• Registered: 2007-10-29
  • Posts: 8

Topic: Great show... but no slide?

Hi Everyone,

I saw Joe in Northampton, MA on Saturday night ... and as usual, it was a great show (cool venue too). This is my 4th Joe concert, but first in about a year and half, and since I haven't been able to spend much time here at the forum lately, something came as a bit of a surprise.

Thinking about the show as we were walking back to our car I commented to my wife that I was a bit disappointed he hadn't played either one of my two of all-time Joe faves, The River or Burning Hell. I then realized that Joe had not used a slide on a single song the entire night!

Is this something new for him? Or just something that happened that night?

I ask because Joe's playing, both electric & acoustic, was stellar as always. But I consider him to be one of the best slide players out there, and even though he obviously wants to change up his set list (both with the new CD out and to keep things fresh), it was a surprise that there was no slide playing at all.

Thanks,
Brian

  • Lee
  • Lee
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  • From: Minnesota
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
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Re: Great show... but no slide?

Brian Marine wrote:

Is this something new for him? Or just something that happened that night?

Hi Brian and welcome!
Joe hasn't played the slide during a live performance - on a consistent basis anyway - for quite a while now. I don't think Joe has totally abandoned the slide though because it is present quite a bit on "Sloe Gin". I too love Joe's slide playing and would love to hear more of it incorporated into the live show, but I think he's just concentrating on other technques/styles right now.

  • Registered: 2007-10-29
  • Posts: 8

Re: Great show... but no slide?

Thanks for the welcome, guys!

As far as Joe not playing slide as much any more ... I do understand his desire to change things up. I just hope that, from time to time, he will still continue to play some of his many earlier songs that use slide at future shows. Especially The River.

The River is not only my favorite Bonamassa song ... it's one of my top 3 all-time favorite songs, period. And for a guy who has been around a while ... and been involved in the music business for the past 25+ years (as a recording engineer, songwriter, etc.) , that is pretty high praise indeed!

Anyway, no matter what Joe plays ... he never disappoints live. Speaking of which, has there been any talk recently of Joe putting out another live album?

Brian

  • Registered: 2006-10-11
  • Posts: 270

Re: Great show... but no slide?

Brian Marine wrote:

Thanks for the welcome, guys!

As far as Joe not playing slide as much any more ... I do understand his desire to change things up. I just hope that, from time to time, he will still continue to play some of his many earlier songs that use slide at future shows. Especially The River.

The River is not only my favorite Bonamassa song ... it's one of my top 3 all-time favorite songs, period. And for a guy who has been around a while ... and been involved in the music business for the past 25+ years (as a recording engineer, songwriter, etc.) , that is pretty high praise indeed!

Anyway, no matter what Joe plays ... he never disappoints live. Speaking of which, has there been any talk recently of Joe putting out another live album?

Brian

Yes, Joe told me there is a studio and live cd in the works!!!

  • Registered: 2007-10-19
  • Posts: 299

Re: Great show... but no slide?

I'd love to hear Joe play slide live!! smile

  • Registered: 2007-10-29
  • Posts: 8

Re: Great show... but no slide?

dragster wrote:

I'd love to hear Joe play slide live!! smile

Dragster,

Whenever I want to hear Joe playing slide, I always put on the Rockpalast DVD and play The River & Burning Hell back to back.

That's one excellent performance, with great vocals and some amazing slide work!

Brian

  • From: St. Louis, MO
  • Registered: 2006-06-20
  • Posts: 960

Re: Great show... but no slide?

Brian,

The River and Burning Hell are also my two favorite songs! I was fortunate enough to see those songs live on a couple of ocassions. I am hoping that the Chandler will make an appearance again in the near future!

~Rhonda

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

photogal's Website

  • From: Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Registered: 2006-07-06
  • Posts: 31

Re: Great show... but no slide?

"But I consider him to be one of the best slide players out there, and even though he obviously wants to change up his set list (both with the new CD out and to keep things fresh), it was a surprise that there was no slide playing at all.


I said the exact same thing in my post a while back- I love Joe's slide playing adn I'll go out on a limb and say he's the BEST electric slide player to come along since Duane Allman...

I'm seeing him tonight (my 6th time!) and keep hoping I'll hear some slide but I know he's doing things his way... I'll still enjoy the heck out of it...


Firin' Frank

  • Registered: 2007-10-29
  • Posts: 8

Re: Great show... but no slide?

firin' frank wrote:

"I said the exact same thing in my post a while back- I love Joe's slide playing adn I'll go out on a limb and say he's the BEST electric slide player to come along since Duane Allman...

I'm seeing him tonight (my 6th time!) and keep hoping I'll hear some slide but I know he's doing things his way... I'll still enjoy the heck out of it...
Firin' Frank

Hi Frank,

I would put Warren Haynes on that short list, but with all due respect to both Duane and Warren (and a number of other great players I could mention) ... in my opinion, Joe is the best slide player ever.

Why? Simply because of the huge number of styles Joe is a master of. A lot of slide players are really good at one particular stlye of playing. But no matter what Joe plays ... delta, Chicago, country, rock, dobro, acoustic, and so on ... he somehow manages to extract the true essence of each style, and then takes it to another level with his own amazing brand of musicianship.

That's the same reason Joe is my all-time favorite guitar player ... he is simply excellent at every style of blues and rock, both on acoustic and electric, at both smokin' fast and soulfully slow solos, and even on songs he's played hundreds of times ... he always finding a way to "take it up a notch" as he continues to grow and develop.

Anyway Frank ... wether he plays slide or not, you will come away happy tonight because  Joe never disappoints when he plays live!

Brian

10 Reply by tarus52 (edited by tarus52 2007-10-30 09:18:06)

  • Registered: 2006-10-11
  • Posts: 270

Re: Great show... but no slide?

Brian Marine wrote:
firin' frank wrote:

"I said the exact same thing in my post a while back- I love Joe's slide playing adn I'll go out on a limb and say he's the BEST electric slide player to come along since Duane Allman...

I'm seeing him tonight (my 6th time!) and keep hoping I'll hear some slide but I know he's doing things his way... I'll still enjoy the heck out of it...
Firin' Frank

Hi Frank,

I would put Warren Haynes on that short list, but with all due respect to both Duane and Warren (and a number of other great players I could mention) ... in my opinion, Joe is the best slide player ever.

Why? Simply because of the huge number of styles Joe is a master of. A lot of slide players are really good at one particular stlye of playing. But no matter what Joe plays ... delta, Chicago, country, rock, dobro, acoustic, and so on ... he somehow manages to extract the true essence of each style, and then takes it to another level with his own amazing brand of musicianship.

That's the same reason Joe is my all-time favorite guitar player ... he is simply excellent at every style of blues and rock, both on acoustic and electric, at both smokin' fast and soulfully slow solos, and even on songs he's played hundreds of times ... he always finding a way to "take it up a notch" as he continues to grow and develop.

Anyway Frank ... wether he plays slide or not, you will come away happy tonight because  Joe never disappoints when he plays live!

Brian

When i talked to Joe at Blues Alley we touched on this subject and he said hands down that Sonny Landreth was the best slide guitar player and Eric Clapton agrees and i agree with the both of them.

  • Registered: 2007-10-29
  • Posts: 8

Re: Great show... but no slide?

tarus52 wrote:

When i talked to Joe at Blues Alley we touched on this subject and he said hands down that Sonny Landreth was the best slide guitar player and Eric Clapton agrees and i agree with the both of them.

I'm sure Joe is much too humble to say that he's the best. And while I think Sonny Landreth is excellent, and probably has the most unique style of slide playing I've heard, my feeling about Joe being "best" really stems from his versatility and ability to play so many different slide styles so well.

Of course, it's all subjective ... and you can never go wrong when the musicianship is at such a high level, as with the case of both of these guys.

Brian

  • suhl
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  • From: Springfield, IL
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 936

Re: Great show... but no slide?

the river will be back bro.  mark my words.  it is definitely the best original song he has(personal opinion of course) and up there for best song he has altogether.  you dont write a song that good, then go on to rewrite it into such a badass live tune, just dont never play it again.  we'll be hearing that one for years i have a feeling.  this is another reason why i wish joe would change the setlist and occasionally play for over two hours.  that has alreadybeen discussed enough so i wont any more here but if he would this would get played at least occasionally rather than disappearing for years at a time.  guess itll be awesome when it finally comes back.  then it will be every night though.  im talking in circles here im done, river is that **## to be sure

sonny landredth is the best.  disagreeing with that is like saying magic johnson is better than michael jordan.  hes one of the best ever, but not the best

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fCdNsm7gvu8

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I might keep you satisfied

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  • From: Harrison, Arkansas
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 3,155

Re: Great show... but no slide?

Derek Trucks. Nuff said. Sonny is great, Joe is great. Derek Trucks? Above and beyond.

"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"

My ReverbNation page for Dees & Friends - check us out!
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  • jim m
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  • Registered: 2006-04-24
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Re: Great show... but no slide?

Brian Marine wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I saw Joe in Northampton, MA on Saturday night ... and as usual, it was a great show (cool venue too). This is my 4th Joe concert, but first in about a year and half, and since I haven't been able to spend much time here at the forum lately, something came as a bit of a surprise.

Thinking about the show as we were walking back to our car I commented to my wife that I was a bit disappointed he hadn't played either one of my two of all-time Joe faves, The River or Burning Hell. I then realized that Joe had not used a slide on a single song the entire night!

Is this something new for him? Or just something that happened that night?

I ask because Joe's playing, both electric & acoustic, was stellar as always. But I consider him to be one of the best slide players out there, and even though he obviously wants to change up his set list (both with the new CD out and to keep things fresh), it was a surprise that there was no slide playing at all.

Thanks,
Brian

Brian, I would venture an educated guess on this subject after reading the December issue of Guitar Player. Gibson gave Joe a prototype Skylark lapsteel. It was a Skylark in a Les Paul form. He played it this spring in OKC. He is not currently touring with it but I suspect it will be added to the arsenal soon. Whether The River or Burning Hell come back into the setlist we will have to see.

jim m's Website

  • Registered: 2007-10-19
  • Posts: 299

Re: Great show... but no slide?

In my honest op, some of Clapton's best live performances are with Sheryl Crow playing Hendrix's classix!

Rob smile

  • From: Bonamassachusetts
  • Registered: 2006-09-28
  • Posts: 19

Re: Great show... but no slide?

suhl wrote:

sonny landredth is the best

Hey there Springfield, IL!  Hatched and brazed there myself.  I'm guessing you caught Sonny at the Old Capitol BBQ thing?  I just happened to be in town at the time, and I would say it was the best show I've seen in the area since Joe B played there in 2001. Did you see Joe B then?

I've got some pics of Sonny from that night in the works, and will have them up on Flickr soon, as well as Joe B from last Friday in Boston.  Hopefully they should be up this weekend.

Wishing I had a couple Cozy Dogs and a Horseshoe right now........ wink