The 1970’s were a productive time in the music industry. The late 60’s hippie era had come to an end but there was still bits and pieces of the influence lingering in the air like incense. The 60’s Folk music revival was also lingering and still impacting artists. Musicians were now seeking to combine country music with the blues and hippie psychedelia to give the listeners an interesting mix of sonic sound.
In 1973 the Allman Brothers Band were no strangers to making great music. Their 1969 self-titled debut album showed the world what a blues - rock band could do mixing jazz influence into the fold. Their second album Idlewild South continued in that vein and their live masterpiece At Fillmore East has gone down as one of the greatest live albums of all time, showing a band at its live improvisational best. Eat a Peach also continued in that vein. That LP was sadly dedicated to their fallen leader Duane Allman who tragically died in a motorcycle accident on October 29th 1971. The Bands monster bass player Berry Oakley passed almost a year later on November 11th 1972 in a almost carbon copy death of Duane’s, leaving the band completely devastated. Most bands would have been done at this point but now leader Guitarist/Vocalist Dickey Betts stepped up to the plate and produced one of the band’s most iconic albums and its biggest seller by far.
Brothers and Sisters was released in August 1973 on Capricorn Records. The Allmans brought in keyboardist Chuck Leavell and bass player Lamar Williams to complete the album. Kicking off with the Gregg Allman penned “Wasted Words” the band literally wastes no time in showing the world that they’ve still got a handle on great blues-rock. “Ramblin’ Man” is hands-down the groups most successful song. Written by Dickey Betts the song most certainly shows his country influence. It was inspired by the Hank Williams Sr. song of the same name. Drummer Butch trucks had stated previously that he knew the song was great but didn’t think it was necessarily right for the Allman Brothers Band. It was added at the last minute as one more song was needed and the band and producer Johnny Sandlin agreed they should go ahead and take a chance with the track. It ended up being the most successful song The Allman Brothers Band has ever released.
Up next is “Come and go Blues” which features one of Gregg Allman’s finest vocal performances. That along with “Jelly Jelly” stayed in Gregg Allman’s live setlist throughout his life. “Jelly” borrows from the Bobby Blue Bland song of the same name with a bit of a different melody and arrangement. Gregg Allman was certainly one of the greatest blues-rock singers of all time and both of these tunes showcase that along with his great songwriting skills.
Dickey Betts takes the reins again with the great “Southbound.” This track has been done and redone from classic rock bands to bar bands all around the world. It is the classic tune about the man long gone, out on the road, coming home to see his woman and giving her a heads up that she is going to have a handful as soon as he walks through the door! It is a classic tune and stayed in the Allman Brother’s live sets right up until the end!
Betts has always had a knack for writing great Instrumentals. “In memory of Elizabeth Reed” was the first that really grabbed people’s attention. But “Jessica” became a FM Rock staple and can still be heard multiple times a day on radio stations in 2018. The tune is instantly recognizable and people have come to know and love the melody and it’s staying power is undeniable.
Closing out the album is another Dickey Betts composition, the farewell track “Pony Boy” featuring beautiful acoustic slide playing from Dickey. The song is all about Betts’ Uncle who would take a horse out everywhere to avoid DUI charges. And the horse knew exactly where to go to take him home! Brothers and Sisters is a classic rock masterpiece. It immediately struck gold upon its release and sold almost 800,000 copies within the first month. The album has since sold over 7 million copies worldwide. Hits like “Ramblin’ Man” went into the top 10 on the album charts and “Jessica” peaked at number 29. Both songs get played in rapid rotation to this day. When fans of blues-rock look back on the Allman Brother’s influence, Brothers and Sisters is certainly one of the albums that will be named. It was an interesting time for the band. Dickey Betts took the reins and showed the world what his band was still capable of and what he was capable of as a songwriter and a leader. The band went through further personnel changes after the album was released and even broke up for a short time before reemerging more powerful than ever in the 1990’s. Since that time we have lost drummer Butch Trucks and Gregg Allman as well. Dickey Betts is still going strong and you are always sure to hear “Jessica”, “Ramblin’ Man” and “Southbound” in his live sets. The Brothers and Sisters album represents a great era for Dickey and the band. Do yourself a favor and give it a listen right now!
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