Gregg Allman SOUTHERN BLOO(LP-BLK

"My Only True Friend," from Southern Blood, Gregg Allman's final album, is a cipher, much like the man himself -- private, reserved, and complex. Though twin, ringing, blues-drenched guitars introduce it, the song just as quickly morphs into a ballad: "You and I both know, this river will surely flow to an end/Keep me in your heart...I hope you're haunted by the music of my soul...But you and I both know, the road is my only true friend...." The blues guitars cascade in again, adding resonance. This is the only track here that Allman co-wrote, but it's fine enough to join the shortlist of his classics -- "Midnight Rider," "Melissa," "Ain't Wastin' Time No More," etc.When Allman and producer Don Was commenced work on Southern Blood, the clock was already ticking. The singer had undergone liver transplant surgery, but the cancer had returned. Tunes and charts were painstakingly chosen. Allman's road band and some friends were invited to FAME Studios at Muscle Shoals, the same place that