Ok, we get it, you practiced a little. Joe B is kinda like that with the blues. Helluva player and he does a fantastic job, but 12 bar blues full of flatted 5ths and half-step bends are as predictable as sunrise. After about the 3rd or 4th iteration of the same formula you start to wonder if you're doomed. Don't get me wrong - I love the blues and Joe's presentation of that style is phenomenal. I also love New York style cheesecake, but wouldn't one to be my entire meal.

Different genre,but the same things happens to me with Jeff Beck. Awesome player, but you just tune out after a while.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

I think he means too much of a good thing makes you numb to it. Kinda like Steve Vai or Yngwie and their non-stop lightspeed shredding. Ok, we get it, you practiced a little. Joe B is kinda like that with the blues. Helluva player and he does a fantastic job, but 12 bar blues full of flatted 5ths and half-step bends are as predictable as sunrise. After about the 3rd or 4th iteration of the same formula you start to wonder if you're doomed. Don't get me wrong - I love the blues and Joe's presentation of that style is phenomenal. I also love New York style cheesecake, but wouldn't one to be my entire meal.

I dunno, for my part I draw a distinction there. Yngwie never entertained me. His technical prowess impresses me, no doubt, but I can't listen to a whole song much less an album. Vai is in very much the same category for me, although more hit-or-miss as he does have a couple of tracks tracks I enjoy. It's not that I just don't like "shredders", Satriani and John-5 are on my short list of favorites for instance, but Yngwie and Vai don't do it for me despite supernatural skill. Bonamassa I found both impressive and entertaining. Quite a bit of both, actually. But, everything ain't for everyone! I've certainly got my own thoughts on wildly successful rock and blues acts that I find stupifyingly overrated...

I like Joe. I think he plays honestly and is pure to his vision.  And he's a gear hound 

That he is, man he's got a collection! I watched an interview where he talked about putting his rig together for a Howlin' Wolf / Muddy Waters tribute show he did at Red Rocks and he says, "I didn't want to just drag out the Dumbles and the Jubilees..." What a thing to be able to say!

Different genre,but the same things happens to me with Jeff Beck. Awesome player, but you just tune out after a while.

I might be posting in the wrong room here, Jeff Beck is another favorite of mine, haha!

 

[Logrinn]

I'm envious. I would love to see Joe B. Glad you enjoyed your evening -VB-. ccasion14:

 

[AirCap]

I think he means too much of a good thing makes you numb to it.

Not what I meant AT ALL, Cagey. I mean the man bores me to tears, and I don't perceive his appeal AT ALL. He's derivative, formulaic, tedious, and his playing is threadbare. But he does make me numb.

 

[Cagey]

A lotta people find blues boring, mainly for the reasons we've presented. It's formulaic in the extreme, and because of that, predictable as sunrise. That can make it tedious as a result, and is the main reason it's more or less a declining form. But, some guys still do it well and it's an emotional form, so it'll always have an audience, albeit a declining one. I would love to have the talent of a Joe Bonamassa, Robben Ford or SRV, but I'm sure I'd starve trying sell it. There's less and less room for such players. Still, its an interesting and easily mastered form that's a lotta fun to play, and in reasonable doses, is not unattractive. You get to wank and crank without a great deal of thought. From the players point of view, what could possibly be wrong with that? It's like sports. Buncha grown men trying control the possession and movement of a ball, as if they're still 4 or 5 years old. Simple, predictable, and accomplishes nothing, but fun nonetheless. At least, if you're doing it. Why people watch others do it is a mystery for the ages. Which, I suppose, is your point  :laughing7:

Never mind!​

 

[stratamania]

Cool, I like Bonamassa...

Joe is a good player, loves the instrument and music, has great bands etc. One of my friends played with him (not in this video) and he said Joe, was one of the nicest people he worked with.

See this video a medley of a few covers but very good.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSQwj3s8Y4s[/youtube]

You know what bores me to tears, folks mentioning stuff about successful players as being this or that in a negative manner. You know there are things I don't like but I don't comment negatively about it because not everyone likes the same thing.

As for Blues, most modern rock or jazz is derived in one way or another from Blues to a greater or lesser degree.  There is a lot more to know about blues than a 12 bar shuffle and a position 1 pentatonic scale played in a bad jam. 

 

[amigarobbo]

Still not a patch on the original,

[youtube]z5sWBXBu5T0[/youtube]


:laughing7:


There's probably an interesting comment/article written comparing the approach of Steve Albini to Joe Bonamassa, but I'm too lazy to make it.

 

[stratamania]

Nope, the original of Just Got Paid, was ZZ Top.

 

[Blackouts]

The original of "Just Got Paid" was on "Rio Grande Mud" which came out in 1972.

It's 45 years ago. Surely there's room for personal interpretations - Gibbons may well enjoy the Rapeman version & encourage twisting it a bit...

That said I'll pile in with Cagey and agree that the blues orthodoxy can become tiresome - these simple forms almost insist on being tweaked - otherwise how did Robert Johnson et al become the Beatles and Rolling Stones....

 

[amigarobbo]

I think I'm going to have to make my winking smileys a bit bigger next time.

Actually, I got it wrong, it was Big Black's 'Jordan, Minnesota'* that Joe does an excellent 19 minute tasteful blues cover of.

* That joke works better if you know that particular song, but I'm not sure your sanity will work better if you have.

 

[Logrinn]

:toothy12: :toothy12: :toothy12:

 

[arealken]

It's like sports. Buncha grown men trying control the possession and movement of a ball, as if they're still 4 or 5 years old. Simple, predictable, and accomplishes nothing, but fun nonetheless.

perhaps,it'stime we have music referees onstage to blow a whistle- TEEEEET< penatly, overuse of minor pentatonic scale"  :laughing11:

 

[Cagey]

Hehe! Yeah, you go try that. I'll wait here for you  :laughing7:

 

[MikeW]

I like Joe. I think he plays honestly and is pure to his vision.  And he's a gear hound 

That he is, man he's got a collection! I watched an interview where he talked about putting his rig together for a Howlin' Wolf / Muddy Waters tribute show he did at Red Rocks and he says, "I didn't want to just drag out the Dumbles and the Jubilees..." What a thing to be able to say!

I've been lucky enough to go to Joe's Garage Sale. Wow. Talk about a collection. Amps, guitars, pedals, everything is there and usually in decent shape for vintage gear. He's usually milling about talking to those looking over some of the gear he's selling while they're looking and his knowledge of vintage gear is super impressive. I hadn't been a big fan of his until I spent some time there but since then I've seen him live twice and both time been impressed.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

That's very cool. Somehow I suspect that his garage sale would be a lot more interesting than the ones that pop up in my neighborhood.....