Allman Brothers Band@allmusic For the first half of the 1970s, the Allman Brothers Band was the most influential rock group in America, redefining rock music and its boundaries. The band's mix of blues, country, jazz, and even classical influences, and their powerful, extended on-stage jamming altered the standards of concert performance -- other groups were known for their on-stage jamming, but when the Allman Brothers stretched a song out for 30 or 40 minutes, at their best they were exciting, never self-indulgent. They gave it all a distinctly Southern voice and, in the process, opened the way for a wave of '70s rock acts from south of the Mason-Dixon Line, including the Marshall Tucker Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Blackfoot, whose music, at least initially, celebrated their roots. And for a time, almost single-handedly, they also made Capricorn Records into a major independent label.
Come on, every band needs a little AM in their song list (wow, I just sang that whole song in my head and didn't miss one word.) Okay, I see I'm biased. Nevermind, carry on.
Man(ny), you're going to enjoy listening to "Live at Fillmore East" album! (reading the preview, it sounds like I was trying to brainwash you. not really (ha). I just think you'll find your money WELL spent.)
And one last thing. While I was listening to the video of The Band, I thought of another band that might be considered, at least honorably mentioned, as a southern rock band, Creedence Clearwater Revival. I know, very AM and I think they started in California...not very southern. But the music was great and it did feel like they were the token band from the south back then. Just my thoughts.
Yea, I just finished listening to "You Don't Love Me" and it was really really good, well I say that and there are still 3 minutes left, LOL. I had already heard the version of "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" and that was one of the main reasons why I wanted to get this CD. That song just absolutely haunts me.
blasphemy. and the sound most people recognize as "southern rock" originated with ABB moreso than the band, imo. the band lacked the real "boogie" that ABB brought and LS later popularized.
Don't believe that for a second. That's what a fool believes. Here's the latest: [rquoter] Southern Rock's Big Bang: (AP) Until now, music historians have not been able to pinpoint the exact moment in time that Southern Rock was born, assuming an intelligent creator, such as Duane Allman, was responsible for the beloved style. All of that changed, however, when noted rock and roll scientist Fritz L. Burghoff's findings were posted in last month's R&R Scientific Journal. We can now confirm that a "Big Bang" of sorts occurred on November 30, 1971, when one Randolph Charles Bachman collided with Manitoban Charles Frederick Turner. This, in turn created an intense chemical reaction, that propelled Bachman and Turner into an "Overdrive" - sending the pair on a blazing trail to the top of the charts. Burghoff's findings have shed new light on the study of genre creation, leaving other R&R scientists scratching their heads. [/rquoter]
Creedence sounded like swamp music but they were from Berkeley. Little Feat sounds like Bourbon Street but they were from LA. And The Band was Canadian. Yet all all identified a Southern Rock Music. Weird. Real Southern Bands. Marshall Tucker, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Tom Petty, The B-52's, SCOTC Black Oak Arkansas, ha
elizabeth reed is easily one of the greatest rock songs of all time, imo... and the back story behind it makes it that much cooler. the version from fillmore east is epic.
When I was growing up in upstate NY in the 70s, they had all kinds of stuff on the radio like Southern Rock weekend marathons, battle of the bands, Album Side Saturday, etc. And although there were many groups that technically fit into the Southern Rock category, there were 5 groups that were always the kings of southern rock: The Allman Brothers Lynyrd Skynyrd Marshall Tucker Band The Outlaws Molly Hatchet Back then, they viewed Southern Rock both in musical and appearance terms. Those 5 bands had the cowboy hats, the southern drawls, etc. They had the southern rock "anthems" like Whipping Post, Free Bird, Can't You See, Green Grass and High Tides, and Gator Country. So whenever I think of southern rock, those are the 5 that stand out. I actually like CCR the best among all of them and acknowledge the southern sound of The Band, but to me they're just not southern rock- roots rock, maybe?? And I would definitely recommend The Outlaws from The Outlaws, Fire on the Mountain from the MTB, and Flirtin With Disaster from Molly Hatchet. Quintessential Southern Rock.
Exactly. Levon Helm was a HUGE influence. Really the heart of that band, and a terrific, underrated drummer. Love the percussion on Up on Cripple Creek.
Amen to that! And although I feel that Richard Manuel was the best singer in the Band, Levon is damn close behind him. His harmony vocals were otherworldly (witness "I Shall Be Released" from their debut). And not only that but he also played the Coal Miner's daughter's father!
I know a lot of people will say that "Jessica" is the best ABB instrumental but I really feel that Elizabeth Reed is the better song. Don't get me wrong - "Jessica" is great but there is stuff going on in Elizabeth Reed that is astounding. What's the back story, SWT on it? All I heard was that Dickey Betts saw a tombstone that said "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" and thought it would be a cool name for a song. I don't know if that is true or not but I read that somewhere.
