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  • Review of The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings by the Allman Brothers Band

    Review of The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings by the Allman Brothers Band

    Sometimes it’s cool to write music reviews, especially if it gets you a sneak peak of live recordings by the Allman Brothers Band…

    On July 29, 2014, something old by the Allman Brothers Band will morph into something new. For many years, their album At Fillmore East has been regarded as a crowning achievement in the world of live rock recordings. But that album, as excellent as it is, was somewhat incomplete because it only included highlights of recordings made over the weekend of March 12-13, 1971 and Fillmore East’s closing night, June 27, 1971. Fillmore East was a legendary concert venue in New York City, which operated from 1968 until 1971. Promoter Bill Graham owned Fillmore East, as well as its counterparts on the West Coast, Fillmore Auditorium and Fillmore West, in San Francisco, California. Next week, on the 29th of July, Allman Brothers Band fans will get to hear all of the concerts played in March 1971 and the entire concert from June 27, 1971. What results is a new box set entitled The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings. The new box set will come in three formats: six CDs, four LPs, or three Blu-ray DVDs.

    I jumped when the opportunity came up for me to review this box set. I love the Allman Brothers Band’s music, especially when they play live. Though I didn’t happen to own a copy of their At Fillmore East album, I had heard enough of their live stylings to know that I’d enjoy this box set. I’ve spent most of today listening to the six CD version of this new box set and I have really gained a new appreciation for the Allman Brothers Band. These concerts were recorded just after the band, which is one of the defining examples of Southern rock, had released its second album. The live album put them on the map. Unfortunately, not long after At Fillmore East was released to great critical acclaim, founding member Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident. The date was October 29, 2972 and he was only 24 years old at the time. Berry Oakley, the original bassist who played on these recordings, also died at age 24 in 1972.


    “Stormy Monday” from At Fillmore East.

    The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings is a great box set for hard core Allman Brothers Band fans. What you’ll get is a lot of joyfully played Southern rock, blended with blues and jazz and long, passionate jams by Dickey Betts on guitar juxtaposed with Gregg Allman’s too sexy for words vocals and Chuck Leavell’s sensual organ. I’m guessing that any one of the shows featured on this box set were unforgettable. That being said, I will comment again that I’ve been listening to this box set all day and as these are concerts from 1971, before some of the Allman Brothers Band’s biggest hits were recorded, you’ll get a lot of repetition. For example, this box set has four different versions of “Statesboro Blues”, all of which are only slightly different from each other. It also has three different versions of “Whipping Post”, each of which run for approximately 20 minutes. Don’t get me wrong… each version of these songs is a delight! But listening to this box set straight through may lead to overload, which is why I recommend taking your time and really savoring each disc. Taken just a bit at a time, these recordings are stellar, with amazingly creative jams that surely transfixed the audience. Moreover, you also get unedited versions of gems like “Mountain Jam”, which runs for over 35 minutes, and some previously unreleased material.

    It’s been such a pleasure to sit here and listen to the Allman Brothers Band play when they were up and coming. There are some moments on this box set that I like better than others. For instance, the song “Stormy Monday” is pure bliss, with its effortlessly bluesy sound and Gregg Allman’s soulful voice like an aural orgasm. As I’ve listened to them today, it occurs to me how much they’ve influenced other great acts… for instance, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, which has done some songs that remind me very much of early Allman Brothers Band. The Allman Brothers truly mastered the art of live jamming and others have taken note and emulated them.

    The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings are well worth owning if you’re a fan of The Allman Brothers Band’s music. It’s a box set that is great to just sit and listen to and admire. You can hear the band members banter and engage the crowd; it’s like hearing a piece of rock and roll history. For those who are hoping for “Jessica”, “Melissa”, or “Ramblin’ Man”, The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings will be a disappointment because those songs came later in the band’s history. If you want to hear where it all began– with all the original members– you’d do well to pick up a copy of this box set. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it for some time to come! Highly recommended!

    On another note, starting next week I will be very much engaged in my move to Germany, so I may not be around much until we get settled, which could take a few weeks. Until then, be well! See you on the flip side!

  • Exciting news for fans of the Allman Brothers Band

    Exciting news for fans of the Allman Brothers Band

    I just found out some exciting news for fans of the Allman Brothers Band and I can’t wait to share it!

    One of the best live albums ever, The Allman Brothers Band’s At Fillmore East, has been expanded into a new and completely remastered box set! The new box set, entitled The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings, will come in three different configurations: six CDs, four LPs, or three Blu-rays.

    Fillmore East was rock promoter and impresario Bill Graham’s iconic concert venue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was open from March 8, 1968 until June 27, 1971 and served as an eastern companion to Graham’s Fillmore Auditorium and later Fillmore West venue in San Francisco, California. Fillmore East was famous for hosting some of the hottest rock acts of the time and The Allman Brothers Band were a much celebrated guest there.

    The expanded Fillmore East box set comes from recordings made over the weekend of March 12-13, 1971, as well as the entire Allman Brothers Band performance on June 27, 1971, Fillmore East’s closing night. Bill Graham handpicked the Allman Brothers Band to headline that night because of their phenomenal ability to play live gigs.

    The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings box set will also include a 36 page booklet with detailed notes written by Allmanologist John Lynskey, as well as fifteen previously unreleased tracks. These concerts have been remastered in 5.1 surround sound from the original multi-track recordings. They should sound great on whatever machine you want to use to play them!

    I am very excited about this new box set because I have been a big Allman Brothers Band fan for years. While I’ve always enjoyed their studio recordings of such classic hits like “Ramblin’ Man” and “Statesboro Blues”, I especially enjoy their live tracks. I think one of the best measures of a band’s collective talent is how good they are live or on live recordings. The Allman Brothers Band is consistently top notch in a live venue; they are well-known for their effortless, innovative jams. And I do love a good live jam!

    So, if you love live music by the Allman Brothers Band, mark your calendar for July 29th. That’s when you can get your hands on this brand new box set!


    An ad for The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings…

  • My dad’s music…

    My dad’s music…

    Today’s post is about my dad’s music… because his music influenced my music…

    Last week, I wrote about how I was in the market for funeral songs. At that time, my dad was on his death bed. He has since died and I’m left remembering him. The full impact of grief has not yet hit me. Intellectually, I know he’s gone and not coming back and yet I just saw him eight days ago. I haven’t had time to miss him yet, I guess. As I wrote in my last post, my dad was very much a music lover and he passed a lot of his passion on to me. We did not share the same musical tastes once I got old enough to determine what I liked and what I didn’t like. I do remember listening to some of his music in the car when I was very young.

    My dad introduced me to the fluffy sweetness of Olivia Newton-John’s voice. He used to play her cassettes in the car and for some reason, I just adored her. She was pretty and had a great style, or so five year old me thought, anyway. In those days, Olivia was a country star.


    I remember this song from Olivia Newton-John’s 1974 album, If You Love Me Let Me Know.

    About a year ago, I went looking for Olivia’s deep cut “Mary Skeffington” and learned that it was also sung by Gerry Rafferty. As I listened to Gerry’s version, I ran into a British musician on YouTube who covered it. We’ve sort of become correspondents since then. I listen to his music and he listens to mine. And all because my dad exposed me to Olivia Newton-John back in the day.


    I need to listen to more Gerry Rafferty… He’s done more than “Baker Street” and “Right Down The Line”.

    The Carpenters were another musical act I shared with my dad. He loved Karen Carpenter’s clear vocals and Richard Carpenter’s virtuoso piano playing. I didn’t appreciate The Carpenters until I was a lot older. But my dad owned a couple of their albums and he’d play them on road trips.


    “Sometimes” was written by Henry Mancini, Felice Mancini, and Bob Seger. The words came from a letter written to Henry Mancini by his daughter.

    The song “Sometimes” seems very poignant to me right now. It’s about the importance of remembering loved ones while you still can and appreciating them for who they are.


    “You” was another great sleeper hit on The Carpenters’ 1976 album, A Kind of Hush.

    A lot of The Carpenters’ hits were kind of saccharine and overwrought. And yet, there was no denying their talent. My dad was a big fan and he passed his appreciation on to me, even as I can see why some people thought they were a bit too square to be hip.

    My dad liked Jim Croce. He had a couple of Croce’s albums on 8-track that he’d play sometimes. While I never got as much into Croce as my dad did, I did find a few of his songs very beautiful.


    One of my favorite Jim Croce songs is “I Got A Name”. There is something majestic and strong about this song that moves me every time.


    This song always makes me laugh. I have a friend who changed the lyrics to something naughty and I think of the revised lyrics every time I hear this.

    And… very strangely, my dad was also an ABBA fan. Well, he owned one of their albums, anyway. I don’t think he bought more than one. I guess he liked their sound, though he was not one to listen to music you could boogie to. The album my dad owned was their 1979 release, Voulez-Vous, which seems especially funny, since that album was known as their “disco” album. I used to listen to it all the time.


    “As Good As New” was one of my favorite songs on Voulez-Vous. The lyrics were a little lame, but I loved the funky melody. I think my dad was more partial to songs like “I Have A Dream”.


    Ahh… how inspiring!


    “Kisses of Fire” was another favorite of mine, but it probably made my dad nervous. Most music with a strong beat did.

    There were other albums, of course. I used to raid my parents’ music all the time. I liked listening to their copy of Herb Alpert’s Whipped Cream and Other Delights. I was also enchanted by the album cover, which featured a beautiful woman covered in what appeared to be whipped cream. I hope it was shaving cream, otherwise it would not be very pleasant for long…


    “A Taste of Honey” was a favorite…

    As I remember my dad, I realize that he had a lot to do with my love of music. I didn’t always like what he liked, but I liked enough of it. I hope wherever he is now, he’s got all the tunes he could ever wish for… and his voice back strong and clear.