I remember listening to a radio broadcast where the band or a few of the members were being interviewed for the release of this recording. Not sure if it was Westwood One or who it was through. Does anyone recall that?
Anyways, 27yrs ago yesterday. Wow.... last studio release with DB.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Still one of my favorite albums, definitely my favorite from this lineup.
As many know, they recorded this at Burt Reynolds' ranch in Jupiter FL, which is about 30 minutes north of me. Since he passed, the land has been developed and you can buy a house there: https://www.khov.com/find-new-homes/florida/jupiter/33478/k-hovnanian-homes/reynolds-ranch
I remember that broadcast. I think they were in Los Angeles.
No One Left To Run With Anymore was getting a lot of airplay on FM radio that summer. It's a great album. Their first to sell enough to earn a gold record since Enlightened Rouges in 1979 and their last album to go gold. Talking new releases of course. They had a Martin Scorsese compilation album ( best hits) to sell over 500,000. Seven Turns may be gold now as it was real close back in the 1990's but now it's also out of print I think.
The album is advertised as being recorded at BR Ranch Studios, Jupiter, Florida 30 minutes north of Porkchopbob's place. No that part isn't on the magazine ad. Just kidding porkchopbob:)
Midnight Train was a song about beating drugs supposedly. Warren and Chuck Leavell wrote it then gave it to Gregg to finish. Sending a message to Gregory??
The last track Temptation Is A Gun was written by Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon of Journey. The song made its way to Gregg Allman somehow and Gregg finished it. I'm not sure how that happened. Anyone?
Supposedly they were going to record Pill Box Hat by Bob Dylan as the single then didn't and according to Butch Trucks in recent years Warren had Rocking Horse ready and everyone liked it but Dickey wouldn't allow it. Butch said Dickey suddenly says Mean Woman Blues is going on this album period!!! Butch said Rocking Horse is a much better song and Gregg doesn't like to get into these fights so Butch was unable to push back on that so Rocking Horse didn't get on the record because of Dickey.
I'm not sure I agree with Butch about Rocking Horse being much better than Mean Woman Blues. Anyone?
I'm not sure I agree with Butch about Rocking Horse being much better than Mean Woman Blues. Anyone?
I was listening to "All Night Train" the other day and think it's an underrated tune. Lots of overcoming demons-themed songs on this album.
I always thought "Mean Woman Blues" was the lone dud on the album (I have a soft spot for "Mountain to Climb"), but I never thought "Rockin' Horse" was an ABB song - it's a Mule song. So I'm still siding with Dickey on this one.
I always wondered about the Schon/Cain song, but you never know how these tunes float around. Warren had already given "Soulshine" to Larry McCray and "No One to Run With" had been collecting dust since 1980.
@porkchopbob Yes I think Kirk West wasn't it who suggested No One To Run With instead of the Bob Dylan song as he remembered it from a recording session and it wasn't used back then.
Mountain To Climb supposedly has everyone singing like Revival and Black Hearted Woman but later found out Marc didn't sing on it and he was a member so technically that isn't everybody singing. Gregg and Dickey didn't know Marc could sing until Jack Pearson quit so they claimed.
@porkchopbob I like the Larry McCray version of Soulshine. Soulshine was the only Allman Brothers original ( if it is since McCray apparently had it out first) that wasn't written by or co-written by one of the founding members that became a concert favorite and garnered a lot of album rock airplay.
I wish they had Warren singing background vocals on Soulshine on Where It All Begins. Warren began doing that live and one of those got on 2nd Set. I also thought the track on Seven Turns, Low Down Dirty Mean, was better when Dickey, Warren and Allen began singing harmony on that song.
@robertdee "Soulshine" is pleasant and all, I always like hearing Dickey and Warren trade licks, but if I never hear it in concert again I'll be fine.
I wonder if Warren was surprised at how popular it became, it's basically his anthem now, since he was clearly inspired by this tune:
@robertdee "Soulshine" is pleasant and all, I always like hearing Dickey and Warren trade licks, but if I never hear it in concert again I'll be fine.
I wonder if Warren was surprised at how popular it became, it's basically his anthem now, since he was clearly inspired by this tune:
If you've read any of my posts over the years you can imagine that I totally agree with you Bob. Don't care if I ever hear it again. I will say if I have to hear it I prefer either the Gregg version as the ABB released it or any of the Gregg/Warren trading off. A 100% Warren version I don't care for.
Years ago a few of us from this site went to see Mule at The Vic in Chicago. Of course they played it. Then we went to Kingston Mines, a blues place not too far away to see Larry. He did it twice.
So I heard it three times in one evening. 🙄
At least one of them could have sat in with the other.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
@lee haha, I think I would have lost it. I do like the electric keys intro that Warren would add, but he should probably shelve that song for at least 5 years. Not being much of a solo Warren or Mule fan, I agree 100%.
Regarding Where It All Begins - it's some of my favorite material from a really amazing time for the band, but as amazing as Jack and Derek and Oteil are, I never thought later lineups were able to do the material justice.
"Sailin' Across the Devil's Sea" was all Allen Woody, Oteil had too light a touch for that tune. The Jack & Oteil versions sound almost skeletal.
No one tore up that opening solo of "Back Where It All Begins" like Warren did.
"Soulshine" turned into a Derek & Warren shredding fest.
Warren never captured the rhythm of "No One to Run With" and the tacked on minor jam never fit.
It's some of the band's brightest, jammiest material, hard to recapture the band circa 1994 - after 5 years on the road, they were firing on all cylinders.
This was the album that hooked me on the ABB. There was this kind of indy station I guess you would call it that played it. They played stuff I heard for the first time like Hootie when they first hit the scene, John Prine, John Hiatt, stuff not on mainstream radio.
Ironically Soulshine was played a lot and I really liked it. Back Where it All Begins, No One to Run with. I first saw them in 1993 and they played a couple songs off of Where it All Begins, even though the album didn't come out until the next year. When I was hearing those songs on the radio I was blown away. Up until that time, all I probably knew were Ramblin Man and Midnight Rider.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
