Review JOE BONAMASSA ‘Tales of Time’

Joe Bonamassa played a show at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado in August 2022. The magic place close to Morrison created an impressive scenery for the concert and since it is not that easy for fans of the stellar guitarist to go there, the show was filmed and is now available as ‘Tales of Time’.

The first thing is the excellent sound of this live release. With longtime producer Kevin Shirley at the helm, the album captures the live atmosphere in great fashion. It’s a clear and powerful sound that booms out of the speakers, producing a warm and organic feeling which fits perfectly into the context of the surrounding landscape. In the best meaning of the word, one gets a lot of ‘rock’ with this release.

The musical focus in August last year was on the latest studio album ‘Time Clocks’ and most of the songs on ‘Tales of Time’ are live versions of songs, originally coming from the mentioned release. Together with his very skillful band, Bonamassa delivers an excellent live album that showcases again why the singer and guitarist belongs to the greats in blues and rock. Songs like ‘Curtain Call’ and the blues-laden ‘Known Unkowns’ are treats for ears and mind. Not only that Bonamassa can write great songs; he also managed to transfer this emotional journey also into a live setup.

‘Time Clocks’ as well as the show and the resulting live release, all three are next highlights in a career that already impresses. Fans of superb executed blues rock should not miss the release and since the location of the show is equally stellar as the music, the DVD version will add extra excitement and entertainment.