With the release of Black Rock, guitar virtuoso and general six-string badass Joe Bonamassa offers fans an eclectic collection of original songs and several Bonamassa-branded cover tunes. Although the mix of heavy, blues music with cover renditions of John Hiatt, Leonard Cohen and Willie Nelson tunes may seem a bit odd at first listen, it starts to make sense as you navigate your third or fourth pass through the tracks.

For the recording phase of this CD, Bonamassa retreated to Black Rock Studios in Santorini, Greece, which served as inspiration for the CD title. The location may have also fueled his decision to experiment with some exotic instruments such as a bouzouki, a Turkish Ney and a clarino. While interesting, these instruments tend to dominate the songs, which would be just as good without them. Standout tracks include the Bonamassa original “Blue and Evil”, as well as a great cover version of “Spanish Boots”. A duet with blues legend B.B. King offers an interesting side note, but doesn’t really add anything to the CD.

Surprisingly, one of my favorite aspects of this CD is the inclusion of real liner notes. For someone who grew up digesting and memorizing the liner notes of every album purchased, the immergence of CD’s and music downloads offered a huge disappointment in the information department. Imagine my surprise to find a CD booklet filled with real, interesting liner notes instead of abstract graphics or blog-like promos from the artist. Included in the eight-page booklet is a personal note from Bonamassa, which describes the recording part of the project, as well as how he first met B.B. King. It also includes a humorous section entitled “Random Things to Avoid” (i.e., Cypress Airline Baggage Handlers), a detailed list of musicians and a “Thank you” to his fans. One of my favorite sections is the “Gear Used, Amps and Other Assorted Expensive Things” section, which offers hardcore gear heads a little insight on how to recreate the Bonamassa sound. Apparently it requires a Cherry Red 1970 Gibson ES-345, because “they sound better in red”.

Track list:

“Steal Your Heart Away”, Bobby Parker

“I Know A Place”, John Hiatt

“When The Fire Hits The Sea”, Joe Bonamassa

“Quarryman’s Lament”, Joe Bonamassa

“Spanish Boots”, Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Ron Wood

“Bird On A Wire”, Leonard Cohen

“Three Times A Fool”, Otis Rush

“Night Life”, Willie Nelson, Walter Breeland and Paul Buskirk

“Wandering Earth”, Joe Bonamassa“

Look Over Yonders Wall”, James Clark

“Athens to Athens”, Joe Bonamassa