Customer Reviews

Brothers of the Road

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Allman Brothers Band's two Arista Records albums are the weakest in their catalog, and Brothers Of The Road (1981) is the worst of the two. There's not much going on here, and it all sounds pretty thin. It's not a complete waste, I guess. It is The Allman Brothers Band, after all, and Gregg Allman is singing. It's just that all of their other albums are much better. Get this to complete your ABB collection, but don't expect much.

3.5 Stars. No this is not exactly Fillmore East but it isn't bad either. Jaimoe is missed and the songs are shorter and less bluesy than most ABB releases. The title track is not a classic Dickey Betts cut but most of the Gregg Allman sung cuts are quite good. He still has great voice and it is fine shape here on such cuts as "Never Knew How Much A man needed a Woman", "Maybe we can go back to yesterday" and "Straight from the Heart". This is a CD BETTER THAN ITS REPUTATION.

I'm probably one of the biggest "ABB" fans there are I've seen them lots of times always really good shows and this is a GREAT CD. Get it if your a fan.

This is sweet sounding stuff. Similar to the early 80's sound of Rock ala Clapton, Chicago. If you expect something like "Eat A Peach", go back and sample Rock ala 1971. For the 80's, Rock was changing, but Gregg and Dickey could still come up with solid professional efforts. They changed back to a sound with a solid edge in the late 80's and as did Rock.

When this CD came out, it was about the fifth time I'd seen them in concert. While I understand how the contrast between CDs like this and, say, "Reach For The Sky" were a disappointment to fans of their earlier years and recordings, I also understand the appeal. Frankly, this is one of my favorite CDs by the band. I love the early jazzy jams. But there was nothing wrong with a little more contemporary twist to the band's flavor, and in that category this CD has some of my favorite ABB tunes- "Straight From The Heat" is w/o a doubt a top ten ABB fave of mine. And "Brothers of the Road, The Heat is On, Two Rights," and, "The Judgement" sizzle with Dickie Betts flavor, both in production and vocally. Greg's smokey vocals are fabulous on "Straight From The Heart," as well as, "I Never Knew How Much I Needed a Woman," which comes from the "Melissa" league of ballads, though admittedly not with the same magnitude. By the time this CD came out, it made me anxious to see the band live again. Like many others I know, I was finding it harder and harder to sit through the ABB's live 30 minute marathon songs that seemed to take forever to end a song the same way they ended the previous one, or so it seemed. While that may have been their initial appeal, times change, tastes changed, and like other bands from their era with longevity, the Allmans changed too. The Allmans have always been an acquired taste, but its no coincidence that they garnered their biggest popularity on their most commercially successful songs. So why should this CD, or "Enlightened Rogues" and such be blamed for leaning that way a little. This CD is more deserved of 3 1/2 stars, but since not capable, and not ready to slap a 4, my 3 seemed appropriate.

I see where this is going for $57. This is the ABB album for all of you that REALLY REALLY like Little River Band. It's well played (I guess), and totally sterile. If you are an actual ABB fan, you probably don't own this. Or if you do own this, you threw it away or burned it. This doesn't sound even remotely like the Brothers.