Allman Brothers Band [1973] Beginnings

[01] Don't Want You No More
[02] It's Not My Cross To Bear
[03] Black Hearted Woman
[04] Trouble No More
[05] Every Hungry Woman
[06] Dreams
[07] Whipping Post
[08] Revival
[09] Don't Keep Me Wonderin'
[10] Midnight Rider
[11] In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
[12] Hoochie Coochie Man
[13] Please Call Home
[14] Leave My Blues At Home



amg: This is where the group's CD release history gets complicated. Beginnings was originally put together by Atco as a double LP to encourage new fans who'd missed them to buy the group's first two albums, and proved so successful that it was kept in print on CD by Polydor when it acquired the group's catalog. Polydor's single-CD version of this double LP, however, was substandard in audio quality, digitized from an LP production master, and their individual CDs of The Allman Brothers Band and Idlewild South were far superior. But when Capricorn got the library back in 1997, they remastered Beginnings along with the rest of the library.
(amg 10/10)

Allman Brothers Band [1972] Eat A Peach

[01] Ain't Wastin' Time No More
[02] Les Brers In A Minor
[03] Melissa
[04] Mountain Jam
[05] One Way Out
[06] Trouble No More
[07] Stand Back
[08] Blue Sky
[09] Little Martha



amg: A tribute to the dearly departed Duane, Eat a Peach rambles through two albums, running through a side of new songs, recorded post-Duane, spending a full album on live cuts from the Fillmore East sessions, then offering a round of studio tracks Duane completed before his death. On the first side, they do suggest the mellowness of the Dickey Betts-led Brothers and Sisters, particularly on the lovely "Melissa," and this stands in direct contrast with the monumental live cuts that dominate the album. They're at the best on the punchier covers of "One Way Out" and "Trouble No More," both proof of the group's exceptional talents as a roadhouse blues-rock band, but Duane does get his needed showcase on "Mountain Jam," a sprawling 33-minute jam that may feature a lot of great playing, but is certainly a little hard for anyone outside of diehards to sit through. Apart from that cut, the record showcases the Allmans at their peak, and it's hard not to feel sad as the acoustic guitars of "Little Martha" conclude the record, since this tribute isn't just heartfelt, it offers proof of Duane Allman's immense talents and contribution to the band.
(amg 10/10)

Allman Brothers Band [1971] At Fillmore East

[01] Statesboro Blues
[02] Done Somebody Wrong
[03] Stormy Monday
[04] You Don't Love Me
[05] Hot 'Lanta
[06] In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
[07] Whipping Post



amg: Whereas most great live rock albums are about energy, At Fillmore East is like a great live jazz session, where the pleasure comes from the musicians' interaction and playing. The great thing about that is, the original album that brought the Allmans so much acclaim is as notable for its clever studio editing as it is for its performances. Producer Tom Dowd skillfully trimmed some of the performances down to relatively concise running time (edits later restored on the double-disc set The Fillmore Concerts), at times condensing several performances into one track. Far from being a sacrilege, this tactic helps present the Allmans in their best light, since even if the music isn't necessarily concise (three tracks run over ten minutes, with two in the 20-minute range), it does showcase the group's terrific instrumental interplay, letting each member (but particularly guitarist Duane and keyboardist/vocalist Gregg) shine. Even after the release of the unedited concerts, this original double album (single CD) remains the pinnacle of the Allmans and Southern rock at its most elastic, bluesy, and jazzy. [In 2004, Mercury reissued At Fillmore East as a hybrid SACD, playable in both regular CD players and Super Audio CD players. On each of the layers, the remastered sound is spectacular, a considerable upgrade from the initial CD pressings.]
(amg 10/10)

Allman Brothers Band [1969] Allman Brothers

[01] Don't Want You No More
[02] It's Not My Cross To Bear
[03] Black Hearted Woman
[04] Trouble No More
[05] Every Hungry Woman
[06] Dreams
[07] Whipping Post



amg: This might be the best debut album ever delivered by an American blues band, a bold, powerful, hard-edged, soulful essay in electric blues with a native Southern ambience. Some lingering elements of the psychedelic era then drawing to a close can be found in "Dreams," along with the template for the group's on-stage workouts with "Whipping Post," and a solid cover of Muddy Waters' "Trouble No More." There isn't a bad song here, and only the fact that the group did even better the next time out keeps this from getting the highest possible rating.
(amg 9/10)

Allman Brothers Band [1970] Idlewild South

[01] Revival
[02] Don't Keep Me Wonderin'
[03] Midnight Rider
[04] In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
[05] Hoochie Coochie Man
[06] Please Call Home
[07] Leave My Blues At Home



amg: The best studio album in the group's history, electric blues with an acoustic texture, virtuoso lead, slide, and organ playing, and a killer selection of songs, including "Midnight Rider," "Revival," "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'," and "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" in its embryonic studio version, which is pretty impressive even at a mere six minutes and change. They also do the best white cover of Willie Dixon's "Hoochie Coochie Man" anyone's ever likely to hear.
(amg 10/10)