''Bless Your Heart'' is an album by the

country rock Country rock is a genre of music which fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal s ...

group

the Allman Betts Band The Allman Betts Band is an American rock group. Formed in November 2018, it includes the sons of three founding members of the Allman Brothers Band – Devon Allman (son of Gregg Allman), Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts), and Berry Duane Oakley ...

. Their second album, it was recorded on two-inch analog tape at

Muscle Shoals Sound Studio Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is an American recording studio in Sheffield, Alabama, formed in 1969 by four session musicians known as The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. They had left nearby FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals to create their own recor ...

in Sheffield, Alabama. It was released as a CD and as a two-disc LP on August 28, 2020. The Allman Betts Band includes the sons of three founding members of the Allman Brothers Band – Devon Allman (son of Gregg Allman),

Duane Betts Duane Betts (born April 16, 1978) is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. He is a member of the Allman Betts Band, and leads Duane Betts and the Pistoleers. He was also a guitarist and singer for the Dickey Betts & Great Southern, l ...

(son of Dickey Betts), and Berry Duane Oakley (son of

Berry Oakley Raymond Berry Oakley III (April 4, 1948 – November 11, 1972) was an American bassist and one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band, known for long melodic bass runs. He is ranked number 46 on the ''Bass Player'' magazine's list ...

Critical reception

In the ''

Sarasota Herald-Tribune The ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune'' is a daily newspaper, located in Sarasota, Florida, founded in 1925 as the ''Sarasota Herald''. History The newspaper was owned by The New York Times Company from 1982 to 2012. It was then owned by Halifax Media ...

'' Wade Tatangelo wrote, "Music lovers seeking a fresh fix of genuine rock and roll will be hard-pressed to find a more satisfying release in 2020 than the Allman Betts Band's double album ''Bless Your Heart''.... It places you in the room with a group of gifted musicians who are making music meant to be heard in front of an audience. The Allman Betts Band has already built a reputation as one of the best live acts of their generation..." In '' No Depression'' Grant Britt wrote, "The sophomore offering from the Allman Betts Band encapsulates and embraces the Allman legacy without slavishly copying the sound of their parent company.... This is the Allman Betts Band's best offering yet, showcasing a band still tethered to their legacy but their own way with a sound that honors their roots without stepping all over them." On AllMusic Timothy Monger said, "... ''Bless Your Heart'' is a reliable and often-pleasing romp down the muggy dirt roads of soulful Southern rock that hits its mark squarely without making any real attempts to rock the boat. Given the group's M.O., that's not necessarily a bad thing. Allman, Betts, and bassist Berry Duane Oakley... are all fluid, capable musicians with deep knowledge, personal history, and an inherent chemistry well-suited to this type of music." In ''Rock and Blues Muse'' Mike O'Cull said, "The Allman Betts Band delivers the tie-dyed summertime goods on its brand-new album ''Bless Your Heart''.... It's a road-forged album full of the chemistry of legends and the kind of telepathic musical interplay nine bands out of ten will never reach.... The Allman Betts Band is one of the finest blues/rock outfits in the world right now and it feels like they're just getting started." In ''Glide Magazine'' Doug Collette wrote, "''Bless Your Heart'' simultaneously reinforces and extends the favorable first impression left with the premier album.... Allman, Betts and Stachela not only have distinct styles, but also some bonafide chemistry. It's also crucial to note their sharp, shared instincts for jamming also extend to the keyboardist, not to mention percussionist R. Scott Bryan and drummer John Lum." In ''Louder'' Hugh Fielder said, "Considering that their fathers had to be separated into different bands, the sons of Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts seem to be getting along just fine. Guitarists Devon Allman and Duane Betts are joined by a third son-of-an-Allman Brother, Berry Duane Oakley, on bass in their seven-piece band, along with a third guitarist because, well, you can never have enough guitarists when it comes to southern rock." In ''Blues Rock Review'' Pete Francis said, "On ''Bless Your Heart'', the Allman Betts Band continues to do what they do best, deliver good ole' fashioned blues-tinged southern rock. The 13 tracks take the listener on a ride and are filled with an abundance of textures."

Track listing

#"Pale Horse Rider" ( Devon Allman,

) – 4:43 #"Carolina Song" (Allman, Betts,

Stoll Vaughan Stoll Vaughan is an American singer-songwriter from Lexington, Kentucky. He is the great-nephew of United States Senator John Sherman Cooper. Vaughan began his professional music career as guitar player for the Indiana band Chamberlain. He at ...

) – 5:46 #"King Crawler" (Allman, Betts, Vaughan) – 4:04 #"Ashes of My Lovers" (Betts, Vaughan) – 4:10 #"Savannah's Dream" (Betts) – 12:03 #"Airboats & Cocaine" (Allman, Betts, Vaughan) – 4:20 #"Southern Rain" (Allman, Vaughan) – 6:39 #"Rivers Run" (Betts, Vaughan) – 3:57 #"Magnolia Road" (Vaughan) – 5:17 #"Should We Ever Part" (Allman, Betts, Vaughan) – 5:07 #"The Doctor's Daughter" (Berry Duane Oakley, Allman, Betts, Vaughan) – 8:18 #"Much Obliged" (Allman, Betts) – 3:37 #"Congratulations" ( Cisco Adler) – 3:14

Personnel

The Allman Betts Band * Devon Allman – vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, bass *

– vocals, electric and acoustic guitar *Berry Duane Oakley – bass, vocals, piano *Johnny Stachela – slide guitar, electric guitar *R. Scott Bryan – percussion, drums *John Lum – drums * John Ginty – keyboards Additional musicians *Art Edmaiston – saxophone *

Jimmy Hall Jimmy Hall (born April 26, 1949) is the American lead singer and harmonica player for the Southern rock group, Wet Willie. Hall was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and reared in Mobile, Alabama. He first gained notoriety in 1970 as the lead vocal ...

– harmonica *

Shannon McNally Shannon Maureen McNally (born March 17, 1973) is an American singer and songwriter. Biography McNally was born in Hempstead, New York, on Long Island. While studying anthropology at Franklin and Marshall College, she began singing and playing ...

– cameo vocal appearance *Reba Russell – background vocals * Susan Marshall – background vocals Production *Produced by Matt Ross-Spang *Co-producers: Devon Allman, Duane Betts *Engineering, mixing: Matt Ross-Spang *Assistant engineers: Chase Brandon, Daniel Lynn, Chris Turnbaugh *Mastering: Pete Lyman *Art direction, design: Charley Robinson *Photography: Darin Black, Gilbert Lee

References

{{Reflist , refs= {{cite web , first=Timothy , last=Monger , url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/bless-your-heart-mw0003391927 , title=Bless Your Heart – The Allman Betts Band , work=AllMusic , access-date=June 20, 2021 {{cite web , first=Wade , last=Tatangelo , date=August 26, 2020 , url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/music/2020/08/26/review-allman-betts-band-shines-second-album-bless-your-heart/3408966001/ , title=Review: Allman Betts Band Shines on Second Album 'Bless Your Heart' , work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune , access-date=June 20, 2021 {{cite web , first=Grant , last=Britt , date=August 27, 2020 , url=https://www.nodepression.com/album-reviews/the-allman-betts-band-grows-from-strong-roots-on-bless-your-heart/ , title=The Allman Betts Band Grows from Strong Roots on 'Bless Your Heart' , work=No Depression , access-date=June 20, 2021 {{cite web , first=Mike , last=O'Cull , url=https://www.rockandbluesmuse.com/2020/08/26/review-bless-your-heart-the-allman-betts-band/ , title=Review: 'Bless Your Heart' The Allman Betts Band , work=Rock and Blues Muse , access-date=June 20, 2021 {{cite web , first=Doug , last=Collette , date=August 27, 2020 , url=https://glidemagazine.com/247656/the-allman-betts-band-provide-justice-to-its-lineage-on-bless-your-heart-album-review/ , title=The Allman Betts Band Provide Justice to Its Lineage on 'Bless Your Heart' , work=Glide Magazine , access-date=June 20, 2021 {{cite web , first=Hugh , last=Fielder , date=August 27, 2020 , url=https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/allman-betts-bands-bless-your-heart-further-proof-that-you-can-never-have-enough-guitarists , title=Allman Betts Band's Bless Your Heart – Further Proof That You Can Never Have Enough Guitarists , work=Louder , access-date=June 20, 2021 {{cite web , first=Pete , last=Francis , date=August 24, 2020 , url=https://bluesrockreview.com/2020/08/the-allman-betts-band-bless-your-heart-review.html , title=The Allman Betts Band: Bless Your Heart Review , work=Blues Rock Review , access-date=June 20, 2021 2020 albums The Allman Betts Band albums