Laid Back (album)

Laid Back
Laid Back
Studio album by Gregg Allman
Released	October 1973
Recorded	March 1973
Studio	Capricorn Sound Studios, (Macon, Georgia); Record Plant, (New York City);
Genre	Southern rock; blues rock;
Length	35:27
Label	Capricorn
Producer	Johnny Sandlin; Gregg Allman;
Gregg Allman chronology
Singles from Laid Back
	"Midnight Rider"; Released: December 1973; "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing"; Released: March 1974;

Laid Back is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Gregg Allman, released in October 1973^[3]^[4] by Capricorn Records. Allman, best known as the vocalist/lyricist/organist of the Allman Brothers Band, first began considering a solo career after internal disagreements with that group. He developed the album as a small creative outlet wherein he would assume full control, and he co-produced the album alongside Johnny Sandlin. Laid Back was largely recorded in March 1973 at Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon, Georgia, with additional recording and mixing taking place at the Record Plant by Manhattan Recording Engineer, Jim Reeves in New York City.

The album explores Allman's varying influences, including rhythm and blues and soul music. It consists of several cover songs, originals, and a traditional hymn, and contains performances from a host of musicians, most notably Scott Boyer and Tommy Talton on guitars, Chuck Leavell on piano, Charlie Hayward on bass guitar, and Bill Stewart on drums. The album was created while Allman also worked on Brothers and Sisters, the fourth Allman Brothers album. The album title was a studio term Allman coined for relaxing a song's tempo. The album cover was painted by Abdul Mati Klarwein.

Upon its release, Laid Back received positive reviews from music critics, and it peaked at number 13 on Billboard's Top LPs & Tape chart. To support the album, Allman embarked on an ambitious tour, consisting of a full band and an entire string orchestra. Two singles were released to promote the record, with lead single "Midnight Rider" becoming a top 20 hit in the U.S. and Canada. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1974 for shipping 500,000 copies in the U.S., making it one of Allman's best-selling albums.

^ Sutherland, Sam (October 6, 1973). "Studio Track". Billboard. Vol. 85, no. 40. Nielsen Business Media. p. 14. ISSN 0006-2510.
^ Cite error: The named reference am2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Capricorn Oct. LPs" (PDF). Record World. 29 (1373). New York, NY, USA: Record World Publishing Co., Inc.: 22 October 13, 1973. ISSN 0034-1622. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 28, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2023. Capricorn Records will issue three albums during October...The release will include Greg Allman's first solo effort, 'Laid Back"
^ Mettler, Mike (April 2015). "The Road Goes on Forever for Gregg Allman". Palm Springs Life. Retrieved January 18, 2016.

[Sutherland1973-1] Sutherland, Sam (October 6, 1973). "Studio Track". Billboard. Vol. 85, no. 40. Nielsen Business Media. p. 14. ISSN 0006-2510.

[am2-2] Cite error: The named reference am2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[3] "Capricorn Oct. LPs" (PDF). Record World. 29 (1373). New York, NY, USA: Record World Publishing Co., Inc.: 22 October 13, 1973. ISSN 0034-1622. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 28, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2023. Capricorn Records will issue three albums during October...The release will include Greg Allman's first solo effort, 'Laid Back"

[4] Mettler, Mike (April 2015). "The Road Goes on Forever for Gregg Allman". Palm Springs Life. Retrieved January 18, 2016.

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