Duane Allman's Acclaimed 'Skydog' Retrospective Box to Be Released On Vinyl

By: Sep. 01, 2016
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When it was released as a CD box set in 2013, Rounder Records' deluxe collection, Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective, was a critical and commercial success. Now, on October 28, 2016, Rounder will offer a limited-edition vinyl version of the retrospective. Each of the 1000 individually-numbered copies will include all of the music from the CD editions--129 tracks in total- covered on 14, 180-gram vinyl LPs. Rounding out the box is a 56-page booklet that includes rare photos, plus essays by journalist Scott Schinder and Duane's daughter, Galadrielle Allman, who compiled the collection alongside esteemed reissue producer Bill Levenson. New to this edition are several previously unpublished photos of the artist, which will be featured on each LP sleeve.

To make this release even more special, Rounder Records has joined forces with the direct-to-fan platform leader, PledgeMusic to bring this incredible box set to fans. Pledgers can pre-order the box set and also select bundles that will include exclusive items available only to pledgers. They will include: The Super Deluxe Bundle which features one of 50 limited-edition, numbered LPs in a custom printed Skydog shipping carton, a copy of Please Be With Me: A Song For My Father, Duane Allman signed and individually numbered by Galadrielle Allman. Number in book will correspond with number on vinylbox, a leather slipmat, embossed with Skydog title treatment. A lithograph poster, an 8-panel postcard set, and a black & white photo. The Deluxe Bundle will include the Skydog box, custom printed Skydog shipping carton, a copy of Please Be With Me: A Song For My Father, Duane Allman signed and individually numbered by Galadrielle Allman (number in book will not correspond with number on vinyl box), a leather slipmat, embossed with Skydog title treatment. A lithograph poster, a postcard set, and a black & white photo. The Standard Bundle will include the Skydog box, custom printed shipping carton, an 8-panel postcard set, and a black & white photo.

Galadrielle Allman - Duane's daughter and author of Please Be With Me: A Song For My Father, Duane Allman - says, "The Skydog retrospective tells my father Duane Allman's life story in the fierce and melodic voice of his guitar. From his earliest high school strivings to the stunning virtuosity he finally achieved, it is all here. Being part of this project has deepened my understanding of who my father was, and he was remarkable. I hope it will do the same for all who listen. This collection deserves to be heard on vinyl, still the warmest and richest format there is. I'm so proud it was possible."

Despite a career cut short at the age of 24, Duane Allman was one of the defining musicians of the rock era, rated second only to Jimi Hendrix in Rolling Stone's list of 100 greatest guitarists. Known best for his role in the Allman Brothers Band, Duane was also active as a session musician, and as a member of the all-star group Derek & the Dominos. Skydog illustrates the guitarist's incredible output and unmatched talent through a wide range of material, including Allman's early recordings (with brother Gregg) in bands such as The Escorts, The Allman Joys, and Hour Glass; his studio work with Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Boz Scaggs and Delaney & Bonnie, among others; plus, many iconic Allman Brothers songs, a live jam session with the Grateful Dead and a collector's cache of rare singles.
The premiere, 2013 CD edition of Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective received nothing but the highest praise from the press, which heralded the collection as a must-have for all rock music lovers. Rolling Stone's David Fricke placed Skydog as number two on his top 10 Reissues of the Year list, praising it as "thrilling and definitive," while Uncut Magazine proclaimed "Skydog is an addictive, endlessly captivating aural history of a towering figure in rock history, with each disc forming a distinct chapter in the sprawling narrative." The initial, limited run of 10,000 numbered CD box sets sold out to fans in a matter of weeks (the deluxe package included a gold velour-lined box that represented a guitar case, a replica of Duane's guitar pick, a "Skydog" sticker, and vellum disc sleeves). In response to overwhelming demand, a slimmed-down version was released months later to a wider audience, and remains a top-seller in the Rounder catalog. "We're proud of our ongoing relationship with the Allman family, and of the success that this set has achieved," declares Rounder Records' Vice President of A&R, Scott Billington. "Duane Allman's starburst of creativity might have happened almost fifty years ago, but his music and his guitar innovations are timeless."


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