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Free Music Notes for Enlightened RoguesFree Music Review: COMEBACK ! (The Allmans regroup) Hit: 4 StarsEnlightened Rogues (1979) was the Allman Brothers Band's first studio album in four years, and it featured a new lineup and new start for the band. It's a strong album with two ABB classics, Crazy Love and Just Ain't Easy. Crazy Love is an exuberant Dickey Betts rocker, full of energetic slide guitar and wild romantic fun. Just Ain't Easy is Gregg Allman's slow and winding, world weary lament of too many wasted nights out on the town. The song's autobiographical heartfelt realization is quite compelling, and an example of Gregg's best songwriting.
Lovely ladies all dressed in silk and lace
While you're there, it seems like such a lovely place
But when you leave there, you've got your hat down on your face
Well, well
Other highlights include the blues-rocker Can't Take It With You, the substantial instrumental Pegasus, and Try It One More Time, a song where Gregg and Dickey co-sing dramatic shout-and-answer lead vocals. They visit the blues with the slow Need Your Love So Bad and the potent Blind Love, and Gregg turns in convincing vocal performances on both. With guitarist Dangerous Dan Toler added to the lineup, the Allmans return to their twin guitar sound, and it's a welcome revival. This was to be their last album on Capricorn Records before the label went bankrupt, and the band signed on with Arista Records. Enlightened Rogues (also Duane Allman's nickname for the band) is a solid album with some good songs, but it's not in the same league with anything from the Duane Era. On the other hand, nothing else is, either.
Free Music Review: Better than I remember.... Hit: 4 StarsThis is a pretty damn good album. I hadn't played it in quite some time, and since I've been on an Allman Brothers kick for months, I broke it out again. It's a lot better than I remembered. It's no Filmore East or Seven Turns, but it's the best album from the Allman's dismal "middle period". Crazy Love is a pretty good song, the instrumental Pegasus is very good, Need Your Love So Bad is a great blues cover, Just Ain't Easy (Gregg's sole writing contribution) is another great, slow blues song, and Sail Away, the album's closer, is a majestic, uplifting song, sung beautifully by Betts. This was the first album since Eat a Peach to resume the twin guitar attack during the ABB's heyday, and it sounds like the Allman Brothers Band. Dangerous Dan Toler is good on guitar, but he's no Duane, Warren, Derek, or Dickey. This is a good ABB album, though not a great one. It would be 8 years until they really made a masterful comeback album called Seven Turns, and they made that comeback stick.
Free Music Review: Another Great CD Hit: 5 StarsAnother Great CD , I have the original LP Vinyl I bought when new and still in good condition so had to buy the CD and it sounded great Recommended .
Free Music Review: Underrated Little Gem Hit: 4 StarsTo me, this was the Allman's best album to be released between Eat a Peach (their peak) and Seven Turns, far better than the overrated Brothers and Sisters: besides containing the group's second and last Top 40 hit (Crazy Love), the great instrumental Pegasus, and bluesy Can't Take it With You, they also bring home the goods on Try it One More Time and Just Ain't Easy. On the other end, they miss the mark totally on Blind Love; Need Your Love so Bad; and Sail Away, one of the most overused titles in history: Dickey Betts' singing, which drives me out of my head, doesn't add much. They can't all be masterpieces, and Enlightened Rogues is far from one, but whatever. If you're the kind of fan who thinks the Allmans should have packed it in after Duane died, I assure you this will change your mind.
Free Music Review: Underrated Hit: 4 StarsThis is a highly underrated CD that really deserved more attention. Just Ain't Easy is one of Gregg's finest vocal performances, while Dicky really steps up both in his songwriting and fine lead guitar play.
Dan Tolner also deserves much greater praise than he ever recieved in his short turn with the band. He's not the great Warren Haynes but he plays with a lot more passion than the highly overrated Derek trucks.
As a true Allman fan, going back to before Live at the Fillmore, I recommend purchasing this CD.
More Free Music Notes: 1 2 3
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