Customer Reviews

Decade of Hits 1969-79

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Concentrating as it does on the most popular songs released by the Allman Brothers, "A Decade of Hits," manages to hit all of the 1970s studio highlights from this troubled band's heyday. While it is true that the Allmans cemented their reputation with incredible live marathon songs (some lasting a half hour or more) there's hardly room on a disc like this for them. Instead, this CD makes the argument that 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 only drawback on this CD is that it doesn't contain any bonus material. But anyone just beginning their Allman Brothers collection could hardly ask for better.

The Allman Brothers band have provided me with constant accompaniment to my life for almost three decades now, and I remember hearing the echoes of "Blue Sky" wafting into the rafters at my wedding long ago, and I have felt more at home when listening to it on a Sony Walkman in strange motel rooms all over the country when traveling on business? It seems to be a permanent part of my life, like Sgt Pepper or Bookends. This is a collection of their best efforts over a decade, a spellbinding and fairly complete collection from an under appreciated band at their very best. Whether it is for the matchless "Blue Sky', or for the blockbuster sound of "Ain't Wasting Time No More", this is an album so terrific, you will play it again and again. With the ecstatic guitar duels and their matchless harmonies built on a double drummer foundation, they set the standard for pop excellence for the flood of terrific southern rock that emanated out of the South in the 1970s. Their songs draw on influences ranging from country, blues, jazz, and gospel, but the sound they produce is uniquely the Allmans'. I especially like their guitar instrumentals. Gregg Allman and Dicky Betts perform absolutely magically here, and it is all captured for your endless amusement and entertainment. From "Rambling Man" to "Jessica", "Midnight Rider" to "Wasted Words", and "Statesboro Blues" to "One Way Out", the Allman Bothers Band always pleases, and this terrific set of their best is sure to make you smile and bring back a lot of pleasant memories. Enjoy!

This is classical southern rock at its best. Get some Skynyrd and Allman Brothers music going and you're in for a good time. The Allman Brothers' distinctive music is a culmination of southern blues rock, jazz and a little country. Though, I have several Allman Brother's CD's, this is the best, because its loaded with 15+ of all the old favorite tracks.

This CD delivers just what it is titled - 'A Decade of Hits'. All Allmans fans like me found this to fall short of being a CD that captured *all* that they were, however this was not the intention of this CD (get the 'Dreams' box set instead). This puppy simply reminds us of the great influence that they had on the music of the time - and still do today to some degree. All of the songs can be appreciated by Allman fans as well as ones new to the Allmans - and should be a staple in all of your collections!!

On the CD - I was impressed that they included a lot of things that were not explicit 'hits' (according to Billboard), and love the inclusion of a lot thier 'early stuff' without compromising on the 'big' hits. Overall, this is a surprisingly great CD from the category of 'boy I wish that best-of had this on it'.

I'll admit at first I did not like this album. I maybe listened to it once and put it back on the shelf thinking I would never pull it off again. but over a year I matured I guess and was reading a review of LIVE AT FILLMORE EAST and I got curious again. Why do people think this band is so brilliant I thought. So I pulled it off the shelf where it had been collecting dust and put it on. It took a couple of listens I'll admit but finally my brain cleared and I fell in love with it. My favorite song is the only song off the live album FILLMORE EAST. Statesborough blues, boy do I love that song. To think a band could play so perfectly live amazes me. I now want to buy Fillmore East because If any of the songs are as good as Statesborough Blues Live then its worth it. All the songs on this CD are great so buy it or buy Eat a Peach see if you like that and then start collecting the albums individually thats the way I would have gone. Anyway yes this has great songs.

The guy from Colorado below me is pretty right. When I first the Allmans (A borrowed Brothers and Sisters), I didn't really care to much about it, then I kept hearing good things about them. Soon I had all their albums and some live tapes. It just takes a little maturity and time. (I have over 150 CD's, mostly classic rock, and they are probably my favorite band, with Blue Sky being my favorite song ever). If you are looking to buy a first CD of thiers, and like to collect the albums (like me), start out with Beginnings if you like harder music (like I should have) or start with Eat A Peach if you like softer music (though at first skip the Mountain Jam). Then get Fillmore later (It is thier best, but I didn't get used into for the longest time). That is just what I think. Or you can get this, which is a really good compilation and covers the main and commercial highs the band recieved.

Equally strong as an introduction to the band as well as a summary of their musical accomplishments throughout the seventies, 'A Decade of Hits 1969-1979' is one of those anthologies that no serious music collector should be without.

An incredible live rendition of "Statesboro Blues" breaks the silence in the album to be followed by cult song after cult song of Southern Rock classics ("Midnight Rider", the intrumental anthem "Jessica" and "Ain't Wastin' Time No More" being among the biggest highlights), sweet ballads such as "Melissa" and beautiful instrumentals such as "Little Martha". Another live track "One Way Out" prepares the closing of the album, along with early classics, "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed", "Dreams" and "Whipping Post". In a word: Perfection!

If the music it carries is not enough by itself, another nice thing about this compilation (I guess it's more a merit of the band than anything else) is that it still leaves room for exploration: it doesn't exhaust by any means all there is to the Allman Bros. As a matter fact, if you dig this hits album, you are very likely to LOVE 'Beginnings' (a CD that combines their first two albums) and their demolishing 'Live at the Fillmore East'.

The Allman Brothers Band is the greatest Southern Rock band of all time and a good competitor for the title of greatest rock band. Their blues riffs thunder with passion and thrill the mind with their unparalleled ability. They can bang out solos with little effort. This album contains many of their best songs, including such all-time favorites as One Way Out, Jessica, Ramblin' Man, and Blue Sky, but less popular songs such as In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Midnight Rider, Statesboro Blues, and the whole rest of the album is excellent. If you are just getting into the Allman Brothers, then this is a good intro to their live work, and will never be regretted. The Allman Brothers, one of the most dedicated bands to their fans, have scored yet again with Decade of Hits, which sports the inspired playing of the late Duane Allman.

This is a very nicely done Greatest Hits from the Allmans. They recorded some incredible songs after the death of Duane (Melissa, Southbound, Wasted Words, Crazy Love, Jessica etc) and they are featured here in addition to Duane classics from the 1st 4 albums. Too bad there wasn't enough room for Can't Loose What You Never Had, Don't Want You No More/Not My Cross To Bear, Pegasus, Trouble No More and some of the other Allman classics from the 70s, but overall this is their best single complilation CD. I would also check out "An Evening With the Allman Bros" and "Where It All Begins" to see how great they still sound in the 1990s.

The Allman Brothers Band A Decade of Hits has a very essential selection of songs from the bands best albums. The ABB was composed of some of the best musicians from the south. Duane Allman's sweet slide guitar is heard at its peak on Ramblin Man and Statesboro blues. Dickey Betts finest compositions were not spared on this one. In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Ramblin Man, and Jessica among others are sweeping instrumental jams where the talents of all the band members are shown. And if you thought this band was just big on the electric guitars, organs, and dual-drummers, then they've thrown in a Little Martha with just Duane on the acoustic with a pacific tune. After Duane died the band had forge on and Greg wrote the uplifting Ain't Wasting Time Nor More. The band proved they could still rock on songs like Crazy Love and Wasted Words. Some of the material on this album is taken from the Fillmore Concerts such as Statesboro and One Way Out. These two tracks just hint at the enormous amount of riffs, licks, and solos that appear on the "Live at the Fillmore East" album. So if your into the more instrumental "jam band" aspect of ABB then buy the Fillmore East live album, even though this album covers that aspect of them sufficiently. The thing that I love most about this band is that they not only are incredible songwriters and singers but they are such masters of the instruments that they play. This album shows all the different talents that the band had and now all that is left other than the remaining members is the music. And this is the best of their songs.