Reviews

Joe Bonamassa: Time Clocks Review

Any time Joe Bonamassa announces a new album it’s one of the most anticipated albums of the year. In 2020, Bonamassa released Royal Tea, which was voted #1 on Blues Rock Review’s top 20 albums of 2020. Once again, Kevin Shirley joins Bonamassa in the producer’s chair while Bob Clearmountain (The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen) mixed it. Bonamassa recorded the album in New York City.

Time Clocks begins with “Pilgrammage,” an instrumental which leads into the high powered first single, “Notches,” which has a memorable riff and begins the album on a banging note. Bonamassa wrote the track with Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke. “The Heart That Never Waits” follows and is Bonamassa’s tip of the hat to Robert Cray.

The title track is unlike anything Bonamassa has recorded and continues his evolution as a songwriter. It seems as though Bonamassa and Kevin Shirley kept trying to push the envelope adding more layers and elements and the result is a pretty unique and powerful track.

The album heads back into blues territory with “Questions and Answers” before “Mind’s Eye” which has a haunting intro that gives the listener a vibe similar to the feeling you get listening to the opening of “Sloe Gin.” “Mind’s Eye”, a co-write with James House, also features one of the album’s standout guitar solos.

“Curtain Call” feels like it would fit right in on a Black Country Communion album and brings a Zeppelin vibe. This is rock music at its best. Speaking of great rock tracks, “The Loyal Kind” is just that. The track is a co-write with Bernie Marsden and features a blistering chorus with a bone crunching riff where Bonamassa belts, “I played a round with those tumbling dice… are you gonna spin around and betray me twice… I knew it all along and I hate when I’m right… I’m asking are you the loyal kind?”

Time Clocks goes back to the blues with “Hanging On A Loser” before wrapping up with “Known Unknowns.”

At this stage, Joe Bonamassa has very little left to prove but with Time Clocks, Bonamassa delivers his best album since The Ballad of John Henry. Bonamassa really digs deep lyrically on this album and it feels more personal. Of course, there is great guitar, but Joe’s songwriting has never been better. From start to finish, Time Clocks is a winner and shows why Bonamassa’s run as the current blues rock king is nowhere near over.

The Review: 9.5/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Notches
– The Heart That Never Waits
– Time Clocks
– Mind’s Eye
– Curtain Call
– The Loyal Kind

The Big Hit

– Notches

Buy the album: Amazon | Amazon UK

Joe Bonamassa’s new album ‘Time Clocks’ is released by Provogue/Mascot Label Group on October 29th via www.mascotlabelgroup.com 

Joe tours the UK in April and May 22. Tickets: www.jbonamassa.com/tour-dates

Pete Francis

Pete Francis is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Blues Rock Review. Pete founded Blues Rock Review in 2010 because he felt there was a major void in how the blues rock genre was covered. Pete is the host of Blues Rock Weekly and a co-host on the Blues Rock Show.

6 thoughts on “Joe Bonamassa: Time Clocks Review

  • How do you review an album and not mention who the band is? Oh wait, is it just Joe alone on the album? My mistake?

    Reply
  • It all depends how much info is in the press release.

    Reply
  • rock candy joe bonnamassa was hot really rocked–but time pieces and the others i Bought were not worth the money-the soft music sucked- rock candy was totally different- like candy dulfer like at montreax-really jazz fuck rock metal etc,- the three cds I bought were soft gushy music-only two or three tracks in all three cds were good rock candy was hot- like candy dulfer or joe Satriani- if you want good hard music get satriani -always hot musics-i do not know why time pieces and the other cds were soft and Not jazz rock fuck metal-Bonnamassa was totally different in these cds-stick with joe Satriani or Sylvia Boscheiro-she really schreds-the women guitarists many times are better then the guys

    Reply
  • Bonnamassa-I would say that three tracks on each of his cds were good-other wise not worth the money at all-people should review these cds- I do not know why rock candy was great and time pieces and the others were soft and gushy- not like dulfer or Joe Satriani at all- NOT at all jazz funk acid rock techo etc- Satriani is hot at guitar- like sylvia bosheiro- she is excellent-like other women guitarists like nita strauss and orianthi- excellent hand work-on chords-great music-but Bonnamassas work on theses cds was very soft Not acid jazz funk metal rock-a waste of money- he could have done it like rock candy-which was hot- the drummer was like WOW-he hit his drums so hard i thought they might break-a hot drummer-

    Reply
    • I cannot believe he is worth 40 million dollars-some of his tracks were excellent-and others were soft

      Reply
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