By Jim Rowland
Just as a recap, the Allman and Betts we are talking about here are Devon and Duane, offspring of two legends of American rock music, namely Greg Allman and Dicky Betts of the Allman Brothers Band. The seven-piece band, which also features Berry Duane Oakley, son of the late Berry Oakley, the Allman Brothers Band original bassist, released their debut album Down To The River’ last year. Now sometimes the children of legendary rock greats who follow in their parents footsteps can fall short of the mark, but that was certainly not the case with this band – they absolutely smashed it, producing an outstanding debut album that echoed the greatness of their parents’ band whilst forging ahead into new territory. Second album ‘Bless Your Heart’ follows little more than a year later, with the band promising to push themselves artistically, and to widen the spectrum.
As with the debut album, ‘Bless Your Heart’ was recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama with producer Matt Ross-Spang at the helm once again. In vinyl terms, this one is a true double album, clocking in at just over the 70 minute mark, giving the band the room to push themselves and widen the spectrum as they had set out to do, and this they have certainly achieved with the album’s 13 tracks painting from a much broader palette. The likes of opening cut ‘Pale Horse Rider’ – the lead single and recent ÜR ‘Video Of The Week’ – and the excellent western themed ‘Ashes Of My Lovers’ move into new darker territory than much of the first album material, but provide two of the album’s highlights. ‘Carolina Song’ is a groove laden rocker slightly reminiscent of the Black Crowes and ‘King Crawler’ is a bouncy good time southern rocker making good use of saxophone, whilst ‘Southern Rain’ has a lighter, almost pop feel to it.
The influence of the Stones seems to dip in and out across the album, perhaps none more so than on the upbeat ‘Airboats and Cocaine’. Whilst there are plenty of moments like these that illustrate a progression from the flavour of the first album, there is still plenty of room for more familiar territory where the influence of the Allman Brothers Band still seeps through, as it did heavily on the first album. Perhaps the most obvious moment for this is the epic 12 minute instrumental ‘Savannah’s Dream’ with the Betts trademark guitar work written all over it, as does the excellent acoustic driven ‘Rivers Run’. Those ABB flavours are also most evident on the slide-guitar heavy ‘Magnolia Road’, and the soulful and upbeat ‘Should We Ever Part’. Berry Duane Oakley chips in with lead vocal on the laid back and dreamy epic ‘The Doctor’s Daughter’, ‘Much Obliged’ channels the spirit of Johnny Cash, and the album winds up in fine style with ‘Congratulations’, a ballad in the vein of the first album’s excellent ‘Southern Accents’.
‘Bless Your Heart’ is another triumph, building on the foundations of last year’s hugely impressive debut album and exploring new territory whilst retaining much of what made ‘Down To The River’ so great. It’s a more subtle album in some ways, and one that will grow and get under your skin with each listen. For me it’s not quite as good as the first one but there’s really not much in it. If you liked that one, this one is essential listening, and if this type of thing is your bag, or perhaps you’re an old Allman Brothers Band fan who hasn’t checked out the Allman Betts Band yet, check ‘em out, you don’t know what you’re missing.
- ‘Bless Your Heart’ is released on Friday (28 August). You can get your copy HERE.
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