Dickey Betts & Great Southern - Back Where It All Begins CD/DVD Review

by Kevin Wierzbicki

The former long-time guitarist for the Allman Brothers Band, Betts is of course one of the main architects of what is known as "southern rock." This approximately two-hour show was filmed in Cleveland at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and features impressive versions of Betts classics like "Statesboro Blues" and "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." A lengthy version of the instrumental, "Jessica," is also included, with Betts and second guitarist "Dangerous" Dan Toler throwing in about ten minutes of improvisation. Betts honors fellow jam band guitarist Jerry Garcia by playing part of the Grateful Dead's "Fire on the Mountain" as the intro to the lush "Blue Sky." The only hiccup in the show, oddly enough, comes during "Ramblin' Man," when the group and the otherwise perfect drummer Frankie Lombardi can't seem to get on the same page, resulting in a very disappointing take on the fan favorite. All of the material that would have in the past been sung by Gregg Allman is handled admirably here by keys man Michael Kach. A second disc is a CD with songs from the band's soundcheck and a couple tunes from the show that are not included in the video.

CD Info and Links

Dickey Betts & Great Southern - Back Where It All Begins CD/DVD

Label:Eagle Vision
Rating: