Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Bad Temper Joe seems to be restless. After Sometimes A Sinner and the live album Man for the Road, the Bielefeld native is now releasing his third album in just over a year, Tough Ain't Easy, onto turntables across the nation. On the one hand, it's business as usual, but on the other, somehow different. Rough blues and gentle ballads alternate in the familiar style, but Joe also takes a new path. Usually known for playing the guitar lying flat on his lap, the so-called lap slide technique, this record contains exclusively pieces played in the conventional way. "Since I've only played lap slide in my concerts since the summer of 2014, I practiced 90% of the time on a normal guitar at home. That's why most of the songs were written this way. [...] At the moment, I simply feel more comfortable playing this way," writes the 22-year-old in the liner notes.
Bad Temper Joe describes his new album as a kind of book. "First, there's the 'woke up this morning' line in "3rd Floor Elevator Blues," and that's kind of the preface. And all the other songs are like chapters in this book." The focus is on the lyrics and the mood of the songs. And if you miss the slide guitar at the end, there's a bonus video of the song "Outlaw Blues."
Reduced to voice and guitar, Tough Ain't Easy immerses the listener in Bad Temper Joe's stories. He guides the listener through the individual chapters like a narrator. Truly, this isn't straight-up blues; there are also elements of folk, country, and Americana. But these genres have strong common roots, and Joe embarks on a journey to those roots with his stories.
01 3rd Floor Elevator Blues
02 Trusted But Twisted
03 Come On In My Kitchen
04 Rich Man Blues
05 Delilah
06 Old Oak Tree
07 Farmer's Daughter
08 Chicago At Midnight
09 Rosie's Blue Eyes
10 Beggar's Velvet Serenade
11 Nighthawk Woman Blues #9
12 I Bid You Goodnight, Sweet Marie
13 Data Track: Video “Outlaw Blues”
