Back in the early '70s, after the devastating loss of both Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakley to motorcycle accidents, the Allman Brothers Band pushed forward to continue creating the music that they were known and loved for. In 1973, the band released their fourth studio effort, Brothers and Sisters, and achieved even more critical success. The album contained their high-charting and possibly best known song, “Ramblin' Man.” But the album's seven tracks were nothing short of extraordinary.
One of the songs, “Jessica,” was an engaging instrumental that flowed beautifully for over seven minutes. Others included “Southbound,” which was consistently played alongside “Jessica” by FM stations, while “Ramblin' Man” ruled the singles chart on many Top 40 stations worldwide.
One of the nicer news in this young year is the refresh being supplied to Brothers and Sisters by Mercury Records. The album is expected to be remastered, and will be released in multiple formats that include a four-CD Super Deluxe Edition, a two-CD Deluxe Edition, and a single-CD edition. Also planned for this 40th Anniversary reissue will be a coveted LP edition. And, of course, all of the mentioned CD Editions will be released as mirrored digital files. All sets are expected to be released on June 25.
The announcement of the reissue has come quite early, and therefore contains no information as to what will be on the second, third, and fourth discs. Speculate all you want as to the bonus features of the sets (I'm hearing the 1973 Winterland concert, for one). But for now, enjoy the fact that you will soon own a definitive edition of Brothers and Sisters.
