Book Review: "One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band"

"One Way Out," by Alan Paul (2014)

If you enjoy rock 'n roll history as much as I do, check out Alan Paul's biography One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band (2014), an iconic southern rock band for 40+ years based out of Macon, Georgia. From the very beginning to present day, their story is told entirely by the remaining band members themselves, in their own words, organized chronologically through a series of interviews and lightly narrated by Paul. 

Besides authoring a litany of classic rock hits, the Allman Brothers Band is perhaps most famously known for suffering the loss of two of its founding members to motorcycle accidents within a year of each other very early on in their career. Gregg Allman, with his admitted alcoholism and curious public behavior (including a short-lived marriage to Cher), paired with a rotating cast of band members throughout the years, left the Allman Brothers Band with a reputation for being both dysfunctional and legendary. The author does an excellent job of revealing - perhaps for the very first time - all the intricate business, legal and interpersonal dealings that occurred behind the scenes with every band member, every album, every tour and every hiring, firing and (sometimes) re-hiring. 

"One Way Out" is even more enjoyable while listening to the Allman Brothers Band discography (available on Spotify) while simultaneously learning the stories behind many of the band's most popular songs. You may find yourself, as I did, listening to old, familiar tunes for the first time all over again. No matter what, you will walk away from the book feeling like you know each band member personally, with a new-found respect for the incredibly hard work it takes to keep a band together. 

Highly recommend; 10/10.