Gregg Allman Band - I'm No Angel/Just Before the Bullets Fly

  by Carl Bookstein

published: 8 / 9 / 2015

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From sweet ‘Melissa’ to ‘Midnight Rider’, Gregg Allman has sung and created American Southern Rock songs indelibly etched into the collective consciousness. Allman is founder, singer and organ player for the legendary Allman Brothers Band, who retired last year after their 45th year anniversary. The Allman Brothers Band was co-founded by Gregg’s deceased slide guitar virtuoso brother Duane Allman, who died in a motorcycle accident in 1971 at the age of 24. Gregg Allman has had an ongoing and distinctive solo career as well. His rich, resonant blues soaked vocals consistently touch the soul. The album ‘I’m No Angel’, originally released in 1986 is part of a two disc reissue- both from the Gregg Allman Band, from label Floating World’s Retroworld division. The title track ‘I’m No Angel’ sparks up melodically from the first notes. Instantly recognisable, Allman’s voice is warm and welcoming: “So you found me hard to handle/Well I’m easier to hold… So I might steal your diamonds/ I’ll bring you back some gold.” With instrumentation that includes stinging electric guitar and a steady drum beat, this song is an intelligent biopic of a number- a clever, thoughtful self- assessment of a legend. ‘Anything Goes’ is a distinctive vocal from a stellar Southern Rock voice, with dancing keyboards and a rollicking beat; ‘Evidence of Love’, a heartfelt number, is harmonic and soul soothing. On ‘Yours for the Asking’, Allman opens his heart and soul to his lover- this an album chock full of earnest love songs. ‘Things That Might Have Been’ contemplates the nature of regret, with Allman singing about a cheating heart. Opening with a rich Allman played organ riff, ‘Don’t Want You No More' is a charging, cascading blues instrumental in the tradition of classic Allman Brothers Band fare. The closer of disc one, ‘It’s Not My Cross to Bear’ includes another soul-stirring Allman vocal, with lyrics about holding on to strength and carrying on, accompanied by an aspiring, reaching guitar lead. The title track to disc two here, 1988’s ‘Just Before the Bullets Fly’, was a co-write with Warren Haynes who has at this point served a long tenure with the Allman Brothers Band as well as Gov’t Mule. The lyrics describe a lover’s jealous husband and a narrator who feels he is too young to die. ‘Ocean Awash the Gunwhale’ is a smooth flowing ballad, capturing a vision of sailing at sea with lyrics about a God up in heaven who surely must love rock and roll. ‘Can’t Get Over You’ is a charge-ahead rocker with a steady beat- a tale of love and loss. ‘Every Hungry Woman” closes the second disc. It is a down and dirty, gritty Allman Brothers style treatment and a blues soaked train of a number, finishing this double Gregg Allman Band re-issue with a solid bang- all in all, a pleasing two set affair.

Track Listing:-

1 I'm No Angel
2 Anything Goes
3 Evidence of Love
4 Yours for the Asking
5 Things That Might Have Been
6 Can't Keep Running
7 Faces Without Names
8 Lead Me On
9 Don't Want You No More
10 It's Not My Cross to Bear
11 Demons
12 Demons
13 Slip Away
14 Thorn and a Wild Rose
15 Ocean Awash the Gunwale
16 Fear of Falling
17 Night Games
18 Every Hungry Woman (Live)

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/GreggAllman
http://www.greggallman.com/
https://twitter.com/GreggAllmanNews
https://instagram.com/OfficialGreggAllman/
https://www.facebook.com/allmanbrothersband

Label Links:-

http://www.floatingworldrecords.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/floating.worldrecords
https://twitter.com/floatingwrecord

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