It seems remarkable that Joan Armatrading is celebrating her 50th year in the music industry. She has become an iconic singer-songwriter, and that accolade is richly deserved. Be it, folk, pop, soul, reggae, or blues music, Joan Armatrading has done it all.
Live At The Asylum, is a celebration of all the aforementioned genres, and a celebration of a unique talent. She opens the set with one of my all-time favourite tracks, Into The Blues, taken from the album of the same name, which was released in 2007. Now you would not normally associate Joan with the blues, well go check out that album, it’ll blow your mind. This opener is so full of life, her band hit the ground running with Joan’s vocals as blues as you can get.
Not only is Joan a tremendous songwriter, but she’s also a very credible musician, as is demonstrated by each tune on this live album. A live album should be a collection of your most famous songs, the ones that the audience knows off-by-heart, a party if you like. Well, that is exactly what you get here, tune after tune, high-quality playing, and the band hitting the groove, this is one of the best live albums I’ve had the pleasure of listening to in a long time.
All The Way From America, from the Me, Myself, I album is such a brilliant song. What any live album worth it’s salt should also do is remind you of things, and memories, some good, some bad, this hits the bullseye with every song. I would have loved to be at this gig, especially when the audience was treated to a real rocker in, Heading Back To New York City.
Reggae and rock combined so well with her inimitable vocal style, you can feel the energy of the crowd surging through the album. Of course, no Joan Armatrading gig would be complete without her most iconic son, Love And Affection. Even after all these years, this song still gives me goosebumps. It is one of those songs that will still be enjoyed fifty years from now. A classic if ever there was one.
Add to the list, Drop The Pilot, Me, Myself, I, and what you have is a live album fully laden with timeless classic songs.
Celebrate the fifty-year career of one of Britain’s finest-ever singer-songwriters.
Stephen Harrison from Blues Matters mag (12/2022)
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