Review Summary: Hand Picked
One year after the long-player Allman Brother Band's "Brothers and Sisters" long-player was released in '73, which found Dickey Betts cutting some of the most ubiquitous southern-rock classics (Ramblin' Man, Jessica), he tried his hand at a solo album. To me, this is where he peaked as a songwriter and composer, and kept up the tradition and quality of music set by "Brothers and Sisters." This is not refried Allmans, folks.
Players
Dickey Betts - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, dobro, lead vocals
Vassar Clements - fiddle
Chuck Leavell - piano
Tommy Talton - acoustic guitar
John Huhgey - steel guitar
Walter Poindexter - banjo, background vocals
Leon Poindexter - acoustic guitar, background vocals
Frank Poindexter - dobro, background vocals
Stray Straton - bass, background vocals
Johnny Sandlin - bass
Oscar Underwood Adams - mandolin
David Walshaw - drums, percussion
Reese Wynans - harmonica
The Rambos (Buck, Dottie, and Reba) - background vocals
#1 - Long Time Gone - 4.5/5
A travelin' man's theme, Betts warms up his soulful pipes on the opening tune. While evocative of hitching a ride back home, the real star is is the loping, laid-back playing which has since become one of Dickey's trademarks. The slide guitar gives as sweet a melody as the singer.
#2 - Rain - 4/5
A song about rain? Boring? Nay, says I. This mid-tempo almost-ballad that's almost a lyrical throwaway, but finds redemption on the gorgeous instrumentalization that takes up the bridge. Sometimes the guitar says it all.
#3 - Highway Call - 4.5/5
This almost seems to be the sequel to "Long Time Gone," where he finds himself home and his journeyman ways return after finding security and happiness. For all the times he's written songs about hitting the road, this time the road's returning the favor. Delicate piano throughout and backing female vocals gives an air of vulnerability, before the song fades out like he's already out the door.
#4 - Let Nature Sing - 5/5
Dickey lets his country leanings take the helm here, and although the song is embellished with up-tempo, the rollicking dobro bubbles beneath the surface as Betts' rich voice harmonizes with his female backers. This is definition of natural, and the guitars eventually take over as the verses fade, letting the music wash over the listener like a chinook wind. Some songs get over too early, but this one makes it past the five-minute mark, thankfully.
#5 - Hand Picked - 4/5
Famous for his instrumentals (Jessica, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed), Betts' takes a casual romp through pastoral life, shaking hands with bluegrass, his idols, the Allmans' sound, and his own feelings. It may not be too concise, but it doesn't have to be -- this is having fun, sounding like it's ripped on the first take sitting on the couch. The late fiddle lord Vassar Clements really puts on a show when the spotlight turns his way. Overall, the nostalgic and reminiscent feeling that dominated the first side is overwhelmed with a often bluesy honky-tonk.
#6 - Kissimmee Kid - 4/5
Not a guitar showcase in the least; this is Clements' show. He abuses his fiddle like he's playing a hoedown, and the crowds are starting to leave after a night's worth of listening and dancing. Can't really stand up to the track it follows, but then again, that's losing the point of the entire album -- technical skill and fun, loose playing can be married to make any track sound worthwhile.
Anyone who's a fan of southern-fried riffing and gorgeous vocals should listen to this album, stat. It's really a great portrait of Betts' vocals before age set in and he couldn't get that same smooth, schoolboy intonation. The songs are on caliber with the Allmans' tracks, which shouldn't be surprising -- guess who masterminded many of their greatest hits! Like a Georgia peach, once you sample this, there ain't any backing out.
