The Allman Goldflies band released their debut album, “Second Chance” on March 30th, 2018. The ten-song CD is a mix of Southern rock and modern blues driven by the raspy-voiced Gary Allman (cousin of Greg and Duane Allman) on vocals and keyboards, and critically-acclaimed bassist, David Goldflies, formerly of the Allman Brothers Band. he band also includes drummer Shawn “Shack” Shackelford and guitarists Joe Weiss and Matt Siegel.
Gary Allman’s music contains stories from all of his life. Many of his songs were actually written in prison, and have formed the core of the original music of the Allman Goldflies Band. David Goldflies, a lifelong musician, distinguished himself at an early age with multiple tours and albums with the Allman Brothers Band.
“Second Chance” is based in blues and rock, but can’t help but to give off a country rock feel. “Yesterday’s Blues” is the song that really stood out for me as the showcase for what is the signature sound that is the Allman Goldflies Band, it contains a great mix of a bit of country, blues and rock. It doesn’t stop there though as “Can’t Turn Back Now” and “Southern’s All I Ever Want To Be” are much more upbeat while “Ever Been So Lonely Baby”, “Standing In The Georgia Rain”, “Pretty Green Eyes” and “You Gave Me Love” are much more tender tracks. Just for good measure, there is “When Jesus Calls”, a song about faith in a higher power.
“Second Chance” by The Allman Goldflies band comes across as the perfect blend of that classic blues and southern rock sound infused with a more modern era style. The sound is by no means dated, but more of a glance into the future of the southern rock/country rock sound.
A track-by-track synopsis of the songs on Second Chance.
“Ever Been So Lonely Baby” (G. Allman/D. Goldflies): Strong guitar riff sets off Gary Allman’s soulful vocals, resulting in a powerful blues performance in a Southern tradition.
“Standing In The Georgia Rain” (G. Allman/D. Goldflies): Healtfelt ballad brings out the raw emotion of the long-awaited arrival of redemption from life’s adverse events.
“Southern’s All I Ever Want To Be” (D. Goldflies/C. Menfi): A fun sing-a-long that gives Southern music a new lease on the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll.
“Yesterday’s Blues” (G. Allman/D. Goldflies): Combines the sadness of separation with with the intensity it takes to overcome adversity, punctuated by a soaring guitar solo that exudes optimism.
“Fadiddle” (D. Goldflies): A little diddle of a fiddle tune by Goldflies that’ll get your feet tappin’ and is a lot of fun.
“Baby Show Me How” (G. Allman/D. Goldflies): Beautiful slide guitar by Gary Allman set against a powerful love story.
“Pretty Green Eyes” (G. Allman/D. Goldflies): Brings the life of a traveling musician on the road in touch with the love of that special person that means everything.
“Can’t Turn Back Now” (D. Goldflies): A fun, funky/dance song that examines the Great American Dream of the open highway and the promise of renewal found somewhere over the horizon.
“You Gave Me Love” (G. Allman/D. Goldflies): Straight-ahead ballad cut from an Old School-cloth featuring the last performance of blues guitar great Luthor Wamble, with some of the sweetest guitar licks around!
“When Jesus Calls” (G. Allman/D. Goldflies): Written in honor of Gary Allman’s mother, celebrates the joy of her life and features a full choir performance that will truly move the listener.
Allman Goldflies Band: Some Background
Allman Goldflies Band is bringing new energy to Southern music with honest, hard-driving, inspired performances. AGB features raspy-voiced blues-man, Gary Allman (cousin of the late Greg Allman) on vocals and keyboards, and critically-acclaimed bassist, David “Rook” Goldflies, formerly of the Allman Brothers Band.
