Surfing the Net about Sloe Gin (Page 2 of 8)

The reason why I like Clapton's albums so much is that he is quite economical on the guitar side on them. Then live he lets them rip. This is what I see in Sloe Gin. There are a couple of great extended solos (Sloe Gin and Black Night come to mind) but you really did a good job of scaling it back. This is what is needed. To me, your last three records are your best. And I think that's because you slowly started to move towards making standout tunes. Though you're still jamming out, songs like The River, Asking Around For You, Bridge, others show me that before Sloe Gin you were starting to move towards that. That's great. Heck, even with Stevie, overall recorded studio output in his lifetime, he had only had 4 songs that went over six minutes (Voodoo Chile (Slight Return), Tin Pan Alley, Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up On Love, Riviera Paradise). You have 9. The song is most important, otherwise you are Steve Vai or John Petrucci, just flashy guitar players that only guitar players love. What you have learned, is that you use the guitar to enhance the song. I don't think I am alone in think that when Stevie hits the solos on Tightrope that it takes that song to another place. Or that when Clapton hits a solo on a song like Pretending that it's freakin' perfect. Why? Because the songs are great, and when you have great tunes with really awesome solos, the song goes to another place. The solos don't have to be long though. Both of my examples have relatively short solos, especially compared to what those artists are capable of. You don't wanna be like a whore and give it all up on the first go.

Keep doing what you want to do. Keep in mind though you will lose fans. A lot of fans didn't like Zeppelin's later albums. A lot of people hated it when Stevie added Reese Wynans on keyboards. A lot of people hated it when ZZ Top made Eliminator. A lot of people hated it when Clapton quit Cream and started making his solo albums. The key is they all followed their muse, and actually wound up better musically because of it, and in most cases, actually expanded their audience. They expanded their vocabulary so to speak, and it made them better artists because of it. You can listen to their catalog and get really diverse styles out of one artist. This is where I see Joe heading.

Joe,
I'm not a music critic, just a music lover and Sloe Gin is one of my all time favorite cds. It has been many years since I've played a cd over and over again as I have with this one. In my honest opinion, this is the your best cd to date.

My 15 month old granddaughter loves it too. Her favorite song is Jelly Roll which she dances to and tries her best to snap her little fingers. While driving somewhere one day, I offered to played Sloe Gin for my 81 yr old mom. Poor mom, she never knows what will be playing in my cd player, I have a very wide range of music I enjoy. As I was sliding Sloe Gin into the player she said she wasn't in the mood for a bunch of shrieking which I assured her there wasn't. As the cd progressed I noticed her foot tapping and halfway through she was bopping her head and keeping beat with her hand to her leg. What a cool mom I have!  She said you have a beautiful voice. She wants a copy of it!

The point to this post is, from young to old and everywhere in between, people love your music. Take the helpful criticism and give it some thought and try your best to ignore the nonconstructive bs.  Ricky Nelson said it best with his song Garden Party- "But if memories were all I sang, I rather drive a truck".  Stay true to yourself Joe.
Kathy

So touching to know that Joe still has time to surf the net reading fans comments on SG. The thing I have realised about Mr B is that he is an honest, extremely talented and hard working guy who deserves every accolade he receives for releasing this album. The production is excellent and the choice of tracks impeccable. I sincerely believe that the majority of fans will love this album and if there are some who criticise, then so be it. You can't please all of the people all of the time.

Since when were there restrictions on what instruments could be included on a blues/rock album?

Peace and jam

millhouse:):):):):):)

Where to begin.  I think Sloe Gin is awesome, and I can't wait for your new stuff.  I've said it before that I look at you like the Michelangelo of the guitar, and I don't want to put you in a box and limit your creativity. 

As you branch out and go in different directions, you have to be ready for some to carp and complain.  So many people are threatened by change, particularly among the Blues purists.  You'd think that the Blues was a religion that hadn't changed at all since its inception thousands of years ago, but IMO there's a huge change from Robert Johnson to Muddy Waters to Buddy and BB to SRV to you.  And that's just in a timeframe of 100 years or so.  The difference is that the internet didn't exist 50 years ago for people to b!tch anonymously about it.  In any kind of art (painting, poetry, music or whatever) it changes and progresses or it dies.  Not every experiment will be universally loved but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be tried.  Like Edison with the lightbulb, if you try something different enough times eventually you'll discover something pretty cool. 

Additionally, you have to know that mentally troubled people frequent the internet causing conflict wherever and whenever they can -- these are trolls.  Ignore this, these are largely people whose lives suck and are just trying to spread the misery.  They have no power in life, so they act out in cyberspace to create as much havoc as they can.

Joe, you need to read or re-read The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.  The characters of Howard Roark, Peter Keating, and Ellsworth Toohey will become readily identifiable to you in your own life. 

Additionally, critics while sometimes useful are many times frustrated people who can't achieve success in the field they critique.  Those who can do, and those who can't b!tch.  The world is full of "aginners," people who are against anything that tries to change or better things.  In another sense, having grown up in a small town in Iowa, there are a certain group who want nothing more than to criticize and tear down those who are working for positive change.  It is always a lot easier to sit and complain on the curb as the parade goes by than to try to do something about it. 

I don't have the quote at hand, but Teddy Roosevelt had a great, long quote about the "Man In the Arena."  It starts out something like:  "It is not the critic who counts, it is the man in the arena whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood."  And it ends with something like:  "the credit goes to the man who dares greatly even if he fails, not to those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Something else I've been told is that a third of the people will like you, a third of the people won't like you, and a third won't care about you.  This is just the way life is, given that taste is an individual thing.  I think there is a quote from Bob Dylan that goes something like:  "A man is a success if he does what he wants between the time he gets up and he goes to sleep."

Joe, come on. YOU ARE AMAZING!!! One thing I learned early on is to not care about what people think and to just live your life and do what you want.  It is SO much less stressful that the other option.  Sloe Gin is amazing, and just ignore all those bad reviews...you and I both know it's better than most of the crap on MTV. As far as those purists who want you to go Satriani on all your albums...first of all, if they want that, they can just watch ANDY Live over and over again.  You do what you want...come on, whatever happened to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"? As Annelies said in an earlier post, "It's Joe Bonamassa."  That just happens to be the best "label" for this album. 
By the way, the world blues album sounds like an awesome idea!!

Hi Joe,
I'm really not crazy about dishing out advice regarding an industry I know very little about but since you asked...   You have to know, since this is your forum that most people, including me, are going to tell you that we love you,  we love the new record, and we want you to be successful.

I'm sure you are probably going to get alot of conflicting suggestions.  For me personally, I will tell you I was a little disappointed when I heard you were going to do an all acoustic record.  (not that I don't like acoustic),  just not the entire album.  Alot of people were excited about it. I was thrilled when that record turned into "Sloe Gin" instead.  Strings and all.  The point is, we're all not going to love everything you do all the time.

I do love what you and Kevin Shirley are doing together.  Some people won't.  In general, you will find that people are very reluctant to change.  They like what they like and they want it to stay that way.

Your record is doing great.  You know that.  So......
Since you asked, my advice to you is to be true to yourself and do what feels right for you.  Otherwise, you are not going to be happy and if you're not happy, your music will most likely suffer. And know that every artist has fans that don't appreciate everything they're doing.  So, one more tidbit of advice, Get some really thick skin or just stop reading everyone's opinion on the net.

Looking forward to seeing you December in Tampa and Orlando.

Susan 

Hey Joe...From everyone that you have touched with your music in the Dayton, OH area, we love Sloe Gin...I personally cannot play it enough...I can even strum the chords to Richmond and Seagull...It was like waiting for two Christmas gifts, the release of Sloe Gin followed by your concert at the Fraze...Ask the 4,300 that you packed into the Fraze whether or not they liked the new songs...I'm seeing you and the band again at the Cleveland HOB...I hope that you do all of the new songs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joe, I have seen you mature over the past 5 years into one of the most loved and anticipated performers in a long, long time...Take on the energy of your thousands of fans on the road...Not a few critics that are not open to change...Go for it my friend...You are on the right path...

The Other Joe B.

SMILE JOE BONAMASSA   I just ate your face on my birthday cake!!!!!!!!   
                                                                      Patty

"I'm not nice to any guitar!"     
                 Joe Bonamassa 05-03-12

JBLP CHILD #184