Allman Brothers Band Enlightened Rogues Album & Tour Appreciation

I got into the Allman Brothers Band as a young teenager in 1977, but Enlightened Rogues was my first purchase and the first of their concerts I attended was in 1979 Tanglewood. I have a nostalgic connection to Enlightened Rogues so I am a bit biased, but I think this album and tour was a fantastic way to end their decade as a band. How say you?


Wiki has this to say about Enlightened Rogues:

Enlightened Rogues is the sixth studio album by American rock band the Allman Brothers Band. Produced by Tom Dowd, the album was released in February 1979 in the United States by Capricorn Records and PolyGram Records elsewhere. Dickey Betts approached his bandmates in 1978 with the prospects of a reunion. After two former members declined to return, they added new members which made it the first to feature guitarist Dan Toler and bassist David Goldflies. Living together in Sarasota, Florida, they rehearsed and wrote the material for their next album in fall 1978.

They began recording Enlightened Rogues that December, and recording stretched into the new year. Sessions took place in Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida with producer Tom Dowd, who worked on a trio of early Allman Brothers albums. The group stayed at a home overlooking Biscayne Bay, which promoted unity within the members. The recording process was smooth and pleasant, with members showing courtesy to one another in comparison to ill feelings felt earlier. The album's title comes from a quote original guitarist Duane Allman used to describe the band: "The world is made of two great schools, enlightened rogues and religious fools."

The album was a commercial success in the United States. "Crazy Love" was the group's second of three Top 40 hits to date. Despite this, Capricorn would file for bankruptcy that fall, leading the Allman Brothers to sign to Arista Records.


Additional Background:

Betts approached Allman with the prospect of a reunion in 1978. Allman was addicted to Dilaudids and vodka, and following a detox program, met with his former bandmates. He, Betts, Trucks, and Jaimoe all agreed to reform. "No one was pleased with how things had ended back in ’76, and the combination of the passing of time, missing each other musically, and money all made it easier for us to put the past behind us," Allman later wrote. Together, the rest of the band joined Great Southern for five songs during an August concert in New York's Central Park. Williams and Leavell were invited for the reunion, but were busy with Sea Level (Jaimoe had left the band several months prior). As a result, the Allman Brothers added two new members from Great Southern: guitarist "Dangerous" Dan Toler and bassist David "Rook" Goldflies. Jaimoe summarized the performance: "We were a little rusty—maybe a lot rusty—and we were playing with some different guys, but it felt good to be together." Following this, the band made an appearance at the annual Capricorn Records picnic. The band were immediately pressured to record a new album, but declined, in order to see how everyone communicated "musically and spiritually." The band went into rehearsals in Sarasota, Florida, staying together at the Pirates Den on Anna Maria Island. The main reason for living together at the Pirates Den was to see if they could simply get along together.

Things went smoothly during the recording process. Goldflies remarked that Allman and Betts got along well: "What I saw many times, especially towards the beginning, was a real effort from both Gregg and Dickey to be really gracious to each other. I sensed there was a real effort to make it work. They tried to make it happen." Allman described reuniting with Dowd: "We had communication, and I mean the utmost communication. Tom was a master at getting everyone's attention focused on one little item, and I picked up so many little ways to go about things from him, and to keep from wasting time." The band lacked a slide guitarist, leading Betts to take over the role, which he disliked.[13] He later noted that it altered the band's sound, which in its earlier days relied on Betts's guitar and a slide guitar working together with guitarist John Lundahl, a Chicago native. Allman partnered with former confidant Twiggs Lyndon once more as his manager, despite the wishes of Betts. Following a small altercation with Allman, he left the area and ceased being his manager.

Allman wrote "Just Ain't Easy" as a description of years living in Hollywood with pop star Cher, whom he was married to from 1975 to 1979. "It's about defeat and resignation, being on the bottom," he wrote. The album's title comes from a term original guitarist Duane Allman used to describe the band. An avid reader, Duane once told his brother a quote from a poem he read that he felt would make good lyrics: "The world is made of two great schools, enlightened rogues and religious fools." Trucks later summarized the album's recording and release as thus: "The chemistry wasn’t there. The only reason the first album was half successful was that Tom Dowd produced it and worked so hard."

Track Listing

Side one
1."Crazy Love" (Dickey Betts) – 3:44
2."Can't Take It With You" (Dickey Betts, Don Johnson) – 3:33
3."Pegasus" (Dickey Betts) – 7:31
4."Need Your Love So Bad" (John Mertis) – 4:01

Side two
1."Blind Love" (B.B. King, Jules Taub) – 4:37
2."Try It One More Time" (Dickey Betts, David Goldflies) – 5:04
3."Just Ain't Easy" (Gregg Allman) – 6:06
4."Sail Away" (Dickey Betts) – 3:34


Personnel
Gregg Allman - Keyboards, Vocals
Dickey Betts -Guitar, Vocals,
Dan Toler - Guitar
David Goldflies - Bass
Jaimoe - Percussion, Drums
Butch Trucks - Percussion, Drums

Additional musicians:
Joe Lala - Percussion (3, 5, 6)
Bonnie Bramlett - Background Vocals (1)
Jim Essery - Harmonica (2, 4, 5, 7)
John Lundahl - Backup Guitar (2)
Mimi Hart - Background Vocals (8)

 

The following '79 tour was excellent. Bonnie Bramlett (another Capricorn artist at the time) was available to tour with the band and added her vocals to many songs. She had great stage chemistry with Greg and Dickey and really added to the positive vibes. Most of the album's songs were included in the setlists, including an extended Pegasus (with drum solo). The setlist from Nassau Coliseum, 12/79, seems typical for the tour:

1.Don't Want You No More
2. It's Not My Cross to Bear
3. Can't Take It With You
4. Blue Sky
5. Need Your Love So Bad
6. Blind Love
7. Crazy Love
8. Just Ain't Easy
9. In Memory of Elizabeth Reed
10. Try It One More Time
11. One Way Out
13. Southbound
14. Jessica
15. Whipping Post
16. Pegasus (With Drum Duet)

Encore:
17. Midnight Rider
Encore 2:
18. Will the Circle Be Unbroken?
Encore 3:
19. Ramblin' Man

 

While I didn't see the tour, I did excitedly grab the album upon it's release. 20 years old, less than 2 years in my first apartment, less than a year for my brand new stereo components, their return felt like a gift.
Need Your Love So Bad, and Just Ain't Easy, both felt like an official return to the ABB I had loved since 1972.
.

 

Both great songs! They pull these off well live too, such as the night this grey label album was recorded:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Almost-Eig.../ref=tmm_acd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

For my taste there was too much of an easygoing country rock orientation in this middle incarnation of the Allmans. I was pleasantly knocked out by the '89 reunion and the swing back to tougher blues-rock.

 

I wrote about my experience attending a show from this tour in the Allman Bros ABA thread.


The Allman Brothers Band Album by Album Thread (Part Two)

 

I saw the tour early on in Rochester and loved the show. When they kicked off with Don't Need you No More / Not My Cross to Bear it was a huge electric jolt. The classic ABB sound! They had a lot of energy and were hittin' the note. Bonnie Bramlett was a great addition. After the show I raced back to a club east of Buffalo to see Graham Parker and the Rumour - one of my favorite bands at the time. Headliners at the club usually went on late but as I ran through the door I almost ran over GP exiting the stage after the encore (they'd decided to go on way earlier than usual). Any disappointment I had about missing Parker was completely offset by how great the ABB were. I saw them in Buffalo a month or so later and the energy was already largely gone. Maybe it was just an off night. But then made the mistake of going to see the Arista keytar band in a 3000 seater in 1980. That was beyond depressing. But out of the gate, this early (going back to 1970) ABB fan had a lot of optimism about the reunion, albeit short-lived.

 

Funny this thread should pop up as I recently found a sealed cut out of what appears to be the original Capricorn lp. I've never heard this album before and I've only given it one cursory listen at this point to check for defects (all clear!). I'll look forward to reading the forum's collective wisdom as I familiarize myself with the album.

 

Hopefully one day we will see a live CD document from this tour.

 

What a fantastic ending cut to the album, "Sail Away." A beautiful song.

 

I think this album was, along with several other later 70s Capricorn record albums, often found in cut-out bins. This has more to do with Capricorn Record's bad management at the end of the 70s than the quality of these cut-out albums IMO.

 

Another excellent song. I wonder if Dickie ever played this during his solo tours? I have never heard a live rendition.

 

Great album, great tour and concert at Alpine Valley.

 

Never saw that down here, but then Duane and Gregg were born here, and you were verbally reminded of that a lot then.
.

 

Great album, and the tour had a great setlist, too. I'd welcome a deluxe edition w/outtakes, and a complete live set (see Brothers & Sisters set).

 

I think that "easygoing country orientation" was an indicator of Dickie's dominance in steering the band's sound in these years. Sail Away and It Just Ain't Easy are certainly easy-going and more country than rock, but both songs are still beautiful. The other songs on the album mostly seem to rock and swing pretty hard.

 

You forgot Statesboro Blues

 

My dad(!) and I saw this tour (I'm thinking June of 1979) at the Pine Knob shed outside
of Detroit. Bob Welch (another of my favs) was the opener. It was a Saturday night show.
The next morning we were off to Michigan International Speedway for the NASCAR race.
Something for him, something for me. It was my father's first rock concert. My dad was
driving so he wanted to leave early to avoid the mass exodus of hippies. As we were leaving
the venue I vividly recall Dickey playing the theme from `Mountain Jam', probably just a
few bars. Fantastic concert, of course - I was thrilled as the Allmans were my favourite
group and they avoided Canada like the plague. I highly recommend the `grey area' release,
`Nassau Coliseum' 12/30/79 CD as it is a terrific representation of this tour.

 

I had seen Win Lose or Draw, Wipe The Windows Check The Oil and Enlightened Rogues in our local Woolworths cut-out bin in 79-80. Bought the first two with zero regrets -I still like them.

 

Yes -deleted by accident, thanks for the catch.

 

There are a couple of grey market CDs on Amazon.uk and sometimes local. Radio broadcasts with good, if not excellent, sound. The two cuts (It Just Ain't Easy and Elisabeth Reed) are excellent sounding in The Dreams box set, but like you, I want a whole show officially released.

 

The first new release after I became a fan and I loved it. I still think it's a solid album. I saw them early on the tour at the Boston Garden and it being my first time seeing them thought they were great. I had much better seats for a show at the Providence Civic Center later on in the year and it wasn't so great. I have watched a lot of this tour on YouTube and I think Providence was closer to the truth. For me that one record is the high point of the second Allman era. Third time around was the charm for me ( I missed the first). The late 80's early 90's was so much better and Live At Great Woods was the peak of my live Allmans experience. I never saw them with Derek Trucks.

 

I don't think that Pegasus gets enough credit for being a fine Allman brothers instrumental. Along with It Just Ain't Easy and Sail Away, this is a strong enough album.

 

That and Chuck Leavell's presence. Dickie also had a lot of control in the next reunion-- for one thing, he brought in Warren Haynes-- but losing the piano made for a much harder sound.

 

This is a great track.

I respecfully share this in honor of the late Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks




The vocal audio picks up around the 1 minute mark ...enjoy!