Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
To capture someone in all their glory live can be a laborious and sometimes self sacrificing work, an effort of near epic proportions is needed by a lot of people to make sure that the magic that is heard is portrayed correctly and doesn’t become a fuzzy after thought in the listener’s minds. In Joe Bonamassa, there really is no need to ever question what the end result will sound like as his unique personality and guitar playing are always top quality and when the music is within the confines of the Vienna Opera House then it’s an experience to savour.
Joe Bonamassa: An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House is one of those rare live moments where everything fits, visually enticing, aurally sensational and the combination of being part of a package of a two C.D. and two D.V.D. set makes this probably the best live album of the year across the many genres. What makes it an absolute must have is that it frames the very special nature of the tour Joe and his band undertook. A tour that instead of playing too packed out arenas all over Europe, saw the virtuoso blues guitarist play to a very limited audience in a two week unplugged extravaganza. Vienna, regarded by many as the ‘City of Music’ is perhaps the perfect setting for what turned out to be a sensational and very cool concert and rightly the C.D. and D.V.D. reflect this.
Accompanying Joe Bonamassa during the gig are the musicians Gerry O’ Connor, Mats Wester, Arian Schierbaum and Lenny Castro and the music they create for songs such as Dust Bowl, Slow Train, the stupendous The Ballad of John Henry, Stones in my Passway and the ethereal brilliance of Sloe Gin are given such respect that they sound fresh and can lead to feelings of jealousy on those that were fortunate enough to attend this very special night in one of the leading architectural masterpieces in Europe. Thankfully it was filmed and documented in all its glory, a rare treat for the fans, and one that is simply a piece of recording history.
A real must have.
Joe Bonamassa: An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House is released on Monday 25th March 2013.
Ian D. Hall