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The Allman Brothers Band is a rock-blues group active since the late 1960s, and to date has released about twenty albums, both studio recordings and live albums. The group is formed by the singer and keyboardist Gregg Allman and his brother Duane, a guitarist. They are joined by the second guitarist Dickey Betts, bassist Berry Oakley, and two drummers, Butch Trucks and Jay Johanson.
Before this live album, the band had already recorded two studio albums. The recording comes from two concerts that the group held at the Fillmore East venue in New York in March 1971. Their style is based on rock-blues tinged with jazz nuances, which gave rise to the genre later called Southern Rock. The fundamental characteristics of their sound are undoubtedly Gregg Allman's "warm" voice, reminiscent of the best black blues singers, and his brother Duane's mastery of the slide guitar, a true virtuoso of this guitar technique. Another important element is the melodic interweaving between the two lead guitarists and the precision of the rhythm section, powerful and varied.
The album in question expands the characteristics found in studio recordings but differs significantly for various reasons. The songs are played with an almost jazz-like spirit and extend well beyond the original duration, hosting multiple solo parts by all the musicians. They unfold like great jam sessions.
The recording opens with three classic blues reinterpreted: "Statesboro Blues", "Done Somebody Wrong", and "Stormy Monday". In this first part of the recording, the songs at least respect the original duration but are enriched with a personal interpretation that deviates from the originals and makes them almost new songs. With the fourth track, we move on to one of their concert classics, "You Don't Love Me". The piece lasts a total of 19'16'' and is characterized especially by the improvisations of the two guitarists in the central part of the piece, making it an exciting tour de force. The following tracks, "Hot' Lanta" and "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed", are two instrumentals with similar characteristics, rich in tempo changes and creative solos by the musicians that are never tedious. The album closes with "Whipping Post", a piece from their debut album, and a summation of all the characteristics found in the previous tracks. The original piece indeed lasted just over 5', while in this version, it expands to reach 23' of pure creative flair and instrumental skill.
Qualitatively, we are looking at an album played excellently by every musician with great improvisational skills, and it is especially striking that they not only perform already recorded pieces but also infuse them with new nuances that were not present in the studio recording.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
02 Statesboro Blues (04:20)
Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low;
Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low.
You got no nerve baby, to turn Uncle John from your door.
I woke up this morning, I had them Statesboro Blues,
I woke up this morning, had them Statesboro Blues.
Well, I looked over in the corner, and Grandpa seemed to have them too.
Well my momma died and left me,
My poppa died and left me,
I ain't good looking baby,
But I'm somewhat sweet and kind.
I'm goin' to the country, baby do you wanna go?
But if you can't make it baby, your sister Lucille said she wanna go.
(and I sure will take her).
I love that woman, better than any woman I've ever seen;
Well, I love that woman, better than any woman I've ever seen.
Well, now, she treat me like a king, yeah, yeah, yeah,
And she look like a dog gone queen.
Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low.
Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low.
You got no nerve babe, to turn Uncle John from your door.
04 Whipping Post (23:00)
I've been run down
I've been lied to
I don't know why,
I let that mean woman make me a fool
She took all my money
Wrecks my new car
Now she's with one of my good time buddies
They're drinkin' in some cross town bar
Sometimes I feel
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 dyin'
My friends tell me
That I've been such a fool
And I have to stand down and take it babe,
All for lovin' you
I drown myself in sorrow
As I look at what you've done
Nothin' seems to change
Bad times stay the same
And I can't run
Sometimes I feel
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 dyin'
Sometimes I feel
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 dyin'
05 Hot 'Lanta (05:22)
by G. Allman, D. Allman, R. Betts, C. Trucks, R. Oakley and J. Johanson
(c) 1971 & 1974 by No Exit Music Co., Inc.
Instrumental
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Other reviews
By Duane
This double is simply the most sensational live album of all time, played by the only band capable of ranging from rock to blues to jazz without missing a beat.
Mountain Jam rises towards 'peaks' never to be reached again... it is the perfect fusion of creativity, technical skill, pathos, grandeur... it shocks from the first to the last minute.
By Ginger Drummer
"Duane’s slide rises high into the sky and gracefully falls back to earth. Breathtaking."
"A legendary place, a legendary band for a legendary live album. Inimitable."
