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Allman Brothers

 

 

With their combating guitar leads and harmonies built on a double drummer foundation, the Allman Brothers Band cast perfectly represents the mold for the southern rock sound. Virtuoso musicians, their songs drew upon a number of southern influences, including country, the blues, New Orleans jazz, and even gospel, creating a sound that distinctly is their asset. Allman's are famous for creating sweet, infectious harmonies on the instrumental "Jessica" that became a classic reference point in themselves. They are probably best known for the heroic "Ramblin' Man." Written and sung by the now legendary Dickey Betts, the song contained everything that made the band great. It featured intricate guitar harmonies, a strong melody, and just enough plunk to keep the thing tight. While the Allmans also cemented their reputation with incredible live marathon songs. The Allmans were first rate writers of more conventional rock songs as well. Many of these are staples on classic rock radio, like "Ramblin' Man," "Melissa," "Blue Skies," and "Midnight Rider." Other highlights include "Ain't Wasting Time No More," "Jessica," the Duane Allman swan song "Little Martha" and "Statesboro Blues." Also included are a couple of longer early blues rock cuts, "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" and "Whipping Post." The Allman Brothers' genre of music is at the minimum, a first cousin of country music.

A string of knockout performances from coast to coast, the Allmans have come also to become known as "musicians' musicians," a band's band. The band’s self-titled album, the Allman Brothers Band played numerous shows in the south before releasing their debut album. It was highly appreciated by the critics but the blues-rock album found only a few listeners, attracting only a sect audience. Most of the record had a blues-rock sound, but "Dreams", a spacey number in 3/4 time, became the framework for some of their best jams. They gave a distinctly Southern voice andto their acts of '70s rock inspired from south of the Mason-Dixon Line, including the Marshall Tucker Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Blackfoot, whose music, was a celebration of their roots. By this time, the band's concerts were becoming legendary. On October 29, 1971, Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident while the band had been midway through work on its next album, Eat a Peach. The groups played hard and lived hard. Consequently, the Allman Brothers broke up in acrimony amid federal drug charges in 1976. By the mid-1980s with the change in the musical tastes of the listeners and radio formats the genre of Allman’s music disappeared. The kinship between country and Southern rock went back into the cellar. They were even inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. In 1989, the band was reactivated again and in the 1990s a new form of country music emerged, called by some alternative country, or "insurgent country". It ignored the Nashville-dominated sound of conventional country and borrowed more from punk and rock groups. They reunited band also restored the band's original double-lead-guitar configuration, adding Warren Haynes on lead guitar alongside Dickey Betts, with Allen Woody playing bass. The reinvigorated band signed with Epic Records and surprised everyone with their first release, Seven Turns which got some of the best reviews and healthiest sales they'd had in more than a decade. For many years, the Allman Brothers' song "Jessica" was synonymous with the BBC TV series Top Gear, and was used as its theme tune. Apart from their Arista releases, the Allman Brothers Band has remained remarkably consistent, altering their music only gradually over 30 years.

 

 

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