Idlewild South

BLU RAY DISCThis classic album was ABB's second and like the first, it didn't set the record world on fire. That would be the next one, "At Fillmore East" and "Eat a Peach" after that. That said, this is as good as it gets and this hi-rez 96kHz 24-bit Blu Ray is the bees knees. There are also 5.1 surround options in both DTS-HD Master Audio AND DolbyTruHD AND a lossless PCM stereo mix. I've listened to all 3 and they are all well-engineered. The Blu Ray has one fewer song than CD 1 included with this package. It is a 2:40 mono version of "Revival (Love Is Everywhere)." The songs on this playlist are familiar to AAB fans and include 2 versions of the Dickie Betts penned "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." One runs 6:55 but the one I like is the alternate take which runs 8:17. It is slowed down a bit and a little more laid back. Barry Oakley's electric bass is more prominent here as well. There is an interesting story regarding this song. Betts wrote it at Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, GA. next to a grave marker dedicated to Elizabeth Reed. At the time, Betts was having an affair with Boz Scaggs' girlfriend and "was trying to capture her spirit in the music." For obvious reasons he couldn't name it for her. The album includes the original group with Duane Allman and Betts on guitars, Gregg on keys and vocals, Oakley on bass and vocals on Willie Dixon's "Hoochie Coochie Man," Jai Johanny Johanson on percussion, Butch Trucks on drums and Thom Doucette on harmonica and percussion. The album was recorded at their Georgia hideout they nicknamed "Idlewild South" after the former NYC airport now known as JFK. Great album, great sound.CD 1This is a traditional CD version of the above and includes one extra track, “Revival.” The CD sounds great but is no match for the Blu Ray in terms of dynamics.CD 2This remastered disc is part of the "Idelwild South" package. While it was recorded in April of 1970, it wasn't released in album form until 1991. This version is cleaned up and has few anomalies. It includes a fine version of Willie Dixon's "Hoochie Coochie Man," which concludes this disc and is a natural break in the live show. The show continues on Disc 3.CD 3This disc contains only 2 tracks which end the Ludlow Show from 1970. Both have become classics and both are a great listen. "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" is perhaps my favorite ABB track and runs a healthy 15 minutes here. It is followed by a 45 minute version of "Mountain Jam"! A great hour of listening.

I am so glad that this album has finally gotten the remastering it so well deserves. This is one of the two best remastering jobs that I've heard in recent history (the other being the Jack Bruce "Sunshine of Your Love" 2-CD collection).The sonics on this Allman Brothers CD shows how good they really were at this time in their careers. I am not exaggerating in saying that listening to this CD is akin to listening to the master tape itself. Gregg's voice is the best it has ever sounded at this time and it truly shows. Each and every instrument is heard as accurately as I've ever heard them. Of course, the thing I, like most folks looking at purchasing this CD was looking forward to was Duane Allman's guitar playing. Well, I can tell you that you absolutely won't be disappointed one little bit. This CD, remastered as well as it is, shows off Duane's masterful guitar playing like you've dreamed of. You hear every string pluck and every melodic riff in all their glory, from this guitar player extraordinaire, who was taken from this earth far too soon.Lastly, while it doesn't matter much to me, this is a truly stripped down remaster/reissue CD, for those of you who are looking for extras. There are no extras of any kind here and the packaging could not be more basic.However, that being said, if you're seeking a killer remastering of this fine album, at an absolutely ridiculously low price, then this CD is definitely for you. If so, buy this CD NOW!

Finally got around to purchasing this wonderful classic. Every song is a winner: the gospel-tinged Revival, the bluesy Don't Keep Me Wonderin' (harmonica-based), a cover of Hoochie Coochie Man with Berry Oakley on vocals, and the Dickey Betts jazzy masterpiece In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed. Please Call Home and Leave My Blues At Home are wonderful also, but are not as well known.A couple of points to note. The Allman Brothers were labeled Southern Rock and when hearing the songs separately (on the radio for instance) it's fairly easy to agree; however, after listening to this album in it's entirety, what Greg Allman said in an interview many years ago certainly rings true - the Allman Brothers were a blues band, or at least the first incarnation of the band was. One other point I'd like to make is that Duane Allman was a team player and this album reflects that. I don't think he was ever worried about who plays guitar better. In fact, the entire band were a team that was hard to beat when it came to rockin' the blues.

I wrote the following after listening to the stereo mix on the Blu-Ray. Afterwards I realized that the stereo version on the Blu-ray is a flat copy of an old tape of the original 1970 mix - not redone from the multi-track tapes. Playing the 5.1 mixes folded down to stereo sounds a lot better.==========================I've been a fan of the Allman Brothers since this album was new, so of course I've had many versions of it. I've had this 3 CD/1 Blu-Ray package for nearly 4 years, and I finally got the ability to play the Blu-Ray audio on a good system.The music is great, but sound is disappointing. It does sound better than the very first CD, but it doesn't sound as good as it should. The stereo versions of the original album were NOT made from the original multi-track tapes. You can tell this in a couple of ways (1) there is a great deal of tape noise at the end of each track, and (2) compare the great sound quality of the alternate take of Elizabeth Reed with the standard one. It seems that only the studio bonus tracks went back to the original session tapes.Apart from that, as it has always been, (1) Duane's guitar is almost always too low in the mix, and (2) Duane's guitar almost always sounds very tinny - the middle and low frequencies were rolled off.If you want to hear what the Allman Brothers sounded like, get any of the recent editions of the Fillmore East concerts. My pick is the 5 CD or 3 Blu-Ray audio version.

Excellent

Idlewild South is the second album from the remarkable and now legendary The Allman Brothers Band. A perfect example of a band taking what they did well on their first album and expanding on it.After little success with their self titled debut album, their follow up was released in late 1970. Idlewild South is an album that really outshines its predecessor. The band maintain that classic southern rock charm that held together their debut album with songs like Revival, Midnight Rider and their impressive cover of, Hoochie Coochie Man showing the band at their blues driven peak. But with a song like the now classic live staple and Betts penned, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, the band push the limits of their abilities by experimenting with more jazz influenced music. The variety of styles come together in a very solid collection of music, one that is an instant classic when one looks at the big picture.Idlewild South is blessed with some top quality early '70s production. You know the type, the kind that makes every album from the 1980s on wards sound like sterile rubbish. Each instrument is superbly recorded, comes across clear as day and has received a mix that just sounds beautiful to this day. The fact that the band managed to get this kind of sound on their second full length album is some kind of miracle and it definitely plays to the benefit of the music.The Allman Brothers Band have released a lot of classic material through out the years and Idlewild South is hands down their most creative album. By comparison, even Led Zeppelin II has faults when this record has none. With a perfect selection of songs it is impossible to find a fault in a record like this.Published by Steven Lornie of Demonszone

Named after a lake cabin in Georgia where they rehearsed and partied throughout album sessions and where brotherhood and campfire unity between band members happened, this is pure southern-style 70s-outbreak rock and roll stemming straight from their hearts as one reviewer put it here. There is no sense in each song analysis, there is simple-but-nice riffs and each one is a standout on its own, Elizabeth Reed being my no. # 1 on the album. Surely worth having.

This was a really great album in the first place but this reissue alongside the Ludlow Garage gig is just superb.

Cd arrived quickly, good packing, CD as advertised. Many Thanks!

great southern rock, classic album