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Into The Blues | 
| Artist: Joan Armatrading
Label: Hypertension
Category: Music
List Price: £13.99
Buy New: £9.98
You Save: £4.01 (29%)
New (20) Used (2) from £8.46
Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 4000
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
EAN: 4011586725528
ASIN: B000N0WY0G
Release Date: April 9, 2007
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Woman In Love | | • | Play The Blues | | • | Into The Blues | | • | Liza | | • | Secular Songs | | • | My Baby's Gone | | • | DNA | | • | Baby Blue Eyes | | • | Deep Down | | • | There Ain't A Girl Alive | | • | Empty Highway | | • | Mama Papa | | • | Something's Gotta Blow |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
On the surface, yes, this is a blues album; mostly, though, it's a Joan Armatrading album--which means she'll follow blues forms and conceits wherever she damn well pleases. On "Liza," she takes the "Mannish Boy" groove across the tracks for a pick-up on the wrong side of town; on "There Ain't a Girl Alive (Who Likes to Look in the Mirror Like You Do)," she dresses down a rival; on "Play the Blues," she simply undresses herself to a juicy, contemporary soul groove; and on "Mama Papa," the album's finest and funkiest moment, she recalls her youth on the island of St. Kitts in lines that flash with truth: "Seven people in one room/No heat/One wage/And bills to pay." It's also a guitar album: her blues chops, especially on the sprawling closer "Something's Gotta Blow," would give Robert Cray a serious run. Fiery as her playing can be, her blues riffs are mostly economical, concise, with evocative spaces between the notes. The same can't be said for the overall production values. Armatrading is still enamored with slick gimmicks: doubling and tripling her vocals and adding layers of echo on top of that, and synth pads and distortion that feel more bombastic than bright. Into the Blues is far from a return to form, but it still sends a tough, funky message. --Roy Kasten
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 there may be some fans for whom it is too experimental. November 17, 2008
an album which leaves you with mixed feelings, unlike Joan's previous albums, which are full of rich memorable melodies. Into The Blues is a much more uncompromising album.
What makes the album particularly bluesy is the liberal use of a vocal style in the vein of Muddy Waters ( mannish boy ) and John Lee Hooker ( repeticious lyrical talk).
There are some knockout tracks , and others that just didn't work for me, but there is some very smooth bluesy guitar splashed around all over the album, and most people will love this.
There are quite a few archetypal blues/rock riffs a la Status Quo but with a few unexpected twists - eg on Liza, one of the best tracks, there is a variation on the normal expected chord change which sounds dischordant because the voice stays in the original key . but it works!........ also there is a complete change of rhythm and feel to the song halfway through where it breaks into a very catchy poppy wah wah
girl bantering chorus line.
The eponymous song, Into The Blues has some very effective fragmented piano beneath the lyrics , and some nice bluesy guitar.
Major Blue Eyes is simply a strumming guitar and vocal, with a Dylanesque harmonica solo in a minor key and the guitar still in the major, but again it seems to work!
Mama Papa is superb as an ode to her parents, with some great and moving lyrics.
Track 2 - Play The Blues, is quite catchy, but actually not a blues number at all !
I thought one or two numbers were weak or just plain boring - eg Secular Songs.
There are not really many melodies on this album, no actual songs of the type we are used to from her , it's more 'catchy riffs', 'bluesy guitar licks', 'catchy vocal lines', 'punchy rock beats', 'discordant moments', 'talking like John Lee Hooker'. So it's definitely a departure , but with the same familiar voice to keep us from getting too panicky , and to ensure that we do listen to it to discover what's there.
A good effort, we can agree she must have enjoyed doing it.
 YES YES YES September 13, 2008
I've gotta recommend this to you, it's terrific. I've always had time for Joan Armatrading but she has really surpassed herself here. I imagine the reviewers who aren't so keen are perhaps not blues fan? Me? Can't think of a better combination than JA and the blues. I must admit after my first listen she I thought mmm it's just Joan doing a few blues tunes. But the more I played it the better it became. She's really got a handle on the blues and as always with Joan great production values.
 first impressions are that this is not a great album May 28, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have been a Joan Armatrading fan for many years therefore I will give this album the benefit of the doubt and give it another go but it lost me around track 7.
grows and grows with every listening March 4, 2008
What a lovely album, playing it in my studio and it just gets better & better.
 Huge disappointment October 8, 2007
3 out of 10 found this review helpful
Bought this for my wife who has been a fan for years, and put it on in the car on the way to see JA at the RAH. She turned it off after 30 minutes and said if the concert is like that we would leave early. Production is not very good and her voice is grating at times. As for the blues, well I've never heard it played like that, it must be that she hasn't understood or listened to the blues played by those who are famous for it. I hoped there might be a good cover of an original, but no, all her own work, says it all - self indulgent. Save your money, or if you like a bluesy style try Keb Mo'. E-bay here it comes.
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