Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

The Live cd's are all amazing, and as a few other people have said, they give you a variety of Joe's catalog. I'd pick the first Royal Albert Hall show as #1, but the others are all close behind.

For studio albums, I'd say Blues Deluxe, You & Me, Sloe Gin and John Henry are probably my favorites.

BTW, welcome to the forum!

"Rock ON & Keep the Faith"

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

jim m wrote:

The Ballad of John Henry is my current favorite.

Same for me.

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

I love Joe live the best, but I think I've listened to LFNIP maybe twice probably because we have so many live recordings that we have done as well as downloaded others off of DIME. My favorite official releases are currently "You and Me", the Tea For One just does it for me everytime and "Sloe Gin" and might as well throw in "A New Day Yesterday Live" just for good measure smile

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

Depends what day or week it is.  Currently been listening to Had to Cry Today.  I have a top five so maybe that will help you.

1) Sloe Gin
2) Live at Beacon
3)The Ballad of John Henry
4) You and Me
5)Driving Towards the Daylight.

but really I love them all and that is why I own them all.   worth every penny

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

Just wanted to comment on Janes post without tagging it.If one is new and parusing the back catalogue,there are some differences in the music.But mainly applies to So It's Like That or (SILT)SILT does not follow the traditional  blues as much as probably the others do.To me it is a Rock album.A great Rock album.But it I think it might surprise someone who went back and listened to it after hearing many of Joes other CDs.Like Jane it was my intro to Joe and stands up there in favorite team photo.It was my fav for a long time,but now I can't quite pick one.

Your rock candy baby
Your hard sweet and sticky

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

2014 Version


1) Acoustic Live From Vienna    (by some ways at the moment)

2) Live at The Beacon Theatre  (can't stop playing Midnight Blues & I'll Take Care of You)

3) Dustbowl

4) Had To Cry Today

5) Live at The Royal Albert Hall


............. Michael

Joe Bonamassa .......  His Greatest 3 Videos ... IMMHO   After Much Deliberation
3rd ...... Mountain Time / Rockpalast       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h01xa6NMsJo
2nd ...... Sloe Gin       /  Vienna            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRASS8O8ZnE           
1st ....... Blues Deluxe / The Borderline    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnl3E_KLxYg

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

Thank you all so much. Crystal and I deeply appreciate and value your input and thoughtful responses. I think we're going to continue to purchase them two at a time for now (one studio and one live album) Next up: 'LFNPIP' and 'You and Me'. Thanks for all your help.

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

CharlesandCrystal wrote:

Thank you all so much. Crystal and I deeply appreciate and value your input and thoughtful responses. I think we're going to continue to purchase them two at a time for now (one studio and one live album) Next up: 'LFNPIP' and 'You and Me'. Thanks for all your help.

Part of me wonders what it would be like to just now stumble onto Joe for the first time now.Alot of catching up to do.But so cool to to be able to add disc after disc of first time listens!Or would it be too much to "overdose" on about ten new Joe discs at one time?An how bout now with Joe taking a year off(well not really) lol.But now it seems like a while since a new solo disc has been released that the anticipation will be building I am certain.

Your rock candy baby
Your hard sweet and sticky

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

I would start with the Kevin Shirley albums. Those, in my opinion, are Joe's best work.
you can't go wrong with:
You and Me
Sloe Gin
Ballad of John Henry
Black Rock
Dust Bowl
Driving Towards The Daylight

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

My favorite is RAH I because it is a live album and also because it is where I discovered Joe.  I have everything Joe has recorded, that I know of.  That's one of the beautiful things about Joe, every song on every album is phenomenal.  We can be listen to an album and have our favorite songs and then all of a sudden one of the other songs just jumps out at us and we are like, omg that song is amazing.  It just keeps going on and on.  Right now I cannot get over the Hammersmith Apollo DVD.  It's the most amazing thing I have ever seen, but then I have probably said that 20 times about different things that Joe has done.  I'm am not one usually to gush over an entertainer.  I love music.  Going back to the 60's, I have seen the best.  I was in the business for years and as I have said before on this forum, Joe is the best I have ever seen.  The more I listen, the more I see, the more I am enthralled with the music of Joe Bonamassa.

The only thing we deserve, is an opportunity.  Everything else has to be earned.

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

I don't really have a favorite, but I go through periods of not listening to any Joe, and then do a mega dose. Each time I come back to LFNIP first and each time I hear something new in it! After I have listened to that CD it depends on my mood and time of the day as to which one I go to next. If it's been a long day and I am chilling on my way home: DTTD. If I am on my way to work and am getting revved up, I gotta get my Burning Hell and River fix!

~Rhonda

"I don't think obsessions have reasons, that's why they're obsessions....National Geographic likes their pictures in focus..." Robert Kincaid

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

CharlesandCrystal wrote:

Thank you all so much. Crystal and I deeply appreciate and value your input and thoughtful responses. I think we're going to continue to purchase them two at a time for now (one studio and one live album) Next up: 'LFNPIP' and 'You and Me'. Thanks for all your help.

You won't go wrong with these 2 and you get a chance to cross reference the live and studio versions of 'So many Roads'.

Believe it or not LFNIP actually got me back into early ZZTop, mainly because of Joe's treatment of 'Just Got Paid'. I played this to the guys in my band and they loved it so much that this is the version that we do live, minus Joe's Led Zeppelin referencing, which by the way, reminded of what a stonking piece of music 'Kashmir' is.

Don't ignore BCC because of its heavier rock leanings. If Glenn Hughes singing isn't your thing then just download probably 2 of the best songs Joe has written to date which just happened to be during his BBC tenure. 'Song of Yesterday' is for me Joe's 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Ordinary Son' isn't far behind it.

Enjoy it all.

No Hits, No Hype.......................Classic Rock Jan 2012

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

Hansamike is spot on with the two BCC tracks. Can't recommend them enough, especially Song of Yesterday ( both the studio and live version). big_smile

Come on the Blades (sorry Idolbone just had to borrow your line)

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

CharlesandCrystal wrote:

Thank you all so much. Crystal and I deeply appreciate and value your input and thoughtful responses. I think we're going to continue to purchase them two at a time for now (one studio and one live album) Next up: 'LFNPIP' and 'You and Me'. Thanks for all your help.


Good choices for your next purchases.  You and Me has a sweet spot.  The first time we hear Joe do Django which now is such an epic intro for him.   You can hear the improvement in his voice on this album and  a big hint of what is too come.   I  know you will find many things to love

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

Isn't that the truth. Every now and then I will build a playlist in the PS3 of nothing but all of Joe's recordings, then put it on shuffle. Now that is some more kind of fun going back and forth between them, a musical time warp if you will.

wvgirlinky wrote:

Depends what day or week it is.  Currently been listening to Had to Cry Today.  I have a top five so maybe that will help you.

1) Sloe Gin
2) Live at Beacon
3)The Ballad of John Henry
4) You and Me
5)Driving Towards the Daylight.

but really I love them all and that is why I own them all.   worth every penny

As corn through a goose, so are the days of our lives

Re: This may seem like sacriledge...

Just all!! Why? Because all the CD's and DVD's show a different periode in Joe's musiclife. I know Joe since 2003 and he has developed since then through different musical stages. All are great.