My last review on an album of 'Joe Bonamassa' dates back to 2018 with 'Redemption', which is still pretty close, but in the meantime, Joe has released other albums with the concert a href='https://open.spotify.com/album/1YQXbOM6MlfrovYYcy1zUH?si=n4uS5Be2SWeGqMCcDgFIRQ'>'Live At The Sydney Opera House', album of covers of songs from the 60s 'Easy To Buy, Hard To Sell' with the group 'The Sleep Eazys', without forgetting his multiple collaborations with, among others, the keyboardist 'Derek Sherinian' who released a solo album, 'The Phoenix' or with 'John Mayall' in his latest album 'Nobody Told Me'. This end of 2020 sees the release of his new opus 'Royal Tea' which is very varied and offers us compositions influenced by the music of the 60s/70s (magnificent cover in the atmosphere of the time) whether in a rock, blues, hard-rock, rockabilly or country style.
To illustrate all this, just listen to the remarkable first track 'When One Door Opens' which is split into two parts with first of all, a slow and sensual blues/rock tempo that we have the impression that it has always been a part of our life (who is that beautiful, soft voice in the second verse ?), and then, without transition, the rhythm is unleashed with an introduction close to the bolero of 'Ravel' then follows a hard-rock section which this time recalls formations of the early 70s with of course 'Black Sabbath' and all this energy falls back into a few guitar notes. Follows the eponymous title of the album which takes us into a good blues with choirs that accompany us and this irresistible desire to stamp one's foot in tempo and which includes in the middle a guitar solo supported by a very seventies Hammond organ, then magnificent the ballad 'Why Does It Take So Long To Say Goodbye' continues in a more subdued atmosphere between blues and soul with some magic guitar notes and the central part, with an acceleration of the tempo, shows the progressive side of the American. We could continue in this enumeration of all these titles, each one having its own personality and each time offering us a beautiful journey through time with very beautiful melodies and effective rhythmics, but how it could have been otherwise since Joe surrounded for the compositions of two big names of this time, with first of all 'Pete Brown', the former lyricist of 'Cream' and 'Bernie Marsden' well known in the hard rock world of the 70s (former member of 'Whitesnake'br>
In summary, the best is still to press the play button and embark on this journey through time by taking full advantage of this new album with titles that pass directly from birth to timelessness and which destines 'Royal Tea' to the general public... | |
