a-l-b's Full Review: At Fillmore East [Remaster] by The Allman Brothers...
Before I begin this review, I have to state that this is one of my favorite albums of all time. I am a big fan of classic rock, jazz, and the blues, and all three are well-represented on this 7-track masterpiece from Gregg, Duane, and the guys. But for those of you who are scratching your heads, allow me to set you up with some background info.
The year was 1971, and the Allman Brothers Band were already enjoying the acclaim from their fairly successful first two albums, The Allman Brothers Band and Idlewild South. The songs on these albums were mostly classic rock type tracks--with some Southern flavor thrown in--and blues jams, some penned by vocalist/keyboardist Gregg Allman or second guitarist Dickey Betts, with a few covers of old standards thrown in for good measure. However, the group was unhappy with the limitations involved with doing studio tracks and wanted to capture the intensity of their live performances. So upon the wishes of de facto bandleader and lead guitarist Duane Allman, the band decided that their next album would be live. Finally, the band got their chance, as their performances at New York's legendary Fillmore East in March of 1971 were recorded for the purpose of sculpting an album.
Finally, in the summer of '71, the double album known as At Fillmore East was released to the general public. Little did the guys know (or perhaps they did) that they had crafted one of the greatest and most influential live albums of all time.
Wake up, mama, turn your lamp down low
Wake up, mama, turn your lamp down low
You got no nerve, baby, to turn Uncle John from your door
The album starts off with a cover of blues pioneer Blind Willie McTell's song "Statesboro Blues". However, I need to give you some personal background on this song. This was the first Allman Brothers song I ever heard, and it basically jump-started my obsession with the sounds of the electric guitar. Not only is this my favorite song on this album, or by the Allman Brothers Band, this is one of my favorite songs of all time. I have listened to this song nearly 100 times on my MP3 player alone, and that doesn't even count the file in my computer or any other form of the song that I've listened to. It's practically a ritual to listen to this song on my way to work, and it has become an essential piece of the soundtrack to my life. This is one of the few songs that nearly brings me to tears, as I attempt to take in Gregg's soulful blues vocals and Duane's godlike guitar solos. At first listen, it is hard to believe that a blonde, blue-eyed whiteboy like Gregg can have the voice of a blues legend, but giving him a chance can make the listening experience heavenly.
Anyway, aside from my personal connection to this song, I strongly believe that any fan of blues or classic rock can enjoy it. Right away, Duane proves that he was indeed one of the greatest guitar players of all time, and realizing this makes me wish he hadn't left us so soon after this album's release. I've tried to analyze the lyrics to this song to figure out exactly what it's about, but it just seems to cycle through the singer's feelings in typical blues fashion. In any case, this song is truly a masterpiece in my eyes and must be heard by all (much like the album as a whole).
The next song on this masterpiece is a cover of the Elmore James classic "Done Somebody Wrong", referred to by Duane as "I Musta Did Somebody Wrong". It was this song, and Duane's spoken introduction to it, that got me listening to Elmore James. In case you hadn't guessed it yet, this album basically made me into the huge blues fan that I am today. Anyway, as far as covers go, this song is pretty accurate to the original, and just is a great song all together. Once again, Gregg Allman sings from the point of view of a man who believes he is the cause of all the problems around him, even causing his girl to leave him. Out of despair, he believes that he must've done something truly evil to have so many bad things going on. Duane and Dickey's guitars skills shine again on this track, as they follow the original song almost to a T. It's nothing short of godlike.
Next we come to yet another blues cover, the T-Bone Walker classic "Stormy Monday". Gregg's vocals are godlike on this track as well, and it is fairly slow-moving, providing plenty of time for Duane to showcase his skills as well. This song is a true blues standard as it makes it seem as if the singer's world is the worst place anyone could ever be in, physically or mentally. Just read these lyrics, and you will see that T-Bone was apparently not the happiest guy in the world:
They call it Stormy Monday
But Tuesday's just as bad
They call it Stormy Monday
But Tuesday's just as bad
Lord, and Wednesday's worse
And Thursday's all so sad
I guess we can't all be Mr. Rogers.
Up next is the fourth and last blues cover on this album, a nearly 20-minute version of the song "You Don't Love Me" by one Willie Cobbs. I will openly admit that I don't believe I've ever heard the original version, so I'm not really sure how the band matches up. (I've also heard the Junior Wells version, which is more or less equally good.) What I will say, however, is that cover or not, the guys make this into one amazing song. After a few minutes of Gregg singing soulfully over a blues groove, the song turns into a full-on instrumental, with Duane turning out a few guitar showcases with no backing music whatsoever. Eventually, the song turns into a harmonica-fest courtesy of guest Thom Doucette that would make Little Walter proud. This is the second-longest song on the album, and despite being nearly 20 minutes in length, it changes up enough to not become boring and lose the listener.
Now that the blues covers are out of the way, we have some of the types of songs that the Allman Brothers Band is famous for doing. These somewhat improvisational instrumental jams are nearly a trademark to this day, despite the death of Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakley and departure of Dickey Betts.
The first of these types of songs is not a well-known one. "Hot 'Lanta", while a part of this album and a 5-star song, is not my favorite song on the collection. However, this is not the band's worst song by any means, nor is it bad or unoriginal in any way. It's just that the other songs on this album are so ridiculously classic that this song kind of looks like just another random jam session. However, it is integral to the flow of the album and is a worthy bridge between the blues feel of "You Don't Love Me" and the next song on the album, which I will now discuss.
Anyone who considers himself or herself a fan of this band knows the classic instrumental "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed". This song, written by Dickey Betts, is a timeless jam that must be heard to be truly believed. The title of the song was from a headstone in Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, GA. Ironically, this is the same cemetery where both Duane Allman and Berry Oakley would soon be buried. It is also the same cemetery where the guys found the grave of an 11-year-old girl named Martha Ellis, which inspired the title of a later fan favorite of theirs titled "Little Martha".
While this song was originally released on the previous album, Idlewild South, the version on At Fillmore East is nothing short of definitive. The original was just under seven minutes long, while the live version is about 13 minutes of incredible musicianship from one of the greatest bands of all time. The song starts off slow and eventually progresses into a Santana-esque rhythm, all the while showcasing the incredible skills of both Dickey Betts and Duane Allman. However, it should be noted that Duane is the true star of this song. His incredible pull-offs and dazzling wood-based style caused his proficiency with the electric slide guitar to be compared with that of John Coltrane with the saxophone. This song is truly a masterpiece and must be heard by every fan of classic rock, jazz, fusion...hell, this song should be heard by everyone. Anyone not willing to listen to this track deserves to be tea-bagged to death by Napoleon Bonaparte's corpse. Sorry for the visual, but this song is too godlike to ignore.
Finally, we come to what is arguably the band's signature song, the classic blues-rooted masterpiece known as "Whipping Post". Written by Gregg Allman, this live version of the closing track on the band's eponymous debut album is nothing short of incredible. While the original version had a fairly normal length (about 5 1/2 minutes), this version of the song is anything but normal. This song is a few seconds short of being 23 minutes long, making it four times as long as the original. It starts off with Duane introducing a song from the first album, to which an obviously hyped-up fan replies "Whipping Post!" After Duane confirms this, and introduces bassist Berry Oakley, the track begins. The bass track of this song is very memorable, but it is only a part of the instrumentalism on this song. I feel like I have neglected to give props to the drummers, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe, but I usually don't notice the skills of a drummer unless he stands out as being really good, such as the late John Bonham of Led Zeppelin or Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. However, percussion is a very important part of the music, so I now give Butch and Jaimoe their long-overdue props. Duane and Dickey once again shine, but the vocals of this song are the true source of it's story, so I'll move on to that part. Gregg sings a story of a woman who has cheated on him, lied to him, and just generally been a low-down bitch. Gregg's character doesn't seem to understand why he has been tortured by this woman as he has done nothing but love her. The word "tortured" was used purposely as Gregg obviously compares his woman's treatment of him to being a slave tied to the whipping post. This may give you an idea of what he's been through:
I been run down, I been lied to
I dont know why I let that mean woman make me a fool
She took all my money, wrecked my new car
Now she's with one of my good-time buddies
Drinkin' in some crosstown bar
Sometimes I feel, sometimes I feel
Like I been tied to the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Good lord, I feel like I'm dyin'
This provides a good contrast with the singer in "Statesboro Blues", and is therefore a great way to end the album. Each verse is separated by huge amounts of instrumental playing that could essentially be separate songs by themselves. This explains the song's incredible length and legendary status. After some intense playing, soulful vocals, and a lively wrap-up, the song ends. One of the greatest albums ever made is officially over.
No words can truly describe my feelings about this album. It is truly a masterpiece or iconic status that must be heard by all fans of the music. I only regret that I hadn't gotten into this type of music earlier in life so that I could've discovered this album at some point. This is generally considered to be one of the best live albums ever made, one of the best guitar albums ever made, and one of the best overall albums ever made. Due to the tight connection between band members, and the god-given talents of them all as individuals, the guys created an album that truly stands the test of time, as a 17-year-old like me can appreciate it 35 years after its initial release. If you enjoy the blues, classic rock, Southern rock, jazz, fusion, or really any similar type of music, there's a good chance you'll like this album. Even the ridiculously long tracks have enough changes in them to not be boring, and many of them are classics anyway. If you want the definitive edition of this album, buy the Deluxe Edition released in 2003. It contains a lot of other songs from these shows at Fillmore East that didn't make it to the final album (although many did make it to the band's subsequent album, Eat A Peach, and several collections released in the future). Even without the extra tracks from the other shows, the songs are not in the same order, but you can probably just create a playlist on your computer in order to recreate the original seven-track album. The tracks are essentially the same aside from a few very minor changes such as fade-outs. In any case, I recommend that you just buy the album now and thank me later.
It is interesting to note that both men died in motorcycle accidents at sites just three blocks apart. This has led to many urban legends about them, but as far as we all know, it was just pure coincidence and bad luck. In any case, they will be missed.
On another note, I recently saw Dickey Betts and his current band Great Southern at a local concert hall. They performed many classic Allman Brothers tracks, including a scorching version of "Liz Reed" that had to have been at least 20 minutes long. In addition, Dickey had a keyboardist and singer who sounded a lot like Gregg Allman for when they performed tracks that Gregg sang on. It was a great show, but I wish I could've seen the real Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East back in the day. Oh well, can't win em all, I guess.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
![At Fillmore East [Remaster] by The Allman Brothers Band](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/e1/d0/b5/2001987563-177x150-0-0.jpg)
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.