Search - Gregg Allman :: Playin Up a Storm

When Gregg Allman repaired to Los Angeles in the mid '70s, his career was in disarray. The Allman Brothers Band had broken up, and Allman himself was in the midst of the extended lost weekend that was his marriage to Cher. But Playin' Up a Storm was one last hurrah before the release of the reviled Allman and Woman duet album, which marked the nadir of his career. A commercial disappointment at the time of its release, Playin' contains some undeniably fine moments, including a version of "Come and Go Blues" that had appeared on the band album Brothers and Sisters and a fine, world-weary anthem, "One More Try." The album's high point, however, is a brilliant, soulful reading of Ray Charles's "Brightest Smile in Town," Allman's expansive vocal rivaling that of Brother Ray himself. Poor production and a somewhat dated sound weaken the album, but it's interesting to look back at where Allman stood right before he went over the cliff. --Daniel Durchholz