Reach for the Sky [Limited Edition]

The Allman Brothers Band: Gregg Allman (vocals, organ); Dickey Betts (vocals, lead & slide guitar, avatar guitar, synthesizer); "Dangerous" Dan Toler (guitar); David "Rook" Goldflies (bass); Butch Trucks (drums, syndrums); "Jaimoe" Johnny Lee Johnson (drums).
Additional personnel: Jim Essery (harmonica); Mike Lawler (acoustic & electric piano, synthesizer); Johnny Cobb (piano, background vocals); Mark Morris (congas, timbales, percussion); Sherry Cobb, Thomas Caine (background vocals).
Producers: The Allman Brothers Band, Mike Lawler, Johnny Cobb.
Reissue producer: Mike Ragogna.
Recorded at Pyramid Eye Recording Studio, Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Originally released on Arista (9535).
Water was being tread ever so slightly here, but there's still enough impressive musicianship and (to a lesser extent) interesting songwriting to qualify this as a solid artifact of the Allmans Mach 2 period (although the occasionally jarring use of synthesizers, rather than the band's usual organ/piano sound, has dated a bit). The standout track is clearly "From the Madness of the West," the sole song here where the twin guitars of Dickey Betts and Dan Toler recall earlier band classics like "Jessica." Also noteworthy is a stomping barrelhouse rocker, "I've Got a Right," sung by Gregg Allman with his usual gruff bluster, and the catchy mean-woman blues "Angeline," which became a minor radio hit. ~ Rovi Staff