Titles:

CD1 :
1 - Wasted Words - 4:20
2 - Ramblin' Man - 4:48
3 - Come And Go Blues - 4:55
4 - Jelly Jelly - 5:46
5 - Southbound - 5:10
6 - Jessica - 7:31
7 - Pony Boy - 5:51

CD2 :
1 - Wasted Words [Rehearsal/1972] - 5:06
2 - Trouble No More [Rehearsal/1972] - 3:58
3 - Southbound [Instrumental Outtake/1972] - 5:56
4 - One Way Out [Rehearsal] - 5:38
5 - I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town [Rehearsal] - 11:14
6 - Done Somebody Wrong [Rehearsal/1972] - 3:50
7 - Double Cross [Outtake/1973] - 4:35
8 - Early Morning Blues [Outtake/1973] - 9:27
9 - A Minor Jam [Studio Jam/1973] - 16:29

This "Brothers and Sisters" DeLuxe edition issued for the 40th anniversary is a good occasion to talk about this essential ABB album.

In 1973, the band is in a difficult moment, just after Duane Allman and Berry Oakley deaths in motorcycles accidents. Lamar Williams takes Berry's place, and Chuck Leavell arrives on the piano, Dickey Betts is now the only guitar player, even if Les Dudek and Tommy Talton come give a hand on some titles.

This particular for the group will give a masterpiece.

Dickey Betts, who was a little bit in Duane's shadow, is now the leader as a composer and musician. His talent appears in the front of the world. He creates two great songs "Jessica" and "Ramblin' Man" and gives a country colour to the music. His slide play is incredible and his cooperation with Chuck Leavell is extraordinary. The band seems at his best and musicians appear to be very close. Gregg brings a Southern Rock touch on "Wasted Words" and "Come and Go Blues", and Trade Martin 's cover "Jelly Jelly".

Johnny Sadlin production, first time after the legendary Tom Dowd, goes in Betts way and presents this album as a Southern music panorama with a mix of different musical styles that will create Southern Rock.

Forty years later...

Three other records are now available in this DeLuxe edition. Cds 3 and 4 are about the San Francisco Winterland 26 of September 1973 show famous for the bootleggers and where « Wasted Words », « Ramblin' Man », « In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed » and « Southbound » where on the compilation Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil Dollar gas.

We get here the full concert and Dickey Betts and Chuck Leavell musical exchanges are really wonderful. This live period is not really well known and it's pity because music level is at his best, all the improvisations are kept in a kind of schedule. Chuck Leavell will be next known for his work with Eric Clapton or the Rolling Stones but it's here that he can show how gifted he is in a stratospheric dialogue with the guitar. This is an excellent show that worth the cost of this DeLuxe reedition.

The second cd includes jams sessions and outtakes, and it is less interesting but Chuck and Dickey's exchanges are always fabulous on "A Minor Jam" or "Double Cross".

Now the little boy on the sleeve is about 45 years old... Time goes on!

Michel Bertelle