Filmed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Colorado in the US of A, back in August 2022, blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa and his band paved their way through a full set, with emphasis on then current studio release, Time Clocks. Tales Of Time is available on CD/DVD, CD/Blu-ray, vinyl, and digital formats, with varying track options. Visually, we home in on panoramic scenes witnessed in countless western movies, sandy desert and whopping big rock edifices, until if feels we’re being confronted by the mother-ship in Close Encounter of the Third Kind, and we see the auditorium seemingly out there in the middle of nowhere. The footage fast forwards as the stage scenery, amplifiers and the like erected. A sustained guitar plays over this, giving way to a drum beat as a narrative introduces the “journey” we’re invited to become part of. From thereon, unfolding from a cloak of dry ice is Joe Bonamassa’s guitar and in turn the man holding it as the camera pans 360 degrees.

Adorned in black suit with red trimmings but a little too shy to be a full-on rhinestone cowboy, the guitarist digs in meshing notes with hard potency until the band join in and ‘Notches’ is served as an afro-beat blues rock number. If the opening sequences are now an ongoing stylistic trope for his in-concert films, the added waft of dry ice a cute visual touch, and band members given screen time appreciated, because Bonamassa’s frontman personality often lacks charisma – he’s a good singer, a talented guitarist, and writing even stronger songs as he matures, but you’re here for the music, and in a modern world that rarely accepts talent over showbiz chutzpah, that can be an uphill battle.

Fortunately, Bonamassa’s worked his way up the blues rock ladder by hard graft, adding glitz and glitter either side of him so long as it doesn’t get in the way of his playing or mean he has to say too much directly to the crowd. Quality filming and sound, this time round we also get to witness some highly impressive film footage writ large across the back of stage – imaginative, mostly impressive, from digital animation to possibly-doctored natural scenes, and a pre-requisite for those at the back, the man himself revealed giant-sized rather than a speck on stage. It’s those scenes of horses stampeding across the plains that impress most during this worthy opening number with animated guitars jangling out their riffs. Head bobbing when not singing, stage front with legs astride while soloing, it all serves as a good introduction for those to whom Joe Bonamassa remains an unknown quantity.

Straight in after, is the sturdy mainstream blues, of ‘The Heart That Never Waits’, keyboard player Reese Wynans’ piano tinkling away, with a nice roar to Bonamassa’s voice while in solo he begins to illicit long sustained notes, adding more expressive lines as the tide turns instrumentally, and during a second solo (you’re never cheated on those) when the camera pans in close on his fretboard it’s quite amusing to see how worn it is. Then, with a white Firebird guitar, he chomps down on the chords to ‘Curtain Call’, keyboards adding a slightly prog orientated feel initially, before emphasising the blues with a southern rock lick slipped in its back pocket more, despite the use of theremin. That Bonamassa’s first words to his crowd are: “Josh White, on guitar, ladies and gentlemen,” after the side man takes the final guitar solo, demonstrating the main attraction’s curious non-star like persona.

A plaintive reading of ‘Mind’s Eye’ follows, with gospel styled backing vocals – and, yes, the synchronised dance movements of the ladies involved will hold some of our attentions more than the most-costly film screen effect – this proves a spiritual ballad. Armed with a flying V, ‘Questions And Answers’ is next and I genuinely like the big band blues rock Bonamassa’s been opting for in recent times, but the added South American dance groove intended comes across a little stiff tonight, save the jazz-tinted piano solo. However, ‘The Loyal Kind’ grabs your interest from the start, with a ring on a chain swinging on the screens as a gentle charismatic melody plays out and well-drawn lyrics have you listening ever more attentively. Come the main solo Bonamassa is shredding his guitar, despite which the number overall is imbued with the feel of latter-day Free. The momentum’s kept with ‘Known Unknowns’ where his lyrical guitar weaves us into a somewhat 60s pop R ’n B hook. Again, there’s some particularly effective soloing here and while the camera close-ups make his fingering look deceptively simple, we just know it’s not the notes you play but the way you strike and hold them that makes that magic.

About an hour into the set, we get ‘Time Clocks’. Heavy chords descend, giving way to country picking but Eric Johnson style as more lyrical introspection ensues in song, while on screen birds fly across fiery scenes like something from a dark fantasy film. Mixing more power chords and country riffs but moving like a steady rolling train the band deliver as one, Bonamassa and the females sing in unison, while he rolls out counter riffs in soloing for ‘Evil Mama’, that the CD version ends with.

The slow haunting blues ‘Midnight Blues’ is lengthy but evocative, while ‘I Didn’t Think She Should Do It’ is a wah-wah Disraeli Gears-era Cream nodding to the Butterfield Blues Band’s ‘East-West’ but offering it as upbeat R ‘n B and you wouldn’t mind more raucous sweaty sounds like this. With guitar continuing to wail away through ‘Just ‘Cos You Can Don’t Mean You Should’ this slow blues number offers Robert Cray emotional slickness with B.B. King left-hand vibrato before shredding into conclusion with hammer-ons like a man possessed. That’s the final main set number, as featured on Blu-ray, with the band returning to a standing audience applauding and a whooping, for the final number ‘Mountain Time’ – it’s only now, he tells a story, about the song and how it was co-written some 20 years ago. He could seriously do with more because he’s not boring over a short story, and when you’ve an audience willing you on, even a bad joke’s likely to go down well.

As it is, playing notes through the chords, we’re drawn in once more, the feeling of something epic and worthy from the get-go. It’s like the combined life-force of ‘70s US stadium rock has imbued the song by its end, picturesque evocative lyrics with much stirring of feelings in the chorus, be that enigmatically the love of a woman, the land, and, yeah, let these Yanks have it just this once, God blessing their America. The one down side hearing being side-on cartoon illustration of an eagle on the screen, that simply isn’t good enough, but that gives ways to more emblematic clouds and more aptly Bonamassa bashing away at chords on his guitar before going in for closeups for a slower pinched sound lyrical solo – Astute guitarists will appreciate how he uses the small-finger of his right hand with his volume pot control to affect the sustains bursting forth. Then, as the intensity increases the organ duplicates guitar notes and the band blaze fully into a Midwest rock sound, repeated riffs chiming out with Allman like tonality, Bonamassa standing on the edge of the stage, rocking back and forth, his back right leg shaking away, before they reprise everything with one last chorus, a blast of theremin, a collective bow and then the rolling credits.

Mind you, there are also bonus features. From the same show, a great big red Gibson semi-acoustic wrapped round his neck, that has a tremolo arm the length of a small child’s arm and a capo set at the fifth position on the fretboard we get the hypnotic groove blues that’s ‘Dust Bowl’ and a thrilling trippy ride version it is. At the end he says, “Good evening, Redrock!” leaving you a tad confused as to its placement in the set. It’s followed by band introductions, and then ‘The Ballad Of John Henry’ – Perhaps it’s because he’s got a flying V again for this one because the rendition played comes on like Mountain, it’s heavy on the riff, lilting in echoed effect, a meaty drum laying down the beat and epic in length version, with backing vocalist Jade MacRea wailing like an angel possessed a highlight, but instrumental excursions not to be taken for granted, and this number possibly part of the overall encore.

Even if you don’t have the visual formats, there are some nice photos in the CD versions, but ideally if Bonamassa is to keep releasing live footage, his management need to sort deals for them being featured on the likes of Sky TV over here, that’s likely to score him an even wider audience. Still, judging by this, he’s not doing too shabby.

• Reviewed by Paul H Birch.
• Tales Of Time is released via Provogue/Mascot Label Group and is available https://lnk.to/joebonamassa

CD Track List:

1. Notches 
2. The Heart That Never Waits
3. Curtain Call
4. Mind’s Eye
5. Questions And Answers
6. The Loyal Kind
7. Known Unknowns
8. Time Clocks
9. Just ‘Cos You Can Don’t Mean You Should
10. Evil Mama

Blu-ray Track List:

1. Notches
2. The Heart That Never Waits
3. Curtain Call
4. Mind’s Eye
5. Questions And Answers
6. The Loyal Kind
7. Known Unknowns
8. Time Clocks
9. Evil Mama
10. Midnight Blues
11. I Didn’t Think She Should Do It
12. Just ‘Cos You Can Don’t Mean You Should
13. Mountain Time
14. Dust Bowl (Bonus feature)
15. Band Intros (Bonus feature)
16. The Ballad Of John Henry (Bonus feature)