Gregg Allman's Laid Back

Laid Back (Gregg Allman album)
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Laid Back

Studio album by Gregg Allman
Released 1973
Genre Southern rock
Length 35:27
Label Capricorn
Producer Johnny Sandlin and Gregg Allman

Gregg Allman chronology
Laid Back
(1973) Gregg Allman Tour
(1974)

Laid Back is a 1973 album by Gregg Allman and was released on the Capricorn Records label. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts in 1974.

Allmusic stated: "Recorded in the same year as the Brothers and Sisters album, this solo debut release is a beautiful amalgam of R&B, folk, and gospel sounds, with the best singing on any of Gregg Allman's solo releases." In Rolling Stone, reviewer Tony Glover said "Laid Back isn't quite what you'd expect from Gregg's work with the Brothers Band. Instead, it's a moody LP, often tinged with grandeur, and maybe just a little too rich and one-colored in spots. But on the whole, a moving look at another side of a finely charismatic singer/writer."

Track listing
"Midnight Rider" (Gregg Allman & Robert Kim Payne) – 4:28
"Queen of Hearts" (G. Allman) – 6:17
"Please Call Home" (G. Allman) – 2:48
"Don't Mess Up a Good Thing" (Oliver Sain) – 4:13
"These Days" (Jackson Browne) – 3:56
"Multi-Colored Lady" (G. Allman) – 4:55
"All My Friends" (Scott Boyer) – 4:32
"Will the Circle Be Unbroken" (Traditional - Arranged by G. Allman & Johnny Sandlin) – 4:49

Personnel
Gregg Allman – vocals, organ, acoustic guitar
Bill Stewart – drums
Chuck Leavell – acoustic and electric pianos, vibes
Tommy Talton – acoustic, electric and slide guitars, dobro and tambourine
Scott Boyer – acoustic, electric and steel guitars, electric piano
David Brown – bass
Buzz Feiten – guitar
Charlie Hayward – bass
Paul Hornsby – organ, keyboards, clavinet
Jai Johanny Johanson – percussion, conga
Carl Hall – background vocals
Hilda Harris – background vocals
Cissy Houston – background vocals
Emily Houston – background vocals
June McGruder – background vocals
Helene Miles – background vocals
Linda November – background vocals
Eileen Gilbert – background vocals
Maretha Stewart – background vocals
Albertine Robinson – background vocals
Jim Nalls – guitar
David "Fathead" Newman – saxophone
Johnny Sandlin – bass
Butch Trucks – percussion, cabasa
Ed Freeman – strings
Max Cahn – violin
Tony Posk – violin

Production notes
Johnny Sandlin – producer, arranger, engineer
David Boyd - personal manager
Ovie Sparks – engineer
Buddy Thornton – engineer
George Marino – engineer, mastering
Jim Reeves – engineer
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laid_Back_(Gregg_Allman_album)"

As always, after Wikipedia's cold facts... a question: what brings an artist to begin an album with the most beautiful song available at that moment?

What would you do in his shoes?

Solid Air for John Martyn... Midnight Rider for Gregg Allman... Leather and Triad on Jefferson Airplane's Crown of Creation (ok, ok: they're 2nd and 3rd tracks, BUT soooo perfect songs;-))))... everything you'll listen after these masterpieces in the following tracks will be lesser...

... but this quite uncommon practice - i.e placing the strongest cut at the very beginning says also... "Hey, listen to my very best stuff!"... it's a generous act.

BTW... a sonically superb disc, as well...