Just Before The Bullets Fly

by Stephen Thomas ErlewineI'm No Angel was such a success that Gregg Allman wasted no time delivering its follow-up, 1988's Just Before the Bullets Fly. Essentially, the album is I'm No Angel, Part 2, with the same glossy mixes and straight-ahead rock & roll. This isn't a bad thing, in theory, and the execution is solid. It's just that the songs aren't there. There are a couple of moments that work -- namely, the opening punch of "Demons" and "Before the Bullets Fly" -- but most of the tunes aren't terribly memorable, and the ultra-slick production doesn't help matters. Given this tepid effort, it's little wonder that it took Allman nearly 10 years to deliver a sequel.