Ok, The Allman Brothers Band
[This is my first post here at New Critics. I originally posted this over at my place back in November of '05, but I thought it was as good a place as any to start.]
I was introduced to the music of The Allman Brothers Band in about 1972, after the year-apart tragic motorcycle accidental deaths of slide guitar legend Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakley, and before the release of “Brothers and Sisters.†I cut my bass-player teeth playing along with “Live at Fillmore East.†Their mix of rock, blues and jazz spoke to me in a way that no other music had before. No one classed in the same genre (now referred to as “jam bandsâ€Â) has ever come close in my estimation. I saw them three times in the 70’s when they had Chuck Leavell on keyboards and Lamar Williams on bass. They were good, but there was always that feeling of regret associated with having never seen the “real†Allman Brothers with Duane. As the 70’s progressed, Dickey Betts’ affinity for country music became more influential, and indeed some of those songs did strike a chord inside of this New York Italian kid who’s idea of a country song was “Act Naturally†by The Beatles, but they drifted further and further away from their blues roots.
As the 70’s faded into the 80’s, music fans’ tastes changed, and The Allman Brothers were written off as a casualty to the changing times and their own excesses. Tales of alcoholism, drug-abuse and betrayal coupled with some awful recordings seemingly relegated this once influential band to the rock-and-roll history books.
The band reunited in 1989 with a back-to-basics approach adding guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody.
From their All Music Guide Biography by Bruce Eder:
“The new lineup reinvigorated the band, which signed with Epic Records and
surprised everyone with their first release, Seven Turns. Issued in 1990, it got
some of the best reviews and healthiest sales they’d had in more than a decade.
Their subsequent studio albums failed to attract as much enthusiasm, and their
two live albums, An Evening With the Allman Brothers Band and 2nd Set, released
in 1992 and 1995, respectively, were steady but not massive sellers. Much of
this isn’t the fault of the material so much as a natural result of the passage
of time, which has left the Allmans competing with two decades’ worth of
successors and rivals.”
I picked up most of their records that were recorded in the 90’s and listened now and again. I saw them play live in 1995, coincidentally on the same day that Jerry Garcia passed away. The band mentioned that they were shaken by his death, specifically Dickey Betts who’s playing was noticeably sub-par that night. While I was pleased that they were back together and sounding more like the old band, (Warren Haynes is a fine blues / slide guitarist) I was still disappointed in the overall quality of the new material and much preferred the old classic records.
In March of 1998, it was announced that Warren Haynes and Allen Woody would be leaving the Allman Brothers to devote their efforts to their own band, Gov’t Mule, and that drummer Butch Truck’s nephew would be joining the band along with jazz bassist Oteil Burbridge. The band released a lack-luster live record titled “Peakin’ at the Beacon.†Unknown to most of their fan-base, over the years Dickey Betts had become increasingly difficult for the band to tolerate. Greg Allman and the rest of them had apparently overcome their drug and alcohol problems, but Betts had been accused of abusing crack-cocaine and alcohol and as a result was subsequently fired. Gov’t Mule bassist and friend Allen Woody had passed away in the meantime, so with Gov’t Mule now maimed, Warren Haynes was welcomed back into the band. When I heard all of this, I was dead-certain that it was once again, truly over for this legendary band. Dickey Betts had written some of their finest songs and was an integral part of their classic double-lead guitar sound. And, who, by the way was this Derek Trucks? It seemed that the young nephew of a band-member could not possibly be qualified to join this legendary band, and was chosen as a matter of convenience.
I was as wrong as Donald Rumsfeld.
The band released “Hittin’ The Note†in 2003 to rave reviews. A friend of mine bought me the record and insisted that I give it a chance. I was knocked out. This was easily the best collection of songs that they had released since “Brothers and Sisters.†This one sounded like the old days, with a true return to their blues roots.
At first I had a hard-time with Derek Trucks. I kept telling myself that he was good, but that no way could he compete with Warren Haynes. Still, each time I found myself intrigued by a guitar solo, it turned out to be Derek.
Then came the September release of their DVD Performance “Live at the Beacon Theater,†and it left no doubt in my mind that this musician who happened to be related to Butch Trucks is not in the band by virtue of any family relationship. He is one of the best blues guitarists to come along in years and years. Many fans may take exception, but I think he and not Warren Haynes is now the undisputed heir apparent to Duane Allman’s legacy. Derek picked up the guitar at 9 years old and by the time he was twelve he had already jammed on stage with likes of Buddy Guy and Bob Dylan. Watching and listening to him play the classic songs like “Dreams†and “Whipping Post†prompts me to say that he is channeling for Duane Allman, picking up on his style and taking it in new directions. His tone, note choice and sense of dynamics are astonishing, even when held up against the seminal work of his legendary role-model. Watching the DVD you sometimes catch glances of awe and amusement on the faces of veterans Gregg Allman and Warren Haynes as Derek stands there practically motionless, almost in a trance, ripping through these songs with a casual ease and apparent detachment, as if he were leafing through a magazine or drinking a glass of water.
If you are like me, and once loved the Allman Brothers and lamented the losses of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley, you owe it to yourself to go buy this DVD, the companion two CD set “One Way Out†from the same dates, and the fine studio effort, “Hittin The Note.†I don’t see how you could be disappointed.
[Click here to listen to a live version of "Ain't Wastin' Time No More" featuring Derek Trucks on the lead / slide guitar. Warren adds a fine solo on the outro. I posted about it here.]
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Their resurgence with a mixture of the old dudes and the younger guys has been a thing of beauty, clearly driven by Warren Haynes, who has really emerged as a force - I think this is because he's got terrific range. And that's important.
The Allmans' sound has never been pure blues or country rock - it's always mixed in jazz elements. Their best work swings; it's loose within a broad, specific context. These guys listen as they play - they don't just knock 'em out.
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Yeah, I agree. He has such a rich musical vocabulary. I think he is the backbone of the new configuration, and can he sing! I love his background vocals on classics like "Midnight Rider" and his lead vocals on the new ones like "Worried Down With The Blues."
I hafta say though that Derek Trucks is a guitarist in a class by himself...
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It is great to see them back and cookin' again with a multi-generational line-up. That bodes well for the future.
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Gotta be my all-time favorite version.
Definitely check out the "One Way Out" live record they did a couple years ago. While nothing will ever again be Fillmore East it is a fantastic record.
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I get, to put it plainly, real fucking tired of people who try to convince me that, say, Ted Nugent is a great guitar player. No, he's a good guitar player but mostly a "character." Duane Allman was a great guitar player, someone who put music above everything else. (Not that that choice will give you a great life, it must be added.) And I agree that Derek Trucks is heading in that direction, if he's not already there.
With hindsight I can see that one of my key learning experiences in appreciating music was seeing Count Basie in a high school gym in 1978. He was old, the piano was out of tune, and they were playing in a small town high school gym, for Christ's sake (it was a benefit). Didn't matter. They. Were. Hot. If the performer can set aside everything else as much as possible, including lack of a sizeable audience, then the magic can be conjured up. A "show" has its appeal, but eventually either the music is cooking or it's not. And if it is, the spirits may manifest themselves.
A week after I saw Basie I saw the Sex Pistols, but that's another story.
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Excellent comments. Thanks for reading.