no 'just got paid' on sloe gin???

Maybe its too well-known?  I think (as far as I can remember now) that Joe mostly covers not well known stuff... JGP is largely recognized as ZZ Top's first masterpiece...

There comes a point when there are too many covers on an album.

Sometimes I feel it silly putting ANY covers on an album!!

One or maybe 2, but nearly whole albums. And when I read the Classic Rock review that said the title track was from the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack I almost died in shock! Sloe Gin from THAT?!?!

Blimey. It was... more like the Shocky Horror Bonamassa Show for me!!

Anyway the good news, at last, is I've had a dispatch email from HMV so I should get it by Saturday or Monday at the latest! *fingers crossed!!*

I couldn't disagree more. There are great songs that deserve to be given a new life. In a way, he is doing the musical world a favor. Recycling at it's best! And never a song that's been played to death. Joe is a phenomenal guitar player. If his talent ended there, I would still be an avid fan. The way his voice is maturing is a bonus. So, song writing is low on my list of demands.                                               Cathy

Why recycle when you can create something brand new. The best artists of all-time are the ones who wrote the best songs. Hendrix, the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones. You need to be a good songwriter. Joe is a good songwriter when he writes songs. I much prefer his originals to his covers. The River, Woke Up Dreaming, Takin' The Hit, Bridge To Better Days, and Dirt In My Pocket in my mind blow the pants off of any of his covers. And I dig Joe's covers a lot. Now, I like Sloe Gin a lot, but if we were to throw ANOTHER cover on there, that's too much. And besides, no one is mentioning that since this we are talking about a different approach with more emphasis on vocals, Just Got Paid does not even fit with the rest of the album.

I'm just saying that if I had the choice over covers or originals, I'm going to take originals. In my opinion, this album is one of my favorites of Joe. I love what he did with Sloe Gin. I actually think I like the live version better, but the studio version is really awesome. I just like Dirt In My Pocket better. A lot of that probably has to do with the fact that it is an original by Joe.

And besides, just because there are so many chords and melodies, doesn't mean you quit striving to do something unique and completely original. That's what I like about Joe. For all the songs that are covers (and he does covers well, he's not a copycat by any means) there are brilliant original works like The River that are just amazing.