I enjoy the music on this album very much. Duane Allman had been the leader of this band until his untimely death. His brother, Gregg was left to pick up the pieces and keep the band going. In addition, Berry Oakley died during the making of this album, appearing on only the first two tracks. Against such adversity the band develops one of the defining albums of 1973. Gregg Allman really does hold his own with superb playing and by contributing two great songs true to the tradition of the Blues. JELLY, JELLY is a soulfull tune influenced by T Bone Walker and the Chicago Blues. It is Richard "Dickey" Betts who really comes up with the goods by stepping forward with a bona-fide hit, RAMBLIN' MAN, and the remainder of the songs as well as playing guitar which now defines Southern Rock. Whether he is playing Dobro in the style of the Mississippi Blues Singers on PONY BOY, or a firey lead on SOUTHBOUND, trading licks with Les Dudek while singing on RAMBLIN' MAN, it is Betts who defines the sound of this Allman Brothers' CD. JESSICA is possibly one of the best travelling songs ever written, and it is Dickey Betts' melodic, distinctly southern guitar playing that will stick in my mind as I fondly remember this CD. Anything else I would write would just be WASTED WORDS. If you are interested in US Southern Rock of the early seventies, or in great guitar music which is based on American Folk Blues, this CD will be interesting to you.

1973's BROTHERS AND SISTERS was the first full-length studio album from the Allman Brothers Band in nearly three years, during which time the band had lost both guitarist Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakley, who were replaced as it were by pianist Chuck Leavell and Lamar Williams. Surviving Duane's death had been nothing short of miraculous; surviving Berry's, without a major shift in the group's sound and sensibilities, proved impossible.

For this reason, as well as the remaining bandmembers' ongoing slide into the personal and chemical excesses which have always made the big time what it is, BROTHERS AND SISTERS presents a largely revamped ABB, with songwriting replacing jamming as the chief priority and a crisper, more commercial attitude than that of any previous Allmans release coloring the results. Guitarist Dickey Betts, having already proven himself capable of singlehandedly tackling the string-strangling front line he'd once so famously shared with Duane, here also takes the lion's share of composing credits; it is clearly his vision which predominates on this, the ABB's last genuinely great LP.

The first two tracks on BROTHERS AND SISTERS were the last to feature Berry Oakley, and the tragedy of his sudden exit is underscored by the fact that one of them, Dickey's country-rock anthem "Ramblin' Man," would become the band's only major hit single. It's a phenomenal piece of work, to be sure, with stinging guitar work from Dickey and guest strummer Les Dudek and a made-for-radio chorus which suggests that the Brothers could still go anywhere and do anything if it involved making music. Gregg Allman's opener, "Wasted Words," is a bit too similar in both title and mood to EAT A PEACH's "Ain't Wastin' Time No More," but that hardly makes it bad.

As for the post-Berry cuts, Gregg scores winners with both the soulful, lovesick "Come and Go Blues" and the updated Ray Charlesish "Jelly Jelly," while Dickey contributes "Southbound" - a tune so much in Gregg's vein that he gives Gregg the vocal - and a bright instrumental ("Jessica") which, inevitably, would be greatly expanded upon in concert over the years. "Pony Boy," the closer, a down-home acoustic number on which Gregg doesn't even play, is one of the album's strongest numbers, mixing clever and humorous lyrics with a flawless instrumental track which must have left listeners at the time wondering whether the next release from this group would be credited to the Allman/Betts Band.

It wasn't, of course, though perhaps it should have been. In any case, more than three decades later BROTHERS AND SISTERS stands as the right bookend on the ABB's top shelf of recordings, posthumous live releases by the original sextet excepted of course. A fully worthy addition to the catalogue, nevertheless; Duane and Berry would have been proud.

I love this album. Any band that suffered the losses that the Allman Brothers did would have folded, and those that didn't would have come out with a product that sounded familiar but was clearly inferior and was nothing more than a desperate effort to hang on to the money making name brand. Not only did they create something genuine,authentic and toe-tapping, they delivered something that would still sound fresh 35 years later. "Rambling Man" got a lot of air time when it was first released. You would hear it everywhere: in your car; on the beach; at barbeques and picnics; in between classes --and no one got sick of it. Every song is a gem. They also had the foresight to dump the 22 minutes jams. Get this cd, pop open your favorite beverage and enjoy it. I hate to sound like some old guy but when we old guys say THEY DON'T MAKE MUSIC LIKE THEY USED TO this is a prime example of what we are talking about.

this cd is one of my top 3 allman brothers albums. every type of music the allmans have played thru their career is on this cd. straight out southern rock (ramblin man) blues (come and go blues) a classsic instumental (jessica). their trademark trading guitars are not here (this was the first studio album without duane allman) but chuck leavell does more than excellent trading with dicky betts. no, its not duane and not the same, but it works. listen to it straight thru and you will find an excellant work. (just in case you didn't know what happened to chuck leavell, he is now the rolling stones pianist)

After the tragic death of guitarist Duane Allman, The Allman Brothers regrouped and came up with their most accesssible album up until that time. Gone were the extended guitar workouts that had previously been their signature (indeed, the entire running length of "Brothers and Sisters" is barely longer than the half hour-plus song "Mountain Jam" from the preceeding album). In their place came some terrific songwriting hooks and their most popular single, "Ramblin' Man," which took its place alongside Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" as the twin towers of Southern rock anthems.

Other standout tracks include fine rockers "Wasted Words" and "Southbound," as well as the gorgeous instrumental "Jessica." The band also keeps in touch with its roots with "Come and Go Blues" and the more traditional country sounding "Pony Boy." Only the short length (only 7 tracks) of the album keep it feeling somewhat slight and out of 5 star territory.

Overall, a fine recording that once and for all established Southern rock as a cultrual force.