The band got more and more into the
pre-show jams, often turning th equip- ment and line check into a full on pre-All- man jam, and later began playing their own shows around Macon to earn some extra coin. Now, all of these years later, The Almost Bros. Band’s sole album is at long last available. Taken from the two-track Capricorn stu-
dio tapes (the masters have long sense dis- appeared), there was no option to re-mix the recordings. This the music, just as it was recorded, in the raw. Thing is, it more than holds up. Dave Cole’s vocals are on target
through the entire album. The song selec- tion is also very cool, as they cover Mem- phis Slim’s “Stepping Out” and the awesome original instrumental “Modular Motion” and an apt cover of “Drifting.” Cole leads the band through his original “Is It Wrong,” a song that gives whole new meaning to the words “laid back. The record is full of Buddy Thornton penned instrumentals, like “Rainbow Chase,” “Complicated Shoes,”and “Compactor,” proving just how good the Almost Broth- ers really were A Band Of Roadies is a very good
album, regardless of the Allman connec- tion. It’s a must-have for ABB and South- ern Jam lovers.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
Rocky Athas The Essential Rocky Athas Vol. 1 (Cherryburst Records) My first exposure
to the lush and
bluesy sounds of Rocky Athas came about because of my deep appreciation for the band, Black Oak Arkansas, who Athas played with for a short while. His work with the legendary John Mayall drew me in even further. Regardless of whom he is playing with, it is always a joy to hear him play. The Essential Rocky Athas Volume 1 focuses on Athas’ solo works, which he de- scribes as “a labor of love years in the making”. For the guitar aficionados, Athas notes fifteen different guitars used on the ten tracks in this fabulous collec- tion. It makes me happy to know he plans to release two more volumes later this year. Athas delivers energized Texas blues at
its finest in “Long Time Gone” and “Think About It”. The later features special guest John Mayall. Captivating grooves sea- soned with delicious guitar licks bring these tracks to the forefront. The soul- fully performed “Last of the Blues” is about as perfect a blues song as one can get, with its poignant lyrics and beautiful melody. It’s so fun to hear him let it all hang out on “Tearin’ Me Up”, another ter- rific track. The album closes out with an exquisite
cover of Cream’s “White Room”, bringing the John Mayall connection full circle, as Athas pays homage to the earliest of May- all’s collaborators, Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce. This track is truly the pièce de ré- sistance. I can’t wait to hear volumes 2 and 3.
-Phillip Smith
COMING NEXT ISSUE: Billy F. Gib- bons; Leslie West; E.G Kight; Buster Cousins; Beat Daddys; Swampdawamp and many more reviews!
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