Win, Lose or Draw

AMG Review of Win, Lose or Draw

Bruce Eder
All Music Guide

Despite a good cover of Muddy Waters' "Can't Lose What You Never Had" -- highlighted by a great Dickey Betts solo -- the Allman Brothers Band sounds lethargic at times on Win, Lose or Draw, although they still play decently. The title track and Dickey Betts' instrumental, "High Falls," are among the few highlights, decent but unexceptional performances sparked by Betts' playing (which is engaging even on the weaker tracks like "Louisiana Lou"). The album's main fault lies not with what it is (it's a fairly decent outing, actually), but what it could have been, and who it's from -- as a debut album from a new band, it would be excusable and acceptable.