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''Brothers and Sisters'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Allman Brothers Band. Produced by Johnny Sandlin and the band themselves, the album was released in August 1973 in the United States by Capricorn Records. Following the death of group leader Duane Allman in 1971, the Allman Brothers Band released ''Eat a Peach'' (1972), a hybrid studio/live album that became their biggest yet. Afterwards, the group purchased a farm in Juliette, Georgia to become a "group hangout." However, bassist Berry Oakley was visibly suffering from the death of Duane: he excessively drank and consumed drugs. After nearly a year of severe depression, Oakley was killed in a motorcycle accident not dissimilar from his friend's in November 1972. The band carried on, adding new members Chuck Leavell on piano and Lamar Williams on bass. ''Brothers and Sisters'' was largely recorded over a period of three months at Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon, Georgia. Lead guitarist Dickey Betts assumed the role of band leader, and many of his compositions reflected a more country-inspired sound. Session musicians Les Dudek and Tommy Talton sat in to play guitar on several songs. The album was being produced at the same time as vocalist/organist Gregg Allman's solo debut, ''Laid Back'', and features many of the same musicians and engineers. The front album cover features a photograph of Vaylor Trucks, the son of drummer Butch Trucks and his wife Linda. The back cover features a photograph of Oakley's daughter Brittany and his wife Linda. The album represented the Allmans' commercial peak: it has sold over seven million copies worldwide, landing it at the time atop of the Top 200 Pop Albums for five weeks. "Ramblin' Man" became the band's first and only hit single, peaking at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1973. The album was followed by a tour of arenas and stadiums, but marred by drug problems, strained friendships and miscommunication between the group members. ==Background== Shortly following their leader Duane Allman's death in 1971, the Allman Brothers Band released ''Eat a Peach'', a hybrid studio/live album that became their biggest release yet; it peaked at number four on the ''Billboard'' charts. The band performed nearly 90 shows in the following year, touring as a five-piece. The band also purchased 432 acres of land in Juliette, Georgia for $160,000 and nicknamed it "the Farm"; it soon became a "group hangout" and fulfilled bassist Berry Oakley's communal dreams. Oakley, however, was visibly suffering from the death of Duane: he excessively drank and consumed drugs, and was losing weight quickly. According to friends and family, he appeared to have lost "all hope, his heart, his drive, his ambition, () his direction" following Duane's death. "Everything Berry had envisioned for everybody—including the crew, the women and children—was shattered on the day Duane died, and he didn't care after that," said roadie Kim Payne. During recording sessions for their upcoming album, vocalist Gregg Allman was also working on his solo album, ''Laid Back'', and the sessions occasionally overlapped. Chuck Leavell was asked to play piano for Allman's solo album, and gradually found himself contributing to the Allman Brothers as well. Allman and Betts took turns caring for Oakley, taking him outdoors to places like the zoo to keep him from drinking as much. "Time and time again, I have sat and wondered, 'God, what in the hell could I have done, what could have anybody have done, to help him?'" said Allman. Upon Leavell's entry into the group, Oakley went out of his way to make the new member comfortable. On November 11, 1972, overjoyed at the prospect of leading a jam session later that night, Oakley crashed his motorcycle into the side of a bus, just three blocks from where Duane had been killed in a bike accident. He declined hospital treatment and went home, but gradually grew delirious. He was taken to the hospital shortly thereafter and died of cerebral swelling caused by a fractured skull. Oakley was buried directly beside Duane at Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia. The band unanimously decided to carry on and arrange auditions for new bassists, with a renewed fervor and determination. Several bassists auditioned, but the band picked Lamar Williams, an old friend of drummer Jai Johanny Johanson's from Gulfport, Mississippi. The band immediately recognized that Williams represented the best of both Oakley's style and his own style, and they were pleased with his easygoing demeanor. The addition of Leavell and Williams to the band brought about renewed passion and uplifted spirits within the group. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Brothers and Sisters (album)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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