Had to Cry Today

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Guitar hero Bonamassa may have dropped the "Smokin'" prefix from his performing name that he carried as a teenager, but he still specialises in superheated fret work. And for him, the faster it is, the better. Bonamassa sought to showcase the "heavier side of blues" on his fourth studio recording, emphasizing the approach used by the classic English blues-rockers. And he does just that with a hyperactive "Travellin' South" that Ten Years After would have been proud to claim and a hard-edged remake of the B.B. King hit "Never Make Your Move Too Soon". The title track, a Blind Faith favourite, is transformed into a frenetic live jam while Lowell Fulson's "Reconsider Baby", a staple of Bonamassa's live show, is given an extended workout and features some of his most potent blues licks. Sometimes Bonamassa is in too much of a hurry for his own good, but his penchant for speed works especially well on a couple of instrumentals. He races through "Revenge of the 10 Gallon Hat", a country-flavoured tribute to mentor Danny Gatton, and the rapid-fire, Al Di Meola-influenced closer "Faux Mantini." --Michael Point

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2006-03-03 rating:
Leave it in the player
From the opening salvo of "Never Make Your Move Too Soon", Joe Bonamassa leaves you in no doubt what to expect from this album: race-tuned blues of the sort people used to play when "guitar hero" was a compliment rather than a put-down. Once again he leans heavily on the souped-up Marshall-type sounds of the seventies, but only in a good way. There are some classics in the making here: his re-working of "Reconsider Baby" into a minor key is a triumph, opening it up and creating a Stairway to Heaven vibe; "Revenge of the 10-Gallon Hat" (a tribute to the late Danny Gatton) is a jaw-dropping display of country-style picking at an almost impossible speed; the title track, written by Steve Winwood and originally recorded by Blind Faith, begins with the wonderfully sinuous riff and then builds layers of harmonic crunch until the two wailing solos leave you no alternative but to press the "repeat" button. For my money, the two slower tracks on offer, "Around the Bend" and "When She Dances", are, although listenable, less successful because they incline towards the sentimental, but elsewhere the beat goes on and whether it's his nifty line in slide guitar ("Travellin' South"), his furious acoustic picking ("Faux Mantini") or his screaming blues (everything else) you'll be hooked. Buy the album and spread the word.

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review by: steve_d2004 date: 2004-12-16 rating:
Fantastic blues rock
If you like proper blues rock, you need this album! Brilliant guitar playing, great versions of classics like "Travellin' South" and "Reconsider Baby" and homages to Danny Gatton ("Revenge of the 10 Gallon Hat") and Led Zeppelin ("The River") are amongst the many highlights here.In fact,the whole album ROCKS!


review by: nikh158 date: 2004-11-26 rating:
Joe`s best yet
If you like your Blues/Rock to be more Rock than blues, then this is the one for you. Joe claims he wanted to explore the heavier side of the blues with this CD and he has certainly lived up to this. There are no traditionally played blues songs on here, and better still, few ballads. There is however some of the best heavy electric blues you`re ever likely to hear. Take your pick from Reconsider baby, Never Make Your Move Too Soon, The River ( which appears to be a *cough* homage to When The Levee Breaks, but such a good one you`ll have to forgive him), or the knuckle-busting Travellin` South. For variety there`s the equally knuckle-busting, but almost classical sounding Faux Martini, a country knees-up, Revenge Of The Ten Gallon Hat and a couple of slowies.
Look, this is just a great album, buy it.

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