The Allman Brothers Band - Enlightened Rogues (1979)

The Allman Brothers Band are an American band formed in the late 60s, considered highly influential in the genre of southern rock, and also known for their musical improvisation in concert.

After The Allman Brothers Band broke up in 1976, all members were kept busy with various solo careers and side projects for the next couple of years. However come 1978 both Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts were thinking were getting the group back together. Jaimoe and Butch Trucks both readily agreed to get back on board, though Lamar Williams and Chuck Leavell declined, preferring to stay with their jazz-rock group Sea Level. Betts brought in two members of his own group Great Southern to make up the numbers, and guitarist Dan Toler and bassist David Goldflies joined the four surviving founder members.

Their 'reunion' album was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, produced by Tom Dowd, who had worked with them on some of their best early albums. It saw release in 1979 as Enlightened Rogues, with the group back on Capricorn Records again. The new album definitely had the recognisable Allman Brothers sound, and saw them returning to the duel lead guitar format. Despite being stylistically on target, it didn't really have many memorable songs to compete with their earlier work, though "Crazy Love" actually became a hit and charted at #29, their second biggest seller after 1973#s "Ramblin' Man". Elsewhere on the album there was a cover of Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad" and another Betts-penned instrumental.

Wipe The Windows, Check The Oil, Dollar Gas (1976) <|> Reach For The Sky (1980)
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The Allman Brothers Band - Wipe The Windows, Check The Oil, Dollar Gas (1976)

The Allman Brothers Band are an American band formed in the late 60s, considered highly influential in the genre of southern rock, and also known for their musical improvisation in concert.

The Allman Brothers Band finally broke up in 1976 and went their seperate ways. Chuck Leavell, Lamar Williams and Jaimoe formed the jazz-rock group Sea Level, and Dickey Betts turned his full attention to his solo career, forming his own group Great Southern. Gregg Allman continued with his own solo career, and married Cher. The five other members all swore to never work with Allman again.

Following the breakup, their label Capricorn Records put together some concert recordings into a double live album, released in 1976 as Wipe The Windows, Check The Oil, Dollar Gas (the title taken from lyrics of Chuck Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business", a strange choice as it was not a song the band had ever played, yet alone recorded). The recordings ranged from 1972 to 1975, and so all featured the same lineup of Allman (organ/vocals), Betts (guitar/vocals), Leavell (piano), Williams (bass), Jaimoe (drums) and Butch Trucks (drums). All of their four studio albums were represented, but with the focus mostly on 1973's Brothers And Sisters.

The album was not received particularly enthusiastically, which was perhaps unfair as it wasn't at all bad, and showcased the post-Duane Allman lineup of the band in fine jamming form. However it was always going to be compared to their earlier live release At Fillmore East, considered one of the finest live albums of all time, so in that regard it did not stand a chance. However it wasn't the end of the band's story, as a reunion turned out to be only a few years away.

Win, Lose Or Draw (1975) <|> Enlightened Rogues (1979) 
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The Allman Brothers Band - Win, Lose Or Draw (1975)

The Allman Brothers Band are an American band formed in the late 60s, considered highly influential in the genre of southern rock, and also known for their musical improvisation in concert.

1973 had seen The Allman Brothers Band overcome the deaths of founding members Duane Allman and Berry Oakley and release the highly successful Brothers And Sisters album, with its #2 hit single "Ramblin' Man". Reaching new levels of fame and recognition, they came to be seen as leaders in the emergent 'southern rock' movement. They ended the year with a brilliant New Year's Eve concert in San Francisco, organised by Bill Graham, which was broadcast nationwide on the radio. Both Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts also embarked on solo careers.

Meanwhile, however, relationships within the band were not in a good way. Their success had led to problems with egos and personality conflicts, with guitarist Dickey Betts and pianist Chuck Leavell both wanting to move in different directions, leaving Allman to try and mediate. When it came to recording the follow-up to Brothers And Sisters, the band were no longer a unified group. Allman was not present for many of the sessions and his vocals had to be recorded later, and drummers Butch Trucks and Jaimoe went missing and had to be replaced by session players on a few songs. When it came out in 1975, Win, Lose Or Draw was seen as an uneven record and was received coolly. Betts seemed to be fully in control, repeating his Brothers And Sisters formula by contributing some mellow country-rock songs and an extended instrumental ("High Falls"). There were also a couple of Allman compositions (which followed in the style of his solo album Laid Back), and covers of numbers by Muddy Waters and Billy Joe Shaver.

Though its often seen as a 'beginning of the end' sort of album, Win, Lose Or Draw is still a great record, with some truly fantastic highlights. It did indeed manage to chart at #5. However shortly after its release the band effectively fell apart, with Gregg Allman falling out with the other members. Leavell, Jaimoe and Lamar Williams went on to form jazz-rock group Sea Level, and Betts continued with his promising solo career.

Brothers And Sisters (1973) <|> Wipe The Windows, Check The Oil, Dollar Gas (1976)
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The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers And Sisters (1973)

The Allman Brothers Band are an American band formed in the late 60s, considered highly influential in the genre of southern rock, and also known for their musical improvisation in concert.

With the death of Duane Allman in 1971, The Allman Brothers band lost not only one of their guitarists (and arguably one of the best blues-rock guitarists of the era), but also one half of the brothers themselves, leaving just Gregg there to carry the family name. However they took the decision to move on. Rather than replace him, Dickey Betts remained as their sole guitarist, but they did bring in a new member in pianist Chuck Leavell, which changed the sound of the band somewhat.
Tragically, they lost another founding member as they were working on their fifth album. Bassist Berry Oakley died in November 1972, also in a motorcycle accident (eerily just three blocks from where Allman had died in the same manner the year before). The bass guitar position was filled by Lamar Williams, who joined in time for them to finish the album. Brothers And Sisters came out in 1973.
It turned out to be a landmark album for the band. Their sound had changed not only due to Leavell's presence, but due to Dickey Betts' rise as a singer and songwriter. Under his leadership, the band moved towards more of a country-flavoured sound. Betts' "Ramblin' Man" (which he sung) was one of the standout tracks, and endures to this day as a country-rock classic. The other important song on the album was the exuberant instrumental "Jessica" (also written by Betts). The album was a surprising success, and "Ramblin' Man" became a #2 hit single. Clearly the Allman Brothers Band were not going to allow tragedy get in their way, and though they had changed as a group, they were becoming more successful than ever.

Eat A Peach (1972) <|> Win, Lose Or Draw (1975)
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The Allman Brothers Band - Eat A Peach (1972)

The Allman Brothers Band are an American band formed in the late 60s, considered highly influential in the genre of southern rock, and also known for their musical improvisation in concert.

Tragedy struck the Allman Brothers Band in October 1971, when guitarist Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident. The band were at the peak of their creativity after their breakthrough live album, At Fillmore East, and Duane was only 24 years old when he died. The band could easily have chosen to finish right then.
However they strove onwards, with Dickey Betts taking on all the guitar duties. They finished the album they had been working on, and the 2-LP set Eat A Peach was released in 1972. Six of the songs were recorded before Duane's death, whilst the other three were recorded afterwards and so feature just Betts on guitar. The result was a mix of the different directions the band's music had taken over the years, featuring both lengthy jazz-styled improvised jams and shorter, more concise numbers. Much of the music had a more laid-back, melodic sound when compared to the intense blue-rock of At Fillmore East. Of these songs, "Melissa" had been originally recorded by Duane and Gregg back in 1968 when they jammed with the 31st Of February. "Blue Sky" was another notable song, being the first on which Dickey Betts sang lead, and indicative of the country-rock sound he would soon lead the band towards. He was becoming an increasingly important member of the group, not just as a guitarist, but as a singer and songwriter too.
Three of the songs were live recordings from the Fillmore concerts. Of these, it was the 30-minute "Mountain Jam" which demonstrated the jam side of band's music the best, taking over two whole sides of vinyl! The melody of the song was loosely based on Donovan's "There Is A Mountain".
Eat A Peach was a great success, getting to #4 on the album charts. Being the last album to feature Duane Allman, it turned out to be the swan song of the original group.

At Fillmore East (1971) <|> Brothers And Sisters (1973)
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The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East (1971)

The Allman Brothers Band are an American band formed in the late 60s, considered highly influential in the genre of southern rock, and also known for their musical improvisation in concert.

After two successful studio albums, the Allman Brothers' third release was a live recording, and turned out to be the album that truly revealed the power and genius of the band. A double-LP set, At Fillmore East was taken from recordings of two gigs at the famous New York venue, on the 12th and 13th of March 1971. It consisted of mainly new material, the vast majority of which were blues covers (Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues", Elmore James' "One Way Out", T. Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday" and Willie Cobbs' "You Don't Love Me"), all given fantastic, creative arrangements. Two old songs were present, "Whipping Post" from their first album and "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" from their second, and a new band original, the instrumental "Hot 'Lanta". Though it only consisted of seven songs, many of them ran over ten minutes (and some up to twenty), so it covered four sides of vinyl.
At Fillmore East perfectly showcased the band's fusion of blues, jazz and rock, balancing the three genres perfectly. It took their instrumental abilities to the fore, with a strong focus on jams. Of particular note, this is the album where Duane Allman's reputation as one of the greatest slide guitarists of all time was founded. His slide playing here sounded like nothing that had come before, taking the style of guitar into new, exciting and previously unheard of territories. Not to forget fellow guitarist Dickey Betts, whose solo on "Whipping Post" is particularly worthy of praise. Guest musician Thom Doucette also contributed harmonica to three songs. The backing of Gregg Allman's organ, Berry Oakley's roving bass, and the twin drum sets of Butch Trucks and Jai Johanny Johanson made for an exquisite jam-band sound that has never been bettered. Of course they had been doing this for a while, but this album was where the record-buying public first got to hear it in the comfort of their own homes.
The album was a massive success, and today is considered the band's greatest achievement in their long career, and also one of the greatest live albums of all time. However just as they were reaching new levels of success, tragedy was around the corner...

Idlewild South (1970) <|> Eat A Peach (1972)
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The Allman Brothers Band - Idlewild South (1970)

The Allman Brothers Band are an American band formed in the late 60s, considered highly influential in the genre of southern rock, and also known for their musical improvisation in concert.

The Allman Brothers' second album was more successful than their debut, both critically and commercially. Whilst the first album had for the most part consisted of jazzy blues-rock, Idlewild South developed their sound in several ways. Guitarist Dickey Betts rose to prominence as a songwriter to rival Gregg Allman, and several of the songs had a more laid-back vibe than those on their first album, utilising acoustic guitars. The highlight of the album is generally considered to be Betts' instrumental "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed", which saw them at their jazzy improvisational best. Elsewhere bassist Berry Oakley sang a creative interpretation of the Willie Dixon standard "Hoochie Coochie Man", and Gregg Allman contributed the classic "Midnight Rider", which was taken to the charts by various other artists (including Gregg himself as a solo artist) years later. The fusion of different strains of rock, blues, jazz and country made Idlewild South an early Southern Rock classic.

The Allman Brothers Band (1969) <|> At Fillmore East (1971)
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The Allman Brothers Band - The Allman Brothers Band (1969)

The Allman Brothers Band are an American band formed in the late 60s, considered highly influential in the genre of southern rock, and also known for their musical improvisation in concert.

Brothers Duane and Gregg Allman grew up in Daytona Breach, Florida, and played in many bands together throughout the 60s, most notably The Allman Joys and The Hour Glass. The latter were signed to Liberty Records and moved to L.A. in 1967, but their two albums failed and they broke up a year later. Duane then went to work as a studio musician in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and before long was starting to put together a new group back in Florida. Gregg was called back from L.A. to front the group, and The Allman Brothers Band were formed in 1969. They were soon signed to the newly formed Capricorn Records.
Their debut album featured the original lineup of Gregg Allman (vocals & organ), Duane Allman (guitar), Dickey Betts (guitar), Berry Oakley (bass), Butch Trucks (drums) and Jaimoe Johanson (drums & percussion). With their use of two drummers they brought elements of jazz to the familiar blues-rock pallette, and this jazzy vibe was evident in much of the instrumental framework of their debut. They also had two formidable guitarists in Duane Allman and Dickey Betts, who shared lead roles, often harmonizing together. Gregg Allman's vocals brought a distinctive southern flavour to their sound. Though it is often left in the shadow of their next four albums, their debut already demonstrated that they were miles ahead of most of their contemporaries in terms of instrumental ability and musical vision, leaving other blues-rock bands appearing clumsy and leaden in comparison. Great things were to come.

|> Idlewild South (1970)
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