#105 The Allman Brothers, 'At Fillmore East' (1971)
Previously #49
This is another record that stuck with me after the last countdown. Simply put, this is my favourite live album of all time. Generally speaking, I was never a major fan of live albums. Often I found them to be poorly recorded and the crowd noise distracting. Over time, however, I’ve learned to appreciate them. Some artists are just better live, those artists that don’t thrive in a sterile studio environment. The energy of a good crowd can often be reflected by the band creating a cycle of energy. That is this album. To be honest, blues is better live, so it makes sense. Their top musicianship shines through on the album, feeding off of the crowd to continuously get better as the recording goes. As the record goes, the jams become more and more extended.
The album begins with two up-tempo jams, ‘Statesboro Blues’ and ‘Done Somebody Wrong’ before breaking out into a slow jam on ‘Stormy Monday’. The second side of the record exclusively features the 19-minute song, ‘You Don’t Love Me.’ This song is a mini album of dirty stanking blues in itself. Side three begins the original material of the album, the instrumental jam, ‘Hot ‘Lanta.’ ‘In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed’ is another instrumental taken from the band’s second album, released the year before. Written by and led by lead guitarist, Dickey Betts. The album ends with the Gregg Allman-penned song, ‘Whipping Post,’ originally a 5 minute song on their debut album, this version takes up the entire side 4 of the double LP coming in at 23 minutes. The album was recorded at the famed Fillmore East club in New York, owned by impresario Bill Graham. The band was a bit troubled in the lead in to this record. Following their second album, Duane Allman briefly left the band to play with Derek and the Dominoes (#226). He would change his mind and return to the band after a string of missed shows. The band had played over 300 shows in 1970 and the members had all spiralled into heavy drug addiction. All except for the brothers were struggling to make a living and their tour manager stabbed and killed a promoter for not paying the band. The recording and release of this record is where it all turned around for the band and cemented them as one of music’s greatest live bands. Sadly Duane Allman would die just 3 months later in a motorbike accident and this was his last album he released in his lifetime.
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