Storms of Life

Bernard Allison

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 13, 2002)
• Original Release Date: August 13, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Tone Cool Records
• ASIN: B00006BTBI
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #177,987 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Dynastic bluesman Bernard Allison is a second-generation star now shining in his own right. The guitarist-vocalist son of the late legend Luther Allison paid his early dues leading Koko Taylor's crack Blues Machine band, learned the family business leading his father's electrifying group in Europe, and has now created his own catalog of fine recordings. Storms of Life is the most eclectic and uniformly excellent example yet. After the sizzling solo slide guitar opener "Slip Slidin'," Allison roams wide and free, confidently overlaying his blues personality on material ranging from the reggae-tinged "Just Do Me Any Way You Want" to the R&B title track, which glides over a cushion of keyboards and extra percussion. A bouncy, horn-powered rendition of "Goodbye Little Girl" that recalls Bobby "Blue" Bland provides a fitting conclusion. Allison surprisingly, but effectively, mixes a wide variety of cover material, including everything from ZZ Top's "I Wanna Drive You Home" to Mark Knopfler's "I Think I Love You Too Much" to mentor Johnny Winter's suitably manic "Mean Town Blues." The well-chosen covers, including tunes by Anders Osborne, Leon Russell, and papa Luther, convincingly demonstrate his gifts as an interpreter. --Michael Point

Product Description
Bernard Allison was born to play and sing the blues, as well as born to play and sing funk, rock, R&B and more. The son of blues legend Luther Allison and a guitarist with a stunning and broad command of his instrument, he leads the movement that is creating blues music for a new generation. Already a major star in Europe following a decade of living and touring on the Continent, Allison recently returned to his homeland to rapidly establish himself as both a thrilling player and a musical stylist who seamlessly fuses tradition with contemporary sounds.

Allison’s blues for a new century are indelibly stamped onto Storms of Life, his second release with Tone-Cool Records. As he works his way through material by fellow guitar talents like Mark Knopfler, Johnny Winter, Billy Gibbons, Anders Osborne, and his father Luther, it’s clear that Allison puts his own variegated imprint on everything he plays. As Billboard observed of his last album, "Although he plays with the power and majesty of his father, Allison stands in nobody’s shadow. [He] will certainly have an impact on the modern blues idiom."

For Storms of Life, Allison joined forces with producer/engineer David Z, whose credits match Allison’s stylistic breadth: blues players old and new like Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, John Mayall and Chris Duarte, such rock acts as Fine Young Cannibals and Big Head Todd & The Monsters, and R&B stars like Jody Watley and Jill Jones. The results prove that the roots of blues music support an idiom that is still very much alive, and continuing to grow and evolve.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HOT!... what more can I say?, August 17, 2002

By	Lela Jefferson "Memoirs of a Black Girl" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was first introduced to Mr. Allison only this past summer by his electrifying performance at this year's Prince A Celebration: Xenophobia. I am not normally a Blues fan, but this man is a master guitarist...of not only the Blues, but also of Funk and Rock!!!

Even Prince had to give him his due at the concert. But back to the album... Storms of Life is an excellent piece of work. From start to finish it has your head bobbing and your toes tapping. If you have not purchased music from Bernard before and want a good sampling to wet your taste...this is the CD to get!

And if you are lucky enough to have him hit your town for a concert do check him out. The CD is just the pacifier but seeing him LIVE is a real treat.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Braving the Storms, May 31, 2004

By	Randy Blythe "RBlythe" (Birmingham, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Once in a great while, I hear a new blues release that recalls the depth and energy of the great electric blues players I grew up listening to, players like Waters, Winter, Clapton, Green, Rush, et al. After listening to this CD for almost two years, I've come to the conclusion that it's the best blues release of 2002. It's got everything a great blues album needs. Allison's voice and guitar work are tasty, gritty, and well-seasoned, evidence of the amount of work and dedication he put into his apprenticeships with Koko Taylor and his father. And the song choices are superb. My favorites are "Fistful of Dirt," a killer rock-steady mid-tempo shuffle with a profound message about living through hard times; "Mean Town Blues," which is ample proof that Allison can lay claim to Johnny Winter's Texas electric slide legacy; and "Snake Bit Again," a remarkable vehicle for Allison's gritty, dead-on singing. There's a lot of redundancy in more recent blues releases, but this album shows Allison is capable of being a truly original talent in this often hackneyed genre. Check it out.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BERNARD ALLISON ROCKS!!!, May 4, 2004

By	FPO - See all my reviews

When I first came into the blues scene most of my friends in the hood would make fun and call it old peoples music, but I was relieved to find out that this guy was only ten year older than me. What's even better is that he's not alone in the new blues scene. I was blown away with his first two albums "Hang On" and "Across the Water" were he was playing with the Jimi/Stevie influencial fire, but when this album began with the slide guitar playing I couldn't move. This was something I had not heard from him before. Sucks his talent is rarely heard. If you are a blues/rock fan you will not be dissapointed.