The album is quite a departure from his previous solo albums in that he has surrounded himself with excellent musicians that are stars in their own right and used their talents to produce a harder edged sound but still one that is clearly ‘Joe B’. From his own ‘Dislocated Boy’ that opens the album there is massive power and you can hear the influence of Glenn Hughes (BCC) in his vocals. The track feels like a V12 engine purring along but leaving you in no doubt that there is a huge belch of power available anytime he wants to step on the gas – that he can do this without stamping on the pedal is to his, and the bands, credit.
The album has a combination of Bonamassa’s songs with some classsics such as Robert Johnson’s ‘Stones In My Passway’ and Willie Dixon’s ‘I Got All You Need’ as well as a wonderful version of Tom Waits ‘New Coat Of Paint’ but the sef-penned stuff like the title track and ‘Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go’ are of equal quality.
To a certain extent, this sounds like Bonamassa holding the fort while he waits for new impetus but if that is the case then he is holding a high place and there is no drop in quality. Some of the guitar here is wondrous and vocally he is in fine fettle and, if truth be told, if this was by anyone else the praise would be heaped high by now; it is just that this isn’t the next greatest Bonamassa album ever – just a terrific album: period.
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