The Allman Brothers Band | ||
| Allmusic Biography : The story of the Allman Brothers Band is one of triumph, tragedy, redemption, dissolution, and more redemption. Since their beginning in the late 60s, they went from being Americas single most influential band to a shell of their former self trading on past glories, to reach the 21st century resurrected as one of the most respected rock acts of their era. For the first half of the 70s, the Allman Brothers Band was the most influential rock group in America, redefining rock music and its boundaries. The bands mix of blues, country, jazz, and even classical influences, and their powerful, extended on-stage jamming altered the standards of concert performance -- other groups were known for their on-stage jamming, but when the Allman Brothers stretched a song out for 30 or 40 minutes, at their best they were exciting, never self-indulgent. They gave it all a distinctly Southern voice and, in the process, opened the way for a wave of 70s rock acts from south of the Mason-Dixon Line, including the Marshall Tucker Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Blackfoot, whose music, at least initially, celebrated their roots. And for a time, almost single-handedly, they also made Capricorn Records into a major independent label. The group was founded in March 1969 by (Howard) Duane Allman (b. Nov. 20, 1946-d. Oct. 29, 1971) on guitar; (Gregory L.) Gregg Allman (b. Dec. 8, 1947-d. May 27, 2017) on vocals and organ; Forrest Richard ("Dickey") Betts (b. Dec. 12, 1943) on guitar; (Raymond) Berry Oakley (b. Apr. 4, 1948-d. Nov. 12, 1972) on bass; and Claude Hudson ("Butch") Trucks (b. May 11, 1947-d. Jan. 24, 2017) and Jaimoe (aka Jai Johanny Johanson, b. July 8, 1944) on drums. Duane and Gregg Allman loved soul and R&B;, although they listened to their share of rock & roll, especially as it sounded coming out of England in the mid-60s. Their first group was a local Daytona Beach garage band called the Escorts, who sounded a lot like the early Beatles and Rolling Stones; they later became the Allman Joys and plunged into Cream-style British blues, and then the Hour Glass, which drew from and extended their soul influences. The group landed a contract with Liberty Records with help from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, but the company wasted the opportunity on a pair of over-produced albums that failed to capture the Hour Glass sound. The group split up after Liberty rejected a proposed third LP steeped in blues and R&B.; Duane Allman began working as a session guitarist at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and it was there, appearing on records by Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, John Hammond, and King Curtis, among others, that he made his reputation. In 1969, at the coaxing of ex-Otis Redding manager Phil Walden, Allman gave up session work and began putting together a new band -- Jaimoe came aboard, and then Allmans longtime friend Butch Trucks and another Allman friend, Berry Oakley, joined, along with Dickey Betts, with whom Oakley was playing in a group called Second Coming. A marathon jam session ensued, at the end of which Allman had his band, except for a singer -- that came later, when his brother Gregg agreed to join. They were duly signed to Waldens new Capricorn label. The band didnt record their first album until after theyd worked their sound out on the road, playing heavily around Florida and Georgia. The self-titled debut album was a solid blues-rock album and one of the better showcases for guitar pyrotechnics in a year with more than its share, amid albums by Cream, Blind Faith, the Jeff Beck Group, and Led Zeppelin. It didnt sell 50,000 copies on its initial release, but The Allman Brothers Band impressed everyone who heard it and nearly everyone who reviewed it. Coming out at the end of the 1960s, it could have passed for a follow-up to the kind of blues-rock coming out of England from acts like Cream, except that it had a sharper edge -- the Allmans were American and Southern, and their understanding of blues (not to mention elements of jazz, mostly courtesy of Jaimoe) was as natural as breathing. The album also introduced one of the bands most popular concert numbers, "Whipping Post." Their debut album attracted good reviews and a cult following with its mix of assured dual lead guitars by Duane Allman and Dickey Betts, soulful singing by Gregg Allman, and a rhythm section that was nearly as busy as the lead instruments, between Oakleys rock-hard bass and the dual drumming of Trucks and Johanson. Their second album, 1970s Idlewild South, recorded predominately at Criteria Studios in North Miami, Florida, was produced by Tom Dowd, who had previously recorded Cream. This was a magical combination -- Dowd was completely attuned to the groups sound and goals, and Idlewild South broadened that sound, adding a softer acoustic texture to their music and introducing Betts as a composer (including the original studio version of "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," an instrumental tribute to Miles Davis that would become a highlight of their shows, in many different forms, for the next 30 years). It also had a Gregg Allman number, "Midnight Rider," which became one of the bands more widely covered originals and the composers signature tune. By this time, the bands concerts were becoming legendary for the extraordinarily complex yet coherent interplay between the two guitarists and Gregg Allmans keyboards, sometimes in jams of 40 minutes or more to a single song without wasting a note. And unlike the art rock bands of the era, they werent interested in impressing anyone with how they played scales, how many different tunings they knew, or which classical riffs they could quote. Rather, the Allmans incorporated the techniques and structures of jazz and classical into their playing. In March of 1971, the band played a series of shows at the Fillmore East that were recorded for posterity and subsequently transformed into their third album, At Fillmore East. This double LP, issued in July of 1971, became an instant classic, rivaling the previous blues-rock touchstone cut at the Fillmore, Creams Wheels of Fire. Duane Allman and his band were suddenly the new heroes to millions of mostly older teenage fans. Although it never cracked the Top Ten, At Fillmore East was certified as a gold record on October 15, 1971. Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident 14 days later. The band had been midway through work on its next album, Eat a Peach, which they completed as a five-piece, with Dickey Betts playing all of the remaining lead and slide guitar parts. Their second double album in a row became another instant classic, and their first album to reach the Top Ten, peaking at number five. Despite having completed Eat a Peach, the group was intact in name only. Rather than try to replace Duane Allman as a guitarist, they decided to add a second soloist in the form of a piano player Chuck Leavell. The group had already begun work on a long-delayed follow-up to Eat a Peach, when Oakley was killed in November 1972 in a motorcycle accident only a few blocks from Allmans accident site. Lamar Williams (b. Jan. 15, 1949-d. Jan. 25, 1983) was recruited on bass, and the new lineup continued the groups concert activities, as well as eventually finishing the bands next album, Brothers and Sisters. which was released on August 1, 1973. During the extended gap in releases following Eat a Peach, Atco reissued The Allman Brothers Band and Idlewild South together as the double LP Beginnings, which charted higher than either individual release. Brothers and Sisters marked the beginning of a new era. The album had a more easygoing and freewheeling sound, less bluesy and more country-ish. This was partly a result of Capricorn losing the services of Tom Dowd, who had produced their three previous albums. Additionally, Dickey Betts full emergence as a songwriter and singer as well as the groups only guitarist, playing all of the lead and slide parts, altered the balance of the groups sound, pushing forth his distinct interest in country-rock. Betts also became the reluctant de facto leader of the band during this period, not from a desire for control as much as because he was the only one with the comparative stability and creative input to take on the responsibility. The record occupied the number one spot for six weeks, spurred by the number two single "Ramblin Man," and became their most well-known album. It was an odd reversal of the usual order of success for a rock band -- usually, it was the release of an album that drew the crowds to concerts, but in this case, the months of touring the band had done paved the way for the album. The fact that it kept getting pushed back only heightened the fans interest. Ironically, Brothers and Sisters was a less challenging record than the groups earlier releases, with a relatively laid-back sound, relaxed compared to the groundbreaking work on the groups previous four albums. But all of this hardly mattered; based on the reputation theyd established with their first four albums, and the crowd-pleasing nature of "Ramblin Man" and the Dickey Betts-composed instrumental "Jessica," the group was playing larger halls and bigger crowds than ever. An entire range of Southern rock acts had started to make serious inroads into the charts in the wake of the Allman Brothers. Labels such as MCA and even Island Records began looking for this same audience, signing acts like Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special and the Outlaws, respectively, among others. For the first time since the mid-50s, the heyday of the rockabilly era, a major part of the country was listening to rock & roll with a distinctly Southern twang. The band began showing cracks in 1974, as Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts both began solo careers, recording albums separately from the group. Allman married Cher (twice), an event that set him up in a Hollywood-based lifestyle that created a schism with the rest of the band. They might have survived all of this, but for the increasing strain of the members other personal habits -- drugs and alcohol had always been a significant part of the lives of many of the members, but as the strain and exhaustion of touring continued, coupled with the need to produce new music, these indulgences began to get out of control. In addition, Betts leadership of the group created a further strain for him. The bands difficulties were showcased by their next album, the highly uneven Win, Lose or Draw, which lacked the intensity and sharpness of their prior work. The whole band wasnt present for some of the album, and Gregg Allmans involvement with Cher, coupled with his serious drug problems, prevented him from participating with the rest of the group -- his vocals were added separately, on the other side of the country. The band finally came apart in 1976 when Allman found himself in the midst of a federal drug case against a supplier and agreed to testify against a friend and band employee. Leavell, Johanson, and Williams split to form Sea Level, which became a moderately successful band, cutting four albums for Capricorn over the next four years, while Betts pursued a solo career. All of them vowed never to work with Gregg Allman again. Amid this split, Capricorn Records, reaching ever deeper into its vaults for anything that could generate income, issued two collections, a double-LP live collection called Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas, showcasing the Brothers and Sisters-era band at various concerts, and a double-LP best-of package, And the Road Goes On Forever. Wipe the Windows was a modest seller, appearing as it did when the groups sales had already fallen off, and it was compared unfavorably with the legendary work on At Fillmore East. The studio compilation passed with barely a ripple, however, because most fans already had the stuff on the original albums. They were all back together by 1978, however, and over the next four years the group issued a somewhat uneven series of albums. Enlightened Rogues (1979) somewhat redeemed their reputations -- produced by Tom Dowd, who had always managed to get the very best work out of the group, it had more energy than any record theyd issued in at least six years. It also restored the two-guitar lineup, courtesy of Dan Toler (from Great Southern, Dickey Betts solo band), who was brought in when Chuck Leavell (along with Lamar Williams) chose to remain in Sea Level. By that time, however, the Allmans were fighting against time and musical trends. Disco, punk, and power pop had pretty much stolen the thunder from the arena acts epitomized by the Allmans; whatever interest they attracted was a matter of nostalgia for their earlier releases. The group was in danger of becoming arena rocks third big oldies act (after the Moody Blues and Paul McCartneys Wings). The group did take a shot at its past glories with Enlightened Rogues, which garnered the most favorable fan and critical response since Brothers and Sisters, but the bands business affairs were in a shambles, owing to the bankruptcy of Capricorn Records in late 1979. When the fallout from the Capricorn collapse settled, PolyGram Records, the companys biggest creditor, took over the labels library, and the Allman Brothers were cut loose from their contract. Their signing to Arista enabled the group to resume recording. What they released, however, was safe, unambitious, routinely commercial pop/rock, closer in spirit to the Doobie Brothers than their own classic work, and a shadow of that work, without any of the invention and daring upon which theyd built their reputations. The groups fortunes hit a further downturn when Jaimoe was fired, breaking up one of the best rhythm sections in rock. For most of the 1980s, the group was on hiatus, while the individual members sorted out their personal and professional situations. During those years, Gregg released two solo albums and achieved some chart success with "Im No Angel," while Dickey released the critically acclaimed but somewhat overlooked Pattern Disruptive. In 1989, the band was reactivated again, partly owing to PolyGrams decision to issue the four-CD box set retrospective Dreams. That set, coupled with the reissue of their entire Capricorn catalog on compact disc in the years leading up to the boxs release, reminded millions of older listeners of the bands greatness, and introduced the group to millions of people too young to have been around for Watkins Glen, much less the Fillmore shows. They reunited and also added Warren Haynes from Dickey Betts solo band on lead guitar as a replacement for Toler, with Allen Woody playing bass; Chuck Leavell was gone, however, having agreed to join the Rolling Stones on tour as their resident keyboard player, and Lamar Williams had succumbed to cancer in 1983. The new lineup reinvigorated the band, which signed with Epic Records and surprised everyone with their first release, Seven Turns. Issued in 1990, it got some of the best reviews and healthiest sales theyd had in more than a decade. The next year they filled out their rhythm section with the addition of percussionist Marc Quiñones and released Shades of Two Worlds, viewed by some fans as their strongest studio outing since Brothers and Sisters, although it rose no higher than 85 on the charts. Their next studio album, 1994s Where It All Begins, was a solid album that achieved gold status, but two live albums from the same period, An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band and 2nd Set (which won a Grammy for its performance of "Jessica") were steady although not massive sellers. The decline in sales wasnt the fault of the material so much as a natural result of the passage of time, which left the Allmans competing with two decades worth of successors and rivals. In 1997, Warren Haynes and Allen Woody left the Allman Brothers Band to form the power trio Gov’t Mule; stepping in were bassist Oteil Burbridge and, for a time, Nashville guitarist Jack Pearson. In 1999, Pearson was replaced by young guitar phenom Derek Trucks, Butchs nephew. In 2000 -- the year that bassist Allen Woody died -- the band took what many older fans might view as an unthinkable step, parting ways with original guitarist Dickey Betts and thereby setting up a new round of recriminations among the groups original founders. However, far from signaling the demise of the Allman Brothers Band, the group ultimately re-emerged reinvigorated in the opinion of many listeners, with the establishment of one of its strongest lineups in years, featuring the dual guitars of Warren Haynes (who returned in 2001) and Derek Trucks, the powerful yet fluid and jazzy bass of Oteil Burbridge, some of Gregg Allmans most committed vocal and organ work in years, and the ever-reliable drum tandem of Butch Trucks and Jaimoe, supplemented by new percussionist Quiñones. They remained a top concert attraction decades after their last historically important album, easily drawing more than 20,000 fans at a time to outdoor venues, or booking 3,000-seat theaters for three weeks at a time. Their back catalog, especially the first five albums, remained consistent sellers on compact disc and downloads. Apart from their Arista releases, the Allman Brothers Band remained remarkably consistent, altering their music only gradually over 40 years. They continued soaring at their concerts and on most of their records after 2001. Released in 2003, Hittin the Note was hailed as their best album in decades, while the Live at the Beacon Theater DVD showed why theyd sold out 220 consecutive shows at that New York venue (the standing record). They played at Eric Claptons Crossroads festival twice and, starting in 2005, presented their own WaneeFest in Live Oak, Florida. In 2012, the group was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award at the Grammys, a fitting addition to their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame status (which was conferred in 1995, the groups first year of eligibility). In the early days of 2014, Haynes and Derek Trucks released a joint press announcement stating that they were both leaving the band at the end of the year. The group played its final live show at the Beacon Theater on October 28, 2014. Butch Trucks, one of the four remaining living founders of the Allman Brothers Band and three who were still members of the ensemble in its last incarnation, died January 24, 2017 at the age of 69. Four months later, Gregg Allman died on May 27 at his home in Savannah, Georgia, also at age 69. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 33 Title: The Allman Brothers Band Released: 1969-11-04 Tracks: 7 Duration: 33:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Don’t Want You No More (02:26) 2 It’s Not My Cross to Bear (04:48) 3 Black Hearted Woman (05:18) 4 Trouble No More (03:48) 5 Every Hungry Woman (04:16) 6 Dreams (07:18) 7 Whipping Post (05:21) |
| The Allman Brothers Band : Allmusic album Review : This might be the best debut album ever delivered by an American blues band, a bold, powerful, hard-edged, soulful essay in electric blues with a native Southern ambience. Some lingering elements of the psychedelic era then drawing to a close can be found in "Dreams," along with the template for the groups on-stage workouts with "Whipping Post," and a solid cover of Muddy Waters "Trouble No More." There isnt a bad song here, and only the fact that the group did even better the next time out keeps this from getting the highest possible rating. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 33 Title: Idlewild South Released: 1970-09-23 Tracks: 19 Duration: 2:31:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Revival (04:05) 2 Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ (03:31) 3 Midnight Rider (02:59) 4 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (06:56) 5 Hoochie Coochie Man (04:57) 6 Please Call Home (04:02) 7 Leave My Blues at Home (04:17) 8 Statesboro Blues (session outtake) (04:10) 9 One More Ride (session outtake) (03:48) 10 Midnight Rider (alternate mix) (03:43) 11 Dreams (live at Ludlow Garage, 1970) (10:28) 12 Statesboro Blues (live at Ludlow Garage, 1970) (08:38) 13 Trouble No More (live at Ludlow Garage, 1970) (04:52) 14 Dimples (live at Ludlow Garage, 1970) (05:47) 15 Every Hungry Woman (live at Ludlow Garage, 1970) (04:22) 1 I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town (live at Ludlow Garage, 1970) (09:16) 2 Hoochie Coochie Man (live at Ludlow Garage, 1970) (05:31) 3 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (live at Ludlow Garage, 1970) (15:03) 4 Mountain Jam (live at Ludlow Garage, 1970) (45:12) |
| Idlewild South : Allmusic album Review : If youre going to listen to the Allman Brothers, make sure you have the first four records. The band made The Allman Brothers Band, Idlewild South, At Fillmore East, and three-fourths of Eat a Peach with its original lineup, before Duane Allmans fatal motorcycle accident in 1971. The Tom Dowd-produced Idlewild South, their second album, comes off with a little less ferocity than their debut -- which is perhaps the result of reaching for new sounds the second time around. "Revival," the albums opener, introduces Dickey Betts as a composer. The countrified flavor of his songs gives an indication of where the band will head in the post-Duane era. Betts other contribution to Idlewild South is the instrumental "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," a centerpiece of the Fillmore East recordings. Greggs "Please Call Home" and "Midnight Rider" are built around piano and acoustic guitar, respectively, and have a different feel than the bands usual twin Les Paul-and-Hammond sound. That sound is showcased in the balance of Greggs tunes, however: the funky blues of "Dont Keep Me Wonderin" (with Thom Doucette on harmonica) and "Leave My Blues at Home." The album is also notable for the rollicking version of Willie Dixons "Hoochie Coochie Man," with the only vocal bassist Berry Oakley (who died in a motorcycle accident one year after Duane) ever recorded with the group. Though overall it packs less punch than The Allman Brothers Band, Idlewild South is all the more impressive for its mixture of chunky grooves and sophisticated textures. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 33 Title: Eat a Peach Released: 1972-02-12 Tracks: 9 Duration: 1:09:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More (03:41) 2 Les Brers in A Minor (09:06) 3 Melissa (03:56) 4 Mountain Jam (33:40) 5 One Way Out (04:57) 6 Trouble No More (03:45) 7 Stand Back (03:27) 8 Blue Sky (05:11) 9 Little Martha (02:07) |
| Eat a Peach : Allmusic album Review : A tribute to the dearly departed Duane, Eat a Peach rambles through two albums, running through a side of new songs, recorded post-Duane, spending a full album on live cuts from the Fillmore East sessions, then offering a round of studio tracks Duane completed before his death. On the first side, they do suggest the mellowness of the Dickey Betts-led Brothers and Sisters, particularly on the lovely "Melissa," and this stands in direct contrast with the monumental live cuts that dominate the album. Theyre at the best on the punchier covers of "One Way Out" and "Trouble No More," both proof of the groups exceptional talents as a roadhouse blues-rock band, but Duane does get his needed showcase on "Mountain Jam," a sprawling 33-minute jam that may feature a lot of great playing, but is certainly a little hard for anyone outside of diehards to sit through. Apart from that cut, the record showcases the Allmans at their peak, and its hard not to feel sad as the acoustic guitars of "Little Martha" conclude the record, since this tribute isnt just heartfelt, it offers proof of Duane Allmans immense talents and contribution to the band. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 33 Title: Beginnings Released: 1973-02-01 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:04:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Don’t Want You No More (02:25) 2 It’s Not My Cross to Bear (04:56) 3 Black Hearted Woman (05:18) 4 Trouble No More (03:48) 5 Every Hungry Woman (04:17) 6 Dreams (07:17) 7 Whipping Post (05:22) 8 Revival (04:05) 9 Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ (03:31) 10 Midnight Rider (02:59) 11 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (06:56) 12 Hoochie Coochie Man (04:57) 13 Please Call Home (04:02) 14 Leave My Blues at Home (04:17) |
| Beginnings : Allmusic album Review : Originally issued in 1973, Beginnings was a two-record set that repackaged the Allman Brothers first two releases, 1969s The Allman Brothers Band and 1970s Idlewild South. The music captures the Allmans in their early stage and features soon-to-be deceased members Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. Highlights include the jam-fest "Whipping Post" (which would soon take on an on-stage life all its own), as well as the slightly psychedelic "Dreams," the soaring "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," and the road anthem "Midnight Rider." The roots of Southern rock can be minutely inspected on Beginnings | ||
 | Album: 5 of 33 Title: Brothers and Sisters Released: 1973-08-01 Tracks: 7 Duration: 38:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wasted Words (04:20) 2 Ramblin’ Man (04:48) 3 Come and Go Blues (04:55) 4 Jelly Jelly (05:46) 5 Southbound (05:10) 6 Jessica (07:30) 7 Pony Boy (05:51) |
| Brothers and Sisters : Allmusic album Review : Released a year after Eat a Peach, Brothers and Sisters shows off a leaner brand of musicianship, which, coupled with a pair of serious crowd-pleasers, "Ramblin Man" and "Jessica," helped drive it to the top of the charts for a month and a half and to platinum record sales. This was the first album to feature the groups new lineup, with Chuck Leavell on keyboards and Lamar Williams on bass, as well as Dickey Betts emergence as a singer alongside Gregg Allman. The tracks appear on the album in the order in which they were recorded, and the first three, up through "Ramblin Man," feature Berry Oakley -- their sound is rock-hard and crisp. The subsequent songs with Williams have the bass buried in the mix, and an overall muddier sound. The interplay between Leavell and Betts is beautiful on some songs, and Betts slide on "Pony Boy" is a dazzling showcase that surprised everybody. Despite its sales, Brothers and Sisters is not quite a classic album (although it was their best for the next 17 years), especially in the wake of the four that had appeared previously, but it served as a template for some killer stage performances, and it proved that the band could survive the deaths of two key members. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 33 Title: The Road Goes On Forever Released: 1975 Tracks: 9 Duration: 41:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 One Way Out (05:00) 2 Blue Sky (05:11) 3 Hot ’Lanta (05:22) 4 Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More (03:41) 5 Little Martha (02:07) 6 Wasted Words (04:20) 7 Jessica (07:30) 8 Ramblin’ Man (04:48) 9 Melissa (03:56) |
| The Road Goes On Forever : Allmusic album Review : A two-LP set compiled from The Allmans first five albums and rushed out for the 1975 Christmas season when Win Lose Or Draw took a quick nosedive on the charts. It features a lot of good music, but The Allmans arent a singles band, so compilations dont really do them justice unless, like Dreams, they have a lot of time to do so. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 33 Title: Win, Lose or Draw Released: 1975-03-01 Tracks: 7 Duration: 38:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Can’t Lose What You Never Had (05:50) 2 Just Another Love Song (02:44) 3 Nevertheless (03:30) 4 Win, Lose or Draw (04:46) 5 Louisiana Lou and Three Card Monty John (03:44) 6 High Falls (14:28) 7 Sweet Mama (03:28) |
| Win, Lose or Draw : Allmusic album Review : An unexpectedly poor showing from the group, considering the two-year lag between albums and what had come before. Despite a good cover of Muddy Waters "Cant Lose What You Never Had" -- highlighted by a great Dickey Betts solo -- as an opener, theres not much here thats first-rate. The band sounds lethargic, although they still play decently. The title track and Dickey Betts instrumental "High Falls" are among the few highlights, decent but unexceptional performances sparked by Betts playing (which is engaging even on the loser tracks like "Louisiana Lou"). The albums main fault lies not with what it is, but what it could have been, and who its from -- as a debut album from a new band, it would be excusable and acceptable. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 33 Title: Enlightened Rogues Released: 1979-03-01 Tracks: 8 Duration: 38:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Crazy Love (03:44) 2 Can’t Take It With You (03:34) 3 Pegasus (07:32) 4 Need Your Love So Bad (04:02) 5 Blind Love (04:42) 6 Try It One More Time (05:03) 7 Just Ain’t Easy (06:07) 8 Sail Away (03:34) |
| Enlightened Rogues : Allmusic album Review : The Allman Brothers Bands best studio album since Brothers and Sisters is a loud, brash, hard-rocking collection of consistently solid if not first-rate songs. The singing is some of the best since Idlewild South, and although they would do better once they brought in Warren Haynes, the dual-guitar lineup of Dickey Betts and Dan Toler is a reminder of what the group had been missing since Duane Allmans death. The music isnt earth-shattering, but it is exciting through and through. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 33 Title: Reach for the Sky Released: 1980-08 Tracks: 8 Duration: 35:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hell & High Water (03:37) 2 Mystery Woman (03:35) 3 From the Madness of the West (06:37) 4 I Got a Right to Be Wrong (03:44) 5 Angeline (03:43) 6 Famous Last Words (02:48) 7 Keep On Keepin’ On (04:10) 8 So Long (06:53) |
| Reach for the Sky : Allmusic album Review : Water was being tread ever so slightly here, but theres still enough impressive musicianship and (to a lesser extent) interesting songwriting to qualify this as a solid artifact of the Allmans Mach 2 period (although the occasionally jarring use of synthesizers, rather than the bands usual organ/piano sound, has dated a bit). The standout track is clearly "From the Madness of the West," the sole song here where the twin guitars of Dickey Betts and Dan Toler recall earlier band classics like "Jessica." Also noteworthy is a stomping barrelhouse rocker, "Ive Got a Right," sung by Gregg Allman with his usual gruff bluster, and the catchy mean-woman blues "Angeline," which became a minor radio hit. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 33 Title: Brothers of the Road Released: 1981-08 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Brothers of the Road (03:50) 2 Leavin’ (03:46) 3 Straight From the Heart (03:47) 4 The Heat Is On (04:13) 5 Maybe We Can Go Back to Yesterday (04:42) 6 The Judgment (03:41) 7 Two Rights (03:30) 8 Never Knew How Much (I Needed You) (04:45) 9 Things You Used to Do (03:42) 10 I Beg of You (03:22) |
| Brothers of the Road : Allmusic album Review : By the time the 1980s rolled around, the Allman Brothers had endured such a tumultuous ride the decade prior, that almost all of the air was let out of their musical tires by the time Brothers of the Road hit the record stands. Many of the elements of the Allman Brothers sound remain intact here, but there are several things lacking that make this a less than essential album. The raw, rugged jams with climatic buildups and blistering guitar workouts have been substituted for a glossier, more pop-friendly sheen (thanks in no part to Clive Davis involvement with the group at the time). And while "Straight From the Heart" saw a reasonable campaign on the charts, the rest of the album is tepid at best. Shortly thereafter, the Allman Brothers decided to hang it up again. This is one only truly dedicated fans and collectors should seek to add to their collection. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 33 Title: Dreams Released: 1989-06-20 Tracks: 55 Duration: 5:00:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Shapes of Things (02:46) 2 Spoonful (03:39) 3 Crossroads (03:30) 4 Cast Off All My Fears (03:31) 5 Down in Texas (03:08) 6 Ain’t No Good to Cry (03:08) 7 B.B. King Medley (07:04) 8 Morning Dew (03:44) 9 God Rest His Soul (03:54) 10 I Feel Free (03:30) 11 She Has Funny Cars (04:46) 12 Goin’ Down Slow (08:46) 13 Dreams (04:52) 14 Don’t Want You No More (02:26) 15 It’s Not My Cross to Bear (04:57) 16 Trouble No More (03:48) 17 Dreams (07:18) 1 Statesboro Blues (04:05) 2 Hoochie Coochie Man (04:57) 3 Midnight Rider (02:59) 4 Dimples (live) (05:00) 5 I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town (live) (09:21) 6 Revival (04:05) 7 One More Ride (02:40) 8 Whipping Post (22:52) 9 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (live) (12:57) 10 Drunken Hearted Boy (06:54) 1 You Don’t Love Me / Soul Serenade (19:26) 2 Blue Sky (05:11) 3 Little Martha (02:11) 4 Melissa (03:59) 5 Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More (04:44) 6 Wasted Words (04:20) 7 Ramblin’ Man (04:48) 8 Southbound (05:10) 9 Jessica (07:30) 10 Midnight Rider (04:23) 11 One Way Out (07:58) 12 Long Time Gone (04:30) 1 Can’t Lose What You Never Had (05:49) 2 Come and Go Blues (04:44) 3 Bougainvillea (07:11) 4 Can You Fool (03:19) 5 Good Time Feeling (04:28) 6 Crazy Love (03:44) 7 Can’t Take It With You (03:32) 8 Just Ain’t Easy (05:01) 9 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (10:50) 10 Angeline (03:38) 11 Things You Used to Do (03:39) 12 Nancy (03:49) 13 Rain (03:01) 14 I’m No Angel (03:39) 15 Demons (03:26) 16 Duane’s Tune (05:51) |
| Dreams : Allmusic album Review : Spanning four discs and 55 tracks, Dreams is one of those rare box sets that tells a story while delivering the definitive word on its subject. Its success has a lot to do with its status as Polygram/Bill Levinsons sequel to the acclaimed hit Crossroads, which summarized Eric Claptons winding career perfectly. They follow the same approach here, gathering pre-Allman Brothers Band recordings from the clan, including cuts by the Allman Joys, selecting the hits from the classic years, and adding stray cuts by solo projects to the mix. Its a smart move and it results in a terrific box that truly offers the definitive word on one of the longest-running dramas in Southern rock. Yes, the Allmans reunited rather successfully after this box, so none of that material is here, but its not missed -- this is the story of the classic band. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 33 Title: Seven Turns Released: 1990-10 Tracks: 9 Duration: 48:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Good Clean Fun (05:08) 2 Let Me Ride (04:36) 3 Low Down Dirty Mean (05:30) 4 Shine It On (04:51) 5 Loaded Dice (03:29) 6 Seven Turns (05:05) 7 Gambler’s Roll (06:44) 8 True Gravity (07:58) 9 It Ain’t Over Yet (04:53) |
| Seven Turns : Allmusic album Review : The Allman Brothers Bands comeback album, and their best blues-based outing since Idlewild South that restored a lot of their reputation. With Tom Dowd running the session, and the group free to make the music they wanted to, they ended up producing this bold, rock-hard album, made up mostly of songs by Dickey Betts (with contributions by new keyboardman Johnny Neel and lead guitarist Warren Haynes), almost every one of them a winner. Apart from the rippling opening number, "Good Clean Fun," which he co-authored, Gregg Allmans contribution is limited to singing and the organ, but the band seem more confident than ever, ripping through numbers like "Low Down Dirty Mean," "Shine It On," and "Let Me Ride" like they were inventing blues-rock here, and the Ornette Coleman-inspired "True Gravity" is their best instrumental since "Jessica." | ||
 | Album: 13 of 33 Title: Shades of Two Worlds Released: 1991-07-02 Tracks: 8 Duration: 52:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 End of the Line (04:38) 2 Bad Rain (05:33) 3 Nobody Knows (10:58) 4 Desert Blues (05:02) 5 Get On With Your Life (06:58) 6 Midnight Man (04:39) 7 Kind of Bird (08:26) 8 Come On in My Kitchen (06:18) |
| Shades of Two Worlds : Allmusic album Review : The groups follow-up to their comeback album is a major step forward, with more mature songs, more improvisation than the group had featured in their work since the early 70s, and more confidence than theyd shown since Brothers and Sisters. Its all here, from acoustic bottleneck playing ("Come on in My Kitchen") to jazz improvisation ("Kind of Bird"), with the most reflective songwriting ("Nobody Knows") in their history. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 33 Title: A Decade of Hits: 1969–1979 Released: 1991-10-22 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:16:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Statesboro Blues (04:19) 2 Ramblin’ Man (04:48) 3 Midnight Rider (02:59) 4 Southbound (05:10) 5 Melissa (03:47) 6 Jessica (07:30) 7 Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More (03:35) 8 Little Martha (02:07) 9 Crazy Love (03:44) 10 Revival (04:05) 11 Wasted Words (04:20) 12 Blue Sky (05:11) 13 One Way Out (04:57) 14 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (06:56) 15 Dreams (07:18) 16 Whipping Post (05:21) |
| A Decade of Hits: 1969–1979 : Allmusic album Review : The record industrys blatantly greedy ploy of remastering and "upgrading" CDs is shameful. The sonics are usually improved, but the CDs could have been mastered properly the first time. But then fans wouldnt buy the same titles twice. The Allman Brothers Bands indispensable compilation A Decade of Hits 1969-1979 was reissued in 2000, just nine years after the original release. The remastered 2000 edition still features the same 16 songs, but the packaging and liner notes include an essay by Guitar World journalist Alan Paul, photos, and detailed recording credits. It would be easy to argue that individual albums like Idlewild South, Live at Fillmore East, Eat a Peach, or Brothers and Sisters are more cohesive artistic statements, but no self-respecting rock & roll fan should be without a copy of A Decade of Hits 1969-1979, which includes the cream of those albums. Its impossible to go wrong with one CD featuring Gregg Allmans harrowing "Whipping Post" and gorgeous "Midnight Rider," Dickey Betts soaring "Ramblin Man," and the lovely instrumentals "Jessica" and "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," let alone the blues covers "Statesboro Blues" and "One Way Out," which many people probably dont realize are covers because the band embodies them so much. Fans shouldnt have much of a problem recognizing the 2000 version. The cover featuring the band logo stitched on the denim jacket is still intact, but the white lettering is laid out a little differently on both the front and back covers. Plus, the shrink-wrap has an identifying sticker. Better still, just look at the copyright date. The first pressings liner notes include a typographical error; theres a noticeable gap within the essay text where the Enlightened Rogues title is missing. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 33 Title: The Collection Released: 1992 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:13:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Black Hearted Woman (05:17) 2 Every Hungry Woman (04:16) 3 Whipping Post (05:21) 4 Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ (03:29) 5 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (06:56) 6 Please Call Home (04:03) 7 Leave My Blues at Home (04:20) 8 Stand Back (03:27) 9 Trouble No More (03:46) 10 Come and Go Blues (04:54) 11 Jelly Jelly (05:44) 12 Pony Boy (05:58) 13 Ramblin’ Man (live) (07:04) 14 Jessica (live) (08:50) |
 | Album: 16 of 33 Title: Ramblin’ Man Released: 1992-04-28 Tracks: 12 Duration: 46:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ramblin’ Man (04:48) 2 Revival (04:05) 3 Trouble No More (03:45) 4 Little Martha (02:07) 5 Midnight Rider (02:59) 6 Louisiana Lou and Three Card Monty John (03:44) 7 Black Hearted Woman (05:18) 8 Just Another Love Song (02:44) 9 Wasted Words (04:20) 10 Stand Back (03:22) 11 Hot ’Lanta (live) (05:22) 12 Melissa (03:50) |
| Ramblin’ Man : Allmusic album Review : Ramblin Man is a budget-priced collection that features some fine music but is essentially a rip-off. Theres not enough music to make it a thorough collection and the packaging is shoddy. The bands other compilations and the original albums may cost a bit more, but they are much more listenable. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 33 Title: Legendary Hits Released: 1994 Tracks: 12 Duration: 58:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Midnight Rider (02:59) 2 Whipping Post (05:21) 3 Little Martha (02:07) 4 Hoochie Coochie Man (04:57) 5 Wasted Words (04:20) 6 Statesboro Blues (live) (04:20) 7 Jessica (07:30) 8 Win, Lose or Draw (04:46) 9 Revival (04:05) 10 Trouble No More (03:45) 11 Hot ’Lanta (live) (05:22) 12 Stormy Monday (live) (08:47) |
| Legendary Hits : Allmusic album Review : Rebounds Legendary Hits compilation is no means complete picture of the Allman Brothers Bands legendary hits. The glaring omissions of three of their most well-loved songs ("Melissa," "Dreams," and "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed") is solid proof of that fact alone. However, that is not to say its a bad compilation. On the contrary, there are several nuggets of pure Allman joy to be had in this economically feasible compilation, and every song on here is worth the price of purchase. However, for a more comprehensive survey of the bands career, the 20th Century Masters edition would serve the casual listener well, and the 2001 expanded edition of The Road Goes on Forever also provides a more in-depth and exhaustive look at the career of a band who will go down in history as one of Southern rocks finest. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 33 Title: Where It All Begins Released: 1994-05-04 Tracks: 10 Duration: 56:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 All Night Train (04:04) 2 Sailin’ ’Cross the Devil’s Sea (04:57) 3 Back Where It All Begins (09:12) 4 Soulshine (06:44) 5 No One to Run With (05:59) 6 Change My Way of Living (06:15) 7 Mean Woman Blues (05:01) 8 Everybody’s Got a Mountain to Climb (04:01) 9 What’s Done Is Done (04:09) 10 Temptation Is a Gun (05:37) |
| Where It All Begins : Allmusic album Review : After a year of personal and personnel problems, the Allman Brothers Band got back together to record the surprisingly consistent live-in-the-studio venture Where It All Begins. It lacks the ambition and stretch of Seven Turns or Shades of Two Worlds, along with their peaks, but it is still a solidly consistent album, driven by some of the virtues of live spontaneity. Highlights include Gregg Allmans frank drug song "All Night Train," the Bo Diddley-beat-driven "No One to Run With," and the glorious dual-guitar workout "Back Where It All Begins." | ||
 | Album: 19 of 33 Title: Hell & High Water: The Best of the Arista Years Released: 1994-06-28 Tracks: 11 Duration: 43:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hell & High Water (03:37) 2 Mystery Woman (03:34) 3 From the Madness of the West (06:37) 4 I Got a Right to Be Wrong (03:45) 5 Angeline (03:44) 6 Famous Last Words (02:48) 7 Brothers of the Road (03:58) 8 Leavin’ (03:46) 9 Straight From the Heart (03:47) 10 The Judgment (03:41) 11 Never Knew How Much (I Needed You) (04:25) |
| Hell & High Water: The Best of the Arista Years : Allmusic album Review : Released in 1994, Hell & High Water features the best of the Allman Brothers Bands Arista label output, which spanned a scanty two albums (1980s Reach for the Sky and 1981s Brothers of the Road). There are six tracks from the former and five from the latter, making it a wise purchase for diehards who need the best material from those records; however, neither album was among the bands best (or best-known) work, so its appeal is really limited to that audience. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 33 Title: Back to Back: At Their Best Released: 1996 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:02:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Ramblin’ Man (04:45) 2 Black Hearted Woman (05:18) 3 Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More (03:36) 4 Hoochie Coochie Man (04:57) 5 Southbound (05:11) 6 Leave My Blues at Home (04:19) 7 Keep on Smilin’ (03:58) 8 Country Side of Life (03:31) 9 Red Hot Chicken (04:47) 10 Macon Hambone Blues (09:52) 11 That’s All Right (07:07) 12 Leona (04:38) |
 | Album: 21 of 33 Title: Master Series: The Allman Brothers Band Released: 1996 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:18:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Ramblin’ Man (05:00) 2 Pegasus (07:35) 3 Revival (04:05) 4 Midnight Rider (02:59) 5 Melissa (03:56) 6 Don’t Want You No More (02:26) 7 It’s Not My Cross to Bear (04:57) 8 Statesboro Blues (04:19) 9 Jessica (07:09) 10 Hoochie Coochie Man (04:57) 11 Whipping Post (05:21) 12 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (07:00) 13 Blue Sky (05:11) 14 Crazy Love (03:49) 15 Southbound (05:10) 16 Win, Lose or Draw (04:41) |
 | Album: 22 of 33 Title: Madness of the West Released: 1998-03-23 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:10:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hell & High Water (03:37) 2 Mystery Woman (03:35) 3 From the Madness of the West (06:37) 4 I Got a Right to Be Wrong (03:44) 5 Angeline (03:43) 6 Famous Last Words (02:48) 7 Keep On Keepin’ On (04:10) 8 So Long (06:57) 9 Brothers of the Road (03:50) 10 Leavin’ (03:46) 11 Straight From the Heart (03:47) 12 The Heat Is On (04:13) 13 Maybe We Can Go Back to Yesterday (04:42) 14 The Judgment (03:41) 15 Two Rights (03:30) 16 Never Knew How Much (I Needed You) (04:25) 17 Things You Used to Do (03:41) |
 | Album: 23 of 33 Title: Mycology: An Anthology Released: 1998-06-09 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:00:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Good Clean Fun (05:08) 2 Seven Turns (05:05) 3 End of the Line (04:38) 4 Get On With Your Life (06:59) 5 Nobody Knows (10:58) 6 No One to Run With (05:59) 7 Back Where It All Begins (09:10) 8 Sailin’ ’Cross the Devil’s Sea (04:58) 9 Midnight Rider (live) (03:08) 10 Every Hungry Woman (live) (04:14) |
| Mycology: An Anthology : Allmusic album Review : Mycology: An Anthology collects highlights from the Allman Brothers 90s work for Epic Records. Although these latter-day recordings didnt quite reach the heights of the groups 70s heyday, they were surprisingly strong and Mycology is the best way for the curious fan to discover that. By rounding up the best moments from Seven Turns, Shades of Two Worlds, An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band and Where It All Begins, the collection offers a good distillation of an underrated portion of the groups career, thereby making it of equal interest to casual and hardcore fans alike. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 33 Title: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of The Allman Brothers Band Released: 2000-01-25 Tracks: 11 Duration: 53:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Whipping Post (05:21) 2 Dreams (07:18) 3 Revival (04:05) 4 Midnight Rider (02:59) 5 Hot ’Lanta (05:22) 6 Melissa (03:56) 7 Stand Back (03:27) 8 Blue Sky (05:11) 9 Ramblin’ Man (04:48) 10 Jessica (07:30) 11 Crazy Love (03:44) |
| 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of The Allman Brothers Band : Allmusic album Review : With the 1991 compilation A Decade of Hits 1969-1979 still in print, you may ask why Polydor found it necessary to release The Best of the Allman Brothers Band as part of the Universal Music Groups 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection. After all, the new 11-track album shares nine selections with the earlier 16-track one. The simple answer is price: By purchasing The Best of the Allman Brothers Band, you get about 30 percent less music than you do on A Decade of Hits, and you pay one-third less. The Best of the Allman Brothers Band is a collection intended for the budget-conscious music lover who wants the cheapest possible album containing well-known Allman Brothers songs like "Ramblin Man," "Crazy Love," and "Whipping Post" from their first ten years of recording. Of course, it remains true that a single-disc best-of is not the ideal way to appreciate the Allman Brothers -- Polydor probably would be better advised to compile a two-disc compilation for that purpose -- but this set may serve to initiate new fans or satisfy older ones who stuck to AM Top 40 in the 70s without venturing over to the FM rock stations where the Allmans extended jams were heard. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 33 Title: Hittin’ the Note Released: 2003-03-18 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:15:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Firing Line (05:17) 2 High Cost of Low Living (07:52) 3 Desdemona (09:20) 4 Woman Across the River (05:51) 5 Old Before My Time (05:23) 6 Who to Believe (05:38) 7 Maydell (04:35) 8 Rockin’ Horse (07:23) 9 Heart of Stone (05:06) 10 Instrumental Illness (12:17) 11 Old Friend (06:12) |
| Hittin’ the Note : Allmusic album Review : There have been many tales of terror, nervousness, and depression -- as well as raw excitement and anticipation -- since the Allmans went into the studio to make their first album of new material in a decade, and the bands first record ever without guitarist Dickey Betts, who wrote and sang the last of the bands true hits in the 1970s. The result weighs on the latter side of the equation -- nervousness and fear that the old-road dogs didnt have it in them to make new music are completely unfounded. Hittin the Note is the bands finest studio outing since Brothers and Sisters over 20 years before. The level of songwriting, inspiration, and execution is more than admirable; its downright bone-chilling in places. The Allman/Haynes collaboration "Desdemona," while centered in Southern soul and earthy blues, is a rock & roll powerhouse with glorious jazz overtones à la "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" in the instrumental break. Haynes, whose ringing, stinging tone cuts through the mix like a fine-edged stiletto, is complemented beautifully by Derek Trucks. Trucks displays the round-toned beauty that adds warmth and dimension to the twin-guitar interplay that is very much built on the Duane Allman/Betts model, but creates shadowy chord figures that come more from jazz than blues, adding another shade to the tonal palette. But its the sheer melodic power and soul feel that comes right through a studio soundboard that is most astonishing. It feels like the Allmans live, which is the thing they most wanted to get across. Instrumentally, the bands fiery exuberance is in abundance -- the organ-guitar duel in "Woman Across the River," which features a fine Haynes vocal, is given more thudding intensity by drummers Jaimoe and Butch Trucks and percussionist Marc Quiñones. The bass chair is held down by newcomer Oteil Burbridge, who, like Derek Trucks, adds a younger, more ambitious feel to the rootsy sound of the brothers, with his popped and thumped basslines that pay often just behind the beat to add space to the framework of a given track. The sprawling "Instrumental Illness" displays the awesome guitar power that the Allmans have at their disposal, as well as their ability to improvise off cues and feelings in a way that would make some jazz musicians jealous. "Old Before My Time," a Haynes/Allman collaboration, is the most haunting song on the record. Allman sings with all the world-weariness that has truly been his lot as a road dog who has endured his share of tragedy. It begins as a folk song, with Haynes acoustic under Allmans voice before the band enters with slide guitar; staggered in 4/4 time and littered with hand drums and a swell that transforms it into a country song of regret, remorse, and resignation, it literally stops the listener in his or her tracks. Theres little time to think about the tune, however, before the spooky, dark, bluesed-out funk of "Who to Believe" comes uncoiling from the speakers like a crawling king snake from the swamp. A wonderful surprise on this set is an absolutely riveting cover of the Rolling Stones "Heart of Stone," transformed into a rock & roll version of a Ray Price honky tonk song as if it were reinterpreted by Albert King. In sum, Hittin the Note does exactly what its title claims -- 11 tracks worth and it burns on every one. This album is in-the-pocket, deep-grooving Allman Brothers Band blues-rock at its best. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 33 Title: Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: The Allman Brothers Band Released: 2003-09-09 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:14:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Trouble No More (03:45) 2 Done Somebody Wrong (live) (04:16) 3 Stormy Monday (live) (08:50) 4 Can’t Lose What You Never Had (05:50) 5 Statesboro Blues (live) (04:13) 6 One Way Out (live) (04:57) 7 Hoochie Coochie Man (04:57) 8 I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town (live) (09:19) 9 Dimples (live) (04:59) 10 Need Your Love So Bad (04:02) 11 You Don’t Love Me (live) (19:16) |
 | Album: 27 of 33 Title: Take 2 Released: 2003-10-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 46:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Loaded Dice (03:29) 2 I’m No Angel (03:44) 3 Let Me Ride (04:36) 4 Before the Bullets Fly (03:42) 5 End of the Line (05:43) 6 Lead Me On (04:46) 7 Get On With Your Life (07:58) 8 Demons (03:28) 9 Seven Turns (05:05) 10 Cant Keep Running (04:02) |
| Take 2 : Allmusic album Review : This is a super budget collection from Sony Special Products highlighting Gregg Allmans later years with both the Allman Brothers Band and h his solo career for the label. There are ten cuts here, some noteworthy, such as "Lead Me On," the minor hit "Im No Angel," "Loaded Dice," and the live staple "Seven Turns," written by Dickey Betts. This is for the hardest of hardcore Allmans fan who has to have everything. There isnt anything here that would serve well for the merely curious. There are many fine Allman Brothers compilations for that purpose. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 33 Title: Gold Released: 2005-10-11 Tracks: 30 Duration: 2:32:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Don’t Want You No More (02:26) 2 It’s Not My Cross to Bear (04:57) 3 Blackhearted Woman (05:18) 4 Trouble No More (03:48) 5 Dreams (07:18) 6 Whipping Post (05:21) 7 Revival (04:05) 8 Midnight Rider (02:59) 9 Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ (03:31) 10 Hoochie Coochie Man (04:57) 11 Statesboro Blues (live) (04:20) 12 Stormy Monday (live) (08:50) 13 Hot ’Lanta (live) (05:22) 14 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (live) (13:04) 1 One Way Out (live) (05:00) 2 Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More (03:41) 3 Melissa (03:56) 4 Stand Back (03:27) 5 Blue Sky (05:11) 6 Little Martha (02:07) 7 Wasted Words (04:20) 8 Ramblin’ Man (04:48) 9 Southbound (05:10) 10 Jessica (07:30) 11 Come and Go Blues (live) (05:03) 12 Can’t Lose What You Never Had (05:54) 13 Win, Lose or Draw (04:46) 14 Crazy Love (03:44) 15 Can’t Take It With You (03:36) 16 Pegasus (07:31) |
| Gold : Allmusic album Review : Essentially the Allman Brothers Bands Gold collection is an expanded version of both the Universal Masters and 20th Century Masters collections. It contains two discs that total 30 cuts and cover the bands catalog from 1969s Allman Brothers Band to 1975s Enlightened Rogues. There are five cuts from the first album, including the original studio version of "Whipping Post," and four from Idlewild South, including the studio read of "Midnight Ride." The cuts from At Fillmore East number four with the inclusion of the 13-minute "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," and five from Eat a Peach, including "Melissa," "Blue Sky," and "Aint Wasting Time No More." Five cuts come from Brothers and Sisters and, yes, "Ramblin Man" and "Jessica" are among them. There is one swipe off Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas; two from Win, Lose or Draw; and three from Enlightened Rogues. In other words, fans have everything already, and for those who are just being introduced to the ABB through their latter incarnation with Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, there is a lot here, though beginning with At Fillmore East probably makes much more sense. | ||
 | Album: 29 of 33 Title: Colour Collection Released: 2007 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:18:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Ramblin’ Man (04:59) 2 Pegasus (07:34) 3 Midnight Rider (02:56) 4 Revival (04:04) 5 Melissa (03:56) 6 Don’t Want You No More (02:27) 7 It’s Not My Cross to Bear (04:53) 8 Jessica (07:07) 9 Statesboro Blues (04:15) 10 Hoochie Coochie Man (04:49) 11 Whipping Post (05:19) 12 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (06:56) 13 Blue Sky (05:14) 14 Crazy Love (03:45) 15 Southbound (05:11) 16 Win, Lose or Draw (04:43) |
 | Album: 30 of 33 Title: Collected Released: 2012-03-22 Tracks: 50 Duration: 3:49:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dreams (07:20) 2 Don’t Want You No More (02:27) 3 Whipping Post (05:19) 4 Midnight Rider (03:01) 5 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (06:58) 6 Revival (04:08) 7 Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ (03:33) 8 Hoochie Coochie Man (04:58) 9 Statesboro Blues (04:08) 10 One More Ride (02:44) 11 Drunken Hearted Boy (live) (06:54) 12 Melissa (03:57) 13 Trouble No More (03:50) 14 Little Martha (02:10) 15 One Way Out (05:00) 16 Blue Sky (05:12) 17 Wasted Words (04:20) 1 Jessica (07:32) 2 Southbound (05:11) 3 Ramblin’ Man (04:51) 4 Pony Boy (05:54) 5 Can’t Lose What You Never Had (05:52) 6 Win, Lose or Draw (04:47) 7 Crazy Love (03:46) 8 Just Ain’t Easy (06:09) 9 Sail Away (03:36) 10 Need Your Love So Bad (04:05) 11 Angeline (03:41) 12 Straight from the Heart (03:48) 13 Good Clean Fun (05:07) 14 Low Down Dirty Mean (05:33) 15 All Night Train (04:04) 1 Shapes of Things (02:51) 2 Crossroads (03:34) 3 Cast Off All My Fears (03:25) 4 Ain’t No Good to Cry (03:09) 5 Goin Down Slow (08:49) 6 Midnight Rider (04:29) 7 These Days (03:58) 8 Queen of Hearts (06:17) 9 Long Time Gone (04:32) 10 Highway Call (04:27) 11 Cryin’ Shame (03:45) 12 Brightest Smile in Town (03:07) 13 Good Time Feeling (04:30) 14 I’m No Angel (03:45) 15 It’s Not My Cross to Bear (05:42) 16 Before the Bullets Fly (03:42) 17 Duane’s Tune (05:59) 18 The Dark End of the Street (03:18) |
 | Album: 31 of 33 Title: Icon Released: 2013-02-12 Tracks: 9 Duration: 53:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Whipping Post (05:21) 2 Midnight Rider (02:58) 3 Melissa (03:54) 4 Ramblin’ Man (04:48) 5 Wasted Words (04:20) 6 Can’t Lose What You Never Had (05:50) 7 Crazy Love (03:45) 8 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (live) (13:06) 9 Jessica (live) (09:05) |
| Icon : Allmusic album Review : Simply put, this is a compilation of most of the Allman Brothers Bands best-known tunes during their tenure with Capricorn. While its disappointing that the studio version of "Whipping Post" appears in lieu of the live one from At Fillmore East, a just compensation is made by the inclusion of "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" from that historic recording. The other live cut here is the long version of "Jessica," from Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas, though the studio version might well have sufficed. For anyone who is looking for a single-disc Allman Brothers compilation, Icon might serve. That said, one has to wonder why the compilation producers chose songs from more erratic recordings such as Enlightened Rogues and the awful Win, Lose or Draw when more excellent material from Eat a Peach was there for the picking (i.e., "Aint Wastin Time No More," "Trouble No More," "Blue Sky"). That curious decision is troubling. | ||
 | Album: 32 of 33 Title: Midnight Rider: Essential Collection Released: 2013-02-19 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:18:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Ramblin’ Man (04:48) 2 Jessica (04:10) 3 Statesboro Blues (live) (04:23) 4 Whipping Post (05:22) 5 Dreams (07:18) 6 Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More (03:41) 7 Melissa (03:54) 8 Black Hearted Woman (05:18) 9 Southbound (05:10) 10 Midnight Rider (02:59) 11 One Way Out (live) (04:58) 12 Blue Sky (05:10) 13 Stormy Monday (live) (08:50) 14 Pegasus (07:33) 15 Win, Lose or Draw (04:46) |
 | Album: 33 of 33 Title: 5 Classic Albums Released: 2015-09-18 Tracks: 37 Duration: 4:11:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Don’t Want You No More (02:26) 2 It’s Not My Cross to Bear (05:04) 3 Black Hearted Woman (05:18) 4 Trouble No More (03:48) 5 Every Hungry Woman (04:16) 6 Dreams (07:18) 7 Whipping Post (05:21) 1 Revival (04:05) 2 Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ (03:31) 3 Midnight Rider (02:59) 4 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (06:56) 5 Hoochie Coochie Man (04:57) 6 Please Call Home (04:02) 7 Leave My Blues at Home (04:17) 1 Wasted Words (04:20) 2 Ramblin’ Man (04:48) 3 Come and Go Blues (04:55) 4 Jelly Jelly (05:46) 5 Southbound (05:10) 6 Jessica (07:30) 7 Pony Boy (05:51) 1 Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More (03:41) 2 Les Brers in A Minor (09:06) 3 Melissa (03:56) 4 Mountain Jam (33:40) 5 One Way Out (04:57) 6 Trouble No More (03:45) 7 Stand Back (03:27) 8 Blue Sky (05:11) 9 Little Martha (02:07) 1 Statesboro Blues (04:19) 2 Done Somebody Wrong (04:35) 3 Stormy Monday (08:49) 4 You Don’t Love Me (19:19) 5 Hot ’Lanta (05:22) 6 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (13:07) 7 Whipping Post (22:57) |
| 5 Classic Albums : Allmusic album Review : This handsome, budget-priced collection rounds up 5 Classics Albums from the Allman Brothers: Allman Brothers Band, Idlewild South, Brothers & Sisters, and the 20th Century Masters collection dedicated to the band, plus Gregg Allmans solo Laid Back. Although Eat a Peach is missing, this is more or less the peak of the Allmans, and its available here at a very affordable price. | ||