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
**********
TO THE TOP
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''ATLANTA'S BURNING DOWN''
1978
33:52
**********
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
**********
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
**********
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.
**********
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
**********
