Going back to 2006 for this one. I think this is where the oh so prosperous partnership with uber producer Kevin Shirley first started. You have to admit the production on this album is stellar. Every instrument is placed perfectly and the clarity is incredible.
High Water Everywhere kicks things off with an old school blues vibe and a killer dirty riff. Next up is Bridge To Better Days. It starts nice slow with a pounding groove and a killer riff, then the switch is flicked and the heavy blues rock groove that Joe is famous for takes over. Asking Around For You is as traditional blues as it gets. When the word blues is spoken, this is what pops in your mind. Very similar groove to So Many Roads, except Joe rips it up right from the get go. Awesome tune!
I Don’t Believe is a kick ass shuffle. I’m a sucker for a shuffle! It’s acoustic country blues time with Tamp ‘Em Up Solid. This one sounds as though he is playing right in front of you. Great production. Django used to be the track he walked out to when he played, and if I’m honest it sounds a lot like Jeff Beck. Tea For One follows and is a cover of early Zeppelin, and you have Jason Bonham on the drums to give it that right feel. Palm Trees Helicopters And Gasoline keeps that Zeppelin feel right along with Jo Bo giving it plenty on the acoustic.
Your Funeral And My Trial takes you on a hard shuffle groove and it’s my favourite track on the album. I said I’m a sucker for a shuffle. The album closes out with Torn Down. A choo choo train main groove while Joe wails over the top vocally, then a quirk burst of speed, and back we go. Repeat and away we go.
You can’t deny Jo Bo has worked his ass off and he deserves all that comes to him. Solid album.
8/10 from The Grooveman.
