Recorded live in the studio in 1994, "Where It All Begins" is a terrific latter-day Allman Brothers album. It is filled with big, muscular rock songs, only one of which is over seven minutes long...and that is REALLY tight for an Allman Brothers record!

Musically, "Where It All Begins" is more diverse than most of the band's records, spanning rock, soul, blues, a little bit of jazz and funk, and various forms with a hyphen and the word "rock" (blues-rock, country-rock...)

Gregg Allman has a much stronger presence than on the 1990 comeback album with four songwriting credits, including two of the best songs, the confessional "All Night Train" and the great, muscular funk of "Sailin' 'Cross The Devil's Sea".

Dickey Betts gets five...he usually provided the countryish flavour, but here he brings the wonderful, tough "Mean Woman Blues" and the driving hard rock of "No One To Run With" to the party, as well as the powerful mid-tempo blues stomper "Change My Way Of Living" and two more traditionally "Betts-ish" numbers, the title track and "Everybody's Got A Mountain To Climb".

The rhythm section is perfect, tough yet supple, with plenty of swing...bassist Allen Woody and percussionist Marc Quinones are just wonderful, and this is the Allmans' last studio album to feature the combination of Dickey Betts and slide guitarist Warren Haynes. Haynes is a fine, rough singer, and he provides an updated version of the Gov't Mule number "Soulshine", a wonderful, melodic slow rock song. He also gets co-writing credits on "All Night Train" and the apostrophe-song ("Sailin' 'Cross The Devil's Sea"), and plays sizzling lead and slide guitar.

This is an unusually strong and consistent batch of songs...the garish cover looks like something from a cartoon, which is a bit of a shame, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with the music. "Where It All Begins" is a bit more mainstream and certainly not as improvisational as the Allman Brothers records of the early 70s, and that may not be to everybody's liking, but most listeners, whether casual or diehard, should get a kick out of this delightful album all the same.

In fact, "Where It All Begins" should appeal to all serious rock and blues fans. And don't forget to pick up the live album from the ensuing tour, "An Evening With The Allman Brothers Band - 2nd Set".

This is one album I never get tired of.

4 3/4 stars - highly recommended.

I found this cd in a used shop and got it for only 5 bucks! What a great deal!! This is not The Fillmore Concerts or Eat a Peach but it delivers. The title track is a real stand out. And 'Nobody Left to Run With' is a fantastic song that got some airplay. Both of these songs do what the brothers do so well - create a mood. In this case the mood is a very good one. There's a lot of joy on this entire album. I love it all the way through.

The Allmans continue their comeback with another strong album from the mid-90. Overall I don't find this album quite as strong as "Shades", but it is another solid effort from the band. Highlights include the 10 minute title track written by Dickey Betts. I also like "No One Left To Run With" by Greg Allman. It has a Bo Diddly riff and lyrics that just about anyone over the age of 40 can relate to. The rest of the album is pretty much vintage Allmans blues rock. Not a bad song in the bunch, but not a lot that really stands out either.

Cut from the same cloth as many of the Allman Brothers' best releases, "Where It All Begins" features the extended jams, coiled dual guitar solos from Dickie Betts and Warren Haynes, and pain-wracked, blues-drenched Gregg Allman vocals making this group among few in classic rock still evolving, if not quite progressing. (This is especially true of Southern rock, constantly running to stand still.)

Credit clean production from veteran Tom Dowd (Aretha Franklin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Clapton). He contains, yet doesn't cool, the fiery live feel of Betts' Bo Diddley-ish "No One Left To Run With" (a personal favorite), his deep blues "Change My Way Of Living," the Memphis soul of "Everybody's Got A Mountain To Climb" and Allman's adulterous tale "Temptation Is A Gun," written with ex-Journey members Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain.

Also credit exceptional performances from drummers Jaimoe and Butch Trucks and percussionist Mark Quinnones. Like great baseball teams "strong up the middle," their swift rhythm kicks beneath the solos rate with Charlie Watts as among the finest still actively playing. This gives the ABB an anchor Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann could not (in the studio, at least) give the similarly solo-inclined Grateful Dead.

The title is slightly misleading; where it all begins (and ends) for the Allmans is in concert. There, like the Dead, they sharpen and strengthen their sun-dried jazz/blues/Southern rock hybrid. Collecting their music also begins with live albums, whether the seminal "Live At Fillmore East" or the 90s "Evening With" and "2nd Set." CDs. But "Where It All Begins" is a highly recommended LP from a group that performing nearly as well in studio confines (and should more often).

This is a highly under-rated album, suprisingly. Yeah, the production is itself somewhat understated and mellowed, but there is great depth and beauty in it. A great line up and altogether a great album that I highly recommend.

-Robert, Illinois.