Photo Credit Kit Wood
Tales Of Time was recorded Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado on August 8, 2022. This is three-time Grammy-nominated guitarist Joe Banamassa‘s latest album. Red Rocks is a magnificent backdrop for great music and this performance will also be available on DVD. 80% of the tracks are off his fifteenth and latest #1 studio album Time Clocks, which was released October 29, 2021. The last two songs, 9 and 10 are from Bonamassa’s September 21, 2018 release Redemption.
Tales Of Time will be released April 14th worldwide via Bonamassa’s J&R Adventures in CD/DVD, CD/BR, vinyl, and digital formats.
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The CD starts with a narrative, setting a Middle Eastern mood, with African drums originally by The Prophet. This sets the tone on the album’s message of personal travel from the very beginning.
“We wanderers, ever seeking the lonelier way, begin no day where we have ended another day; and no sunrise finds us where sunset left us. Even while the earth sleeps we travel. We are the seeds of the tenacious plant, and it is in our ripeness and our fullness of heart that we are given to the wind and are scattered. So, come with me on my Journey.”
“Notches” starts with almost eerie guitar licks then transcends into the full band yielding to Joe’s vocals proclaiming “miles under his wheels” symbolizing a long journey while gaining life’s experiences, hence, putting notches in his walking cane. The song has outstanding guitar work, just what you would expect from a release from Joe Bonamassa. At the seven minute mark of the song, Reese Wynans cuts in with powerful keyboards, really letting you know he is also on this album. The track fills out with the back up singers accompanying Joe with the rest of the band in a full orchestra sound. Wow, I could have stopped here and proclaimed what a great song and recording, but man I just need to continue to see what Bonamassa has on this album!
Track two keeps with the theme of time and travel and moving on with “The Heart That Never Waits.” Again, Bonamassa just rips with original blues riffs that portray a sadness in delivery. The lyrics reflect a despair of having to move on as things don’t always work out as planned. This is another great song as there is a sort of redemption in just moving on.
“Curtain Call”, the third track, starts out strong with strings and sounds very orchestrated with an Egyptian or Middle Eastern flair. It’s something different and interesting as it’s not really a blues track. “Curtain Call” is a song of a “march of a broken soul” and being able to show up to make life’s “curtain call,” amidst life’s obstacles. There is even the sound of a sonic wave theremin on this track, but the sounds may be reproduced by Wynans on the keyboards. The sonic wave theremin is a cool sound added to the song. This is just a great track in adding diversity to the overall recording of this album. Joe gives a shout out to Josh Smith on guitar at the end.
Then the album, or CD slows down to reflect struggles within love relationships with “Minds Eye” and “Questions and Answers,” tracks four and five.
“Just ‘Cos You Can Don’t Mean You Should” number 9 and “Evil Mama” number 10 are the two tracks that were not on the 2021 album release Time Clocks. They were originally released in 2018 on the album Redemption. “Just ‘Cos You Can Don’t Mean You Should” is for those blues fans that love Mississippi Blues. The BB King influences are so loud they cannot be ignored on this track and really talked to my soul.
“Evil Mama” is a bluesy rocking tune that just defies you to keep your foot from tapping, while Reese Waynan is all over this track and Joe’s guitar solo is just an exploding powder keg. This is the perfect track to leave the listener and the audience at Red Rock quaking and wanting more.
Joe Bonamassa again surrounds himself with great legendary musicians that compliment him bringing him higher. Overall, Tales of Time is a live album that belongs in every blues album collectors catalog as it has everything and more that every blues aficionado needs to fulfill their musical journey.
This album tracks a 10/10 in all my senses and it makes me sad I wasn’t in attendance while this masterpiece was recorded!
I hope you enjoy Tales of Times as much as I did!
Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.
