EDITORIAL REVIEWS
Acclaimed guitarist Joe Bonamassa will release his most ambitious CD to date, Had to Cry Today, on August 24, 2004. Following the success of his 2003 release, Blues Deluxe, a tribute album to the blues greats who influenced him most, Bonamassa's latest CD further defines the guitarist/vocalist/songwriter as a force to be reckoned with - from his heartfelt & inspiring vocals to his seamless fusion of blues, rock & country. Incorporating influences of Chicago, Delta & British blues into original material, the influences of Had To Cry Today read like a Who's Who of blues. From the 40s & 50s music of B.B. King, Muddy Waters & Buddy Guy to the English invasion of the Yardbirds, Clapton & Cream, Had To Cry Today deftly elaborates on the many faces of modern music's most influential genre.

AMAZON
Guitar hero Bonamassa may have dropped the "Smokin'" prefix from his performing name that he carried as a teenager, but he still specializes in superheated fret work. And for him, the faster it is, the better. Bonamassa sought to showcase the "heavier side of blues" on his fourth studio recording, emphasizing the approach used by the classic English blues-rockers. And he does just that with a hyperactive "Travellin' South" that Ten Years After would have been proud to claim and a hard-edged remake of the B.B. King hit "Never Make Your Move Too Soon". The title track, a Blind Faith favorite, is transformed into a frenetic live jam while Lowell Fulson's "Reconsider Baby", a staple of Bonamassa's live show, is given an extended workout and features some of his most potent blues licks. Sometimes Bonamassa is in too much of a hurry for his own good, but his penchant for speed works especially well on a couple of instrumentals. He races through "Revenge of the 10 Gallon Hat", a country-flavored tribute to mentor Danny Gatton, and the rapid-fire, Al Di Meola-influenced closer "Faux Mantini." --Michael Point