You get 5 stars just for having the good taste of covering such a darned obscure Paul Pena song! But actually I am very impressed with this CD, my first purchase of DTB material. I already followed it up by ordering the new live DVD. I'm an old Duane fan so I've heard DT for years, and he's great, but I like his band now too.
Seriously....keep mining from that lost Pena album...you do it SUCH justice!!

I've seen this band. Is this really good band? I want to listen to some songs, if the songs were good for the listen, I'll buy the album.

I love this C.D.
I love all of dTb's music. They are amazing as a group, and Derek plays with so much heart,soul,focus...everything!
Please come back to Chicago soon!! I was fortunate to see ya's at Crossroads. Amazing!!

--
Jonathon DiLafayette you can float down the street after being carried down on through your soul!

The best of record 2009. Produced by Derek Trucks and recorded at his home studio in Jacksonville Florida, the record has an organic vibe. The music seems to get better and better with each listen revealing complex flavors much the same way as a fine bottle of red wine opens up after being uncorked and left to breathe for a few hours. Already Free defies classification. The album has the aroma of blues and southern rock – roots music, and a hint of Indian and gospel with a long jam band finish.

The first tune “Down in the Flood” is a cover of a Dylan song first recorded in ‘67 and officially released in ‘75 on the Basement Tapes. Derek Trucks reinvents Dylan’s folksy original with his signature slide guitar playing. Mike Mattison’s raspy pipes inject the song with some blues, quite a contrast to Dylan’s nasal twang. Whereas Dylan’s sound is tinny peppered with a breezy harmonica producing something you’d hear from an old pickup truck with an AM radio, Derek Trucks soulful, caffeinated sound is a high fidelity adrenalin rush.

Here’s a quick rundown of the other 11 songs on the album:

Something To Make You Happy. This bluesy tune evokes the magic of Stevie Ray Vaughn and oddly reminds me of “Jackie Blue”, that classic Ozark Mountain Daredevil tune I remember liking so much as a teenager.

Maybe This Time. Doyle Bramhall II is the vocalist on this one. Derek’s guitar whines and cries and near the end takes on the persona of a sitar. Indian blues. Would V.S. Naipul approve?

Sweet Inspiration. Gospel revival. What you might hear at a rural church one Sunday morning with a dancing chorus and lots of amens from the congregation. Inspiring.

Don’t Miss Me. I feel like I’m in the swamps of Jacksonville where this album was recorded. Murky waters. Doobie Brothers “Black Water”. I can smell a fish fry and is that a lightning bug in the distance? Watch out for them gators.

Get What You Deserve. Vocalist Mike Mattison’s composition. Hard driving fuzzy guitar sounds. Reminds me a little of ZZ Top.

Our Love. A Doyle Bramhall II tune and one of my favorites on the album with Doyle on lead vocals. The moody tones of the guitar project a roller coaster of emotional states – passion, sadness, desperation, resignation, hope, devotion reminiscent of a Coltrane solo. And there’s a vulnerability to Bramhall’s vocal – a quality I hear in some of Miles Davis’ recordings when he plays a muteless trumpet.

Down Don’t Bother Me. Southern rock here. Atlanta Rhythm Section. A Mike Mattison composition. Derek’s guitar is smoking like a cured ham. I hear some Duane Allman and Johnny Winter influences in the playing.

These Days Is Almost Gone. Blues. Paying tribute to Elvin Bishop perhaps?

Back Where We Started. Susan Tedeschi on vocals. Very nice ballad. Almost like a response to “Our Love”. A good dose of acoustic guitar.

I Know. Another one of my favorites. Starts off with sitar like vibrations. And then, jam band time. Feeling some Allman Brothers. And some brass and woodwinds in there somewhere.

Already Free. The bluesiest tune of the lot. Timeless.

Don’t let this record pass you by. Go out and buy it. Buy it now!

http://ribbie.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/the-best-album-of-2009-derek-trucks-band-already-free/

I got a copy of this cd from Best Buy that included 3 bonus tracks but I lost my case and can't find the info for these tunes anywhere. Can someone please help me out?

Just saw him live.I was third row and got to see him play first hand. A lot of the time though he plays back-lit. It is as if he wants to be in his own world and simply wants the music to speak for him.

I am pretty old and have had the privilege of seeing some of the classics; Cream, Led Zepplin when they opened for Yes, Led Zepplin in a giant stadium, U2, The Stones, Joe Walsh in a small club doing a benefit, The Yardbirds with Beck, Jeff Beck, JJ Cale, Ten Years After, yikes I can go on for a long time.

But Derek Trucks is simply a unique talent that crosses all genre's as smoothly as if he were on ice.

This album is beautiful and when they played Already Free at the concert I was blown away. I would give the album about 78 stars out of 5.

When you consider how young he is, and the quality of people he plays with, one can only imagine where we are all going to get to see him go.

He is sort of the Mozart for our times, a prodigy who has grown up to fill his own boots and is still just spreading his wings.

--
Cheers,

Bloefeld

What a terrific record - the best yet! Contains a great mixture of covers and originals with Down in the Flood being a powerful opener both for the CD and for the more recent shows. I was lucky enough to hear many of these live in London and the band stretches out beautifully. The band interact almost telepathically and the CD has the bonus of some sweet vocals from Susan Tedeschi. Great stuff!

Had to wait until 13th April for the UK released - had it on pre order from Amazon! It was worth the wait!
Absolutely brilliant music, I love Derek's playing and guitar tone - I can't get enough of him, but it would be unfair to concentrate purely on Derek as the whole band create the overall result! Also, really enjoyed the Doyle Bramhall content too.

The first time I saw DTB was at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival just outside of Chicago a couple of summer's ago. I walked out of that show asking myself where had this band been hiding and how come I wasn't more familiar with their music. Needless to say, I became a huge fan that day and immediatley went out and picked-up all DTB albums. From the minute this album hit my CD player in January it became an instant classic for me. If I had this record on vinyl I'd have probably worn the grooves out of it already. From the opening chords of "Down In the Flood" through the clossing title track, this record is everything a great album should be. Great songs played by accomplished players and some really great vocals by Mike who's voice hopefully will be heard and appreciated by many after this album. The way the songs flow and the way they are arranged in sequence on the album could not have been any better. "Down Don't Bother Me" and "Days Is Almost Gone" are the standouts for me. If you don't yet own this CD, get it now. You will not be disappointed. This is obviously a band just getting started and hopefully one that will be around for a long, long time making great music.

I agree, I cant get the CD out of my car radio.. I must have heard it 50 times the last few weeks..

Living in boston, I always been a big fan of susan's music. This is the first time I heard any of your music and i can't believe i missed it all these years......

This is the best rounded CD I have heard in 10 years... every cut is incredible. More music like this and the Cd would have not have died...

See you at the house of blues on Thur...

nice job!!!

Hello dTb - Yes, I had to have this one too as soon as it came out. It has been the only CD in my car since.

I can not tell you all enough how much I love your sound(s). So groovy BABY !! I have also become a fan of Susan's (those little one's of yours working the strings yet?) and not just the ones on the fishing poles on the docks of your home. I totally enjoy the entire collection... some of my favorites are: , Sweet Inspiration, Already Free, Our Love, Back Where I Started, and Already Free, Down in the Flood.

Can't wait till you get back here in June. Travel save, I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Clair-Detroit

I bought this album soon after it came out about a month ago and it has been getting a lot of play. I probably listen to it more than the other five CDs in my car combined.

Derek's playing is in the groove with the band yet soars when its time is there. I've become more appreciative of Mike's vocals over time and they are solid and creative on the album, yet I definitely like the variety of different lead vocalists on a few of the tracks (Doyle Bramhall, Susan Tedeschi). If Bonnie Raitt ever loses here voice Susan could fill in for her, probably do a better job, and no one would ever question who was singing - I find the vocal similarities uncanny on "Back Where I Started" (a beautiful tune).

I enjoy all of them, but my favorites are: Down in the Flood, Sweet Inspiration, Our Love, Back Where I Started, and Already Free.

Really looking forward to the next album. Just wish there was a tour date in the Pacific NW!!!

Live in Chicago and can not purchase this CD anywhere....................

All of the DTB albums have something interesting. With each album the band explored new ideas with their music and I have truly enjoyed the evolution. Already Free is the culmination of all that exploration. Given their own studio, they created their own environment to unleash their creativity and worked at their own pace and the result is nothing less than incredible.
I have played the entire CD at least 4 times and each listening exposes another texture another little riff or accent. Overall it's big and very satisfying. Mike's vocals are the best they've ever been and the rhythm section provides some incredible drive behind Derek's guitar whether he is wailing or finessing.

BTW, The Conan thing was a real teaser compared to the track on the album, I think they kinda chopped out 2 minutes worth but it still had amazing impact. The album track allows for all the subtle bits and then the tune develops into an animal; On TV they just went for it right off the bat!

BRAVO!!!

This is just a preliminary review:

... all songs are great the first time through and will all, at one time or another, become "my favorite," I'm sure. Here are two standouts the first time through:

-"Days Is Almost Gone" is more than likely one of the most beautiful tunes I've ever heard... man the emotions it elicits is really something else.

-"Miss Me" is really catchy... I dig the tempo changes when the chorus is approaching.

... I'll get back to the rest later, after I've had some more time with the album.

-Cheers!

Once again, Derek and his band create another master piece. With Derek's steller guitar playing as the foundation, the band creates an unexpected gem of an album. Using a mix from the great Delta Blues artists, some folk/country like lyrics, Derek and the Band pay end up paying hommage to that classic blues based southern rock we all grew up to and Love. I believe this will be his most successful album to date!

Once again, Derek and his band create another master piece. With Derek's steller guitar playing as the foundation, the band creates an unexpected gem of an album. Using a mix from the great Delta Blues artists, some folk/country like lyrics, Derek and the Band pay end up paying hommage to that classic blues based southern rock we all grew up to and Love. I believe this will be his most successful album to date!

weather its acoustic, or electric slide guitar, there is not a better combination of soulful creative jazzy-blues, ......heavy on the groove factor, gotta love it !
the band and special guests awesome !!!!
Derek Trucks, Kofi Burbridge, Todd Smallie, Yonrico Scott, Mike Mattison, Count M'Butu, with special guests Susan Tedeschi, Doyle Bramhall II & Oteil Burbridge

NEED I SAY MORE !

Most of the songs are extremely awesome...even timeless, like the cover song "Down in the Flood". The raw talent of Derek tells me we will have much to look forward to in the future...and he will only refine and improve his techniques, for our pleasure.
Derek is on his way to super-stardom...and we get to ride the bus. Looking forward to seeing Mr. Trucks live in my area...sometime soon I hope.