Top 10 Joanne Shaw Taylor Songs
Joanne Shaw Taylor is a prolific music phenomenon. A modern generation blues rocker, her debut album, White Sugar, was released in 2009, and she’s continued to be a staple of blues rock ever since.
Far beyond being only an expert guitarist, her captivating voice always gives warmth and smoothness to her songs. Among her influences are Stevie Ray Vaughan and Aretha Franklin. We also can say that Janis Joplin was a deep influence on Joanne, once she “dared” to record a cover for “Summertime”. It’s not necessary to say that Joanne did an excellent job covering Janis.
Here are Joanne Shaw Taylor’s top 10 songs to date.
10. “White Sugar”
The self-titled track from Joanne’s debut album. It’s an instrumental tune driven by energetic guitar lines performing rhythm and soloing at the same time.
9. “Jealousy”
“Jealousy” is part of the Almost Always Never album, released in 2012 but was also included in the album Songs From The Road (2013). In this ballad, Joanne’s guitar sings beyond her voice.
8. “No Reason To Stay”
Released on the album Wild (2016), “No Reason To Stay” is a well-balanced song where Joanne prioritizes the composition above all.
7. “Diamonds In The Dirt”
This song also shows Joanne’s “peaceful” side, with clean guitars and smooth vocals. It was first released in 2010 and received a new approach in Songs From The Road.
6. “Kiss The Ground Goodbye”
“Kiss The Ground Goodbye” is part of the White Sugar album and the highlight of this track is the raw groove delivered by Joanne’s guitar.
5. “Human”
Reckless Blues is from Joanne’s 2020 release and contains a couple of songs that, according to her, didn’t fit in any of her previous albums. One of these songs is “Human”, which features an outstanding arrangement, backing vocals, and lyrics.
4. “Break My Heart Anyway”
Joanne being a master of the electric guitar is an irrefutable truth. But she’s also gifted with the acoustic guitar. And she’s letting this side come to the surface in her more recent work. An example is “Break My Heart Anyway”, part of the album Reckless Heart (2019).
3. “Blackest Day”
It’s a slow blues ala SRV, with oscillating mood and extensive guitar solos that progressively gain strength. This song was first released on the album White Sugar.
2. “The Best Thing”
Reckless Heart, according to Joanne’s official website, is an album where she recorded her guitar plugging straight to the amp, with no pedals. Maybe that’s the recipe for the swing and cadence of “The Best Thing”, grabbing the listener at the first bar!
1. “Bad Love”
“Bad Love” is a rock n’ roll hit in its essence. With a memorable chorus, always outlined by powerful guitar riffs, this song is part of the Reckless Heart album.
TOP class bluesrockin’ woman !
And what about : Watch’em Burn, Tied and Bound, Going Home, Bones , … ?
My absolute favorite Joanne Shaw song is her cover from the Porgy and Bess aria “Summertime”
She made a classical song into a classic Blues song.
https://invidious.kavin.rocks/watch?v=Pnt3OhOs8MQ
I am a big fan of JST, and one of my favorite is her cover “Wild is the wind”
https://youtu.be/FqdnqjVwu8c?t=379
Right up there with the rest! Agree