Dickey Betts is a singer/guitar player of The Allman Brothers Band.  What we have here are two different shows of Betts and his band on his own. Thirty years apart, they show Betts in two different mindsets.  Back in 1978, Betts was doing few solo records during the ABB downtime. In 2008, he is strictly on his own after being let go by the Allmans. One can speculate which of these two shows packs more intensity, but they’re both special in their own way. 

Dickey Betts is a very special and gifted player. What’s more, he can write great songs, and really hold his own. These two shows prove just that. Initially filmed for the TV use only, they are now being released as an artifact to already passing time. At this point, Betts and drummer Jaimoe are the only two living members. Prior to Greg Allman’s passing, he was talking about getting possibly together with Betts to attempt another ABB run. Such plans will now never materialize, but there is a lot of great music left behind.

Betts on his own is very representative of the ABB music. After all, he is one of the satellite projects of that band. And the bottom line is that if you liked Betts songwriting and guitar playing in ABB, then you naturally follow his other musical adventures. These two shows deliver just that, and they show him more upfront than ever before. It’s a solid dose of great Southern (no pun intended) rock!

This is a wonderful release. It combines both shows visually on two separate DVDs. It also includes both shows in a CD format. The music can be enjoyed both ways. The attention to detail is amazing here.  There is also a booklet with photos and liner notes explaining both events. As with many of these Rockpalast releases, the shows are outstanding. The bands appear to be relaxed and performing their best. Keep them coming!

Rating: A

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