Revisiting the ABB's Worst Album
1981's Brothers of the Road
I’m writing this on August 5, 2024—or one day after the 43rd anniversary of the release of Brothers of the Road, universally reviled as the Allman Brothers Band’s worst album.
Or so I thought.
Turns out the album has some very vocal fans, and quite a few people who object to the very notion of a “worst” Allman Brothers Band album.
Here are my posts on social media about Brothers of the Road
#1 Dickey expressing his discontent with the record
“The one that none of us in the band liked at all was Brothers of the Road, because Clive Davis kind of ran a producer in on us. And they mixed out all of the guitar harmonies, and tried to really disco-pop it up, and we really were trying to do some kind of hit single jingle kind of stuff on there. (sings) ‘Straight from the heart, baby my love.’
You know, some of that shit.
So even when we tried to make the best out of having to do some of those tunes, the guy mixed out some of the hardest work we did on it, and even simplified it from that.
So none of us really liked that record. That's when we said ‘Hey, we're just going to split the Allman Brothers up until the disco period gets behind us.’”
#2 a story from longtime ABB insider Bud Synder1
Snyder supported Dickey’s assertion that Clive Davis was a problem; the ABB needed no help with material.
“There were so many personality things going on in that time period, which was probably a result of the record label and where music was at that time, with all the disco stuff.
Still, to me, I think they were playing great music then. I don't particularly like those records, but I put a lot of the demos I recorded against those records, and I think you had more of the Allman Brothers spirit.
I thought Clive Davis was nuts. We had recorded ‘Anything Goes,’ which later came out Gregg's I'm No Angel album. We had recorded that in 1982, and Clive Davis talked about how he didn't hear any hits, per se, in this thing.
There was another song that we did on the Seven Turns album that Dickey wrote, called ‘Let Me Ride.’ Both those songs we cut in demos back in the early 80s, and Clive Davis said ‘No.’
‘Anything Goes,’ when it got released, was a Power Pick for like 8 weeks on 110 stations. That was 1986-87. The Allman Brothers wanted to release that in 82, but Clive said ‘No.’”
#3, titled “Final post in honor of 'Brothers of the Road' the ABB's worst album by all measures” got some attention
I shared this from Rolling Stone
“Did Arista break Up the Allmans?”
After 15 years of erratic, often inspiring music-making, the Allman Brothers Band has split up again—and this time, it might be for good. Gregg Allman has left the group to pursue a solo project, and three other members—Butch Trucks, Dickey Betts and Chuck Leavell—have teamed with ex-Wet Willie vocalist Jimmy Hall and are playing some scattered dates.
“It just all fell apart,” says Leavell of the Allmans. “And there’s always the Clive Davis factor.” Under the terms of their now terminated contract with Arista Records, Davis' label, the Allmans were given $500,000 to make each album.
The only creative control that Arista had over the band—whose album sales have slumped in recent years—was the right to choose a producer. “I wanted them to work with an established, independent producer, not an engineer,” says Davis.
Davis thus asked the band to send him material that he could play for potential studiomen. At first, the Allmans balked, saying that their best material is written in the studio. When the group finally relented and sent some demos, says Davis, “the producers to whom we sent them didn’t think they were strong enough.”
But the Allmans' manager, John Scher, says that Davis vetoed veteran producer Tom Dowd, among others, and has “improperly tried to censor” the group’s music. “By Clive’s locking us out of the studio, he kept Gregg and Dickey and everybody else from making a living. He forced everybody’s hand—and freed Arista from some serious financial obligations.”
Scher asserts that the band is on hiatus and will record again when the legal situation is resolved.2
Love for Brothers of the Road
I was/am surprised that it has any defenders, but it does. Here are several, with my comments below each.
even Gregg hated the album.
which is worse? I asked.
not sure what qualifies as “worst” if not BotR.
this surprised me, as much as these:
I’ve never heard anyone profess love for BotR.3
Again I ask, if not this album, which is the worst?
Not everything can be first, right?4
And which album is worse?
One person offered up Reach for the Sky (1980)—the first time a synthesizer appeared on an Allman Brothers’ record. It’s a nearly equally sad record for sure.
But it does have Jaimoe. Brothers does not.5
Someone else answered Win, Lose, or Draw and I had to think for a minute on that.
Like Brothers, WLoD is a pretty desultory affair, but it has two ABBsolute classics if you ask me, the killer Muddy Waters cover “Can’t Lose What You Never Had” and Dickey’s magnificent “High Falls.”
Brothers of the Road has nothing that even comes close.
And did I mention it’s missing Jaimoe?6
And it’s not like people loved BotR upon release in 1981
It was pretty universally panned.
Robert Palmer, Rolling Stone - Brothers of the Road is a little lacking in personality, too. At its best, it has both the instrumental finesse and soul that have always made the Allman Brothers Band special. But in too many of the tunes, the group sounds like it’s marking time as it rolls down that long, lonesome road.
Creem was even harsher7 - The whole album flows out in one well-crafted mellow ooze, as though it were the third Dickey Betts & Great Southern set or something. Mostly Gregg sounds tired here. It's funny, though, now that Brothers of the Road has virtually killed off my ragged hopes for the Allman Brothers Band, their last year's Reach For The Sky is beginning to sound more and more like a first-rate reunion set.
Then there’s the album cover
Take a look at it again.
Was Dickey the only know who knew there was photo shoot that day?
At least Butch has on a hat.8 But the rest of the guys?
Gregg’s headed to a tiki bar. Mike Lawler’s going hunting.9 Frankie Toler (far right) sports the Houston Astros’ look.10
And the location?
Who takes album cover photos standing in scrub at the edge of a nondescript field?11 The bizarre angle of the treeline makes it look like the Toler brothers are leaning to stand upright. But then Dan Toler (second from right) seems to be leaning into the slope, making you wonder why he’s not falling down.
Am I being too harsh?
Perhaps. But I prefer my Allman Brothers Band way less produced than what they gave us in 1980-1981.
Then again, they still rocked live, such as this show January 12, 1982 from the bandshell in Gainesville, Florida.
Stay Tuned
I’ll be posting a killer interview with David Goldflies, who was bassist of this era of the band. Here’s a preview:
Thanks for being here.
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Snyder was the ABB's soundman at the first half of the reunion that began in 1989.
In 1985, this appeared in Creem: “Less interesting, no doubt, yet every bit as judicious, is the Allman Brothers’ suit against their former record label. Arista, claiming that the company’s refusal to allow the Allmans to record the last three albums on their contract caused irreparable harm to the band’s career and reputations.”
The second was in response to me. I have never thought, much less written “I love BotR.”
That’s At Fillmore East, right? Or Eat a Peach? Or??? Whatever’s your favorite is your favorite, even if it’s Brothers of the Road.
It’s surprising to me how many people in the Long Live the ABB Facebook group didn’t realize the ABB recorded an album without employee #1: Jaimoe.
The ABB released one studio record without Dickey, Hittin’ the Note (2003). It’s a really great album and contains several nods to Dickey from Derek & Warren.
I don’t have the author’s name written down. It’s in the November 1981 issue. If anyone’s got it, send it my way and I’ll correct it.
Butchie typically rocked hats, not necessarily on the BotR cover, though.
Maybe with his keytar?
A-la J.R. Richard.
All I can think of is ticks and chiggers.
The album is forgettable, but ABB were never an albums band any way. The Brothers Of The Road DVD is fantastic (from that Gainesville 82 show)
This post made me listen to this record. I remember staring at it in the store in the early 90's, having just become an Allman Brothers fan, and trying to buy the right records by guile and guesswork. I didnt recognize any of the song titles and the cover was odd (no Jaimoe?), so I never pulled the trigger. I'm glad I didnt, given my limited budget at the time. However, having listened to it.....it ain't all that bad! It's not an "Allman Brothers" record as I think of them. But if I came across this by another band while sorting through old albums at the store, it would make it into regular rotation. I dig the whole late 70's white boy soul-rock-funk kinda thing. Someone mentioned the Doobie Brothers above and that sounds in line. There are many bands of that type for whom this would be a fondly remembered record. Dare I say a cautious thumbs up?