JOE BONAMASSA
Had to Cry Today (Premier Artists)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner

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Like its predecessor, Blues Deluxe, Joe Bonamassa's Had to Cry Today is a 11-song tour-de-blues from a young and forceful bluesman that reminds me of early Albert Collins and early Johnny Winter. Had to Cry Today is Joe's follow-up to Blues Deluxe, his gift to those bluesmen (like Mr. Collins) that have continued to inspire him, but Had to Cry Today features a mix of originals and covers that range from blues greats like Lowell Fulsom to British sensation Steve Winwood (think Blind Faith as opposed to his later solo work). Joe's blistering take on Fulsom's "Reconsider Baby" shows that he's a young man to be reckoned with, and his psychedelic guitar work on "Had to Cry Today" would be right at home with one of Britain's supergroups if Joe wasn't even in diapers in Blind Faith's formative years. Even the three acoustic tunes that close this CD smoke: "The River," "When the Sun Goes Down," and "Faux Martini" showcase some first-rate strumming and picking.

Track List:

Never Make Your Move Too Soon * Travellin' South * Junction 61 * Reconsider Baby * Around the Bend * Revenge of the Ten Gallon Hat * When She Dances * Had to Cry Today * The River * When the Sun Goes Down * Faux Martini

© 2004 - Eric Steiner