Dreams

The Allman Brothers Band, 1969, from The Allman Brothers Band. Solo by Duane Allman.

Duane's slide solo rises gradually over a jazz-waltz groove, an early sign of the band's improvising ambition.

Dreams is a slow, hypnotic piece that shows Duane Allman thinking like an improviser rather than a hit-maker. The song floats on a jazz-inflected waltz, with Gregg's organ and a relaxed rhythm section giving it a smoky, suspended feel. Duane's slide solo starts quietly, with searching phrases that feel their way around the groove, then builds patiently until the lines are soaring and the whole band is swelling behind him. His slide tone is smooth and vocal, gliding between notes with a control that few players have matched. Listen for the point where he moves up into the high register and the rhythm section responds, a sign of a band listening closely to each other in real time.

Dreams by The Allman Brothers Band is ranked #234 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Duane Allman and the song was released in 1969. It appears on 2 lists, placing as high as #47 (Radio Beat).

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Southern Rock Guitar Solos — #11
• Slide Guitar — #9
• The Best The Allman Brothers Band Guitar Solos — #7
• The Best Duane Allman Guitar Solos — #7

Sources

• Radio Beat: 88 kytarových sól na Beatu — #47
• Digital Dream Door: 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #52