by Alan Paul (Get Book)
Perhaps no music journalist
has written as extensively about the Allman Brothers Band as Paul, who has
tracked the rock group’s career for 25 years. And his deep familiarity with the
band and its music shows everywhere in this fluid account. Framed as an oral
history, the biography includes extensive, insightful comments not only from
band members but also from players at all levels of the music business, from
loyal roadies to gifted producers (including the late Tom Dowd) to money-minded
record-company executives. They take us through the milestones, from the early
days, when the band crisscrossed the country in the dead of winter packed into
an underheated van, to the cusp of massive success and the deaths of bandleader
and guitarist Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakley, to the group’s decision to
soldier on in spite of the losses. From the beginning, Allman had a certain
vision for his band that included two lead guitarists, two drummers, and the
soulful, whiskey-soaked vocals of his brother, Gregg. Improbably, Duane spearheaded
a long-haired, multiracial band in the Deep South in the late ’60s, but he was
supremely confident, at the tender age of 23, that his blues-based music would
transcend any barriers. Augmented by photos and fascinating sidebars, this
candid oral history has appeal beyond the Allman Brothers Band’s loyal fan
base. --Booklist