The Allman brothers gold I the definitive collection from this great southern rock band which covers their most succesful years from 1969-79.This terrific compilation was mainly penned from the following albums,THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND,IDLEWILD SOUTH,LIVE AT FILLMORE EAST,EAT A PEACH,BROTHERS AND SISTERS,WIN LOSE OR DRAW,WIPE THE WINDOWS,CHECKTHE OIL,DOLLAR AND GAS and 1979's ENLIGHTENED ROGUES.I bought this collection two days back and just cant stop listening to it.Most of their popular songs are featured in this collection and is highly recommended to all rock fans who want their music on a single compilation.

Before I became big music fan, when I would think of the Allman Brothers Band - two things came to mind: 1) They had a nice catchy song in the early 1970s called, "Ramblin' Man"; 2) They have a lead singer and guitar player in Gregg Allman who was once married to Cher. Eventually I came to realize that I was very wrong. This is a band that really made their mark as first a Blues Band, and then expanded to a Southern Rock style. As I began to realize how much more the Allman Brothers Band was, I soon learned how the Allman Brothers Band did it - the old fashioned way: touring! The Allman Brothers Band are not the first band to build their reputation through touring - bands such as the Grateful Dead, Phish, and the Dave Matthews Band all built their fan base by touring. The Allman Brothers established this reputation in the early 1970s when they were emerging as a band. When the Allman Brothers Band got back together in the 1990s, they once again would re-establish themselves as a touring band. For a band that has been around since 1969 (with a hiatus in the mid-1980s), the Allman Brothers Band has amassed a large-sized music catalog. While there are several compilations of greatest hits available by the Allman Brothers Band, it is "Allman Brothers Band: Gold" that builds a two CD collection from the "glory days" of the band: 1969 to 1979. This collection does a very good job at integrating the elements of Blues, Southern Rock, and showcasing some of the live recordings that made the band famous.

The term "Southern Rock" is often a loaded term. Southern Rock involves the heavy use of the guitar and often combines imagery from the "Deep South". Southern Rock can refer to a variety of different styles and has also undergone several evolutions over the years. Technically one can consider pioneer Rockers Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis to have their roots in Southern Rock. For the most part, the Allman Brothers Band were pioneers in this sound. The guitar work of the Dickey Betts and the late Duane Allman played a key role in the Blues sound, but their heavy guitar use made them natural for the "Southern Rock" sound. I must admit I'm not the biggest fan of pure Blues music or Southern Rock. While I do like how these elements are incorporated into other genres of music, I really don't care for this style of music on its own. However, I have a lot of respect for bands that can do wonders with their instruments. Clearly, the band members of the Allman Brothers Band are as good as the get when it comes to instrumentation. Therefore, I'm going to take my personal feelings for this genre of music out of the equation and just look at how the album stands on its own.

With greatest hits collections, I prefer the songs to be arranged chronologically on the collection. This allows me to see how the artist has progressed over time. The nice thing about this collection is that it does order the tracks in chronological order. This allows the two CD collection of "Allman Brothers Band: Gold" to really demonstrate how they evolved their sound. For the most part, the first CD of this collection showcases the Blues sound of the Allman Brothers Band. The second CD showcases more of the Southern Rock influence of the Allman Brothers Band (although the Blues influence is still maintained on many of the tracks of this period). The way these songs are selected and ordered, it helps enhance the listening experience to the band's sound.

Perhaps my favorite track by the Allman Brothers band is the last track of the second CD, "Pegasus". This might be one of the most underrated tracks ever made. It happens to be my favorite track, but it is also the perfect "wrap up" track to this collection. This incorporates a Latin Jazz flavor to the band. Perhaps this sound came about as a result of the album, "Enlightened Rogues" being recorded in South Florida. This track also has some terrific Latin percussion by Jamoe Johanson.

It is important to note that the Allman Brothers Band incorporates several live tracks into this collection from their legendary live album "The Allman Brothers Band: Live at Fillmore East". These tracks include "Statesboro Blues", "Stormy Monday", "Hot 'Lanta", and "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed". There is also a live cut of "One Way Out" (also recorded at Fillmore East but released on a subsequent album "Eat a Peach") and "Come and Go Blues" (released on "Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas"). These live cuts help to add to the listening experience of the collection.

Another important thing is the sound quality. For a collection that has the majority of the tracks recorded over 30 years ago - the recording sound is incredible. You put this CD with a good pair of speakers and you will hear some incredible instrumentation. This is what helped me appreciate the Allman Brothers Band sound.

As with many greatest hits collections, the lyrics are not included to any of the tracks with the "Allman Brothers Band: Gold". Each of the tracks are listed along with the songwriting and musician credits. In addition each of the corresponding albums that the songs were released on are listed with each of the tracks. From a readability standpoint, I found this discography at the back of the liner notes a bit difficult to follow, but I still applaud how this information was included. The liner notes also contain a very candid biographical essay of the Allman Brothers Band by Dave Thompson. Overall, while I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of their music, I still must applaud the efforts of this collection. This is a good set for both new fans and serious fans alike. Highly recommended.

Great compilation, with good sound, nice songs choise.

At the end - the most essential tracks of ABB on two CD's.

Perfect for my music collection.

this is the very best of the classic allmans 1969-1979,its perfect for those who only want one allman cd and are looking for a little more than a one cd collection.for sure its a rockin good time delivered as only the allman brotherws can give.

This is a fantastic 2 disc compilation of the Allman Brothers at their creative peak, the seventies. There is lots of great material on here that radio stations don't play for some reason. All I can say is put it on and let it play. You won't even have to hit the skip button through this stuff, it's all good. This is a great way to pick up their best material.