Luther Allison - Serious

As bluesmen go, Luther Allison rocked, especially on Serious and subsequent recordings. This 1987 recording marked the beginning of a more rock-oriented approach for the singer-guitarist, which certainly contributed to Allison's rise in prominence, a climb that continued until his death in 1997. Serious is a bundle of barely restrained energy, from the opening chords of the stomping shuffle "Backtrack" to the wry "We're on the Road." "Life is a Bitch" is straight-up rock & roll, and "Parking Lot" crunches and burns all the way through. But Allison was also capable of a tender moment or two, and "Reaching Out" edges all the way into soul. "Just Memories" contains real sweetness, and "Show Me a Reason" is tightly wound from its slow-burning opening to its rock-out finish. Serious is often underrated, possibly because of its rock & roll overtones, but its energy and enthusiasm make it required listening for Allison aficionados. --Genevieve Williams Amazon.com essential recording

Serious, aka Life Is A Bitch (in Europe)

My first Luther Allison record was an impulse buy...saw it in a record bin in a little shop in the Old Port section of Portland, Maine...and it got me. The thumping shuffle of "Backtrack" got me going, with Allison's gravelly vocals and killer slide guitar.

A record that I played a lot, then eventually snagged an import CD in Canada about 11 years ago. Lot of great songs, "Life Is A Bitch" is definitely the blues, subject matter that tells you how it is, and deal with it.

"Parking Lot" was more of a rock song for me, but it was alright, and the import bonus track "Funky T-Shirt" was another good one.

Allison showed throughout his career he could play just about anything, and I think he worked hard to capture his live show on record. Sorry I never got to see him. Whichever version you have of this recording, it's a damn fine one. November 11, 2005

This music touch deep down in our soul!!!

This cd is of course one of the best ways to know and understand why Luther Allison was considered one of the best blues performers.All the interpretations here are true,intense,that seems to become from the deep down of his soul.Luther's linkage with soul music is constantly in the whole album.The guitar riffs,absolutely fantastic!!!This is really a "Serious"work!!! The vocals are strong enough to put all of us in a kind of catarsis,difficult to explain...A masterpiece album,of this authentic bluesman,that need to be knowed better,much better!!! This is music for lovers........,so try "Just Memories",and feel all the sensuality in the air."Parking Lot"is a Rolling Stones revisited tune.Serious,Serious in all the ways!!! May 24, 2001

More reviews at Amazon.com ...