Search - Allman Brothers :: Reach for the Sky

I LIKE ANGELINE ! (but that's about it)

ol' nuff n' den sum | the Virginia coast, USA | 01/23/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The two Arista Records albums are the weak links in the Allman Brothers Band catalog. Reach For The Sky (1980) has a few good moments, but it's nothing to write home about. I do like Angeline, though. Gregg's vocals are great on that one. Hell And High Water features shout-and-answer co-lead vocals from Gregg and Dickey, and From The Madness Of The West is a fair to middling Dickey Betts instrumental. Get this to complete your ABB collection, but their other albums are much better."

Synthesizers On An Allman Brothers Album

Steve S. | Roswell, GA USA | 07/09/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Coming as it did on the heels of the band's successful return on Enlightened Rogues, it's unfortunate that Reach For The Sky is so disappointing. I have not listened to the album in many years -- in fact, I still have only a vinyl version -- and so I thought this would be as good a time as any to give it another try. My apologies to the other reviewers who feel the album deserves better than it gets, but I have to respectfully disagree. The album is slick and over-produced. As noted in my review title, synthesizers on an Allman Brothers Band album??!! Are you kidding me? And Dickey is listed as playing synthesizer! Neither Dickey's nor Dan Toler's guitar playing is all that original. There is no grit in any of the playing and no fire in the performances. The final cut, So Long, starts out like a 1980s MOR (middle of the road) tune before it starts moving just a little bit. To my ears, this sounds like a Southern rock band that is trying -- and failing -- to sound like the Allman Brothers Band."

BGO's 2 albums 1CD the way to go for ABB's Arista' Years

Maurice Jones | Doraville, GA USA | 01/05/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is not the Allman Brother's of the Fillmore fame- but the ABB of the Arista years. First thing first- Reach for the Sky is the weakest of all ABB albums. It is just swamped by the dreaded synthesizer, suffers from poor songs and a lack of guitars. Best cut is the instramental "From the Madness of the West" which previews the triple drum drum section of today's ABB. Brothers of the Road is much stronger effort, but still suffers from Arista quest to turn the ABB into the Dobbie Brothers. This album reminds me of more a Gregg Solo/Dickey Solo album than a ABB album. But if you like Gregg's/Dickey's solo stuff, you might like this."