The Allman Brothers Band Album by Album Thread

I have an 8x10 of that photo somewhere around here from when I joined the Allman Brothers Fan Club in 1973. Yes, Dickey definitely had at least one black eye in that photo. Probably ran into a door.

 

So many people going into music now expect to be big stars in a sort amount of time. Of course there are a lot fewer venues that support the dues paying circuit these days as most are DJ driven which makes it harder to work your way up.

 

Ready for Part (2)....!

 

Should be soon....40 pages-its getting crowded here.

 

I can't recommend it enough if you're a serious fan of this band. And on top of it, we really enjoyed Macon on its own. But if you really research the ABB sites before you go, you'll find that in this small city you are constantly passing by some place that played a role in the big picture. It was a long haul down there, but it was even better than I ever imagined. And since Atlanta's a major airline hub, you could probably get a less expensive flight there, rent a car, and drive the hour+ to Macon.

 

If you have the "Brothers of the Road" video or DVD, there's an acoustic version that's just gorgeous.

 

I haven't heard Brothers and Sisters in a long time as I lost the album decades ago and haven't replaced it (yet). I did buy the album when it came out though. It was obviously a shift in the band's direction even though it was a small change. Bringing in Chuck Leavell was an interesting idea but they were already reelin' from Duane's passing and having a second member die so quickly could have leveled (no pun intended) a lesser band. There must have been enough determination from the ones left because they did make some changes that helped shape the band's sound for years to come. It would have been hard bringing in an outsider to play guitar in the band anyway so maybe the piano was a compromise. I wonder how Dickey felt about that? Does anyone know? Lamar is a superb bass player and he seemed to fit in fine. As much as the band didn't want Ramblin' Man, I bet they changed their tune when the money started coming in! What do you think? Good call on Come And Go Blues. Jessica is another one of those instrumentals that seemed to pour out of Betts at the time and very catchy it is too. Some of the other songs are so faded in my memory that I am having trouble remembering them. I guess I could go to YouTube but that would be too easy.
It's a good album but a slight let down imo from the previous albums. There wasn't as much raw energy in the music.
Was Duane and Berry responsible for the edge? Bringing a piano in as a lead instrument certainly softens a guitar band sound especially when the piano is sort of replacing that guitar instead of simply being added to the mix.

The next year I would finally see the band perform in Mobile Alabama, headlining with Quick Silver and Wet Willie.
It was an outdoor show as was common at the time. The stage was high above the crowd making photos difficult if you were down front. Not the best situation for a show but what could you do but enjoy the music anyway. I still have the shirt I bought there but it's a little tight even though I only weigh about fifteen or twenty pounds more than I did forty years ago. Shrinkage! He cries to deaf ears. I swear it shrank, man.

I have two more stories but they will come when that time arrives in the thread.

 

"Ramblin' Man" when it was still new... and with Berry!

 

Ramblin' Man was the last complete track that Berry cut with the band...unless you count the rehearsal of "Southbound" on disc 2 of the Super Deluxe edition of Brothers & Sisters, which was recorded November 8, 1972.

Listen to the sound of "the tractor"

 

3:10/4:05 - site of Duane's wreck
4:40 - site of Berry's wreck

Strangely...the two spots are only 35 seconds from each other, less than a mile.

 

That bass line is so... comforting.

 

I forgot to thank the member who posted the images of the graveyard. I'm sure I've seen b&w images in a music magazine back in the day but I thought yours were great.

Now I can also say I had a weird experience watching the video of the motorcyclist retracing Duane and Berry's accidents. I can certainly see Berry's happening the way the roads are but Duane's was simply someone making a 90 degree turn and Duane was probably going too fast to adjust, little less stop. Berry's curve showed many opportunities for mishaps the way two roads came together on a curve.

The same spirit that makes people want to ride motorcycles fast is the same one that helps create new music.

 

Released August 1, 1973…hey, my wife was born that very same day!

The band adds another member, moves forward and lightning strikes a 2nd time. They worked so hard to rebuild their world during the 12 months since Duane died. And then Berry dies 1 year and 13 days later…that must’ve seemed like a cruel joke to the guys. But they somehow moved forward.


Wasted Words
This track sounds like a putdown of a former lover. Gregg’s on rhythm guitar but very hard to hear in the mix. Dickey’s kicks off another album with his slide playing, and Duane would’ve been proud of Dickey’s prowess. The call and response between Chuck and Dickey towards the end is a highlight of the track. Bear in mind, Chuck was barely twenty at the time.

Ramblin’ Man
The most unlikely of things for the band…a hit single, and it shot all the way to number two on the Billboard Top 40. Well deserved. Ironically, the song that kept it out of the top spot was “Half Breed” by Cher! This album was cut on 16or 24 track, I forget which. But there are layers of guitars here, some of which were left out of the mix…some of those can be heard on the Guitar Hero game.

Come and Go Blues
Underrated tune from Gregg. Lamar’s debut with the band. One of my faves.

Jelly, Jelly
The last track cut for the album…this was to originally be an arrangement of I’m Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town…but it would morph into Early Morning Blues and eventually Jelly Jelly…the change to Jelly Jelly was a last minute/11th hour thing…early pressings of the album list “Early Morning Blues” on the LP label and insert and no track is listed on the left side of the back cover…my copy is just like that…tasty solos from Dickey and Chuck

Southbound
A fast shuffle here…the band is really firing on all cylinders here…Dickey gets two solos here and really lets loose. The drums propel the song. And Gregg’s singing is his finest on the album

Jessica
Dickey’s masterpiece on the album…western swing and jazz….Dickey’s hero Django Reinhardt was a big inspiration on this track…a layered piece of art…drums, percussion, bass, keboards, guitars…and Chuck’s solo is his coming of age with the band…a very joyous tune. I was once listening to this in the car while on the Interstate…90mph, I better slow down. You can’t be “down” and listen to this track.

Pony Boy
Country blues…all acoustic, no electric stuff…no Gregg or Jaimoe here…a happy end to a masterpiece of an album…Dickey abd Butch do a little hambone at the end of the track, breaking into laughter

 

1975

 

That's so weird - I had no idea the accidents happened in a residential area... Looks so everyday in the video.

 

Going back just a little...one of my favorite pictures of the original band...the gatefold picture for Duane Allman: An Anthology

 

I also forgot to add how much I like Southbound. A real standout track so it's a mystery why I didn't think to put it in the other post.

 

Wow! Just wow!

 

Very quickly I'm just going to give my rundown of the album. I feel it's a slight letdown over previous efforts on the whole but it's still an excellent album and one of their best. Enter Dickey Betts as this is where his material begins to dominate the records.

The opening track is one of my favorites by Gregg. I like how he injects some humor into the lyrics, which I feel was a bit different for him. It's a good opener, almost on par with "Ain't Wastin' Time No More"...

What more can be said about "Ramblin' Man" that hasn't already been said? It's their best known song and the one that brought them mainstream success.

I agree with everyone who said "Come And Go Blues" is an underrated track. I think Gregg realized this as well as he would later do an acoustic version on a solo album.

"Jelly Jelly" is my least favorite song on the album. It just never seems to gel (get it, 'Jel'? ) and Greg's vocals are too laid back (as someone mentioned) and the song kinda drags a bit.

"Southbound" is one of my favorite ABB tunes. Betts just kills it with his lightning quick, fluid, clean and smooth as butter guitar lines, Greg gives us one of his best vocals and Chuck adds a layer of piano that fills in the gaps quite nicely.

"Jessica".....Amazing piece of work! An instrumental that I 'sing' along with every time. I love the layers of acoustic guitars as well.

The album closes with some country blues in the way of "Pony Boy". It's a genre I particularly dig..love this song.

The album takes on a bit more country than previous efforts, due to Dickey's further emergence as a songwriter. The sound was perfect for the time as there were a crop of southern bands coming up who would, along with The Allman Brothers, take 'southern rock' to new and greater heights.

Overall, another essential record by the band who have seldom been less than perfect up to this point.

As a sidenote I ordered Dickey's "Highway Call" and it should be here on Friday. I've never owned or heard it in it's entirety before.

 

The Grand Canyon

 

The Grand Canyon

 

The Grand Canyon

 

Highway Call is a departure, as much as Gregg's Laid Back album. This one displays Dickey's country, bluegrass and Western swing roots. And Vassar Clements is on fiddle. This album sounds like the band is gathered on Dickey's porch for a Sunday barbecue...a mellow album.

I hope you grabbed an old 1980's Polydor cd or Capricorn vinyl. The 2001 remaster is horribly jacked up and loud. Sounds like a different album. I one posted about it here. I'll dig up the link.