The Hour Glass Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
Now this is a little more like it. The group really isn't sounding like they did at the Whiskey, but the playing by the band is pretty ballsy, and Duane's guitar is right up front and close, and he's showing some real invention within the restrictions of the pop sound that the producer was aiming for. He also plays an electric sitar on the strangest cut here, an instrumental cover of Beatles' "Norwegian Wood." From the opening bars of the title tune, one gets the message that this is a group with something to say musically, even if this particular message isn't it -- the guitar flourishes, the bold organ and piano by Paul Hornsby, and Gregg Allman's charismatic vocals all pull the listener better than 98% of the psychedelic pop and soul-pop of the period. The outtakes that are included as bonus tracks are much more important, consisting of songs cut for a never-issued Gregg Allman solo album (intended to keep Liberty from suing over the group's breakup and departure), where he sounded a lot more like the lead singer of the Allman Brothers Band than he'd ever been given a chance to with the Hour Glass, on songs that included the future Allman Brothers classic "It's Not My Cross to Bear." ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Anyone buying this CD in search of revelations of Duane Allman's early playing is in for a disappointment, as Gregg Allman's voice, a soul choir, and a horn section dominate most of the stuff here, which is weighted toward a popular white soul sound, with the occasional intrusion of bits of psychedelic flotsam and jetsam. On the other hand, this isn't bad as a white soul-pop venture, with Gregg, 20 years old at the time, turning in an extraordinary performance. And every so often Duane's playing cuts through with the basic band, as on "Love Makes the World Go 'Round." ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
