A few years ago when I was first getting heavily into beginning my collection of music from The Allman Brothers Band? There was an inner debate going on about how exactly to purchase their first two albums. Realizing these were considered the major cornerstone of their catalog? The two choices had an awkward wrinkle between them. Both albums were available separately on CD. Yet so was this edition-both released unedited on a single CD. One of the reviews I read here actually mentioned the debut being remixed for this set. Still it was finding an used original CD edition of this double set at a reduced price (under $5) that decided me. After all,it's all about the musical content in cases like this. And on that level?PHEW! What an set this is!

  "Don't Want To Bear No More" is a percussive,organ based instrumental while "It's Not My Cross To Bear",a cover of Muddy Water's "Trouble No More" and "Dreams are more deeply blues oriented pieces. "Black Hearted Woman" and "Every Hungry Woman" are both riff heavy power blues/rock pieces. "Whipping Post" blends an atmospheric jazzy rock flavor with yet more of a blues flavor. "Revival" opens the second album in this set with a rousing uptempo jam based in rhythm guitar/bass/organ interaction at it's core. "Don't Keep Me Wondering","Midnight Rider" and a version of "Hoochie Coochie Man" again deal with the shuffling blues again.

  "Please Come Home" is a slowed down,classic Southern Rock ballad while "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" is a creamy guitar/organ led Latin jazz/rocker while "Leave My Blues Alone" ends the album with a thickly grooving power blues number. Both of these albums taken together have the effect of being part one and part two. The powerful presence of Duane and Gregg Allman,along with drummer Jai Johanny Johanson really give this band the sort of jamming instrumental jazz/rock improvisational touch that set them in a class by themselves from many of the more pop oriented Southern rockers who came after them. Whatever way you pick these up? These are absolute essentials to build any Allman Brothers collection.
A few years ago when I was first getting heavily into beginning my collection of music from The Allman Brothers Band? There was an inner debate going on about how exactly to purchase their first two albums. Realizing these were considered the major cornerstone of their catalog? The two choices had an awkward wrinkle between them. Both albums were available separately on CD. Yet so was this edition-both released unedited on a single CD. One of the reviews I read here actually mentioned the debut being remixed for this set. Still it was finding an used original CD edition of this double set at a reduced price (under $5) that decided me. After all,it's all about the musical content in cases like this. And on that level? PHEW! What an set this is! "Don't Want To Bear No More" is a percussive,organ based instrumental while "It's Not My Cross To Bear",a cover of Muddy Water's "Trouble No More" and "Dreams are more deeply blues oriented pieces. "Black Hearted Woman" and "Every Hungry Woman" are both riff heavy power blues/rock pieces. "Whipping Post" blends an atmospheric jazzy rock flavor with yet more of a blues flavor. "Revival" opens the second album in this set with a rousing uptempo jam based in rhythm guitar/bass/organ interaction at it's core. "Don't Keep Me Wondering","Midnight Rider" and a version of "Hoochie Coochie Man" again deal with the shuffling blues again. "Please Come Home" is a slowed down,classic Southern Rock ballad while "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" is a creamy guitar/organ led Latin jazz/rocker while "Leave My Blues Alone" ends the album with a thickly grooving power blues number. Both of these albums taken together have the effect of being part one and part two. The powerful presence of Duane and Gregg Allman,along with drummer Jai Johanny Johanson really give this band the sort of jamming instrumental jazz/rock improvisational touch that set them in a class by themselves from many of the more pop oriented Southern rockers who came after them. Whatever way you pick these up? These are absolute essentials to build any Allman Brothers collection.