Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
This double-CD set, also available as a DVD, is a perfectly titled document of a single Bernard Allison show recorded in Gottingen, Germany, on October 20, 2005. The band is tight and Allison is charged up, playing his rough-and-tough blues-rock like he invented it. The set is his usual mix of originals and covers, predominantly of his father Luther's songs, four of which appear here, with a lot of jamming in between. But even though the sound is excellent and the playing tight and spontaneous, the performances suffer from the tunes being stretched too thin. This is less of a problem on the DVD, as the visuals compensate for the extended solos that don't always equate quantity with quality. But as solid and rugged a guitarist as Allison is, he doesn't have enough creativity as a string-bender or vocalist to justify the length of these tracks. The band is muscular and more than capable, but lacks the subtlety to bring anything other than meat-and-potatoes playing to the table. Keyboardist Mike Vlahakis, originally from Luther Allison's band, is particularly impressive as he shifts from electric piano to organ seamlessly, and fills in plenty of holes. The 11-minute instrumental slide showcase "The Walk," which opens disc two, is a good example of where too much of a good thing, in this case a standard Bo Diddley beat enlivened by Allison's flame-thrower slide playing, yields diminishing returns. Certainly if you were there, this would have been an exciting showcase for Allison's slide skills, but having to endure it on an album is an exercise in stamina. The guitarist is also fond of his wah-wah pedal, a dated sound that tends to make his solos, especially on disc two, more monotonous than they are. Still, there is plenty to like here, especially if you have experienced Allison, or even his dad, in concert. The younger Allison earns every bit of his paycheck as he charges through a soulful, rock-oriented format best exemplified by the venomous "Snake Bit Again" and the stirring Luther ballad "A Change Must Come." It's certainly all the live Allison you will ever need, at least of the younger version, but those who want to get the most enjoyment from this show should spring for the DVD, where you can watch every sweat-soaked minute from the front row.
© Hal Horowitz /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12.49€/month
Bernard Allison, MainArtist - US2Y30602607, MusicPublisher
(C) 2006 Ruf Records (P) 2006 Ruf Records
Bernard Allison, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Ruf Records (P) 2006 Ruf Records
Bernard Allison, MainArtist - US2Y30602607, MusicPublisher
(C) 2006 Ruf Records (P) 2006 Ruf Records
Bernard Allison, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Ruf Records (P) 2006 Ruf Records
Bernard Allison, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Ruf Records (P) 2006 Ruf Records
Bernard Allison, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Ruf Records (P) 2006 Ruf Records
Bernard Allison, MainArtist - US2Y30602607, MusicPublisher
(C) 2006 Ruf Records (P) 2006 Ruf Records
Album review
This double-CD set, also available as a DVD, is a perfectly titled document of a single Bernard Allison show recorded in Gottingen, Germany, on October 20, 2005. The band is tight and Allison is charged up, playing his rough-and-tough blues-rock like he invented it. The set is his usual mix of originals and covers, predominantly of his father Luther's songs, four of which appear here, with a lot of jamming in between. But even though the sound is excellent and the playing tight and spontaneous, the performances suffer from the tunes being stretched too thin. This is less of a problem on the DVD, as the visuals compensate for the extended solos that don't always equate quantity with quality. But as solid and rugged a guitarist as Allison is, he doesn't have enough creativity as a string-bender or vocalist to justify the length of these tracks. The band is muscular and more than capable, but lacks the subtlety to bring anything other than meat-and-potatoes playing to the table. Keyboardist Mike Vlahakis, originally from Luther Allison's band, is particularly impressive as he shifts from electric piano to organ seamlessly, and fills in plenty of holes. The 11-minute instrumental slide showcase "The Walk," which opens disc two, is a good example of where too much of a good thing, in this case a standard Bo Diddley beat enlivened by Allison's flame-thrower slide playing, yields diminishing returns. Certainly if you were there, this would have been an exciting showcase for Allison's slide skills, but having to endure it on an album is an exercise in stamina. The guitarist is also fond of his wah-wah pedal, a dated sound that tends to make his solos, especially on disc two, more monotonous than they are. Still, there is plenty to like here, especially if you have experienced Allison, or even his dad, in concert. The younger Allison earns every bit of his paycheck as he charges through a soulful, rock-oriented format best exemplified by the venomous "Snake Bit Again" and the stirring Luther ballad "A Change Must Come." It's certainly all the live Allison you will ever need, at least of the younger version, but those who want to get the most enjoyment from this show should spring for the DVD, where you can watch every sweat-soaked minute from the front row.
© Hal Horowitz /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 7 track(s)
- Total length: 00:56:18
- Main artists: Bernard Allison
- Label: Ruf Records
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Blues
(C) 2006 Ruf Records (P) 2006 Ruf Records
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.