The Allman Brothers Band were essentially Southern Rock and Blues band but by 1971, when this album was released, they were becoming well known for their powerful live shows. While all the members are excellent most of the popularity referred to the powerful twin guitar interplay between Duane Allman and Dickey Betts. Their long, but always lyrical and coherent, jams sometimes lasted 45 minutes on a single song. Though they were billed as a Southern Rock/Blues band they had a great Jazz influence which showed in their live performances with the flowing powerful instrumental jams that they created.
Other members of the band include two drummers, Jai Johanson and Butch Trucks, bassist Berry Oakley, and singer/organist/pianist Gregg Allman. All the members are able to shine on this album even if most of the hoopla goes to Duane and Betts' guitar playing. Also to credit for this album's excellence is super producer Tom Dowd who took two concerts recorded at the Fillmore East on March 12 & 13 and edited them into one album. Dowd condenses songs and merges two performances into one. While some may balk at this tactic, it works to the album's advantage by picking the finest moments in each performance and focusing on that excellence. And while some songs have been edited that does not mean they are short, two of the album's seven tracks are 20 minutes long and another is 13 minutes. The tracks, however, never bog down and the listener is always entranced.
I originally was very hesitant about buying this album for many years because I was leery about the length of some of the tracks. I was kept interested because of all the praise the album received over the years. I eventually picked it up when I had a sale coupon which got me the CD at a really low price. The album is excellent and the longer songs do not feel as long as they are because they are so dynamic.
The Allman Brothers Band, especially at this stage in their career, are a great band and really shine in the live format. The album was a big hit and gained The Allmans a wider audience. The original seven track album is highly recommended. There are also other box sets and deluxe editions which feature the original performances before they were edited but these longer editions are really for the die hard fan. The seven track album is a must for rock and electric guitar fans. Duane Allman is one of the finest guitar players ever and he sadly died in a motorcycle accident shortly after this album's release, but this is a fitting tribute to his immense talent.
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