The Allman Brothers Band’s Enlightened Rogues (released February 1979) is the result of the seminal Southern band’s reunion following their tawdry, fractious break-up of 1976. Produced by Tom Dowd, who had also provided studio supervision for Idlewild South, At Fillmore East, and Eat A Peach, the modified 1979 lineup of Brothers hews close to the blues-rock roots upon which they had built their reputation at the outset of the decade.
Keyboardist Chuck Leavell and bassist Lamar Williams were invited to join founding members Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks, and Jai Johanny Johanson (aka Jaimoe) in the new enterprise. Both were integral to the ABB’s across-the-board success of 1973 with the LP Brothers and Sisters, plus the single “Ramblin’ Man,” but, in the interim since the fractious dissolution, those two had found some measure of satisfaction with their group, Sea Level, and so demurred from enlisting.
As a result, guitarist/composer Betts brought into the fold two members of his solo group Great Southern. Guitarist Dan Toler and bassist David ‘Rook’ Goldflies helped foster a return to the original instrumental lineup of the sextet that had included the now-deceased guitarist Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakley. Accordingly, this sixth ABB album–titled after a saying from the voluble ‘Skydog’ himself–shows some flashes of brilliance, if not many sustained intervals the likes of which had highlighted their earlier work.
Not surprisingly, the high points are contributions from Gregg and Dickey. The former encountered issues with music publishing that severely limited his contributions of original material, but in terms of quality rather than quantity, “Just Ain’t Easy” more than suffices. The younger Allman sibling’s world-weary vocal delivery vividly communicates the doldrums he endured on the West Coast throughout his on-again, off-again relationship with Cher during the latter months of the Allman Brothers’ prior existence.
As such, Allman didn’t need anything more than straightforward lyrics to depict his state of mind at the time. And Betts needed no verbiage at all for “Pegasus:” on yet another of those patented instrumentals like “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and “Jessica,” the musicianship conjures a dramatic euphoria that bespeaks the title reference to the winged equine. That said, the tandem harmony guitar parts sound contrived rather than a natural outgrowth of the composition (much like the Elvin Bishop Group’s during his tenure on Capricorn circa “Fooled Around And Fell In Love”).
In addition, the arrangement is also somewhat over-familiar: the Hammond organ solo is as predictable as a brisk dual drum break. Nevertheless, this seven-and-a-half minute puts this sextet’s chemistry, such as it is, on full display (further evidence of which appears in the form of a live snippet included on the Dreams box set of a decade later.
The remainder of Enlightened Rogues is a mixed bag. Inclusions of material co-authored by B.B. King (“Blind Love”) resides next to Betts’ co-write with actor Don Johnson “Can’t Take It With You.” None of Betts’ originals such as “Crazy Love” are on par with his previous writing like “Revival” or “Blue Sky,” but they are nevertheless redeemed to some extent by enlivening accompaniment, despite the fact Toler never truly challenges his guitar partner (no doubt a designated hierarchy was in place).
Validating his rightful position as the namesake of the band–if not its creative linchpin at the time–Gregg Allman does complete justice to “Need Your Love So Bad” in place of another number of his own. An R&B ballad recorded by Little Willie John on which the ensemble playing bespeaks common sense savvy in its support of the singer, it is one more of a precious few moments here that genuinely recalls the work of the Allman Brothers Band at its best.
It is more than a little ironic, especially in over a half-century hindsight, that Enlightened Rogues turned out to be the last release by the ABB for the Capricorn Records label they helped establish. Sizable commercial success for this did not ameliorate the label’s financial woes, however, and a bankruptcy filing in October of the year the record was released effectively put manager/mentor Phil Walden’s business organization out of commission (though the imprimatur was revived for the CD reissue of the band’s catalog in 2005).
The Allmans subsequently soldiered on by signing a contract with Arista Records. But the overly-polished likes of Reach For The Sky preceded the ignominious creative compromise that was Brothers of the Road, by which time personnel conflict had arisen again: Jaimoe was not on the second album of these two. As a result, another split occurred between the Brothers who would not reconvene on any permanent basis for nearly a decade.
The surprise success of the aforementioned archival box prompted regrouping in 1989, however, and touring in support of that four-CD set led to more new recordings including Seven Turns and Shades of Two Worlds (both supervised by Dowd as he added to a reputation based on work with Ray Charles, Cream, Derek and the Dominos, plus many others).
The personnel of the latter-day ABB continued to shift in the wake of bassist Allen Woody’s death in 2000, the same year Dickey Betts was ousted from the group by the other founding members. Jimmy Herring participated in the summer tour that year, but demurred from accepting a permanent spot, the result of which was Warren Haynes’ return to the group (he and Woody had departed in 1997 to concentrate on Gov’t Mule).
Personnel had begun to stabilize with the recruitment of guitarist Derek Trucks in 1999, two years after bassist Oteil Burbridge joined; with percussionist Marc Quinones also in tow, this configuration of the Allman Brothers Band persevered till its final dissolution in 2014. This protracted sequence of events included plenty of satisfying output, especially on stage, but also took the form of a fine final ABB studio effort, Hittin’ The Note, issued in 2003.
From the perspective of four and a half decades, it becomes clear that, throughout that period, the persistence of all the various bandmembers (notably including brilliant guitarist Jack Pearson) had its roots in the very loyalty to the Allmans’ legacy so in evidence on Enlightened Rogues.
