The Allman Brothers Band: Dickey Betts (vocals, guitar); Gregg Allman (vocals, organ); Dan Toler, Duane Allman (guitar); David Goldflies, Lamar Williams, Berry Oakley (bass guitar); Jai Johanny Johanson, Butch Trucks (drums).

Personnel: Chuck Leavell (piano).

Essentially the Allman Brothers Band's Gold collection is an expanded version of both the Universal Masters and 20th Century Masters collections. It contains two discs that total 30 cuts and cover the band's catalog from 1969's Allman Brothers Band to 1975's Enlightened Rogues. There are five cuts from the first album, including the original studio version of "Whipping Post," and four from Idlewild South, including the studio read of "Midnight Ride." The cuts from At Fillmore East number four with the inclusion of the 13-minute "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," and five from Eat a Peach, including "Melissa," "Blue Sky," and "Ain't Wasting Time No More." Five cuts come from Brothers and Sisters and, yes, "Ramblin' Man" and "Jessica" are among them. There is one swipe off Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas; two from Win, Lose or Draw; and three from Enlightened Rogues. In other words, fans have everything already, and for those who are just being introduced to the ABB through their latter incarnation with Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, there is a lot here, though beginning with At Fillmore East probably makes much more sense. ~ Thom Jurek

At first glance, the two-disc GOLD collection may seem surprisingly similar to 2004's STAND BACK, with both chronologically arranged sets featuring many of the same Allman Brothers classics. Where GOLD differs from its predecessor, however, is in its focus; while STAND BACK draws from the years 1969 to 2002, GOLD hones in on the blues-rock group's '69-'79 heyday. Over that 10-year period, the band's surprisingly eclectic aesthetic would flow between the complex, jazz-tinged grooves of "Don't Want You No More" and the southern-soul vibe of "Midnight Rider." Although every record from this era garners at least one track, the first four Allman Brothers Band albums, including AT THE FILLMORE EAST, deservedly, get the majority of the running time. Fans looking for a focused, yet extensive compilation of the band at their peak can't go wrong with GOLD.