I just finished Brothers and Sisters this morning. I would first like to thank Alan Paul for writing. For anyone who thinks they've already heard all they need to hear because they already read Paul's One Way Out, think again. This book is a treasure trove of inside information on the 1973-'76 era and all that goes with it: Gregg's Laid Back, Dickey's Highway Call, inner band dissension (LOTS, including a wicked physical altercation), Gregg's drug trial, the inner workings and dysfunction of Capricorn records, the band's intimate involvement with the Jimmy Carter for President campaign. And more. I can't give this book a higher recommendation for any ABB fan!
@robslob I bought the book too. When the band broke through to superstardom and became the most popular American band and their new album Brothers and Sisters was number one FOR FIVE WEEKS on Billboard's top 200 album chart and Ramblin' Man became the band's only number one single, the band was having some major internal conflicts now that Duane and Berry were gone.
And the serious physical altercation you mentioned was shocking to me. I had heard Butch Trucks got in Dickey's face about some nights he wouldn't play much or play badly while being brilliant many nights and Dickey took offense and punched Butch in the nose breaking it. I had heard about that years ago.
I didn't know Butch was so angry at Dickey for having a lousy night on stage that he slapped Dickey!!
And Dickey then attacked Butch Trucks not only breaking his nose but left his lips swollen, his face battered and bruised AND BROKE SOME OF BUTCHIE'S RIBS!! Dickey beat Butch Trucks to a pulp as they use to say!!
It's a miracle the band didn't break up. And the book makes it more clear as to why the Allman Brothers couldn't hold on to Rolling Stones or Pink Floyd size success and was never that successful again.
And the deals and contracts Phil Walden had with the band were "catch 'um and cheat "um" 100 %.
What a convoluted arrangement with Phil Walden. He is the band manager and negotiates the deals for the band and their members with the record label which he owns, the publishing company for their original songs which he owns, the booking agency which he owned and their real estate investments through Brothers Properties which Walden owned.
When the Allman Brothers Band hit pay dirt with Fillmore East and Eat A Peach then exploded into the super big time with Brothers and Sisters, Phil Walden bought his wife a Rolls-Royce, expensive paintings for his beautiful homes and pissed off Bill Graham because he wanted so much money guaranteed and up front for concerts that Bill couldn't worked with them any longer and the ABB missed several major live shows and tours and television appearences.
Also I didn't know Phil Walden wasn't that interested in the other members of the band. Only Duane. Wanted the band called Duane Allman and Band or something of that affect and saw the other five as just sidemen supporting Duane Allman.
And for awhile after Diane's death, continued to see the other five as just support for Duane.
Notice at the beginning of the second verse after the middle guitar solo Dickey motions to the bass player then points down. Dickey apparently is signaling the sound man to turn Rook down.
What if Rook or Gregg or Butch had motioned to the sound man to turn Dickey down??? 
That would be a dangerous thing to do.
Enjoyed the book!! Lots of interesting stuff.
Liz Reed Brothers and Sisters style!! Gregg Allman great organ solo. Lamar Williams: what a great bass player.
The Acapella Hootin' Hooters!!
Something interesting I learned from Alan's new book Brothers and Sisters is Dickey showed up s Capricorn one night and wanted to record immediately before he forgot his ideas for a new song he wrote.
Johnny Sandlin set up things and they recorded Dickey with Duane Allman's resonator guitar Duane used on Little Martha.
After they got it done it was later Chuck Leavell, Tommy Talton, Lamar Williams and Butch Trucks came in and added their parts.
At the end Butch and Dickey faced each other in chairs and pounded out the hambone at the end.
Butch said that is him breaking up and laughing at the very end because Dickey switched up things unexpectedly.
The album was almost completed when Gregg finally came in to do the completed lyrics for Early Morning Blues but Gregg, who kept delaying things for many days stated he was almost but not finished working on the words, but when they were out of time as Capricorn and Warner Brothers were more than anxious to get the album out the door, Gregg ended up recording the lyrics to Jelly, Jelly an old Trade Martin blues song.
The initial copies of the sleeve and liner notes were already printed and the track was titled Early Morning Blues written by Gregg Allman. I have my original vinyl copy I bought in August 1973 and have Early Morning Blues listed. Later sleeves with the liner notes have Jelly, Jelly listed and Gregg's name as writer was replaced.
Brothers and Sisters is an excellent album. The musicianship is superb on every track. Dickey Betts dominates this album with Chuck Leavell not far behind.
No wonder Butch Trucks stated more than once on his blog and in interviews after he fell out with Dickey leading up to the ouster of Betts " By the time we got to Brothers and Sisters, we were not longer the Allman Brothers Band. We were the Dickey Betts Band. Then to my embarrassment these country rock groups and Southern rock groups began releasing this modern country stuff and it was clear they were influenced by Brother and Sisters. We should have fired Dickey after Duane died and hired two new guitar players and never recorded Ramblin' Man".
The album was almost completed when Gregg finally came in to do the completed lyrics for Early Morning Blues but Gregg, who kept delaying things for many days stated he was almost but not finished working on the words, but when they were out of time as Capricorn and Warner Brothers were more than anxious to get the album out the door, Gregg ended up recording the lyrics to Jelly, Jelly an old Trade Martin blues song.
Basically yeah, but Gregg did record "Early Morning Blues" before re-recording the lyrics to Martin's "Jelly Jelly". As has been noted before, the arrangement is the same one the band used for "Outskirts of Town".
@porkchopbob In the Brothers and Sisters book when Gregg recorded Early Morning Blues it indicates several of the words were just made up by Gregg on the fly and not the final set of lyrics Gregg wanted. And for some reason Gregg never got the song completed. Maybe it was because at the same time he was recording Laid Back.
Johnny Sandlin is quoted in the book that Gregg would often not show at the studio until 2 or 3 in the morning and sometimes not at all and it was frustrating. Of course two years later when Win, Loose and Draw was being recorded, Gregg dropped out for weeks and months.
And in Gregg's book he said he was very happy with an optimistic about Laid Back but was expecting Brothers and Sisters not to do as well as Eat A Peach and Fillmore East. Gregg said he and the band was caught by surprise when it zoomed to number one and millions of copies were sold. Gregg wasn't prepared for all that and suddenly being the biggest band in America and headlining big stadiums.
Strangely to me it seemed Gregg didn't like it.
The history of the Allman Brothers Band has its tragedy and unexpected twists and turns.
If only Duane Allman had live, I think the ABB would have become as big as the Rolling Stones and maintained that position for decades. The original lineup on stage until they retired in 2014;would have been a lot better than all those breakups and lineup changes.
Also there is the possibility if Duane and Berry had lived, the ABB may have broken up for good in 1980 or 2000.
Brothers and Sisters is a fantastic album. No later album comes close.
And other than the brilliant year the Chuck/Lamar lineup had in 1973, no later lineup came close to the original lineup for energy, creativity and purpose. Nobody had other bands and solo projects.
@porkchopbob Wow Outskirts of Town they were working up in the studio during the Brothers and Sisters sessions is Early Morning Blues and Jelly, Jelly for sure.
It says in Alan's book when they recorded the music for what became Jelly, Jelly, the band thought it was for Early Morning Blues a song Gregg would be credited.
And when Gregg added the initial lyrics he did have his words completed so on some of Early Morning Blues, Gregg just made up some stuff on the fly. Gregg kept saying he was close to getting the lyrics completed but when they kinda nudged Gregg to sing it so we can get the album shipped, Gregg came in and sang Jelly, Jelly and lost his writing credit. Later when Gregg found out he had just two songs on the album and Dickey had four, it made Gregg mad. Nobody had ever written more songs than Gregg for an Allman Brothers album.
Also since the album sold over 7 million copies, loosing his third writing credit cost Gregg a lot of money.
Porkchopbob apparently on slow blues songs whoever writes the lyrics gets the credit. The music is basically the same from song to song to song:)
Also Alan's book told about a jam they recorded during the Brothers and Sisters sessions titled Berry's Song. And Brothers and Sisters was dedicated to Berry Oakley and apparently it's something like Mountain Jam but for Berry rather than Duane. But it was decided not to put that extra side on Brothers and Sisters and no later release packages has ever included it.
@porkchopbob Noticed this. Berry Oakley is going to play and Alan Paul will be there. Are you far from Sarasota?
Brothers and Sisters lineup with a fantastic version of Les Brers!!!!
Interview with Alan Paul in the wake of his Brothers and Sisters book.
And one thing brought out is it's odd the Chuck/Lamar band is overlooked and often ignored and a little embarrassing to some in the band ( that would be Butch Trucks I bet and maybe Gregg a tiny bit) but it was the band's most successful by far. They were as big as the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin for a couple of years and Brothers and Sisters sold over 7 million copies and was number 1 on the album chart for 5 weeks. The band's biggest selling album by far and the ONLY album to reach number 1.
And that version of the band, especially in 1973, could leave a trail of smoke on the stage each night.
I spent part of the day today on YouTube trying to find a slow blues number by ANY of the other lineups that tops this!!
Everything seems flawless to me and right on the button from start to finish.
Additionally I failed to find a slow blues guitar solo which tops Dickey here by Duane, Dan Toler, Warren Haynes, Jack Pearson or Derek Trucks!!!
If anyone knows of a slow blues by Duane, Derek, Warren etc which tops Betts here I sure would love to hear it.
Is there anything?
Going to see "Steelin' Peaches" tonight.
Still like Alan Paul and "Friends of the Brothers" best.
OT, Meeting Dickie Betts. This youtube poster mentioned Alan's book and has an Amazon link in his video descropition so posting this video here
Johnny Neel was the keyboard player
Brothers and Sisters was, by far, the most commercially successful Allman Brothers Band album with 7 million copies sold. No other album sold close to this one.
In second place as far as I know is Eat A Peach with over 2 million copies.
But is Brothers and Sisters their best album musically?
No doubt there are some great songs on the album. And the arrangement and musicianship on Jessica is spectacular!!
To me though Eat A Peach is the best with Fillmore East 2nd and Brothers and Sisters 3rd. All three to me collectively are the best the band ever recorded.
I'll like to see what are the top 3 ABB albums are to others here. Anybody?
I'd go Fillmore first, then Peach, though I always think of Derek and the Dominoes as an ABBs band and that's my #1.
Thanks for that Jelly Jelly with Dickey there. It's too subjective to pick a greatest, but who's ever conjuring up Duane in the opening obligato, I really liked that.
Just finished this yesterday. The local library had a copy. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. It flows and is easy to follow. I understand Phil Walden much more and the impact he had on the band. I also was unaware of the ABB's relationship with the Grateful Dead. If you're looking for a December read and/or a great Christmas gift, go for it!
Thank you Mr. Paul! Well done!
Jaimoe: " That Chuck/Lamar band was a real good band. We could turn on a dime right now!! Too bad it didn't last any longer than it did".
Jaimoe playing monkey skulls at the beginning of this.
Just dropped in to say I finally got around to reading the new book. Very well done. For us old timers who followed the band from ‘69 the big story arcs are familiar but what elevates the book is the attention to the details.
Good work, Alan.
