On November 7, Strolling Bones Records will release Seven Levels, the final studio album from Southern rock legend and Cowboy co-founder Tommy Talton. Recorded in April 2022 at Macon’s legendary Capricorn Sound Studios — the same room where Cowboy and the Allman Brothers once tracked their defining works — the album stands as Talton’s parting gift: seven songs steeped in friendship, resilience, and the timeless sound of the Southern rock family tree.
Talton, who passed away in 2023, was a founding member of Cowboy, the Capricorn Records group he formed in 1970 with longtime songwriting partner Scott Boyer. Though never a household name, Cowboy left an indelible mark on American roots music, touring alongside the Allman Brothers Band, performing as Gregg Allman’s rhythm section during the 1974–75 Laid Back tour, and recording with artists including Alex Taylor and Bonnie Bramlett. Their blend of soulful Southern rock and reflective songwriting earned them a cult following that endures to this day.
With Seven Levels, Talton returned “home” to Capricorn Studios, surrounded by friends and collaborators who shared decades of musical history. The sessions brought together Randall Bramblett, Chuck Leavell, Rick Hirsch, Charlie Hayward, and Bill Stewart — a dream lineup of Capricorn veterans. Each track was lovingly overdubbed, mixed, and mastered by Hirsch in the months following the sessions, even as Talton battled illness. “He knew these tunes would be his epitaph,” Hirsch notes, “and so did everyone in the room.”
The result is a collection that captures both the spirit of Talton’s life and the essence of the Capricorn era. The opening track, “Time Will Take Us,” revisits a classic from the 1974 Gregg Allman Tour double album, marking its first-ever studio recording. With Talton’s guitar work, Hirsch’s deft production, and Leavell’s signature Fender Rhodes, the song radiates new power while honoring its history. Another highlight, “Ramblin’ Man,” written by Boyer in 1971 (years before Dickey Betts’ song of the same name), finds new life here as a heartfelt dedication to Talton’s late songwriting partner.
Elsewhere, Talton leans into his melodic optimism with “I Can Pick You Up” — a Beatle-esque tune about love, music, and renewal — and explores Louisiana-flavored grooves with “I’ve Got the Sun in My Heart.” Songs like “I Want to Do It All Again” and “Waiting for the Lady to Return” reveal the emotional depth of Talton’s writing, the latter reflecting on his wife Patty’s recovery from a stroke. The album closes with “Say a Prayer on My Behalf,” a haunting, atmospheric piece that crystallizes his legacy as both songwriter and guitarist.
For Talton’s peers, his genius was unmistakable. Chuck Leavell called him “a songwriter whose talents really shone through and that I loved.” Warren Haynes remembered him as “one of those guys who was always holding more cards than he played.” Randall Bramblett recalled the “guitar tone and passion for playing and writing that always lifted me up.”
Seven Levels is more than a final album — it’s a farewell letter from a musician whose artistry never stopped growing, even in the face of adversity. It’s the sound of old friends making one last stand together, filled with the same love and spirit that defined a generation of Southern rock.
Tommy Talton — Seven Levels
Out November 7, 2025
Strolling Bones Records
