All Hail The Allman Brothers Band! Mighty. Mighty.
Exactly one month and a day ago, the current Allman Brothers Band line-up, which included three original members, Gregg Allman, Jai Johanny Johanson and Butch Trucks, along with Oteil Burbridge, Marc Quinones, Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes took there final curtain call at the Beacon Theatre as TABB came to a final end for the foreseeable future. Congratulations on 45 wonderful years of highs, lows, and everything in-between. It was an AMAZING run. Today we visit the original sextet’s legendary “At Fillmore East” record.
Regarded as the greatest live rock and roll album ever made, and you will get no argument from me to the contrary, The Allman Brothers’performances from a two night stint on March 12 and 13 in 1971 at New York, New York’s Fillmore East music venue, is the top dog, the gold medal, the blue ribbon and a grand slam all rolled into one. Rolling Stone Magazine lists this record at 49 on their 500 greatest albums of all time (a ranking that they seemed to have gotten correct). At just 7 songs, the original release featured blues staples and Allman Brothers’ originals: Statesboro Blues, Done Somebody Wrong, Stormy Monday, You Don’t Love Me, Hot’Lanta, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed and Whipping Post. I have no shout-outs except for the entire record. They are all top shelf! Okay, Okay, you have twisted my arm, one of my all time favorite songs is Betts’ Elizabeth Reed and this version is fab. And I will give a little something something to the 33 minute plus Mountain Jam from these shows that could be heard on the band’s Eat a Peach album; a tribute to group founder and guitarist Duane Allman who died less than four months after the “At the Fillmore” release, and on expanded editions of these original shows. These performances are some of Duane’s last and show why even with such a short lived life (he was just 24 when he died), he is still considered one of the all time guitar greats. Dicky Betts, the second lead guitarist of the band in those days, like Allman brings the farm to these songs. Berry Oakley, who would also die in a motorcycle accident like Duane Allman, blazes on the bass on the LP. Drummers Johanson and Butch Trucks bring four arms to the drums instead of the usual two; they kick ass and take a whole mess of names. And then there is Gregg. Not only is Gregg the only singer for the group, he is one hell of a organ and keyboard player. He gets overlooked in that category, I think, too often.
There is not much more to say about this high water mark album except it is still a spectacular record. Rock and roll is better because of this album and the guys who played on it. Again, I will sprout my gratitude about music and artists like The Allman Brothers. I have gotten to see them a handful of times through the years and have always enjoyed their music. How blessed am I? More importantly, how blessed are all of us?
365, Album of the Day 2014 