Where do I begin? I have to admit this is probably my favorite record of all time. There are some amazing musical things that happen on it. The band needed freedom of a live record, so they decided (along with their legendary producer Tom Dowd) to make this record a reality and make it work. Here is the track listing in its entirety on the album (but in the updated version, some recordings come from a second date played at the Fillmore East on June 29th, 1971).
Allman Brothers Live @ Fillmore East Disc 1
1. Statesboro Blues Blind Willie McTell
2. Trouble No
More McKinley Morganfield
(Muddy Waters)
3. Don’t Keep Me
Wonderin’ (feat. Thom Doucette: harp) Gregg Allman
5. Stormy Monday
(feat. Thom Doucette: harp) T Bone Walker
6. One Way
Out Marshall Sehorn,
Elmore James & Sonny Boy Williamson II.
7. In Memory Of
Elizabeth Reed Dickey Betts
8. You Don’t
Love Me (feat. Thom Doucette: harp) Willie Cobbs
9. Midnight Rider Gregg Allman
Allman Brothers Live @ Fillmore East Disc 2
1. Hot
‘Lanta Gregg
Allman, Duane Allman, Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks, Berry Oakley,
Jai Johanny Johansson (Jaimoe)
2. Whipping
Post Gregg Allman
3. Mountain Jam
(Theme from “There Is A Mountain”)
Donovan Leitch, Gregg Allman, Duane Allman, Dickey Betts, Jai Johanny
Johansson (Jaimoe), Butch Trucks
4. Drunken
Hearted Boy Elvin Bishop
(feat. Elvin Bishop: guitar, Steve Miller: piano, & Bobby Caldwell: percussion)
The guitar work on this album IS it’s hallmark and what put
the Allman Brothers on the map. The
mastery of six string theory as it relates to the blues with Dickey Betts
bluesy leads and the soaring, searing slide work that Duane Allman was known
for, highlight the record entirely, alongside Gregg’s soulful vocals and B3
chops. Admittedly, Doucette blowing harp
on the three numbers he is featured on is another definite highlight, showing a
nod to past legendary blues harmonica players.
Each song is a masterful display of the Allman Brothers
ability to singularly interpret blues classics and, more importantly, to
jam. Betts’ “In Memory of Elizabeth
Reed” in my estimation is a supercharged version of what jazz fusion artists
like Miles Davis and later, Return to Forever, Weather Report and their ilk
were trying to do, from a rock band. The
Allmans, along with Cream, Pink Floyd and other psychedelic bands, definitely
can be counted in the fusion of freeform jazz and rock. It’s just that the Allmans are also a pure
blues band, whereas true fusion bands are in another realm altogether as I’ve
explained in other record reviews.
This record became the blueprint for the Allman’s
sound. Even though their lineup has
undergone much change, they still rely on formulas founded on this
recording. They’d done two studio
recordings before Duane determined that a live record was definitely a
necessity, and Fillmore East delivered.
It may not have sold a tremendous amount of copies. But the music really stands up. It showcases another hallmark of the Allman
Brothers, still found in their music today.
Like any jazz influenced improvisational band, they are able
(particularly on “You Don’t Love Me”) to start on one song and let it morph
into other songs or musical pieces
On “You Don’t Love Me”, Duane teases lines from King Curtis’ “Soul Serenade” and from “Joy To The World.” “Midnight Rider” is in it’s expected format of a three minute radio number and was recorded during the band’s June date at the Fillmore East.
Disc two begins with “Hot ‘Lanta”, a jazzy instrumental, giving Gregg’s organ and the guitars plenty of room to jam and explore territory. This song has also been a highlight of shows featuring the current ABB lineup with Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes on guitar. The ending of the song is a rave up with guitar, organ and drums.
“Whipping Post” is next.
A fan calls out the song title and Duane is like “you guessed it. Berry starts ‘er up.” Then, bang!
The Allman Brothers rip into their signature bluesy lament with Gregg
singing his heart out. Four decades
later, this song is still a showstopper whenever it is played. It, like Liz Reed is very jazz oriented but
also has a Led Zeppelin, Cream, or early Pink Floyd, psychedelic vibe to it. It’s pure blues about a man being betrayed,
lied to, cheated on and stolen from, by a supposed or ex lover. Gregg sings:
Sometimes I feel
Like I’ve been tied to the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Good Lord I feel like I’m dying
Their track “Mountain Jam” based upon the theme from a movie
called “There Is A Mountain” written by songwriter Donovan Leitch, follows a
similar pattern to “Whipping Post”. It
ebbs and flows and has peaks and valleys varying in tempo and dynamics. That’s a unique quality the Allman Brothers
possess. It’s an understanding of how
dynamics affects the musical flow. Tracks like "Whipping Post" and "Mountain Jam" just have to be heard to be believed.
The last cut on the album is the Elvin Bishop penned
“Drunken Hearted Boy”
whixh tells a story of someone who drinks whiskey to drown out their sorrows,
but knows the habit might get them in trouble and make them pay the price with
their life. Some verses are:
I am a poor drunken hearted boy
I am a poor drunken hearted boy
I have a whole ocean of trouble
And just a little half a pint of joy
I drink ‘cause I’m worried
I don’t drink ‘cause I’m dry
I know if I keep on drinkin’
I’m liable to drink away my life
…And, the last verse,
Lord, if I keep on drinkin’
You know I can’t last too long
Lord, if I keep on drinkin’
When I’m dead and buried, please think about me when you
hear this song
On
“Drunken Hearted Boy”, Duane plays some of his best, most searing slide licks
of all. They, really cut through to the
listener’s ears and their soul. If you
know blues music and blues guitar playing, something like that (the sound of a
wailing electrified slide guitar or a skilled blues harmonica player), those
sounds can cut right through to your soul.
Definitely check out this record.
Today, 40 years ago, Duane was killed in a motorcycle wreck when swerved
to miss a truck on the highway, ditching his bike and hitting his head after
his helmet flew off. He was taken to the
hospital, but couldn’t be revived.
Ironically and tragically, a year or so later, Allman Brothers bassist
Berry Oakley died in a motorcycle wreck not far from where Duane’s
occurred. He ran into the side of a bus
on his bike on November 11th, 1972.
He
felt fine after the wreck. But, after
experiencing bad headaches, it was discovered that the head trauma he suffered
was serious and he passed away a couple days later. These musicians were very influential and
still are a huge part of the legacy of who the Allman Brothers are. Rest in Peace, Duane Allman and Berry Oakley.
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