THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND
The Allman Betts Band are essentially a new outfit, yet constituted by seasoned musicians. Led by Devon Allman and Duane Betts, the former is the son of Greg, legendary frontman for The Allman Brothers Band, who sadly left us two years ago, while the latter is the offspring of Dickey, also of said outfit. And the two men, who've had long and varied careers of their own, thus far, through various projects, bands and solo ventures, have opted to continue their musical lineage under this new guise. With Allman and Betts both singing and playing guitar, they're joined by bassist Berry Duane Oakley; guitarist/vocalist Johnny Stachela; percussionist/vocalist R Scott Bryan; drummer John Lum; and John Ginty on keys. Debut album 'Down to the River' is the resulting fruits of their collective labour.
Recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, which has seen some musically resplendent action over the years, it seems Allman and Betts have set out to create their own magic at this legendary facility. In fact, press blurb informs their aim was to "write and record music that could someday join the classics; to wow new audiences." Whether that transpires to be the case remains to be seen, but I will say that this album sounds rather fantastic from a recording/production/mix perspective. A certain "magic" was indubitably captured here, thanks to retro, old school methods that eschewed the benefits and relative ease of twenty first century digital means. Apparently, everything was tracked live, and recorded to 2" tape. Moreover, there was zero digital editing involved so, presumably, they went full-on old school and cut the tape for any required edits. Respect.
Of the music itself, songs are an amalgam of blues, rock and country, with the bias leaning more towards singular stylistic dominance on certain tracks. For example, there's a discernible country prominence in 'Melodies are Memories', whereas all genre traits converge and seamlessly fuse on 'Shinin'. Regardless of genre affiliation, these are self-assured compositions, brought to life with an axiomatic love of rootsy, retro sounds, by a bunch of talented folk who've already found their feet as a collective. From vocals to instrumentations, this is alluring, nostalgically evocative stuff.
I guess 'Down to the River' would need to be heard and digested on vinyl (a format on which the album's also being released) to fully appreciate its analogue essence, but I will say that the digital rendering on the CD that's been provided for review still sounds great. There's a lovely, warm, retro sound to everything, and a sonically organic lifeblood running through its veins. There's certainly no reinvention of the wheel here, but it's a rather enjoyable 45 minute free-wheeling ride. All(man) aboard!
Recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, which has seen some musically resplendent action over the years, it seems Allman and Betts have set out to create their own magic at this legendary facility. In fact, press blurb informs their aim was to "write and record music that could someday join the classics; to wow new audiences." Whether that transpires to be the case remains to be seen, but I will say that this album sounds rather fantastic from a recording/production/mix perspective. A certain "magic" was indubitably captured here, thanks to retro, old school methods that eschewed the benefits and relative ease of twenty first century digital means. Apparently, everything was tracked live, and recorded to 2" tape. Moreover, there was zero digital editing involved so, presumably, they went full-on old school and cut the tape for any required edits. Respect.
Of the music itself, songs are an amalgam of blues, rock and country, with the bias leaning more towards singular stylistic dominance on certain tracks. For example, there's a discernible country prominence in 'Melodies are Memories', whereas all genre traits converge and seamlessly fuse on 'Shinin'. Regardless of genre affiliation, these are self-assured compositions, brought to life with an axiomatic love of rootsy, retro sounds, by a bunch of talented folk who've already found their feet as a collective. From vocals to instrumentations, this is alluring, nostalgically evocative stuff.
I guess 'Down to the River' would need to be heard and digested on vinyl (a format on which the album's also being released) to fully appreciate its analogue essence, but I will say that the digital rendering on the CD that's been provided for review still sounds great. There's a lovely, warm, retro sound to everything, and a sonically organic lifeblood running through its veins. There's certainly no reinvention of the wheel here, but it's a rather enjoyable 45 minute free-wheeling ride. All(man) aboard!
LABEL:
FORMAT:
BMG
Album
DOWN TO THE RIVER
Review by Mark Holmes
RUNNING TIME:
44:18
RELEASE DATE:
12th July 2019
TRACK LISTING
1) All Night
2) Shinin'
3) Try
4) Down to the River
5) Autumn Breeze
6) Good Ol' Days
7) Melodies are Memories
8) Southern Accents
9) Long Gone
2) Shinin'
3) Try
4) Down to the River
5) Autumn Breeze
6) Good Ol' Days
7) Melodies are Memories
8) Southern Accents
9) Long Gone
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
US
"Regardless of genre affiliation, these are self-assured compositions, brought to life with an axiomatic love of rootsy, retro sounds, by a bunch of talented folk who've already found their feet as a collective."
