Bless Your Heart | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 28, 2020 | |||
Studio | Muscle Shoals (Sheffield, Alabama) | |||
Genre | Southern rock [1] | |||
Label | BMG | |||
Producer | Matt Ross-Spang | |||
The Allman Betts Band chronology | ||||
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Bless Your Heart is an album by the country rock group the Allman Betts Band. Their second album, it was recorded on two-inch analog tape at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama. It was released as a CD and as a two-disc LP on August 28, 2020.
The Allman Betts Band includes the sons of three founding members of the Allman Brothers Band – Devon Allman (son of Gregg Allman), Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts), and Berry Duane Oakley (son of Berry Oakley).
In the Sarasota Herald-Tribune Wade Tatangelo wrote, "Music lovers seeking a fresh fix of genuine rock and roll will be hard-pressed to find a more satisfying release in 2020 than the Allman Betts Band's double album Bless Your Heart.... It places you in the room with a group of gifted musicians who are making music meant to be heard in front of an audience. The Allman Betts Band has already built a reputation as one of the best live acts of their generation..." [2]
In No Depression Grant Britt wrote, "The sophomore offering from the Allman Betts Band encapsulates and embraces the Allman legacy without slavishly copying the sound of their parent company.... This is the Allman Betts Band's best offering yet, showcasing a band still tethered to their legacy but their own way with a sound that honors their roots without stepping all over them." [3]
On AllMusic Timothy Monger said, "... Bless Your Heart is a reliable and often-pleasing romp down the muggy dirt roads of soulful Southern rock that hits its mark squarely without making any real attempts to rock the boat. Given the group's M.O., that's not necessarily a bad thing. Allman, Betts, and bassist Berry Duane Oakley... are all fluid, capable musicians with deep knowledge, personal history, and an inherent chemistry well-suited to this type of music." [1]
In Rock and Blues Muse Mike O'Cull said, "The Allman Betts Band delivers the tie-dyed summertime goods on its brand-new album Bless Your Heart.... It's a road-forged album full of the chemistry of legends and the kind of telepathic musical interplay nine bands out of ten will never reach.... The Allman Betts Band is one of the finest blues/rock outfits in the world right now and it feels like they're just getting started." [4]
In Glide Magazine Doug Collette wrote, "Bless Your Heart simultaneously reinforces and extends the favorable first impression left with the premier album.... Allman, Betts and Stachela not only have distinct styles, but also some bonafide chemistry. It's also crucial to note their sharp, shared instincts for jamming also extend to the keyboardist, not to mention percussionist R. Scott Bryan and drummer John Lum." [5]
In Louder Hugh Fielder said, "Considering that their fathers had to be separated into different bands, the sons of Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts seem to be getting along just fine. Guitarists Devon Allman and Duane Betts are joined by a third son-of-an-Allman Brother, Berry Duane Oakley, on bass in their seven-piece band, along with a third guitarist because, well, you can never have enough guitarists when it comes to southern rock." [6]
In Blues Rock Review Pete Francis said, "On Bless Your Heart, the Allman Betts Band continues to do what they do best, deliver good ole' fashioned blues-tinged southern rock. The 13 tracks take the listener on a ride and are filled with an abundance of textures." [7]
The Allman Betts Band
Additional musicians
Production
The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969. Its founding members were brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman, as well as Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley (bass), Butch Trucks (drums), and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson (drums). Subsequently based in Macon, Georgia, they incorporated elements of blues, jazz and country music and their live shows featured jam band-style improvisation and instrumentals.
Forrest Richard Betts was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was best known as a longtime member of the Allman Brothers Band. A co-founder of the band when it formed in 1969, he was central to the group's greatest commercial success in the mid-1970s, and was the writer and vocalist on the Allmans' hit single "Ramblin' Man". The Allman Brothers Band broke up and re-formed twice, always with Betts in the lineup, until he left the band in 2000.
Raymond Berry Oakley III was an American bassist and one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band. Known for his long, melodic bass runs, he was ranked number 46 on Bass Player magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time". He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Allman Brothers Band in 1995.
Thom "Ace" Doucette is an American blues harmonica player from the Sarasota, Florida region. He is best known for having played with The Allman Brothers Band in the 1970s and later, although he was never an official member.
Live at the Atlanta International Pop Festival: July 3 & 5, 1970 is a two-CD live album by the Allman Brothers Band. It features their two performances at the 1970 Atlanta International Pop Festival, at the Middle Georgia Raceway in Byron, Georgia. It was released in 2003.
Macon City Auditorium: Macon, GA 2/11/72 is a two-CD live album by the Allman Brothers Band. It was recorded at the Macon City Auditorium in Macon, Georgia on February 11, 1972. The third archival concert album from the Allman Brothers Band Recording Company, it was released in 2004.
Nassau Coliseum: Uniondale, NY: 5/1/73 is a two-CD live album by the Allman Brothers Band. It was recorded at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York on May 1, 1973. The fourth archival concert release from the Allman Brothers Band Recording Company, it features the 1972 to 1976 lineup of the band – Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Chuck Leavell (piano), Lamar Williams (bass), Jaimoe (drums), and Butch Trucks (drums). It was released in 2005.
Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt was an American rock guitarist who played with Iron Butterfly and Captain Beyond. At one time Reinhardt was known by the nicknames "El Rhino" and "Ryno".
Boston Common, 8/17/71 is a live album by the rock group the Allman Brothers Band. As the name suggests, it was recorded at Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 17, 1971. It is the fifth archival release by the Allman Brothers Band Recording Company, and the third one to feature the original lineup of the band. It was released in 2007, and re-released in 2014.
Reese Wynans is an American keyboard player, who has done session work and has been a member of Double Trouble and progressive rock band Captain Beyond. In 2015, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Double Trouble.
Devon Allman is an American guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and record producer. He is the son of musician and singer-songwriter Gregg Allman and has appeared occasionally as a guest musician for Gregg Allman and The Allman Brothers Band. Allman was the founder and bandleader of Honeytribe, also known as Devon Allman's Honeytribe, with whom he released two albums and toured across North America and Europe. Prior to Honeytribe, Allman contributed to several other musical recordings, notably Vargas Blues Band and the A Song for My Father compilation album. He was one of the original members of Royal Southern Brotherhood and contributed to their first two studio albums and toured with them. In 2013, Allman launched his solo career as the Devon Allman Band, and has since released three albums. His latest tour, branded as the Devon Allman Project, features special guest Duane Betts.
Down to the River is an album by the Allman Betts Band. Their first album, it was released as a CD and as an LP on June 28, 2019.
Duane Betts is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. He leads Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel, and is a co-founding member of The Allman Betts Band. He was also a guitarist and singer for Dickey Betts & Great Southern, led by his father, Dickey Betts. He was previously a member of several other groups, including Backbone69, Whitestarr, Brethren of the Coast, Dawes, Jamtown, and Duane Betts & the Pistoleers.
Down in Texas '71 is a live album by the Allman Brothers Band. It was recorded on September 28, 1971 at the Austin Municipal Auditorium in Austin, Texas. It was released on March 26, 2021.
The Final Note is a live album by the Allman Brothers Band. It was recorded on October 17, 1971 at the Painters Mill Music Fair in Owings Mills, Maryland. It was released on October 16, 2020.
Fillmore West '71 is a four-CD live album by the Allman Brothers Band. It was recorded January 29 – January 31, 1971, at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. It was released on September 6, 2019.
Cream of the Crop 2003 is a four-CD live album by the Allman Brothers Band. It was recorded from July 25 to August 10, 2003 at six different concert venues. It was released on June 15, 2018.
The Fox Box is an eight-CD live album by the Allman Brothers Band. It contains the complete three-concert run recorded on September 24, 25, and 26, 2004 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. It was released on March 24, 2017.
The Allman Betts Band is an American rock group. Formed in November 2018, it includes the sons of three founding members of the Allman Brothers Band – Devon Allman, Duane Betts, and Berry Duane Oakley. The band plays mostly original songs, with some covers of Allman Brothers songs mixed in. They have toured nationally and internationally, and have released two albums – Down to the River (2019) and Bless Your Heart (2020).
Manley Field House, Syracuse University, April 7, 1972 is a two-CD live album by the rock group the Allman Brothers Band. As the name suggests, it was recorded at Manley Field House in Syracuse, New York on April 7, 1972. It was released on January 12, 2024.