Reckless

Luther Allison | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 25, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Alligator Records
• ASIN: B000000A1O
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,777 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #43 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Chicago Blues
  • #66 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Electric Blues Guitar

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Last and best recording.......talk about going out on top!, June 8, 2003

By 

Paul Tringale "ptt660" (massachusetts , United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reckless (Audio CD)

It is a shame that Luther had to leave us so soon. He was seemingly just reaching his creative peak before he was taken from us. He managed to leave us this impassioned piece of work, a combination of searing guitar work and emotion-filled vocals. His last three cd's with alligator records: "Soul Fixin Man" (1994), "Blue Streak" (1995), and "Reckless" (1997) are all superb, with this one being the best in my opinion. There is not a clunker to be found here. Luther mixes up slow numbers with uptempo tracks and it's all good. If i had to pick any highlights, they would have to be "Living in the House of the Blues" and "Drowning at the Bottom". These two songs also happen to represent the loudest and most powerful tracks on the cd. They capture perfectly Luther's ablity to transmit emotion in his playing and singing. His use of a Gibson les paul guitar is a refreshingly different sound to the abundance of blues players out there that use fender's. The les paul has a certain "growl" to it's sound that a fender tele or strat can't match. Luther uses his les paul to great advantage, releasing an energy while playing that few if any guitarists can attain. His voice seems to be an extension of his guitar sound: deep, soulful, and a little rough around the edges. I highly recommend this cd to any lover of blues.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Luther's Swan Song, January 24, 2007

By 

Steven Sly (Kalamazoo, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reckless (Audio CD)

"Reckless" would prove to be Allison's final album. While on tour for this CD he developed a brain tumor and died only a few months later. I saw him only a week or so before the tumor was discovered. He played a 1500 seat sold out theater and did 3 hours non-stop. It was possibly the best blues show I have ever witnessed as he was on fire all night. I had tickets to see him again later in the summer, but unfortunately that show never happened. The album itself is strong, but not quite as good as his previous effort. This one has even more of a funky 70's vibe featured. Allison tackles social issues more in this album with several tracks including "There Comes A Time", "Pain In The Streets", and "Will it ever change". He also does a duet with his son Bernard (a great blues player in his own right) called "Playing A Loosing Game". The album also includes a great version of "Living In The House Of The Blues".

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars POWERFUL STUFF, August 27, 2000

By 

howard lee teitel (GLENDALE, NEW YORK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reckless (Audio CD)

RECKLESS IS ONE OF THE BEST BLUES CD EVER MADE WITH PURE POWER AND PASSION PUT INTO EVERY SONG AND NOTE. THIS WAS LUTHER LAST CD BEFORE HE PASSED AWAY AT THE TOP OF THE GAME. GREAT SONGS ARE "LIVING IN THE HOUSE OF THE BLUES" AND "A BLUES THING" AND A GREAT ACOUSTIC DUET WITH HIS SON BERNARD "DROWNING AT THE BOTTOM"