One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band (54 page)

Peakin’ at the Beacon
(2000, **) is an odd release—the band let Dickey Betts go because of what they termed subpar playing on his final spring tour, then fulfilled their Sony contract by releasing songs from Betts’s final Beacon run with the band. He sounds OK, actually, but it’s a dispirited set—definitely not a peak.

THE REST

The Allman Brothers Band
(1969, ***
) is a remarkably sure, mature debut filled with songs that have become classics. The production muffles the brilliance.

Beginnings
(1973, ****) combines the band’s first two albums in full, making it an excellent choice.

Win, Lose or Draw
(1975, **
) is the sound of a band in free fall. It lacks the cohesion and fire that marked their first five albums, but includes two great songs: a ripping take on Muddy Waters’s “Can’t Lose What You Never Had” and “High Falls,” another stellar Betts instrumental.

People made fun of the live
Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas
(1976, ***
) when it came out, but the live collection holds up well and is an interesting snapshot of the version of the band featuring keyboardist Chuck Leavell and bassist Lamar Williams.

Seven Turns
(1990, ****) was an excellent return to form—much stronger than most of us expected after the flaccid ’80s comeback had petered out. More than twenty years later, it stands its ground. The album was the group’s best overall studio effort since
Brothers and Sisters
, paving the way for the long run that has followed.

Live at Ludlow Garage
(1991, ***
) is a very solid live set from April, 1970 that is mostly interesting for showing just how much the band grew in the ensuing year before recording
At Fillmore East.
Only essential for hardcore fans.

Shades of Two Worlds
(1991, ***
) was less consistent but more ambitious than its predecessor and drove home the fact that the Allmans were back and once again a force to be reckoned with.

I have mixed feelings about
The Fillmore Concerts
(1992, ****
), which presented an expanded version of
At Fillmore East.
The sound is superb, it’s great to hear some extra tracks, like “Drunken Hearted Boy” with Elvin Bishop, and cool to hear the
Eat a Peach
“Mountain Jam” follow “Whipping Post,” as it was originally played. But producer Tom Dowd performed a sacrilege when he replaced the original “Liz Reed” with a new version that spliced together two different performances. Why mess with perfection?

An Evening with … First Set
(1992, ****) captures the band in their early ’90s glory, with Haynes and Betts throwing lightning bolts at each other.

Where it All Begins
(1994, ***
) is inconsistent but contains some of the best material the ’90s Brothers produced.

Hittin’ the Note
(2003, ***
) is the band’s first and only studio recording without Betts and they sometimes miss his distinct songwriting. This is a strong collection, however; a batch of new songs featuring the Haynes/Truck guitar teaming was most welcome.

Live at the Atlanta International Pop Festival July 3 & 5, 1970
(2003, ****) may be the most essential of the secondary live releases, capturing the band as they fully rounded into form. This is a smoking hot two-CD set, and includes some hilarious hippie-dippie introductions from the festival MC.

One Way Out: Live at the Beacon Theater
(2004, ***
) captures the band’s current Haynes/Trucks lineup in great form on a contemporary set list, heavy with material from
Hittin’ the Note.
As always, the songs come to life on stage.

The group has released a steady stream of their own archival releases, each selected for some historic reason.

American University 12/13/70
(2002, ***
) was recorded on the heels of two nights and four shows at the Fillmore East and the strain of the road can be heard on the opening “Statesboro Blues”—in Gregg’s cracked voice, Duane’s and Dickey’s occasional flubs, some rhythm section wobble—but then the band pulls together and locks in on a ferocious “Whipping Post” and they’re off to the races. This was no doubt also a sentimental choice of manager Bert Holman, who booked the shows as an American University freshman.