Customer Reviews

Into the Blues

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Since I saw this tiny young woman with this incredibly rich voice on a stage in Illinois somewhere in the early 80s, I have followed Joan with every album.

This is by and large one of her best albums ever. It's bluesy, yes, but it also showcases her incredible voice even on the non-blues songs and such songs as Baby Blue Eyes and There Aint a Girl alive are good examples.

The music has never been more varied and interesting. DNA is a masterpiece of rock and roll and of course the numerous traditional hard blues songs ala Buddy Guy show just how talented Ms. Armatrading is.

This album should not be missed by one of Rock's most underated and influencial artists.

For decades Joan Armatrading has been adored as an articulate troubador singing about matters of the heart, a singer-songwriter who was too soulful to pigeon-hole as a folksinger but whose superbly dispassionate delivery only highlighted the passion of her subject matter.

If that's what you're looking for, you will not find it here. Joan has plugged in and recreated standard blues, getting downright giddy in this "woe is me" art form. For example, on the title tune "Into The Blues," with its haunting keyboards, Joan sings "the blues are here to make you glad you took a different path." On "Play The Blues" she sings "Baby when you sing the blues I take all my clothes off for you" and on the celebratory "Deep Down" the standard blues is boiled down to one sentence "I love you baby - deep down." No doom and gloom here.

The purest blues song thematically on the CD is probably "Empty Highway" with its "I stand outside in my underwear and watch the gentle rain fall down" refrain. The variety of the blues here is wide, from the poppy, acoustic "Baby Blues Eyes" with its anti-depressive lyric "those little imperfections are what I love about you/baby blue eyes and the smile of an angel" to the sothern fried reminiscence of "Mama Papa" which brings early Tina Turner to mind, to the uptempo blues shuffle of "D.N.A." and the straight up rocking blues of "There Ain't A Girl Alive" which is a screed about a vain woman that just cries out to be covered by The Rolling Stones.

Personally my favorite is the evocative "Secular Songs" which successfully lyrically walks the fine line of lambasting the changes in religion while reaffirming our ongoing need for spiritual growth ("They're singing secular songs in the churches/and there's not a word of God/It's all Schubert and Beethoven or lots of French love songs")

From the opening strains of the propulsive "A Woman In Love" to the closing notes of the explosive "Something's Gotta Blow" with its doubletracked vocal, "Into The Blues" is sheer brilliance, the fully mature display of an outstanding artist willing to tinker with the expected and take risks. Joan Armatrading finally lets loose and shows some emotion and the results are superior, all the more so for being so unexpected. This is a CD you'll be listening to for a long, long time.

The hugely influential and pioneering British singer-songwriter, is back with a brand new studio CD.
The reclusive legend tries her hand at the blues and proves quite a dab hand at it.
She basically plays everything here bar the drums and manages to inject everything with a sense of drive and passion. As always, her silky-smooth voice is the real star.
Joan's new album is the latest in a long line of fabulous releases dating back to her wonderfully successful breakthrough albums in the late 70s and early 80s such as Show Some Emotion, To the Limit and Me Myself I .
She remains an utterly compelling writer and performer of unique warmth.
She cites "Into The Blues" as her best work yet.
"I've wanted to make an album that truly reflected me and I think this does. I love the blues and while each song is very different there's a cohesive thread that runs throughout".
Her 19th album is a celebration the blues, which she describes as "the bedrock of modern music".
Her rich, mellow vocal suits the blues, as does her accomplished guitar playing.
She really enjoys playing all those well-oiled blues riffs on her trusty electric guitar to ornament her compositions.
One of them, "Baby Blue Eyes", features some impressive acoustic strumming, which adds a more earthy texture.
Always bold and unpredictable, Joan Armatrading has come to Muddy Waters relatively late, but better late than never.
This is an eclectic mix of blues-inspired songs that should please her loyal fans.

I fell in love with Joan in the mid-70's after hearing her Back To the Night album (vinyl issued 1975; so sad it is currently unavailable on CD) and her 3rd album called simply Joan Armatrading (1976). I was extremely charmed by her vocal (smooth & husky & strong & natural, capable of unbelievable finesses, which were, however, very functional and devoid of any signs of exhibitionism). She had an outstanding technique of tone forming which varied with every syllable she sang. The other point was she was a fantastic song-write of beautiful melodies, performed with great feeling, only occassionally bluesy. Her lyrics has been also delightful, sensitively marking the intimate spaces between two people. I came back to JA in the early 80's (Me, Myself, I album, 1980) and then again, I somewhat forgot about her (being principally a rock fan). Then it took me another 15 years to get astonished for the third time, by means of her fantastic comeback with the album What's Inside (1995). I thought this was to be her last masterpiece ... and I did not expect she might ever level this.

It is now her curent album that shook me again. It preserves all the above mentioned attributes of JA's art, but, in addition, it indeed extends them. (I cannot recall many in the showbiz world that would be artistically growing and maturing being aged 57 - the majority can at best level previous efforts, but never go beyond). Joan's vocal darkened a bit, maybe as a consequence of the repertoire she performs. Although more than one half of the new songs are principally bluesy things (as indicated by the title of the album), it is incredible how Joan's creativity made the whole album so variable in mood, tempo, instrumentations. From the gloomy balads (the bluesy Empty Highway) to solidly rocking pieces (Deep Down, held on one single chord; There Ain't a Girl Alive); from her inventive classical song-writing (A Woman In Love; Baby Blues Eyes) to the classical electric blues things (My Baby's Gone; Liza). You may notice traces of funky, reggae, boogie, also gospel (Secular Songs). Another point is the instrumentation - as always, first-class. We used to hear many well-known studio musicians with her in the past - now Joan performes everything on her own with the exception of drums. There are wondeful guitar solos (some even aggressively rocking - There Ain't a Girl Alive), if not to mention the numerous tiny blues miracles she produces on her guitar. On one of the tracks (Baby Blue Eyes), her guitar playing even reminds of old Velvet Underground. The bass lines are perfect as well. Even the mouth harp appears (simple, but powerful). No backing vocals - just perfect overdubbs of her own. And last but not least - the lyrics. Simply you trust her, the charming lady, so open without any pretending in love affairs (..when you sing the blues, I'll take off my clothes for you). Surprisigly, even autobiographic (Mama and Papa) and social themes from an immigrant milieu appear, a feature I was not used to with Joan. The closing, slowly gradating bluesy song (Something's Gotta Blow) with the socially oriented lyrics is really overwhelming. Amen. We've heard the trinity of words, singing and music of JA, a mature woman who has created an extremely mature piece of art.

Yet another stellar effort by Joan Armatrading. She uses a blues based
approach to many of the songs and for the most part they are all winners.
Exceptional vocals and her guitar fills are smooth. The songwriting is
also what makes this one special, I was surprised
I just didn't think Joan was ever gonna take us on a ride like this.
Past her mid 50's she could just go on writing beautiful love songs and
mid tempo gems but she still had a winner in her. If this is her last
collection before she sets sail, this is a hell of a way to end a career
that has few peers. She is a delight to groove to on this set. Many favorites all through out this 5 star class act. Rock on Joan.

What a breathe of fresh air! Labeled as her first blues album, Joan Armatrading's, "Into the Blues" is a modern blues endeavor that further showcases how great Joan is at what she does. Sure it's different if one compares it to her previous albums, but "Into the Blues" is a noteworthy effort that introduces us to something newly familiar.

What I loved most about "Into the Blues" was how it reminded me of the album experience. Truthfully, I enjoy music more when each song takes me to another place, but still maintains a cohesive relationship with the other songs. I like thinking of an album as a book and all tracks as its chapters. Lately however, I have found myself cherry-picking my favorites because I have not seen enough of an album relationship worth exploring. However, this album is an album. Each songs flows from one to another very harmoniously.

The single, "Woman in Love" is a great pick with its a edginess and rock'in guitar rifts. Although, I have to say my two favorites are Secular Songs and Baby Blue Eyes.

Secular Songs is just a beautiful hymn that is the definition of the blues for me. Slightly grassrooted melodies with gospel choruses included, it quintessentially belongs in the New Orleans blues scene. At the same time, Baby Blue Eyes showcases Joan's effortless guitar playing. Simply Stellar...

Another great disk from Joan. A lot heavier on the guitar than normal with some very tasty licks thrown in. If you love Joan and you love the blues, this is a great mix of both. I bought this after reading a bland review in Blues Review, and I bought it thinking it would just be an addition to my collection....it's not, it is right on top!

Still another new direction from someone who's worked in any number of different genres. Her venture into the blues takes her into a harder, more electric, and tighter sound that's great to hear. Her lyrics remain as good as always. Plus, she's right up there in the league of best blues guitarists around -- certainly she has to hold the title for best woman in that field.

Over the course of her 35+ year career, Joan Armatrading has been acknowledged as many things...a talented lyricist, a gifted vocalist, an imaginative producer. However, even with all these accolades, one thing has been seriously overlooked, and that's Armatrading's prowess as a musician, particularly a guitarist. If there's any justice in the world, that should change with INTO THE BLUES, on which Armatrading handles all the instruments (except drums and percussion). While the album title might be a tad bit misleading - some of the disc is straight-on pop! - there are enough solid blues licks on the album to prove, once and for all, that Armatrading definitely has what it takes! Things kick off on a strong note with the percolating "A Woman In Love." Stinging guitars, a powerful bassline and subdued piano runs all blend together in an arrangement that is both sultry and smooth. Add a lead vocal that is equal parts sugar and spice, and you have one of the strongest album openers in a long time, be it this year or any other. Next up is the poetry that is "Play The Blues." Anchored by some tasty percussion and throbbing bass, Armatrading wraps her sandpaper-dipped-in-honey voice around some classic Joan lyrics: "Blue hat/Checked shirt/Pimple on your cheek/Ears like handle bars/Teeth yellow/Like the sun/Gravelled voice like a beaten path." Poetry, sheer poetry! And when you add an arrangement and vocal to match....pure genius! Then there's the disc's title track. Dripping in attitude, feelings and, yes, the blues, there's a vibe to "Into The Blues" that's real and unaffected. When Armatrading sings the lines "God bless the blues/God bless the blues", they're not just words....she MEANS it! "Liza" is another strong cut, with 3/4's of it being a smokin' B.B. King-esque strummer. But then, in that way that only Armatrading can, she flips things with a bridge that's almost sing-song (I absolutely love the girly "Everybody say/This that/This that/This that/This that!"). On an album of melded styles, this stands out as one of the most innovative and creative cuts! As stated elsewhere, "Secular Songs" is one of the more pop-leaning tracks on INTO THE BLUES, but there's such a gorgeous, sweeping quality to the song that it actually comes across as a welcomed and unique change. Amid pointed lyrics, Armatrading's lead vocal positively soars, swooping in deep, then flying high. Lovely! It's at this point that one of INTO THE BLUES weaker elements rears it's head. On a number of cuts, Armatrading just repeats a few lines over and over, resulting in more of a jam than an actual song. Luckily, awesome guitar and killer vocals - both lead and backing - help to make it work on "My Baby's Gone." Take "move", drop the "m", add "gro" and you have "groove!" "D.N.A." is probably the closest thing on INTO THE BLUES to classic Joan Armatrading; poppy, peppy and smart, there's a wink-and-a-nudge feeling to the cut that's very appealing (Sadly, the same can't be said about the painful falsetto used on the chorus!). Add a rockin' bridge, and you have a track that, for the most part, both works AND adds to the overall vibe of the disc. Things take a 180 degree turn with "Baby Blue Eyes." This earthy acoustic number is beautiful in it's simplicity. Add some spot-on blues harmonica and you have a track that is unlike any other, yet one that fits right in! Toss in some tender lyrics ("Those little imperfections/Are what I love about you") and you have another winner! The same can't be said about "Deep Down", another one of the "jam" tracks. Over the course of the song's 3:58 minutes, Armatrading repeats around five words over and over and over and.....over a crashingly noisy arrangement. The only thing that even remotely saves the cut is some subtle percussion from Miles Bould. Far superior is "There Ain't A Girl Alive." With it's New Wave-tinged energy, kick-ass guitars and girl-group backing vocals, this track could have easily been lifted from such Armatrading gems as WALK UNDER LADDERS or THE KEY. Add clever lyrics ("Wanna see the juices flow/Just stand you next to a mirror/Any polished metal/Can't pass up the chance/To see the image you love most") and you have ITB's winner for "Most Fun Track!" Sadly, a lot of that joy is lost from here on in, with the last quarter of INTO THE BLUES being spotty at best. "Empty Highway" has a nice enough vibe to it, but a lot of it sounds/seems forced - it's almost as if Armatrading sat down and TRIED to write a BLUES song for the BLUES album she was making. Instead of real and organic, it sounds mechanical and manufactured, almost "music-by-numbers"-esque. The flipside of this is the easy, breezy "Mama Papa"...Armatrading's paean to her parents and the love, joy and guidance they provided her and her 5 siblings while growing up is sassy and fun, with nary a false note. Her charm and exuberance practically bursts on out of the speakers! Unfortunately, things end on a rather down note, with the plodding, bloated "Something's Gotta Blow." It's almost as if Armatrading was trying to be "deep" or "meaningful".....instead, she comes across as shallow and forced. A definite letdown, and a very weak way to end an otherwise strong effort. Still, there's no denying that INTO THE BLUES is a strong addition to an already sterling catalog. Full of her trademark powerhouse vocals and clever, down to earth lyrics, it also cements her spot alongside June Millington and Bonnie Raitt as one of the three greatest female guitarists of the current rock era (As with all my reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star for including the lyrics).

I love Joan Armatrading and have all of her albums. This one, however, I'll be giving away. I was really looking forward to hearing Joan get into the blues and bought this album without hearing it. Mistaaaaake! There's one song in this selection that could be described as 'blues-ey" - the rest I don't quite know how to describe other than to say, this album ain't blues. I found most of the tracks agitating. My advice is to listen before you buy. It saddens me to have to give Joan a bad review, but hey, one dodgy album out of so many isn't bad!