Photo by John Gellman
Duane Allman’s acclaimed box set, Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective, was a critical and commercial success. Now, on November 5, 2013, Rounder Records will release an encore edition, with all the music and the original booklet in an elegant new presentation.
Duane Allman was one of the defining musicians of the rock era, rated second only to Jimi Hendrix in Rolling Stone’s list of 100 greatest guitarists. A founding member, with his brother Gregg, of the Allman Brothers Band, Duane was also active as a session musician, and as a member of the all-star Derek & the Dominos.
Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective (released on March 19, 2013) received nothing but the highest praise from the press and music communities, which heralded the collection as a must-have for all rock music lovers. RollingStone.com raved, “Highly recommended, and hopefully to be on the receiving end of a few awards next time the Grammys roll around.” Uncut proclaimed, “To say the resulting seven-disc box set — with 129 tracks, 33 of them either previously unreleased or unissued on CD — has been worth the wait would be a gross understatement. Skydog is an addictive, endlessly captivating aural history of a towering figure in rock history, with each disc forming a distinct chapter in the sprawling narrative.”
The initial limited-edition run of 10,000 numbered copies completely sold out to loyal fans in a matter of weeks (the package included a gold velour-lined box that represented a guitar case, a replica of Duane’s guitar pick, a “Skydog” sticker, and vellum disc sleeves). Now, in response to overwhelming demand, the Duane Allman fan will have access to the most important ingredient of the collection — the full breadth and depth of his music and work, offered in a slimmed-down package at a lower price.
The seven-CD set, produced by Duane’s daughter Galadrielle Allman and esteemed reissue producer Bill Levenson, ranges from his early recordings (with Gregg) in bands such as The Escorts, The Allman Joys, and Hour Glass; to his studio work with Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Boz Scaggs, Delaney & Bonnie, and many others; to a live jam session with the Grateful Dead. The set includes performances available only in this collection, many classic Allman Brothers songs, and a collector’s cache of rare singles. Also in the encore edition are the original 72-page book with essays by Scott Schinder and Galadrielle Allman, and many rare Duane Allman photographs.
