[b][i]Gregg Allman's debut album, Laid Back, is a stunner. Just don't go in thinking you're going to hear the long and awesome jams of the Allman Brothers Band. This is a look into Gregg's soulful side. The musicianship throughout is top notch, more steeped in rhythm and blues with plenty of horns and strings and of course, Gregg's organ playing. The title of this album is very appropriate since most of the songs are slower, putting a lot of emphasis on Gregg's voice, which was still an American treasure at the time this was recorded. The big hit is his remake of "Midnight Rider", which would become the more definitive version with its arrangement more akin to something out of an old Western. He also remakes his own "Please Call Home", giving it more of a gospel feel. "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing" is a cool honky tonk tune that is the only song played at a faster tempo. "Queen of Hearts" plays like a classic with its arrangement and jazzy solos while the oft-covered Jackson Browne track, "These Days", is given an old-country feel that works very well. "All My Friends" and the standard "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" are also very strong, more gospel than country with the backing vocals making these tracks even better. And as great as all of these songs are, it's his own "Multi-Colored Lady", that shows the man at his best. In fact, I'd say this song is on par with the best songs he wrote with the Allman Brothers Band, a band whose music I have loved for 25 years. All told, Laid Back is a classic album from one of the great American voices in music. Highly recommended.[/i][/b]