The Allman Brothers Band
Eat A Peach

"Kaleidoscopic." After briefly thinking of an adjective that could suit this double album by the Allman brothers, this seems the most appropriate to describe it, as this work, part studio, part live, is a particularly explicit depiction of the power, elegance, and class of this American band, a source of inspiration for numerous other bands of the same years and future years, where the countless facets of the group are prominently displayed...

The album "Eat a Peach" was released in February 1972, a noble year in rock history, but also the saddest and most tragic period for the band. In fact, as everyone knows, on October 29th of the previous year, the band's leader, the extraordinary guitarist, the "wizard" of slide guitar Duane "Skydog" Allman died following a motorcycle accident near Macon, Georgia, the adopted city of the Brothers. Legend has it that a truck carrying peaches cut him off (as often mentioned by those who saw the album cover image, dedicated to the deceased guitarist), but in truth, it was a semi-truck specialized in exceptional transport, driven, among other things, by a devoted fan of the Allman Brothers. The loss of the charismatic leader was hard for the band, but as they say, "tragedies never come alone," in fact, in November '72, the same fate befell another great member of the group, bassist Berry Oakley, also hit while riding his motorcycle by a bus a few kilometers from where Skydog died... The album in question thus represents the watershed, the testament of the genius guitarist, and also the last work of the great bassist, and history was never the same. The songs contained here range from dirty and damned blues to psychedelic improvisations, from country rock to the tenderest love ballads, a vast array of the immense talent of the group.

Opening the record is one of the most beautiful songs born from the imagination and talent of Gregg Allman, Duane's younger brother, organist and voice of the band, "Ain't Wasting Time No More" tells of how it is useless to waste such precious and fleeting time, which makes everything go by so fast that you lose sight of the most important things in life... Excellent is the piano opening by Gregg himself, launching the band's other great guitarist, Dickey Betts, future creator of major group successes, like "Jessica" and "Ramblin' Man." The whole piece is made magnificent by the warm and bluesy voice of the blonde organist, an almost "black" voice that enriches the song. Betts explodes his guitar skills in the second track, "Les Brers in A Minor", a long instrumental improvisation that expresses all the group's jazz sensitivity and demonstrates how increasingly relevant Dickey's role is in covering the gap left by Duane's passing. "Melissa," a romantic and sweet acoustic ballad, is one of the tracks on the album left as a legacy by Skydog, then revisited and re-recorded by his brother, who on this occasion also showcases his acoustic guitar skills. The idea for this song came to Duane when, while walking outside a vegetable store, he noticed a little girl running out of the entrance while her mother chased after her shouting "Melissa, come here!!" This piece was hugely successful and perhaps also led to the explosion of the name Melissa given to many girls born during that time throughout the United States...

The monumental "Mountain Jam" occupies a large part of the work, the first live track of the album and a true instrumental tour de force given by a band at the peak of its splendor! The song was recorded live at the Fillmore East in New York and is a long improvisation based on a song by Donovan, a Scottish singer-songwriter famous for tracks like "Mellow Yellow" and "Catch the Wind," which brought the artist success in the late '60s. This track showcases the full mastery of the sextet, with an excellent rhythmic base that gives free rein to the guitarists in their imaginative flights with their Gibsons; the guitars here exchange passages, cross in a whirlwind crescendo, leaving space for organ and drum solos as well, leaving the audience in awe... This album also contains other live tracks, always recorded at the Fillmore East, but never before had they found space on a record: these include excellent tracks like "One Way Out," a great boogie with a blues flavor, a track by Ellmore James completely overturned by the "Allman" style, where Duane and Betts dazzle, and "Trouble no More," a cover of Muddy Waters, one of the band's longtime inspirations, already present in the studio version on their first self-titled album from '69.

Also worth mentioning is the splendid "Blue Sky," a country rock-flavored track conceived by Dickey Betts and dedicated to his wife at the time. The two separated in 1975, and from then on, at least until the '90s, the guitarist refused to play it live. It is a cheerful song that brings to mind a sunlit country road amidst greenery, with the sun illuminating everything, bringing joy and good humor... The lead voice of the track is Betts himself, accompanied acoustically and in the chorus by Duane and Gregg, a historic piece later excellently redone in the live set of '91, "An Evening with the ABB." Closing the album is "Little Martha," where Duane engages in a magnificent acoustic guitar arpeggio. The piece is not sung and represents the swan song of the band's founder, almost a farewell to his companions and fans...

"Eat a Peach" encapsulates all the qualities of this fundamental group, which here demonstrates all its talent. Who knows how things would have turned out if the two musicians hadn't passed away, but the band managed to rise again, releasing albums like "Brothers & Sisters" and "Win, Lose or Draw", falling into darkness with stories of drugs and convictions, alcohol abuse and quarrels, but they have reached our days and continue to delight us with their wonderful songs...