Customer Reviews

The Hour Glass

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This disc was better than I expected. "Out of the Night" and "Nothing but Tears" are passable blue-eyed deep soul cuts (although if that's what you're looking for, check out Dan Penn/Spooner Oldham). Once you get past the soul tunes, the material gets spotty and finally, really weak, until by "Bells," you've entered laughable Vanilla Fudge territory (and according to the liner notes, Gregg thought so too). The album was mostly a Gregg vehicle; you wouldn't know that the same Duane Allman that a year later would go to Muscle Shoals and steal shows from the likes of Wilson Pickett is even in this band! You could wonder what this album would have sounded like if it had been recorded at Fame or American, but it wasn't. Pick it up only if you're a true Allmans fanatic, you can't stand not hearing it, and you can't find it used.

I disagree with Paul's review. Gregg's voice is the only good thing about this album. At least you can recognize it as his voice. The boys were forced into doing this album by Liberty Records. They totally stiffled Duane's playing & instead there's all kinds of horns & background singers that are just appalling. Might want it as a collectors item if you are a die hard AB fan...otherwise, give it a pass.

That's how Duane described it---"dreadful". It is truly lame. I'm surprised Gregg didn't buy every outstanding copy and burn them. I would imagine that it's pretty embarrassing to listen to for him.

Hourgalss has Greg and Duane Allman in it. For that reason this lp will appeal to people and it has a couple good cuts on it, but on the whole it sounds like its overproduced with people behind the scenes trying to change the sound with lots of backup singing, horns, and corny late 60s pop touches added it it. There is another lp by the Hourglass on this site, that is closer to the sound that would later become the Allman Brothers. I would avoid this release and get Hourglass lp "southbound" instead. if your a Allman Brothers completeist, this lp does have signifigent historical value, but I dont think it will make it into anyones cd listening rotation