At Fillmore East

Performer: The Allman Brothers Band
Engineer: Aaron Baron; Larry Dahlstrom
Producer: Tom Dowd
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: The Allman Brothers Band: Gregg Allman (vocals, piano, organ); Dickey Betts (guitar); Duane Allman (guitar, slide guitar); Berry Oakley (bass); Jai Johanny Johanson (drums, congas, timbales); Butch Trucks (drums, timpani). Additional personnel: Thom Doucette (harmonica). Recorded live at the Fillmore East, New York, New York on March 12-13, 1971. Originally released on Capricorn. Ultradiscs are mastered from the original master tapes using Mobile Fidelity's proprietary mastering technique, then plated with 24-karat gold and housed in a stress-resistant lift-lock jewel box. The Allman Brothers Band: Gregg Allman (vocals, piano, organ); Duane Allman (guitar, slide guitar); Dickey Betts (guitar); Berry Oakley (bass instrument); Jai Johanny Johanson (drums, congas, timbales); Butch Trucks (drums, timpani). Additional personnel: Thom Doucette (harmonica). 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.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine The original Fillmore East album is one of the finest live documents of the rock era, capturing the original line-up of one of the '70s' tightest outfits before they were cruelly robbed of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. Taken from five 1971 performances at New York's fabled Fillmore East, the extended and effortlessly melodic workouts of "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" and "Whipping Post" still have the power to rivet and move. On display here is the Allmans' fabled chemistry at its finest. The band not only rocks, it rolls, swings, and stretches out in exploratory, jazzy passages. The dual guitar interplay of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts glides effortlessly over the propulsive rhythm section of Oakley and twin drummers Jaimoe and Butch Trucks, while Greg Allman's powerful blues voice and melodic keyboard work provides the icing on the cake. Though the later-released THE FILLMORE CONCERTS presents these songs in their original entirety, AT FILLMORE EAST, with its seamless edits of multiple performances, may be the superior recording. It highlights all the glint and sparkle of what still ranks among the best jamming committed to record. The original Fillmore East album is one of the finest live documents of the rock era, capturing the original line-up of one of the 70s' tightest outfits before they were cruelly robbed of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. Taken from five 1971 performances at New York's fabled Fillmore East, the extended and effortlessly melodic workouts of 'In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed' and 'Whipping Post' remain definitive recordings. The dual guitar interplay of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts glides effortlessly over the propulsive rhythm section of Oakley and twin drummers Jaimoe and Butch Trucks, while Greg Allman's powerful blues voice and melodic keyboard work provides the icing on the cake.

Rolling Stone (8/19/71, p.39) - "...The Allman Brothers had many fine moments at the Fillmores and this live album must surely epitomize all of them..." Rolling Stone (9/30/71, p.42) - "...The Allman Brothers Band as a whole is making some of the best rock band music anywhere these days....ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND AT FILMORE EAST is their best so far..." Rolling Stone (8/8/02, p.82) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...Captured America's best blues-rock band at its peak..." Rolling Stone (8/19/71, p.39) - "...The Allman Brothers had many fine moments at the Fillmores and this live album must surely epitomize all of them..." Rolling Stone (9/30/71, p.42) - "...The Allman Brothers Band as a whole is making some of the best rock band music anywhere these days....ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND AT FILMORE EAST is their best so far..."

They're known as the founding fathers of Southern rock, but the Allman Brothers were actually much more progressive than the musical school they inspired. They reclaimed the US-influenced blues-rock of Cream et al. and brought it back to America, adding country and jazz touches. They were noted for their improvisatory skills, particularly the inspired dual-guitar work of Dickey Betts and the late Duane Allman. Even after the deaths of Duane and original bassist Berry Oakey and the departure of Betts, the band soldiered on strongly into the 21st century, led by founding singer/organist Gregg Allman.

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