Joe Bonamassa is a bit of a celebrity in the Rock Music world today. He is frequently seen on various YouTube channels such as Norman’s Rare Guitars as a guest, alongside being a guest on many other interesting YouTube broadcasters out there. More importantly, however, Joe Bonamassa’s music is a quintessential listen for those of you out there who dig Blues Rock. This is a major release of his and although it did not chart very well at the time, likely being almost 100% a covers album, it is often seen as one of Joe Bonamassa’s best efforts. Oddly enough, this was not even intended to be released as an album in the first place but after some extremely positive reception from those around him in relation to the songs on the album, Joe Bonamassa decided to release it anyway. The title of the album refers to a song originally recorded by The Jeff Beck Group which is on this album. Let’s take a listen and we shall hear how this music sounds.

You Upset Me Baby is a B.B. King cover that launches straight into a basic Blues Music jam which sounds good. Joe Bonamassa plays guitar very nicely and he has deep, throaty Blues-styled singing as well. Most notably, Joe Bonamassa plays some great guitar throughout. The Blues Music present is upbeat, supercharged and tasty. There is also a really good guitar solo present in this song as well. The solo section is blisteringly hot and sounds incredibly enjoyable. This music is ridiculously good, and Joe Bonamassa plays and sings like a beast. All in all, a real winner of a tune that is a great 12 Bar Blues sort of jam. Really very cool to listen to. The outro is a neat jam section that sounds very fresh and finishes up with some cool licks. Excellent.

Burning Hell is a John Lee Hooker cover that begins with some sick Blues electric guitar riffs and hi-hats. This quickly has Joe Bonamassa singing very nicely over the top of it all. There is also some sick slide guitar work throughout. The lyrics are about the possibility of going to hell when one dies, an interesting topic for Blues Music. There is some awesome harmonica throughout which is heavily treated as well. Soon enough, drums enter and this lengthy piece really comes alive. A very awesome and monumental piece, it quickly enters into a fantastic Rock groove that is mind-blowingly great. The slide electric guitar and harmonica duke it out for attention. Towards the midsection, this song gets quieter and slows down somewhat. A great tune, Joe Bonamassa proved that he has a musical gift to share with the world. Very different and catchy throughout, the music on this album is very clever and insanely precise. A lively and powerful listening experience, this is sensationally worth hearing for any fan of Blues or Rock Music out there. In the second half are some intricate guitar fills and wailing harmonica screaming away, just before it returns to the main riff of the song. Joe Bonamassa gets singing very well once again, and he has a deep, throaty and powerful vocal delivery. Towards the end the jam resumes and this piece sounds amazing. A very good and simple piece of music that is strikingly fun to hear. This song continues on for well over six minutes in length. It finally concludes with a dramatic finale. Very, very good.

Blues Deluxe is a cover of a song by The Jeff Beck Group. It begins with some upbeat and pleasant Blues styled guitar licks and a neat rhythm section to match. This is the title track and it is extremely joyous and wonderful to listen to musically. A real winner of a song, this sounds really fantastic musically. Joe Bonamassa launches into a great Bluesy wail vocally and plays beautifully on this song. An amazing listening experience, this sounds absolutely wonderful and killer throughout. The guitar playing in particular is insanely great and Joe Bonamassa proves himself to be a masterful and excellent guitarist, period. A really enjoyable, sweet and fantastic listening experience. A great, great song. Towards the midsection, things get a bit more muted and subtle, leaving the guitar licks to speak for themselves. There is some sweet violining and precise playing by Joe Bonamassa, before this launches into a loud and fantastic Blues guitar solo that will blow your mind. Joe Bonamassa shreds like an absolute madman on this song’s solo section, and he has the Blues, that is for sure. A very lively, enjoyable and dramatic piece of music. A great, great listening experience. Eventually, it stops briefly before launching into a more subtle section of guitar soloing. A fantastic listening experience. Joe Bonamassa screams in a perfectly Bluesy way, in a call-and-response way with some insane guitar playing. Nonetheless, a very much tremendous and awesome song with a sustained vocal followed by insane guitars to conclude. Mindblowingly good.

Man Of Many Words is a Buddy Guy cover that launches into a quirky, groovy organ led piece of masterful artistry. Joe Bonamassa sings with a growling, tuneful singing voice and there are many different pieces of interesting instrumentation throughout. The Fender Stratocaster guitar parts throughout on this song are really dynamic, interesting and awesome. A blistering neck pickup position guitar solo ensues and sounds really great. A fun and blistering sounding tune, this is certainly interesting music to listen to. In the midsection is more amazing guitar soloing by Joe Bonamassa that sounds extremely cool. Very, very nice. This is followed by a groovy and funky bass guitar piece that is really fantastic to listen to. A really great piece of music, this is the essence of joyful music listening. This wraps up with another happy and glorious-sounding guitar solo, before suddenly finishing. Excellent.

Woke Up Dreaming is a furiously played shred styled acoustic guitar piece. It is very unusual musically but sounds lively, pretty and good throughout. This again is deeply rooted in Blues Music territory, but sounds totally awesome. Joe Bonamassa sings from a deep and interesting musical place. This is a quirky tune with some very fast and intricate playing throughout. Nonetheless, an absolutely supercharged and winner of a tune. It sounds incredibly delicious and loveable throughout. Joe Bonamassa returns on vocals towards the end of this short and sweet tune and the feel and playing here are really great. Worth your ears, and very nice indeed.

I Don’t Live Any Where begins with some soft and slow percussion, and smokey sounding Blues guitar. Soon enough, some slow yet decent soloing emerges. Joe Bonamassa sings very well, and he is in fine form on this song. A really awesome, lovely and sweet sounding tune with some organ in the background, this is a real winner of a song. A brilliant and great listening experience, there are some intense vocals throughout that are just fantastic. This is a cool tune which is very chilled. A pristine and clean guitar solo emerges in the second half which is quintessential listening and very memorable throughout. A really gorgeous piece of music, this is very reassuring and lovely music to hear. A cool tune which is pleasant listening. Light up your cigarette and drink your beer to this wonderful tune. It ends under four minutes in length, very gentle listening.

Wild About You Baby is a loud and overdriven piece that is an Elmore James cover, with a thumping rhythm section and electric slide guitar that isn’t as good sonically as what came before it, but nonetheless, works incredibly well musically. This music is smooth, sweet and listenable. A really powerful tune, although the guitars could be mixed a little bit better on this song. Still, this music is really interesting listening per se. A great and interesting tune to lend your ears to, this is some of the best Blues of the early 21st Century. All in all, another winner of a tune by Joe Bonamassa here. A really cool listening experience that sounds different, this album is definitely rewarding if you choose to explore it. The lyrical twist towards the end, this is some of the best Blues out there. Very, very good.

Long Distance Blues is a T-Bone Walker cover and is one of the more popular pieces from this album, and begins with some mid position guitar playing, before Joe Bonamassa and crew launch into a really sweet sounding song. Indeed, this is a very suspenseful, interesting and Bluesy listen throughout. This music sounds very, very good and Joe Bonamassa delivers the Blues unlike anyone before or since. A really interesting and refreshing take on a form of music that has been around for quite a long time, Joe Bonamassa and friends Rock hard. A great guitar solo emerges in the second half with some of the best guitar work you will hear. A really interesting and cool piece of pseudo-Shred guitar, it is quite clear that Joe Bonamassa can play a mean guitar. A decent song that gets subtle towards the end, and concludes with an unusual delivery. Brilliant.

Pack It Up is a Freddie King cover. It sounds very unusual from the start, with some unusual guitar riffing, shuffle drumming and organ to boot. Joe Bonamassa sings about dealing with a lady who is a hassle to deal with. This is a great piece of musical accomplishment and even though this is a less observed track from this album, it still sounds fantastic to listen to. Very entertaining and enjoyable, Joe Bonamassa reflects the spirit of Deep Purple on this song. A cool guitar solo emerges in the second half that sounds insanely good. A very good listen, even if you are not a huge fan of Blues Music. There are some clever moments throughout this song, and Joe Bonamassa sounds like a total musical legend throughout. A very awesome tune to listen to, this sounds extremely cool. It concludes with some sweet guitar playing and a very memorable conclusion.

Left Overs is an Albert Collins cover that begins with some sweet guitar licks and launches into another groovy organ-based piece of music. Joe Bonamassa certainly can be relied on to make the Blues come alive. A tempo change occurs, and this instrumental comes alive. This is a bit of a throwback to the famous John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton 1966 album release but in an original way by Joe Bonamassa. The guitar playing throughout is very fantastic, and excellently musical. There are solo sections from all the members of the group in this short three minute long song. All in all, another great musical moment to listen to. It ends with some superb soloing by Joe Bonamassa, before concluding in a chaotic way. Excellent.

Walking Blues is a Robert Johnson cover that begins with some heavy guitar riffs and a pounding 4/4 kick drum beat. Nonetheless, this music sounds pretty, descriptive and excellent throughout. Joe Bonamassa sings again very well throughout, and he delivers a very good performance with both his guitar and singing. Another excellent song to listen to, there is some harmonica throughout this tune as well. An enjoyable song that sounds a bit like Black Betty, this is still an amazing listen on its own. A very loveable tune that is full of Blues and pulsating energy, this is yet another solid listening experience by Joe Bonamassa. Nonetheless, another really killer tune, the mixture of slide guitar and harmonica sounds delicious. This solo jam section goes on for some time and sounds decent. All in all, a really excellent and musically divine listen. This is fantastic music from start to finish. It concludes with some awesome vocals and a wacky guitar conclusion, alongside harmonica. Awesome.

Mumbling Word is the last song here and has some oddly tuned acoustic slide guitar. Soon enough, Joe Bonamassa launches into an excellent and upbeat piece about a relationship. He launches into some extreme screaming and plays a mean guitar to match. Nonetheless, this is a decent finish to a good album with a simple and stylish song about a lover and the Blues. It sounds weird but is totally enjoyable throughout. The mixture of Blues vocals and slide acoustic guitar sounds really different and excellent. This gradually concludes with some neat acoustic guitar playing and a hummed harmony. The album ends here.

This may not be the greatest album of all time. However, it is a solidly good album and musical listening experience that many out there will love. It is a good album layered with different elements of music, playing and intense emotion. Joe Bonamassa is better worth paying attention to on his better records such as this album rather than his rather overt celebrity stature these days. Should you listen to this album? Do give it a shot, particularly if you dig Blues and Rock styled music.

A very good album.

8/10