Royal Tea 23 October 2020 (Page 5 of 5)

I PM'd a few of you, check your inboxes.

It's been great to have a week to really dig into the album.  I'm really enjoying it.  Imho it's better all-around than Redemption and it's a really interesting and diverse album.

Highlights for me are:
When One Door Opens
Beyond the Silence
Savannah
Lonely Boy
Royal Tea

The only track I really don't like much is Lookout Man.  Lyrically it's pretty bad.  The riff and harmonica are great, though.

Target tracks :

  Don’t You Do Me No Favours  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmEZ8aiLXSQ

  Don’t Hand Me Your Hangups  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7al88MhPMI

Hah, yeah, definitely.  As my father in law used to say - "that's why they make green Cadillacs and Pink Cadillacs."

I think to some degree that range of opinions of favorites/least favorites is a reflection of Joe's diversity in material... especially the last 4-5 albums.  He has a style, for sure, but really explores every avenue and back road of blues/rock and related genres.

My personal fave for now... "Look Out Man" Nice blend of the back up vocals ( the ladies)  and harmonica with riffage.  The vid shows Michaels version of his "tractor" bass. Getting thru the 2020 B.S.

Royal Tea may be my favorite album since Different Shades of Blue, and I think the reason is that it sounds like the best amalgamation of his various influences. It bridges the gap between blues and rock as well as New Day Yesterday did, so it acts as a sort of bookend for his career up to this point in my mind. Every song is doing something unique, and for whatever reason, his lyrical partners this go around seemed to really hit on something interesting and different. He’s clearly grown into a force as a player, singer, writer, the whole deal. He’s starting to do different things with his voice on different songs, which is a sign he finally seems not just comfortable but really confident in his voice and what he can do with it.

New video today -  "Beyond The Silence" - the most powerful and beautiful song on the album. The music and voice are stunning!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7IDNYvcMso

I really like RT. I was worried I was  not going to like it that much based on the preview songs. Full disclosure I never listen through the whole When One Door opens song until I got the album. It plods a little to long in the beginning  but the payoff is worth it.Sonthe begins ng of that and Alice did not grab me at all. So I was  worried.
  When I listen to Alice as in listening through the whole album I like it enough that its not a skip over. 
   Joes solo releases are pretty much my top album of the year. RT is such an excellent album  it should be that for me this year.
But there are a couple other albums I really  like this year equally.
     I read an interview  where Joe said he is really focusing on the  songs more than just his guitar work.Makes sense. There is some killer guitar in RT. My preference would to have just a little more  in the  album. Maybe he will stretch out more live?
  All and all I think RT may stand the test  of time. It grows in me more and more.