Almost lost in the confusion are the actual contents of the disc. There's only about 30 minutes of music on Underground and as is to be expected the sound isn't of the greatest quality. The material itself though is an interesting mixture of instrumentals and songs that give the listener a good idea of the sound Luther was after in those days.
It's no wonder he was recording this on the sly behind Delmark's back, as it wasn't stuff they were going be overly interested in recording or publishing. You can hear Luther's interest in the rockier side of things on some of his instrumentals, (remember this is the guy who played guitar with his teeth as much as Hendrix did), but you can also hear his affection for the smoother sound of R&B coming through.
What I found the most interesting about these recordings is just how laid back they are. All descriptions I've heard of Luther, and any other music I've heard of his, has been driven and intense. Normally he played like he was propelled by Rocket fuel, but here it sounds like he's just kicking back and exploring some mellow licks with Bobby Rush's band.
If one were to believe Bobby Rush, this is the work of an 18-year-old Luther Allison, unsure of himself and his abilities. But even before I had heard the revised history of these recordings I had a hard time matching what I heard to that description. Nothing about these recordings, from the vocals to the guitar work sound tentative.
Insecure guitar players in my experience don't normally play leads near the tuning pegs; they usually go for the flash of bending notes high up the neck by the body of the guitar. Luther uses his whole fret board when picking out leads on this disc and puts on a clinic for anybody wanting to learn how to build a lead. (It's easy to believe that Bernard Allison taught himself to play using this record when he found it floating around his mother's house) While there are 18-year-old guitar players who can play hot licks, there aren't many who can apply the same intensity to playing slowly.
That's what distinguishes the playing on this disc, is Luther Allison's ability to enjoy a note. Sure he could play fast but so could a million other people; on Underground you have the opportunity to hear him play slow and relaxed, maybe something you've not heard before.
Article comments
1 - dri drig
nice job, thanks