10844 - DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN - ROCKPALAST: 30 YEARS OF SOUTHERN ROCK (1978-2008), DISC TWO (2009) (REPOST)

DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN
''ROCKPALAST: 30 YEARS OF SOUTHERN ROCK (1978-2008), DISC TWO''
2009
149:46

**********

DISC ONE
1 Rockpalast (Intro) 0:14
2 Run Gypsy Run 5:22
3 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed/11:38
4 Good Time Feelin' 7:05
5 Dealin' with the Devil 3:50
6 Jessica 12:19
7 High Falls 29:13
8 Ramblin' Man 6:10

*****

DISC TWO
1 Statesboro Blues 6:08
2 Nothing You Can Do 5:22
3 /Blue Sky 9:26
4 Get Away 6:37
5 One Way Out 8:36
6 Havin' a Good Time 5:51
7 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed 19:48
8 No One to Run With 6:26
9 Ramblin' Man 5:41

**********

Andy Aledort/Guitar
Pedro Arevalo/Bass
Dickey Betts/Guitars, Vocals
Duane Betts/Guitar
David Godflies/Bass
Michael Kach/Organ, Vocals
Frankie Lombardi/Drums, Vocals (Background)
Dani Sharbono/Drums, Percussion
Dan Toler/Guitar
David "Frankie" Toler/Drums, Percussion
James Vanardo/Drums
Michael Workman/Keyboards

**********

REVIEW/AMG
Dave Thompson
A double-disc entry into SPV's mammoth exhumation of the Rockpalast vaults, representing the greatest performances from Germany's premier live concert TV show, 30 Years of Southern Rock serves up two seething shows from Dickey Betts -- the first from 1978, shortly after the collapse of the Allman Brothers, the second from 2008. And note for note, it's as if not a day has passed between the two. Of course the sets are riddled with oldies -- "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" alone devours 30 minutes of playing time across the two shows, but both shine with fresh passion. Another half hour is devoted to "High Falls," drum solo and funky bass included. "Jessica" is simply pristine; "Ramblin' Man," which closes both gigs, is remarkable. In between times, though, the band shines and Betts just gets better, whether blues-wailing through "Good Time Feelin'" or driving through an edgy "Dealin' with the Devil," or simply kicking back through "Blue Sky" and "One Way Out." An accompanying DVD package adds pictures to the music.

**********

BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

**********

WEBSITE

**********

TO THE TOP

**********

10843 - DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN - ROCKPALAST: 30 YEARS OF SOUTHERN ROCK (1978-2008), DISC ONE (2009) (REPOST)

DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN
''ROCKPALAST: 30 YEARS OF SOUTHERN ROCK (1978-2008), DISC ONE''
2009
149:46

**********

DISC ONE
1 Rockpalast (Intro) 0:14
2 Run Gypsy Run 5:22
3 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed/11:38
4 Good Time Feelin' 7:05
5 Dealin' with the Devil 3:50
6 Jessica 12:19
7 High Falls 29:13
8 Ramblin' Man 6:10

*****

DISC TWO
1 Statesboro Blues 6:08
2 Nothing You Can Do 5:22
3 /Blue Sky 9:26
4 Get Away 6:37
5 One Way Out 8:36
6 Havin' a Good Time 5:51
7 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed 19:48
8 No One to Run With 6:26
9 Ramblin' Man 5:41

**********

Andy Aledort/Guitar
Pedro Arevalo/Bass
Dickey Betts/Guitars, Vocals
Duane Betts/Guitar
David Godflies/Bass
Michael Kach/Organ, Vocals
Frankie Lombardi/Drums, Vocals (Background)
Dani Sharbono/Drums, Percussion
Dan Toler/Guitar
David "Frankie" Toler/Drums, Percussion
James Vanardo/Drums
Michael Workman/Keyboards

**********

REVIEW/AMG
Dave Thompson
A double-disc entry into SPV's mammoth exhumation of the Rockpalast vaults, representing the greatest performances from Germany's premier live concert TV show, 30 Years of Southern Rock serves up two seething shows from Dickey Betts -- the first from 1978, shortly after the collapse of the Allman Brothers, the second from 2008. And note for note, it's as if not a day has passed between the two. Of course the sets are riddled with oldies -- "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" alone devours 30 minutes of playing time across the two shows, but both shine with fresh passion. Another half hour is devoted to "High Falls," drum solo and funky bass included. "Jessica" is simply pristine; "Ramblin' Man," which closes both gigs, is remarkable. In between times, though, the band shines and Betts just gets better, whether blues-wailing through "Good Time Feelin'" or driving through an edgy "Dealin' with the Devil," or simply kicking back through "Blue Sky" and "One Way Out." An accompanying DVD package adds pictures to the music.

**********

BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

**********

WEBSITE

**********

TO THE TOP

**********

10842 - DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN - THE OFFICIAL BOOTLEG: 2006 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR, DISC TWO (2007) (REPOST)

DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN
''THE OFFICIAL BOOTLEG, DISC TWO''
2007
115:36

**********

DISC ONE (1 RECORDED IN MASSANUTTEN, VA, 7/1/2006; 2 RECORDED IN BUFFALO, NY, 7/11/2006; 3, 4, 5 RECORDED IN ENFIELD, CT, 7/8/2006
1 High Falls 15:43
2 Blue Sky 8:42
3 Good Time Feeling 9:04
4 Seven Turns 5:56
5 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed 31:37

*****

DISC TWO (RECORDED IN BUFFALO, NY, 7/11/2006)
1 Where It All Begins 12:55
2 Southbound 9:13
3 No One to Run With 5:13
4 Jessica 11:05
5 Ramblin' Man 6:21

**********

James Varnado/Drums
Duane Betts/Guitar
Andy Aledort/Guitar
Twinkle/Vocals
Pedro Arevalo/Bass Guitar
Mike Kach/Keyboards, Vocals
Frankie Lombardi/Drums

**********

REVIEW/AMG
Thom Jurek
Dickey Betts may have been fired from the Allman Brothers Band, a unit he helped not only to found, but whose very sound he helped to define, but he has been touring almost incessantly since he left the band with his own Great Southern -- a moniker he has carried with him since the late '70s. This edition includes three guitarists (Betts, son Duane, and Andy Aledort), two drummers in James Varnado and Frankie Lombardi, keyboardist Mike Kach (who helps out on vocals), bassist Pedro Arevalo, and backing vocalist Schascle Yochim (she's called "Twinkle" by fans and bandmembers). The program on this double disc is compiled from Great Southern's 2006 tour of North America. It includes such Allman standards as "Southbound," "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," "Ramblin' Man," "Blue Sky," and "Jessica," to name a few, all done Betts style. There are a total of ten cuts spread over both CDs, which means, of course, a lot of jamming. (Disc one's instrumental opener, "High Falls," and its closer, "Elizabeth Reed," clock in at a combined total of over 45 minutes -- the latter tune is over half an hour.) The live sound mix is wonderful; it's very present and warm, and maintains the raw quality of the performance. Despite the fact that this is compiled from many different dates (most live albums are, whether artists admit it or not), it simply smokes. There have been a few live Betts titles circulating for the past decade or so, but this one is miles above them. Other than the classic Highway Call record, an album that has had a three-decade head start, this is his finest moment on tape, period. It also rivals any post-Duane Allman live set by the ABB.

The reason is this band: it gels completely because of a rather disparate chemistry. Arevalo is one of the funkiest bass players out there. His command of the languages of rock, blues, jazz, funk, and Latin music is formidable. He also plays in some interesting key signatures that come from African folk music scales. Kach is a consummate accompanist and musical director for this unwieldy ensemble. His own playing on the Hammond B-3, Fender Rhodes, and acoustic piano is precise enough to guide this band as it turns its wheels, but he truly swings in the way he fills space and in his interaction with Arevalo and both drummers -- who never get in one another's way. Betts' singing is a big ragged, but since this unit concentrates mostly on playing, it hardly matters -- besides, Kach is a decent vocalist, and Twinkle's got enough up-front soul and blues wail in her to carry them on her own. As a guitar player, Dickey leans deeper into jazz than he ever has before, and he has been listening to a lot of Latin music and Albert King recently. Add to this his early country influences and the fact that Aledort is a stone monster of a lead player as well, and you have a pair of pickers who know how to go at one another and work together. Duane Betts is the rhythmic support on this front line, but he's perfect -- meat and potatoes with the most important thing a rhythm player needs: a keen sense of time. Despite the rough-and-tumble nature of these players, and their ability to literally let it rock, they also understand Betts' keen sense of lyricism and never make a move to overwhelm it. On Great Southern's studio albums, Betts had wanted to lean into jazz and funky Southern soul more, but never had the players to adequately do them justice, and the records never lived up to his ambition. He does now, and here he incorporates those players and styles seamlessly into his earthy sense of the blues and freewheeling overdriven rock & roll guitar playing. For Betts fans, and actually any rock guitar flameout fan, this set is indispensable.

**********

BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

**********

WEBSITE

**********

TO THE TOP

**********

10841 - DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN - THE OFFICIAL BOOTLEG: 2006 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR, DISC ONE (2007) (REPOST)

DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN
''THE OFFICIAL BOOTLEG, DISC ONE''
2007
115:36

**********

DISC ONE (1 RECORDED IN MASSANUTTEN, VA, 7/1/2006; 2 RECORDED IN BUFFALO, NY, 7/11/2006; 3, 4, 5 RECORDED IN ENFIELD, CT, 7/8/2006
1 High Falls 15:43
2 Blue Sky 8:42
3 Good Time Feeling 9:04
4 Seven Turns 5:56
5 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed 31:37

*****

DISC TWO (RECORDED IN BUFFALO, NY, 7/11/2006)
1 Where It All Begins 12:55
2 Southbound 9:13
3 No One to Run With 5:13
4 Jessica 11:05
5 Ramblin' Man 6:21

**********

James Varnado/Drums
Duane Betts/Guitar
Andy Aledort/Guitar
Twinkle/Vocals
Pedro Arevalo/Bass Guitar
Mike Kach/Keyboards, Vocals
Frankie Lombardi/Drums

**********

REVIEW/AMG
Thom Jurek
Dickey Betts may have been fired from the Allman Brothers Band, a unit he helped not only to found, but whose very sound he helped to define, but he has been touring almost incessantly since he left the band with his own Great Southern -- a moniker he has carried with him since the late '70s. This edition includes three guitarists (Betts, son Duane, and Andy Aledort), two drummers in James Varnado and Frankie Lombardi, keyboardist Mike Kach (who helps out on vocals), bassist Pedro Arevalo, and backing vocalist Schascle Yochim (she's called "Twinkle" by fans and bandmembers). The program on this double disc is compiled from Great Southern's 2006 tour of North America. It includes such Allman standards as "Southbound," "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," "Ramblin' Man," "Blue Sky," and "Jessica," to name a few, all done Betts style. There are a total of ten cuts spread over both CDs, which means, of course, a lot of jamming. (Disc one's instrumental opener, "High Falls," and its closer, "Elizabeth Reed," clock in at a combined total of over 45 minutes -- the latter tune is over half an hour.) The live sound mix is wonderful; it's very present and warm, and maintains the raw quality of the performance. Despite the fact that this is compiled from many different dates (most live albums are, whether artists admit it or not), it simply smokes. There have been a few live Betts titles circulating for the past decade or so, but this one is miles above them. Other than the classic Highway Call record, an album that has had a three-decade head start, this is his finest moment on tape, period. It also rivals any post-Duane Allman live set by the ABB.

The reason is this band: it gels completely because of a rather disparate chemistry. Arevalo is one of the funkiest bass players out there. His command of the languages of rock, blues, jazz, funk, and Latin music is formidable. He also plays in some interesting key signatures that come from African folk music scales. Kach is a consummate accompanist and musical director for this unwieldy ensemble. His own playing on the Hammond B-3, Fender Rhodes, and acoustic piano is precise enough to guide this band as it turns its wheels, but he truly swings in the way he fills space and in his interaction with Arevalo and both drummers -- who never get in one another's way. Betts' singing is a big ragged, but since this unit concentrates mostly on playing, it hardly matters -- besides, Kach is a decent vocalist, and Twinkle's got enough up-front soul and blues wail in her to carry them on her own. As a guitar player, Dickey leans deeper into jazz than he ever has before, and he has been listening to a lot of Latin music and Albert King recently. Add to this his early country influences and the fact that Aledort is a stone monster of a lead player as well, and you have a pair of pickers who know how to go at one another and work together. Duane Betts is the rhythmic support on this front line, but he's perfect -- meat and potatoes with the most important thing a rhythm player needs: a keen sense of time. Despite the rough-and-tumble nature of these players, and their ability to literally let it rock, they also understand Betts' keen sense of lyricism and never make a move to overwhelm it. On Great Southern's studio albums, Betts had wanted to lean into jazz and funky Southern soul more, but never had the players to adequately do them justice, and the records never lived up to his ambition. He does now, and here he incorporates those players and styles seamlessly into his earthy sense of the blues and freewheeling overdriven rock & roll guitar playing. For Betts fans, and actually any rock guitar flameout fan, this set is indispensable.

**********

BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

**********

WEBSITE

**********

TO THE TOP

**********

10840 - DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN - BACK WHERE ALL BEGINS: LIVE AT THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME+MUSEUM (2005)

DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN
''BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGINS AT THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME+MUSEUM''
2005
60:05

**********

1 Southbound (Soundcheck Version)/9:21
2 Blue Sky (Soundcheck Version)/7:35
3 In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed (Soundcheck Version)/15:44
4 Donna Marie 10:03
5 Jessica 17:12

**********

Dickey Betts/Guitars, Vocals
Dan Toler/Guitars
Frank Lombardi/Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Mike Kach/Hammond Organ, Piano, Vocals
Pedro Arevalo/Bass Guitar

**********

REVIEW/AMG
Joe Viglione
On March 9, 2004, Dickey Betts & Great Southern taped a triple live CD at the Odeon in Cleveland. About a half a year later, on September 29, 2004, the same group, albeit with a different bassist, performed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and those September recordings are what make up most of this project, Back Where It All Begins: Live at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. This DVD superbly captures the glory, and has lots of bonus features to boot that make it very appealing for the fan base. Outside of the obvious, that this material is absolutely redundant and something the hardcore Allman Brothers Band aficionado has heard and seen a zillion times, it's still a wonderful presentation and something a casual Allman Brothers fan will pick up on and not even realize it's not the original group. The playing is very close to the hit versions of these classics, so don't expect any Jimmy Page-style wanderings, though there are some nice phrases from the Jimi Hendrix epic "Third Stone from the Sun" tucked into the audio version of "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," and the vocals on "Blue Sky" are wonderfully ragged. These takes can be found on the accompanying CD bonus disc, part of the three songs taped at the soundcheck, the additional two songs coming from the Rock Hall concert itself including "Dona Maria" from the 2001 Dickey Betts Band disc Let's Get Together (strangely titled "Donna Marie" on the DVD case and in the four-page insert). The song, written for his wife Donna Marie Betts, is etched into infamy for an incident the couple had "Rollin' down highway 41" around the time of the self-titled Dickey Betts Band release. Bass player Pedro Arevalo joins Betts, Allman Brothers guitarist Dan Toler, Mike Kach -- who contributes the song "Get Away" on Hammond organ, piano, and vocals -- and drummer Frankie Lombardi for this very nice romp, though there's more Allman Brothers material than Great Southern or Dickey Betts Band tunes. And off course the reason it is mostly culled from Allman Brothers repertoire is as much to please the crowd as to prove a point. There's the title track from 1990s Seven Turns along with "Come on in My Kitchen" from 1991's Shades of Two Worlds, and "No One to Run With," "Change My Way of Living," as well as the title track, "Back Where It All Begins," from 1994's Where It All Begins CD.

ABB purists might say this riff or that is out of place, but there's no way the casual radio listener could ever tell the difference. Some of this music can also be found on the 2007 Evangeline release, Official Bootleg, recorded in 2006 and -- as stated -- it is all wonderfully redundant. Heck, the song "Southbound" appears on all three of the Betts live discs referenced on this presentation, but here you get the video and delicious bonus tracks, the four-page booklet, a solid radio interview, and the additional audio CD with some performances not on the DVD. All in all, a very fine representation of Dickey Betts, a solid statement the journeyman guitarist deserves.

**********

BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

**********

WEBSITE

**********

TO THE TOP

**********

10839 - DICKEY BETTS AND GREAT SOUTHERN - INSTANT LIVE: THE ODEON, CLEVELAND, OH 392004, DISC THREE (2004)

DICKEY BETTS AND GREAT SOUTHERN
''INSTANT LIVE: THE ODEON, CLEVELAND, OH 3/9/2004, DISC THREE''
APRIL 20 2004
161:39

**********

DISC ONE (51:43)
1 Little Martha 08:45
2 Steady Rolling Man 06:08
3 Blue Sky 08:44
4 Change My Way 08:00
5 Girl With The Deep Blue Eyes 08:03
6 Donna Maria 12:00

*****

DISC TWO (57:25)
1 Southbound 09:49
2 Nobody Knows 08:13
3 Nobody Knows (Part II) 05:48
4 Where It All Belongs 13:34
5 Get Away 07:23
6 Kitchen 06:32
7 Having A Good Time 06:03


*****

DISC THREE (52:31)
1 Liz Reed 15:51
2 Ramblin Man 08:21
3 No One To Run With 06:29
4 Seven Turns 06:40
5 Jessica 15:06

**********

Dickey Betts/Guitars, Vocals
Danny Toler/Guitar
David Stoltz/Bass Guitar
Frankie Lombardi/Drums, Percussion
Michael Kach/Organ, Piano

**********

REVIEW/AMG
Bruce Eder
Anyone who misses the original Allman Brothers Band sound need look no further than this live triple-CD set, recorded at the Odeon in Cleveland, OH, on March 9, 2004, to find it. Not that the band doesn't put its own stamp on the material, starting with a bracing and gorgeous rendition of Duane Allman's "Little Martha," but the two-guitar attack, courtesy of Dickey Betts and Dan Toler, touches some familiar sonic territory, and David Stoltz (bass), Frankie Lombardi (drums), and Michael Kach (keyboards), filling out the ranks of Betts' band Great Southern, sound more like the Allmans of old than the current band circa 2004/2005 does. The repertoire ranges freely through current originals, Allman Brothers classics, and the band's adaptations of blues standards such as Robert Johnson's "Steady Rolling Man," which sounds like it could've come off of the Idlewild South album. The sound is excellent and the swiftness with which the triple-disc set was made available, scarcely a month after the show while the band was on tour, precludes even the notion of any "sweetening" or phonying up of the sound. There's no annotation and the packaging is extremely spare; this is the sort of fan-oriented set that is usually offered over a group's website, but in this case it's also gotten a commercial release. But the music is what matters here, and anyone buying this set pretty much knows who and what he's listening to without the need of a program.

**********

BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

**********

WEBSITE

**********

TO THE TOP

**********

10838 - DICKEY BETTS AND GREAT SOUTHERN - INSTANT LIVE: THE ODEON, CLEVELAND, OH 392004, DISC TWO (2004)

DICKEY BETTS AND GREAT SOUTHERN
''INSTANT LIVE: THE ODEON, CLEVELAND, OH 3/9/2004, DISC TWO''
APRIL 20 2004
161:39

**********

DISC ONE (51:43)
1 Little Martha 08:45
2 Steady Rolling Man 06:08
3 Blue Sky 08:44
4 Change My Way 08:00
5 Girl With The Deep Blue Eyes 08:03
6 Donna Maria 12:00

*****

DISC TWO (57:25)
1 Southbound 09:49
2 Nobody Knows 08:13
3 Nobody Knows (Part II) 05:48
4 Where It All Belongs 13:34
5 Get Away 07:23
6 Kitchen 06:32
7 Having A Good Time 06:03


*****

DISC THREE (52:31)
1 Liz Reed 15:51
2 Ramblin Man 08:21
3 No One To Run With 06:29
4 Seven Turns 06:40
5 Jessica 15:06

**********

Dickey Betts/Guitars, Vocals
Danny Toler/Guitar
David Stoltz/Bass Guitar
Frankie Lombardi/Drums, Percussion
Michael Kach/Organ, Piano

**********

REVIEW/AMG
Bruce Eder
Anyone who misses the original Allman Brothers Band sound need look no further than this live triple-CD set, recorded at the Odeon in Cleveland, OH, on March 9, 2004, to find it. Not that the band doesn't put its own stamp on the material, starting with a bracing and gorgeous rendition of Duane Allman's "Little Martha," but the two-guitar attack, courtesy of Dickey Betts and Dan Toler, touches some familiar sonic territory, and David Stoltz (bass), Frankie Lombardi (drums), and Michael Kach (keyboards), filling out the ranks of Betts' band Great Southern, sound more like the Allmans of old than the current band circa 2004/2005 does. The repertoire ranges freely through current originals, Allman Brothers classics, and the band's adaptations of blues standards such as Robert Johnson's "Steady Rolling Man," which sounds like it could've come off of the Idlewild South album. The sound is excellent and the swiftness with which the triple-disc set was made available, scarcely a month after the show while the band was on tour, precludes even the notion of any "sweetening" or phonying up of the sound. There's no annotation and the packaging is extremely spare; this is the sort of fan-oriented set that is usually offered over a group's website, but in this case it's also gotten a commercial release. But the music is what matters here, and anyone buying this set pretty much knows who and what he's listening to without the need of a program.

**********

BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

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WEBSITE

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10837 - DICKEY BETTS AND GREAT SOUTHERN - INSTANT LIVE: THE ODEON, CLEVELAND, OH 392004, DISC ONE (2004)

DICKEY BETTS AND GREAT SOUTHERN
''INSTANT LIVE: THE ODEON, CLEVELAND, OH 3/9/2004, DISC ONE''
APRIL 20 2004
161:39

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DISC ONE (51:43)
1 Little Martha 08:45
2 Steady Rolling Man 06:08
3 Blue Sky 08:44
4 Change My Way 08:00
5 Girl With The Deep Blue Eyes 08:03
6 Donna Maria 12:00

*****

DISC TWO (57:25)
1 Southbound 09:49
2 Nobody Knows 08:13
3 Nobody Knows (Part II) 05:48
4 Where It All Belongs 13:34
5 Get Away 07:23
6 Kitchen 06:32
7 Having A Good Time 06:03


*****

DISC THREE (52:31)
1 Liz Reed 15:51
2 Ramblin Man 08:21
3 No One To Run With 06:29
4 Seven Turns 06:40
5 Jessica 15:06

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Dickey Betts/Guitars, Vocals
Danny Toler/Guitar
David Stoltz/Bass Guitar
Frankie Lombardi/Drums, Percussion
Michael Kach/Organ, Piano

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REVIEW/AMG
Bruce Eder
Anyone who misses the original Allman Brothers Band sound need look no further than this live triple-CD set, recorded at the Odeon in Cleveland, OH, on March 9, 2004, to find it. Not that the band doesn't put its own stamp on the material, starting with a bracing and gorgeous rendition of Duane Allman's "Little Martha," but the two-guitar attack, courtesy of Dickey Betts and Dan Toler, touches some familiar sonic territory, and David Stoltz (bass), Frankie Lombardi (drums), and Michael Kach (keyboards), filling out the ranks of Betts' band Great Southern, sound more like the Allmans of old than the current band circa 2004/2005 does. The repertoire ranges freely through current originals, Allman Brothers classics, and the band's adaptations of blues standards such as Robert Johnson's "Steady Rolling Man," which sounds like it could've come off of the Idlewild South album. The sound is excellent and the swiftness with which the triple-disc set was made available, scarcely a month after the show while the band was on tour, precludes even the notion of any "sweetening" or phonying up of the sound. There's no annotation and the packaging is extremely spare; this is the sort of fan-oriented set that is usually offered over a group's website, but in this case it's also gotten a commercial release. But the music is what matters here, and anyone buying this set pretty much knows who and what he's listening to without the need of a program.

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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

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WEBSITE

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10836 - DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN - THE COLLECTORS # 1 (2002) (REPOST)

DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN
''THE COLLECTORS #1''
2002
60:05

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1 - Beyond The Pale/4:53
2 - Georgia On A Fast Train/6:27
3 - One Step Bebop #2/6:36
4 - Tangled Up In Blue/7:59
5 - Steady Rollin' Man/3:35
6 - Change My Way Of Livin' #2/13:35
7 - The Preacher/6:05
8 - Seven Turns #3/5:27
9 - Willy And Po' Bob/5:28

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Dickey Betts/Guitar, Vocals, Slide Guitar, Steel String
Donna Bonelli/Backing Vocals, Guest Appearance
T.C. Carr/Harmonica
Mark Greenberg/Percussion, Drums
Kris Jensen/Flute, Sax Alto, Sax Soprano, Sax Tenor
Frankie Lombadrie/Percussion, Drums, Backing Vocals
Mark May/Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals
Lenny Ski/Fiddle
Dave Stoltz/Bass Guitar
Dan Toler/Acoustic Guitar
Matt Zeiner/Piano, Organ Hammond, Backing Vocals

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BIOGRAPHY
By William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

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WEBSITE

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10835 - DICKEY BETTS BAND - LET'S GET TOGETHER (2001) (REPOST)

DICKEY BETTS BAND
''LET'S GET TOGETHER''
JULY 31 2001
75:24

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1 /Rave On/3:42
2 /Let's All Get Together/4:39
3 /Immortal
Matt Zeiner/4:26
4 /Tombstone Eyes/5:51
5 /Here Come the Blues Again/7:39
6 /One Stop Be-Bop/10:12
7 /I Gotta Know/8:09
8 /Call Me Anytime/4:40
9 /Dona Maria/12:17
10 /All for You/7:08
11 /Sing While I'm Walkin'/6:41
Tracks By Betts Except 3

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Dickey Betts/vocals, guitar
Mark May/guitar, background vocals
Kris Jensen/saxophone
Matt Zeiner/piano, Hammond B-3 organ, background vocals
David Stoltz/bass
Frankie Lombardi/drums, percussion, background vocals
Mark Greenberg/drums
Frank Lombardi/drums, percussion, background vocals
Schascle Yochim/background vocals
Donna Bonelli/background vocals

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REVIEW/AMG
Thom Jurek
After being fired from the Allman Brothers Band in 2001, a band he was a founding member of in the late '60s, Dickey Betts dealt with his pain, anger, and loss by putting together a new band, hitting the road, and issuing a new album only a few months after the dirty deed. Let's Get Together is a good-time, swinging, blues and New Orleans R&B-drenched romp through the roots of American music. From the Elmore James/Johnny Otis-inspired R&B of "Rave On" (not the Buddy Holly tune) that opens the album, Betts plays it loud and proud, blasting from the rafters with his own Les Paul and employing a second one via Mark May. Stinging his way through the raucous choruses, Betts reveals he's lost none of his fire nor his impeccable taste as he slips jazz chords, rock pyrotechnics, and shimmering Chicago blues lines into the mix, driving a band whose Hammond B-3 and saxophone punch (courtesy of Matt Zeiner and Kris Jensen, respectively) is fierce. The title track is a throwaway lyrically, but musically it stomps the tar out of anything Brian Setzer tries to accomplish with raw American swing. Betts churns up the tempo and the volume and leaves the production out of the track, preferring an edgy, slippery groove. Betts also proves he can still write a gorgeous country song in "Tombstone Eyes," with its shimmering acoustic guitars and B-3 crescendos. The balladry is simple but the emotion is complex. Betts' voice may have lost its sheeny country whine, but he more than makes up for it with sheer guts. Given its tune, lyric, and instrumentation, there is no reason country program directors shouldn't be playing the hell out of this one. On "One Stop Be-Bop," Betts showcases his immense knowledge of American musical forms as this ten-minute instrumental courses through bop, gypsy swing, Brazilian samba, rock, blues, country, and jazz fusion, all of it done with taste and aplomb; Betts is too much of a musician to have to show off, and he has nothing whatsoever to prove -- though it's true no one could have guessed he was such a fine arranger. The only drawback tracks -- and they wouldn't be if they weren't juxtaposed with Betts' own wonderful songs -- are those written by his sidemen. But here again, if Betts has erred -- and this is personal taste reflected here after all -- he has erred on the side of democracy in his band, and he can hardly be faulted for it. The album closes with the blazing rocker "Sing While I'm Walkin'." Using a Wilbert Harrison riff (from "Let's Get Together" no less!), Betts takes it out with a stomping rouser that uses the I-IV-V progression in inverted fashion and good-times it to death with a slippery backbeat and crunchy rhythm guitar as he slashes the very air with his solo. Though he hasn't done any solo records in a while, this cannot be considered Dickey Betts' comeback; he's simply stepped out on his own again and, in sharp contrast to other acts that are usually more than the sum of their parts, as a result of his split with the Allmans, listeners now have two fine acts to take pleasure in instead of just one.

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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

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WEBSITE

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10834 - THE DICKEY BETTS BAND - PATTERN DISRUPTIVE (1990) (REPOST)

THE DICKEY BETTS BAND
''PATTERN DISRUPTIVE''
1988
49:25

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1 /Rock Bottom
Dickey Betts / Warren Haynes / Johnny Neel/5:42
2 /Stone Cold Heart
Dickey Betts / Warren Haynes / Johnny Neel/4:55
3 /Time to Roll
Dickey Betts / Warren Haynes / Johnny Neel/4:59
4 /The Blues Ain't Nothin'
Taj Mahal / Kim Morrison / Johnny Neel/3:28
5 /Heartbreak Line
Dickey Betts/4:53
6 /Duane's Tune
Dickey Betts/5:56
7 /Under the Guns of Love
Dickey Betts / Mike Lawler / Johnny Neel/5:56
8 /C'Est la Vie
Dickey Betts / Johnny Neel/4:46
9 /Far Cry
Warren Haynes / Kim Morrison / Johnny Neel/3:59
10 /Lover Man
Dickey Betts/4:46

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Matt Abts /Drums, Vocals (Background)
Dickey Betts /Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals
Warren Haynes /Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Rhythm), Guitar (Steel), Slide Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
John Neel /Harmonica, Harp, Keyboards, Organ (Hammond), Piano, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Marty Privette /Bass, Vocals (Background)
Butch Trucks /Percussion

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REVIEW/AMG
William Ruhlmann
After a long layoff, Betts cut this blistering guitar rock album in a style strongly reminiscent of The Allman Brothers Band. In fact, his band contains pianist Johnny Neel and second guitarist Warren Haynes, both of whom would join the next edition of The Allmans when they re-formed; Allmans drummer Butch Trucks guests.

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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

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WEBSITE

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TO THE TOP

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10833 - DICKEY BETTS - NIGHT (UNRELEASED COUNTRY ALBUM) (1981) (REPOST)

DICKEY BETTS
''NIGHT (UNRELEASED COUNTRY ALBUM)''
1982
34:24

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1 Moonlight Magic 3:59
2 I Don't Think I See Me In Your Eyes Anymore 3:35
3 Whole Lotta Memories/3:36
4 Lady Of Night 4:09
5 Nancy 4:24
6 Blues River 2:54
7 Alabama Rose 4:58
8 I Believe We're Gonna Make It This Time 7:26

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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

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WEBSITE

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10832 - DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN - ATLANTA'S BURNING DOWN (1978) (REPOST)

DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN
''ATLANTA'S BURNING DOWN''
1978
33:52

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1 /Good Time Feeling
Dickey Betts/4:30
2 /Atlanta's Burning Down
Billy Ray Reynolds/4:34
3 /Leavin' Me Again
Dickey Betts/4:16
4 /Back on the Road Again
Dickey Betts / Billy Ray Reynolds/4:12
5 /Dealin' with the Devil
Dickey Betts / Billy Ray Reynolds/3:46
6 /Shady Streets
Dickey Betts / Billy Ray Reynolds/4:29
7 /You Can Have Her (I Don't Want Her)
Willie Cook/3:53
8 /Mr. Blues Man
Dickey Betts / Curtis Buck/4:12

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Dickey Betts /Guitar, Vocals
Bonnie Bramlett /Vocals
David Goldflies /Bass
Clydie King /Vocals
Sherlie Matthews /Vocals
Topper Price /Harmonica
Donnie Sharbono /Drums, Percussion, Vocals (Background)
Dan Toler /Guitar, Vocals
David "Frankie" Toler /Drums, Percussion
Steve (Bic) Wittmack /String Arrangements
Michael Workman /Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
Reese Wynans /Harmonica, Keyboards

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REVIEW/AMG
Thom Jurek
On his third solo outing -- and his second with his backing band Great Southern -- Allman Brothers lead guitarist Dickey Betts moves back into the deep-fried Southern boogie that the Brothers are (in)famous for and serves it up with just a smidgen of country and comes out with another winner. Once again the mood is laid back and greasy with the guitars taking center stage in a funky, spunky mix that concentrates as much on the backbeat as it does on the swinging Southern boogie blues. Hence Betts digs deep into New Orleans as a source of inspiration on tracks like "Good Time Feeling," "Dealin' With the Devil," and "Back on the Road Again." Again relying heavily on the harmonica stylings of Topper Price for color and nuance, Betts uses this cue as a way of bringing the entire band into the proceedings this time out. While it's true that his guitar is the centerpiece of the album, Great Southern is present more as a unit than as Betts' backing band. On the title track, a ballad that offers a ghostly narrative of the end of the Civil war, Betts also uses Bob Dylan's backing choir of Bonnie Bramlet, Clydie King, and Shirley Mathews for added emotional impact as well as a string section. While the string section could have been dispensed with, it doesn't hurt too much as the integrity of the song is so focused and sharp it's a minor nuisance. Production on this set is a bit muddier than on the Great Southern album that preceded it, and this is a good thing. There is more immediacy in the band's presence on the record than the studio's. Given that this was issued in 1978, when the bottom was about to drop out of rock & roll in favor of things like new wave and rap, this album holds up surprisingly well over two decades later. The shuffle and roll that was then Betts' trademark is refreshingly untouched by the production or musical excesses of the time. There is no attempt to be "relevant" or "cutting edge." But there is no retro feel on this disc either; it sounds consistent with a man's vision who's always considered himself right on time and still does. Loud, tough, and funky, Atlanta's Burning Down is a winner.

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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

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WEBSITE

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TO THE TOP

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10831 - DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN (1977) (REPOST)

DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN
''DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN''
1977
33:31

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1 /Out to Get Me
Dickey Betts/4:44
2 /Run Gypsy Run
Dickey Betts / Curtis Buck /3:33
3 /Sweet Virginia
Dickey Betts/3:43
4 /The Way Loves Goes
Dickey Betts/5:01
5 /Nothing You Can Do
Dickey Betts/4:12
6 /California Blues
Dickey Betts/5:03
7 /Bougainvillea
Dickey Betts / D. Johnson/7:15

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Dickey Betts /Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Slide Guitar, Vocals
Tom Broome /Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
Don Johnson /Vocals (Background)
Donald Johnson /Vocals
Topper Price /Harmonica, Harp
Donnie Sharbono /Drums, Percussion
Mickey Thomas /Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Jerry Thompson /Drums, Percussion
Ken Tibbets /Bass (Electric)
Kenny Tibbetts /Bass
Dan Toler /Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Vocals, Vocals Background)

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REVIEW/AMG
Thom Jurek
Three years after the issue of his landmark solo recording, Highway Call (and countless inbred brawls and unholy wars among the Allman Brothers), guitarist, singer, and songwriter Dickey Betts released the debut by his "other" band, Great Southern. Attempting to capture the loose, easy feel of Highway Call and combine it with the more blues-driven sound of the Allmans, Betts was largely successful though the record does suffer a tad from overly slick production. Evident from "Out to Get Me," the very first track, is Betts' trademark slide guitar burning a hole through the center of the mix. The undertone of the album is the shuffle, both country and blues, aided in large part by Topper Price's harmonica and the able second guitar of Dan Toler. But the feel is all Betts. He stretches out the stinging boogie of "Run Gypsy Run," with dual leads, a killer pre-verse riff, and a solid "Ramblin Man"-style melodic line in the heart of his blues. Perhaps the hinge piece on the album in on its third track, "Sweet Virginia" (not a cover of the Rolling Stones' track). Here, Betts' slide work is easily and lilting as it undergirds a sleepy country tune with a killer backbeat. Nostalgia, or at least the previous, is the backbone of Betts' sentiment as his vice rings through the guitars and rhythm section with conviction and a sureness that only comes out of the finest country-rock music (think Creedence Clearwater meets the Allmans). Ultimately, this album, with its funky New Orleans basslines and second-line percussions, is another restless country-soul set from Betts. And though more guitar driven than Highway Call (fiddle god Vassar Clements is not Betts' foil here), its songs hold as much soul and aplomb if not the same deeply held convictions that made the previous album the classic it is. Nonetheless, Great Southern is a very fine album that despite its polish holds a wealth of fine songs and truly astonishing playing within its grooves.

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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

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WEBSITE

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TO THE TOP

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10830 - RICHARD BETTS - HIGHWAY CALL (1974) (REPOST)

RICHARD BETTS
''HIGHWAY CALL''
NOVEMBER 1974
35:28

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1 /Long Time Gone
Dickey Betts / Richard Betts/4:31
2 /Rain
Richard Betts/3:40
3 /Highway Call
Richard Betts/4:26
4 /Let Nature Sing
Richard Betts/5:10
5 /Hand Picked
Richard Betts/14:20
6 /Kissimmee Kid
Vassar Clements/3:13

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Oscar Underwood Adams /Mandolin
Pedro Arevalo /Bass
Richard Betts /Dobro, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Vocals
Buck /Vocals
Vassar Clements /Fiddle, Guest Artist, Violin
Dottie /Vocals
Jeff Hanna /Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)
John Hughey /Guitar (Steel)
Mike Kach /Keyboards
Chuck Leavell /Guest Artist, Piano
Frankie Lombardi /Drums
Frank Poindexter /Dobro, Vocals
Leon Poindexter /Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals
Walter Poindexter /Banjo, Vocals
The Rambos /Vocals (Background)
Reba /Vocals
Johnny Sandlin /Bass, Guest Artist, Guitar (Acoustic), Percussion
Stray Straton /Bass, Vocals (Background)
Tommy Talton /Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)
Dan Toler /Guitar
David Walshaw /Drums, Percussion
Reese Wynans /Harmonica

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REVIEW/AMG
Thom Jurek
After the runaway success of the Allman Brothers' classic Brothers and Sisters LP -- an album on which Dickey Betts virtually architected the open loping country sound with his newly found singing voice and easy, slimmed down guitar style -- the guitarist decided to try his hand at a solo album. Highway Call is, in essence, the second chapter in Betts finding his own voice as not only a singer, but also as a songwriter as well. At a brief half-hour in length, Highway Call is nonetheless an emotionally powerful slice of small country life offered with a vast emotional landscape. The tone is nostalgic in that each of the songs here reflects memory and the yearning for a simpler, less cluttered life lived in the open spaces, away from the chaotic roil of rock stardom and all of its trappings. The title track reflects an acceptance of Betts' life as an itinerant musician, destined to play out his hand on the road. There isn't a hint of regret in the ringing, slippery guitars and harmony vocals, but there is a sense that life could have been different. On "Let Nature Sing," Betts calls forth the spirits of America, from its rock and crags, its lakes and panoramic vistas, and from the ghosts of the people who've traipsed through Betts' life, leaving an emotional and indelible impression upon him. Each song here, such as "Rain," with its sideways pedal steel, or "Long Time Gone," with its runaway slide, or even the aforementioned "Let Nature Sing," with its glorious dobro and fiddle (courtesy of Vassar Clements) underscoring Betts' lead and the ringing pedal steel of Jon Hughey is a testament to the pastoral in American life. And for Betts, the rambler, gambler, and hard living guitar man, there is no contradiction. All of his cards are on the table in "Hand Picked," a nearly 15-minute country swing romp through Bob Wills, Merle Haggard, the Allmans, and bluegrass, Betts creates the ultimate road instrumental. The listener can hear Clements and Betts roaring down the two-lane blacktop on the back of a flatbed truck, ripping this one out with easy abandon. Highway Call stands as the artist's finest solo moment, one that holds his true voice easily expressing itself far from the madding blues wail of the Allmans, deep in the center of a Georgia holler with the sun beating down on the peach trees or on the incessant babble of a backwoods creek calling his listeners to the mystery inherent in simple living and in playing honest, heartfelt music.

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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

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DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN AT THE SABAN THEATER, BEVERLY HILLS, CA, AUGUST 23 2014 (FULL CONCERT)
107'40''
BY EDWARD FLORES (YOUTUBE)



Magazine's top 100 guitarists of all time, Dickey Betts and his band Great Southern come to Saban Theatre to display their unique bring their hybrid of country, blues, jazz and rock. As a founding member of the legendary Allman Brothers Band, Betts was responsible for such hits as "Ramblin' Man" and the instrumental "Jessica," which won him a Grammy.

8328 - THE DICKEY BETTS BAND FEAT. MICK TAYLOR, JACK BRUCE, RICK DERRINGER - THE GREAT SOUTHERN RIFF (1993)

THE DICKEY BETTS BAND FEAT. MICK TAYLOR, JACK BRUCE, RICK DERRINGER
''THE GREAT SOUTHERN RIFF''
LONESTAR ROADHOUSE, NYC, USA, 11.01.88
1993
74:10

1 Time To Roll 06:26
2 Duane's Tune; Blues Aint' Nothin' 10:57
3 Jessica 14:59
4 Statesboro Blues 06:48
5 One Way Out 09:37
6 Rock'n'Roll Hoochie Coochie 05:05
7 Spoonful 10:02
8 Southbound 10:13

BIOGRAPHY
by William Ruhlmann (AMG)
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.

6473 - DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN - Rockpalast: 30 Years Of Southern Rock (1978-2008), Disc Two (2009)

DICKEY BETTS & GREAT SOUTHERN
''ROCKPALAST: 30 YEARS OF SOUTHERN ROCK (1978-2008), DISC TWO''
2009
149:46

DISC ONE
1 /Rockpalast (Intro)/0:14
2 /Run Gypsy Run/5:22
3 /In Memory of Elizabeth Reed/11:38
4 /Good Time Feelin'/7:05
5 /Dealin' with the Devil/3:50
6 /Jessica/12:19
7 /High Falls/29:13
8 /Ramblin' Man/6:10

DISC TWO
1 /Statesboro Blues/6:08
2 /Nothing You Can Do/5:22
3 /Blue Sky/9:26
4 /Get Away/6:37
5 /One Way Out/8:36
6 /Havin' a Good Time/5:51
7 /In Memory of Elizabeth Reed/19:48
8 /No One to Run With/6:26
9 /Ramblin' Man/5:41

Andy Aledort /Guitar
Pedro Arevalo /Bass
Dickey Betts /Guitars, Vocals
Duane Betts /Guitar
David Godflies /Bass
Michael Kach /Organ, Vocals
Frankie Lombardi /Drums, Vocals (Background)
Dani Sharbono /Drums, Percussion
Dan Toler /Guitar
David "Frankie" Toler /Drums, Percussion
James Vanardo /Drums
Michael Workman /Keyboards

REVIEW
By Dave Thompson
A double-disc entry into SPV's mammoth exhumation of the Rockpalast vaults, representing the greatest performances from Germany's premier live concert TV show, 30 Years of Southern Rock serves up two seething shows from Dickey Betts -- the first from 1978, shortly after the collapse of the Allman Brothers, the second from 2008. And note for note, it's as if not a day has passed between the two. Of course the sets are riddled with oldies -- "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" alone devours 30 minutes of playing time across the two shows, but both shine with fresh passion. Another half hour is devoted to "High Falls," drum solo and funky bass included. "Jessica" is simply pristine; "Ramblin' Man," which closes both gigs, is remarkable. In between times, though, the band shines and Betts just gets better, whether blues-wailing through "Good Time Feelin'" or driving through an edgy "Dealin' with the Devil," or simply kicking back through "Blue Sky" and "One Way Out." An accompanying DVD package adds pictures to the music.

BIOGRAPHY
By William Ruhlmann
Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and The Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of The Allmans.