Duane Allman - 1972 [2008] "An Anthology Vol. I"

An Anthology is a compilation of recordings featuring guitarist Duane Allman. The double album consists of a selection of songs by various artists that Allman contributed to as a session musician, along with early recordings by his band the Hourglass and his partial-namesake group, the Allman Brothers Band. The album also features rare solo work by the guitarist.

Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the compilation four and a half stars out of five in his review for the AllMusic website, calling it "an excellent introduction and retrospective." He also noted that "by including session cuts, as well as his brief sojourn in Eric Clapton's Derek and the Dominos and a few rare solo tracks, along with a number of representative Allman Brothers songs, the double-album Anthology winds up drawing a complete portrait of Allman."

Duane Allman's greatness was apparent on his recordings with the Allman Brothers, yet there was another side to the superb guitarist. For many years, he was a highly respected session musician, playing on cuts by Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, King Curtis, Boz Scaggs, Delaney & Bonnie, and Clarence Carter, among others. By including those session cuts, as well as a sampling of his brief sojourn in Eric Clapton's Derek and the Dominoes and a few rare solo tracks, along with a number of representative Allman Brothers songs, the double-album Anthology winds up drawing a complete portrait of Allman. He may have recorded plenty of other material worth hearing, but this has the bare essentials for an excellent introduction and retrospective.

The Duane Allman Anthology Vol. 1 is a combination of Duane performing session work as well as a glimpse of his work with the Allman Brothers Band. The material begins with an early band he formed with his brother Gregg, The Hourglass, and concludes with five Allman Brothers Band songs. In between those periods, Duane played sessions for a variety of excellent musicians playing blues, soul, R&B, acoustic material, and rock.

With the session work selections, the material varies in that the band and singers differ from track-to-track. Some songs feature wailing guitars, while other tracks Duane plays a supplemental role. In an attempt to categorize, there are four main types of tracks: extended jams, supplemental roles, acoustic material, and the Allman Brothers Band.

From the first disc, Duane sings "Goin' Down Slow." It features some dazzling guitar clocking in at 8:44. The highlight from disc one? This is one of those songs where the notes that aren't played as good as the ones that are. Other tracks that open up are the "B. B. King Medley" where in addition to strong guitar phrases, Gregg Allman does a good B. B. King vocal impersonation.  Boz Scagg's "Loan Me a Dime" offers an extended R&B workout. The familiar long time classic "Layla" showcases the electric guitar duo of Eric Clapton and Duane Allman.

Many of the tracks Duane's role is low-key offering tasty slide guitar fills and short solos. Among my favorites is Wilson Pickett's rendition of the Beatles classic "Hey Jude," which showcases not only Duane, but great horns and vocals. There are several other good songs where Duane backs up the likes of Aretha Franklin, Delaney and Bonnie as well as a Bob Dylan cover "Down Along The Cove" with Johnny Jenkins just to name a few.

There are several acoustic songs. The album closer "Little Martha" from Eat a Peach is a gorgeous duet with Duane Allman and Dickey Betts. A good acoustic number, "Please Be With Me" by the band Cowboy that features Duane playing slide Dobro. Eric Clapton did a cover of the song on his album 461 Ocean Blvd. Speaking of Clapton, he and Duane perform a version of "Mean Old World" that subsequently was released on The Layla Sessions: 20 Anniversary Edition. The final acoustic track is "Rollin' Stone" with Johnny Jenkins, an urban blues gem indeed.

There are five Allman Brothers Band songs that close the disc. Two live, and three studio. Most people that buy the Duane Allman Anthology already have the Allman Brothers CD's. If you don't fall into that camp, these songs will likely convince you that you should.

Duane Allman is one of the truly special guitar players. His Anthology compiles material that is rare and spread among over a dozen albums, several that are out of print. For those that appreciate his genius will treasure this release.

 Credits - Track listing:

CD 1
01    –B.B. King Medley  The Hourglass*     7:02
 a     –     Sweet Little Angel    
 b     –     It's My Own Fault    
 c     –     How Blue Can You Get    
02     –Wilson Pickett     Hey Jude     4:05
03     –Clarence Carter     The Road Of Love     2:51
04     –Duane Allman     Goin' Down Slow     8:45
05     –Aretha Franklin     The Weight     2:57
06     –King Curtis     Games People Play     2:45
07     –John Hammond*     Shake For Me     2:40
08     –Boz Scaggs     Loan Me A Dime     12:58
09     –Johnny Jenkins     Rollin' Stone     4:58

CD 2
01     –Delaney & Bonnie & Friends     Livin' On The Open Road     5:12
02     –Johnny Jenkins     Down Along The Cove     3:03
03     –Cowboy (6)     Please Be With Me     3:49
04     –Eric Clapton and Duane Allman     Mean Old World     3:50
05     –Derek & The Dominos     Layla     7:10
06     –The Allman Brothers Band     Statesboro Blues     4:08
07     –The Allman Brothers Band     Don't Keep Me Wondering     3:59
08     –The Allman Brothers Band     Standback     3:25
09     –The Allman Brothers Band     Dreams     7:18
10     –The Allman Brothers Band     Little Martha     2:08