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Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Brothers Band and the Inside Story of the Album That Defined the '70s

Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Brothers Band and the Inside Story of the Album That Defined the '70s

by Alan Paul

St. Martin's Press ·2023 ·352 pages ·Music
Near the Top
Near the Top
I Index
50/99
Maybe Someday

46/99

Critics

Near the Top

55/99

Readers

n/a

Scholars

41/99

Rating

52/99

Volume

65/99

Rating

45/99

Volume

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About This Book

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER New York Times bestselling author Alan Paul's in-depth narrative look at the Allman Brothers' most successful album, and a portrait of an era in rock and roll and American history. The Allman Brothers Band's Brothers and Sisters was not only the band's bestselling album, at over seven million copies sold, but it was also a powerfully influential release, both musically and culturally, one whose influence continues to be profoundly felt. Celebrating the album's fiftieth anniversary, Brothers and Sisters the book delves into the making of the album, while also presenting a broader cultural history of the era, based on first-person interviews, historical documents, and in-depth research. Brothers and Sisters traces the making of the template-shaping record alongside the stories of how the Allman Brothers came to the rescue of a flailing Jimmy Carter presidential campaign and helped get the former governor of Georgia elected president; how Gregg Allman's marriage to Cher was an early harbinger of an emerging celebrity media culture; and how the band's success led to internal fissures. The book also examines the Allman Brothers' relationship with the Grateful Dead―including the most in-depth reporting ever on the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, the largest rock festival ever―and describes how they inspired bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, helping create the southern rock genre. With exclusive access to hundreds of hours of never-before-heard interviews with every major player, including Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman, conducted by Allman Brothers Band archivist, photographer, and "Tour Mystic" Kirk West, Brothers and Sisters is an honest assessment of the band's career, history, and highs and lows.


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Reviews

"The book is full of trenchant observations by friends and contemporaries, creating a valuable perspective on the music scene in the early '70s."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"It's a riveting piece of reporting, but while it deals definitively with the Allman Brothers' fifth album, it never quite makes the case that Brothers and Sisters impacted the culture at large ..."

David Kirby· The Washington Post Read review ↗ Near the Top

"The book also overstates the influence of the album itself ..."

Marc Ballon· Los Angeles Times Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Paul's prose doesn't soar like a Duane Allman guitar solo, but he's perceptive when analyzing the musical approaches of the band's members."

Gavin Edwards· The Wall Street Journal Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Enriched by a cache of band interviews never heard before, Paul's entry marshals encyclopedic detail and sterling prose for a vivid glimpse into a classic moment in music history."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Near the Top

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