The new King of Blue Rock?

In a marriage is always the talk of the seven-year itch, which is to decide on a continuation of the connection. The 31 years young Blue hope Joe Bonamassa now presents with "The Ballad of John Henry" be darned seventh studio album. And if this is the future career of the talented musician through and through, he was soon to be called in the same breath as the greats such as Stevie Ray Vaughan or Rory Gallagher. In some places it is even acted as the legitimate successor of the Irish. Let's hope that Mr. Bonamassa not so happy sipping cough syrup bottle grandfather, as the 1995 final faded legend. Because then remained us more high-class albums like this denied.

"The Ballad of John Henry" is a tribute to the working class heroes of the 18th century and always breathes the spirit of honest work, earthiness and pure passion. In addition, already a kind of dichotomy is striking at first hearing, which itself confirms the protagonist. While the first half was in an emotional very positive time Bonamossa was the second half literally on the ground. Accordingly, there is at first more upbeat and lighter numbers heard while immersing later in darker emotional worlds. Dramatic and Blue rockers like the title track or "Story of a quarryman" preclude sad and slow songs like the semi-acoustic "Feelin 'Good" and "Happier Times". This song is also likely to be far Joe Bonamassa most honest and most personal number and makes it one of the highlights on this not just poor in high-class titles CD, which also still sounds quite varied.

So there's "Last Kiss" to hear a juicy Boogie number, "As the Crow Flies" carries around a strong southern fragrance with them, the "Lonesome Road Blues" is rather loose and lively, therefore, "From the Valley" is a beautiful acoustic guitar instrumental , on "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter" there for the first time to a rousing brass Honky Tonk piano heard and "The Great Flood" and "Stop!" are classic and dry blues numbers. The latter song (originally performed by Sam Brown) is just one of many interpretations on the album and shows once again that Bonamossa has a knack for such adaptations. This also includes the rather dirty Played Tom Waits cover "Jockey Full of Bourbon", which exudes a stuffy bar atmosphere with its jazzy piano and by the way shows that the oblique Gossenpoet with the raspy voice is a supplier of excellent song material repeatedly.

"The Ballad of John Henry" has become an absolutely recommendable, animated and round album on which Joe Bonamossa its diverse influences of delta and electric blues, rock and country, to jazz and prog rock and processed into a coherent and up to date and not dusty-sounding whole process. Despite the playful class the musician shows never as self-promoter, but has always at hand the appropriate solos. The CD can be any blues and Bluesrockfan be placed without hesitation to my heart. Whether you prefer Bonamassa former mentor BB King, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and John Mayall or the two guitarists above.