Joe Bonamassa - Driving Towards The Daylight - Album Review

Floyd

Administrator
Staff member
"Dislocated Boy" opens the album in an epic, rocking way. The song is six and a half minutes long, and, although it can wear thin at points, it provides a fun time for the listener. Speaking of epics, that's really what makes this album so good. "A Place In My Heart" is a touching blues ballad with tremendous guitar playing. This is a song that not only uses it's lyrics to get to your soul ("No matter who you are, or what you do/There's a place in my heart for you") but also allows the toneful guitar playing to make you want to shed a tear or two. Following right after is "Lonely Town Lonely Street", a seven-minute epic that's filled with swagger and great playing, both from Joe and Anton Fig, the drummer (they sort of compete between each other). "Heavenly Soul" can also be consdered an epic, with a sort of country feel or so to it (I apologize I can't think of what to call it) that actually fits. Closer "Too Much Ain't Enough Love" features a man by the name of Jimmy Barnes on vocals with more (you guessed it) cool guitar playing. My only problem with this song is why they say it features Barnes when he sings on the whole thing. Personally, I would have liked Barnes and Bonamassa to duet on this. But hey, it's his song to begin with so let him sing it.

The straight ahead blues tracks are what make up most of the rest of this excellent cd. "Stones In My Passway", "I Got All You Need", "Who's Been Talking", and "New Coat of Paint" are solid tracks, but serve as the filler here. "Somewhere Trouble Don't Go" is a personal favorite with good lyrics, but the true highlight here is the heartfelt title track. I really can't get enough of this song, from it's beautiful, yet simple guitar intro, to its strong, but still simple chorus. With lyrics like "Who was wrong and who was right, and do we even know why we're fighting"/So take your eyes off of me, and look upon the churning sea", you get the sense Bonamassa cares about something more than just guitars (or in this case, some ONE) as he soars into the refrain: "Driving towards the daylight, running from the midnight, trying to get my way home/Running from the spotlight, trying to find the daylight, trying to get back home". Like I mentioned, simple, but strong.

If you like blues music this is a great record, and even if you're just a straight up a rock and roller (like me) this will still be a very enjoyable listen. Joe has an amazing voice, and his guitar playing is never short of magnificent, either. This is the first and only Bonamassa record I've heard, but I'll definetely check out his earlier stuff. Keep em comin, Joe!

Tracklist for Driving Towards The Daylight:

1. Dislocated Boy

2. Stones In My Passway

3. Driving Towards The Daylight

4. Who's Been Talking

5. I Got All You Need

6. A Place In My Heart

7. Lonely Town Lonely Street

8. Heavenly Soul

9. New Coat Of Paint

10. Somewhere Trouble Don't Go

11. Too Much Ain't Enough Love



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