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ALBUM REVIEW

ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND

BROTHERS AND SISTERS

Released August 1, 1973, Capricorin Records. Produced by Johnny Sandlin & The Allman Bros Band

Gregg Allman - Lead Vocals, Organ, Rhythm Guitar on "Wasted Words", Backing Vocal on "Ramblin' Man".
Dickey Betts - Lead & Slide Guitars, Dobro on "Pony Boy", Lead Vocals on "Ramblin' Man" and "Pony Boy"
Chuck Leavell - Piano, Backing Vocal on "Ramblin' Man"
Larmar Williams - Bass Guitar
Berry Oakley - Bass Guitar on "Wasted Words" and "Ramblin' Man"
Jai Johanny Johanson - Drums & Congas
Butch Trucks - Drums and additional Percussion

With:

Les Dudek - Lead Guitar Weave on "Ramblin' Man", Acoustic Guitar on "Jessica"
Tommy Talton - Acoustic Guitar on "Pony Boy"

All song written by Gregg Allman or Dickey Betts, see below.

REVIEW

The Allman Brothers Band changed from a Blues band to a Southern Rock band on this album, in part because of the force changes they had to go through. It's the first full studio album without late brother Duane, who was killed while Eat a Peach was being recorded, and after only two song was finished for this album - "Wasted Words" and "Ramblin' Man", bassist Berry Oakley would also be killed. Lamar Williams would take his place in the band and already hired keyboard player Chuck Leavell was now also on board.

Dicky Betts took over most of the guitar work on Brothers and Sisters - and with fine results, some very clean guitar picking by him!  The best songs found on here are his, other than the excellent Wasted Words", which was written by Greg Allman. The best song on Brothers and Sisters is the country rock "Ramblin' Man", with Betts on the lead vocals, it was also the last song Oakley played on, as he was killed days after it was cut. Betts'  "Jessica" is a wonderful instrumental, actually co-written with Les Dudek, who plays guitar on the track, but he wasn't credited as a co-writer.

There is a lot lacking as far as the blues go on this album, nowhere near as much as we got to hear on past albums by the band, and I believe the reason why some fans don't care for Brothers and Sisters. The most pure blues sounding tune on here is "Jelly Jelly", yet with Allman's organ up high in the mix, it has a bit of a soul feel to it too. "Pony Boy" is the most country sounding song, even if it is a very happy go lucky number.

Leavell plays all of the piano on the album and is excellent, his playing stands out on many of the songs. There are only seven songs found on Brothers and Sisters, and it seems that usually the best rock albums always have less than ten songs on them, that is the case here. Too bad bands today feel they have to put out so many extra songs because of the extra space that comes with CDs, all we end up with is filler songs that bring down the album with numbers I rather not hear.

- - Keno 2004

To listen to some soundclips from BROTHERS AND SISTERS, or to purchase it, click on: Brothers and Sisters

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