Idlewild South [Remaster]

Performer: The Allman Brothers Band
Producer: Joel Dorn; Tom Dowd
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: The Allman Brothers Band: Gregg Allman (vocals, piano, organ); Berry Oakley (vocals, bass instrument); Dickey Betts (guitar); Duane Allman (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar); Thom Doucette (harmonica, percussion); Jai Johanny Johanson (drums, congas, timbales, percussion); Butch Trucks (drums, percussion). If you're going to listen to the Allman Brothers, make sure you have the first four records. THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, IDLEWILD SOUTH, LIVE AT FILLMORE EAST, and EAT A PEACH are the albums the band made with their original lineup, before Duane Allman's fatal motorcycle accident in 1971. 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 album's 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's other contribution to IDLEWILD SOUTH is the instrumental "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," a centerpiece of the Fillmore East recordings. Gregg's "Please Call Home" and "Midnight Rider" are built around piano and acoustic guitar, respectively, and have a different feel than the band's usual twin Les Paul-and-Hammond sound. That sound is showcased in the balance of Gregg's tunes, however: the funky blues of "Don't Leave Me Wonderin'" (with Thom Doucette on harmonica) and "Leave My Blues At Home." Though 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.

Rolling Stone (12/24/70, pp.51-2) - "...The Allmans offer briefer, tighter, less `heavy' numbers this time around. `Revival' gets things off rousingly, with tambourine and gospel chorus..."

They're known as the founding fathers of Southern rock, but the Allman Brothers were actually much more progressive than the musical school they inspired. They reclaimed the US-influenced blues-rock of Cream et al. and brought it back to America, adding country and jazz touches. They were noted for their improvisatory skills, particularly the inspired dual-guitar work of Dickey Betts and the late Duane Allman. Even after the deaths of Duane and original bassist Berry Oakey and the departure of Betts, the band soldiered on strongly into the 21st century, led by founding singer/organist Gregg Allman.

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