View Poll Results: Please Rate This Album:

Voters
18. You may not vote on this poll
  • 1 out of 5

    0 0%
  • 2 out of 5

    2 11.11%
  • 3 out of 5

    5 27.78%
  • 4 out of 5

    8 44.44%
  • 5 out of 5

    3 16.67%
+ Reply to Thread
Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 32

Thread: Album Club: 10.08.2011: Allman Brothers - Live at Fillmore East (1971) (vinyl,cd)

  1. #21
    Join Date: Mar 2008

    Location: Halifax, UK

    Posts: 1,399
    I'm Nick.

    Default

    Duane only has a walk on part, but there is some interesting background in this program. (it a good listen anyway).

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode..._Shoals_Story/
    Nick.

  2. #22
    Join Date: Sep 2010

    Location: High Peak, Derbyshire

    Posts: 2,241
    I'm Keith.

    Default

    Have now listened to it twice all the way through and found it very enjoyable.

    This album and I go back a long way - it was amongst a bunch of LPs that my cousin played me on his system one Christmas in the early-mid'70s; the first time I had heard any hi-fi system. I enjoyed the Led Zep, Pink Floyd and ELP records I heard that night, but not the Allman Brothers LP. At the age of 12, I thought the blues sounded too old-fashioned (a mouth organ, for God sakes!) and wasn't that interested.

    Fast-forward to the late 1980s where, one night in the pub, a bunch of guys that I didn't know too well were talking about the upcoming National Blues Festival in Burnley, Lancashire. They had a spare ticket, so I went along with them. I didn't expect to enjoy the music too much, but how wrong I was - I loved it - and from then on was a convert and the blues became another genre for my by then rapidly-growing collection. 'The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East CD' I picked up in an HMV sale sometime in the 90's.

    This album is a record of a fantastic live performance showcasing the individual and collective abilities of some fine musicians who are clearly at or near their peak. The interplay between Duane Allman and Dickie Betts contrasting guitar styles and sounds is the stand out for me, together with Greg Allman's organ. I really like the contrast between the shorter, more focused pieces and the longer, more improvised pieces which (just) avoid straying into self-indulgence (although 'Whipping Post' maybe goes on just that bit too long).

    The stand-out track for me is the instrumental 'In Memory of Elizabeth Reed', originally from their 1970 LP 'Idlewild South', but is here extended from the 7 minute original to a 13 minute opus which builds from its stately, jazzy opening to a blistering crescendo of duelling guitars.

    A worthy start to the 'album club'.
    Keith
    Analogue: Lenco L75 with 'PTP5' top plate in heavy birch ply plinth/re-wired Rega RB300/SAE 1000e HOMC Cartridge/Trans-Fi Reso-Mat/Moth RCM
    Files: Voyage MPD/Custom PC/Supra USB/Beresford ASYNCH-1/Beresford TOSlink cable
    CDP: Inca Katana SE
    DAC: Beresford Caiman MkII (LiPo Battery powered)
    Pre-Amp: Croft Micro 25 Power-Amp: Croft Series 7
    Speakers: DIY Frugel-Horn Mk3 ('FH3') + REL Strata subwoofer
    Headphones: Beyer Dynamics DT990 Pro (250 ohm)/Schiit Asgard Headphone Amp
    Cables - Interconnects: Mark Grant G1000HD Speaker Cables: Van Damme Blue
    Mains: Belkin PF30/Mark Grant DSP2.5 & DSP1.0 Rack: Target

    Office System: HP Win8 Laptop/JRiver/MF V-Link2/Beresford Bushmaster MkII/Topping TP20 Mk2/Mission 771e
    Bedroom System: Raspberry Pi/Raspbrian + MPD/HiFiBerry DAC/Topping TP20 Mk2/Mission 760i or DIY Hybrid Valve-MOSFET Headphone amp + Sennheiser HD595


    Gallery

  3. #23
    Join Date: Aug 2010

    Location: Montseny National Park, Catalonia

    Posts: 3,254
    I'm John.

    Default

    I’m listening to the 1992 re-master ripped from CD.

    This is one of those albums I bought, played once and forgot about. Having dragged it from the depths of my hard drive and tried to listen to it over the past few days I can understand why.

    The truth is I just couldn’t manage to listen to both CD’s all the way through and that’s not because I cant listen to a complete album anymore because I can pick and choose tracks easily, its because this album just doesn’t do it for me.

    I can understand its historical merit; mainly form reading Chris’s earlier comments but I’m not really interested in the history of pop and take each musical offering on its musical, rather than historic merits.

    The album itself is reasonably well recorded but doesn’t imo succeed particularly well in conveying the excitement of a live concert, compared to say Lynyrd Skynyrd’s One For The Road.
    Overall I thought the album lacks pace and I put this down to the inability of both the drummers to provide a solid beat fractional in front of the band, an art many drummers strive for but rarely attain.
    Dicky Betts plays competently enough but he ain’t no Tom Johnston (Doobie Brothers) or George Lowell (Little Feat) and never really stamps his playing style on the album.
    It’s Southern white boy blues essentially and the slightly self indulgent guitar solos are nothing remarkable compared to offerings from Eric Clapton on Goodbye Cream or Stevie Ray Vaughn in general.

    In short an average band playing averagely who were fortunate to produce an unremarkable album at a remarkable time.
    Single spur balanced Mains. Self built music server with 3 seperate linear PSU, Intel i5, 16 GB RAM no hard drive (various Linux OS). Benchmark Dac2 HGC, single ended XLR interconnects/Belkin cable. Exposure 21RC Pre, Super 18 Power (recap & modified). Modded World Audio HD83 HP amp. Hand built Monitors with external crossovers , Volt 250 bass & ABR, Scanspeak 13M8621 Mid & Scanspeak D2905/9300 Hi. HD595 & Beyer 880 (600 ohm) cans.

    The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.
    -Bertrand Russel

    John.

  4. #24
    Join Date: Jul 2011

    Location: South Yorkshire

    Posts: 276
    I'm Dean.

    Default

    Hi,

    I listened to the Allman brothers - Live album last night.

    This is an album that is much valued by many people. It has featured in many lists of alltime greatest albums. It is No. 49 on the Billboard list, it was even featured in Hifi News recently.

    I have been aware of this album for years but never really experienced until now. I went out and picked a copy of the cd and away I went.

    The album has some very fine playing on it. Some mighty fine guitar work, good interplay between the musicans. One thing that stands out is how self indulgent it gets. This isn't always a bad thing but I found myself finding it a bit tedious at times and losing interest. This was evident on the longer tracks.

    To my ears it sounds like a blues rock album that dabbles too much in improvisation. To my ears, it just doesn't grab me as something extra special. It doesn't kick in a spark with me overall.

    I might give it a go again but in small chunks.
    Dean

    There are only two types of music. Music I own and music I don't.

  5. #25
    Join Date: May 2011

    Location: Somewhere

    Posts: 1,863
    I'm Paul.

    Default

    Listened to Allman Brothers Fillmore East on Classic 200g SVP vinyl. Due to it's length I doubt this would be suitable material for the Classic album nights. As pointed out by other reviewers the length of the tracks does cause concentration to wander. The playing is excellent however but self indulgance results in a lot of instrumental noodling if of a high standard.

    Record one consists of lengthy Blues covers which failed to hold my interest. The best part of the performance is on the second record which includes the early Allman self penned classics ' In memory of Elizabeth Reed' and 'Whipping Post'. I found these the most enjoyable tracks though again they are over lengthy. Frankly I prefer to listen to the studio versions.

    As a live album this is well recorded but not in the same league as 'Live at Leeds' (Who) or 'Waiting for Columbus' (Little Feat). I fail to see it's high rating and the amount paid for original Red/Plum Atlantic pressings. I would certainly prefer a number of the Allman's other albums above it.

  6. #26
    Alex_UK's Avatar
    Alex_UK is offline Spotify + Facebook Moderator / Chilled-Out Wino and only here for the shilling
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Sunny Suffolk, UK

    Posts: 15,952
    I'm WrappingALilacCurtainAroundMyBobby.

    Default

    Well, I can't really disagree with what some people have said - though I enjoyed it more than I thought I would (particularly the shorter tracks!) but I must admit by the end, I was quite glad it was over. If there had only been one lengthy (IMO) self-indulgent "noodling" track I would probably have been fine with it, but with 3 of the tracks making up the best part of an hour of the album, I must confess I lost interest in those improvisations in particular - undoubtedly good though the playing is at times. It was certainly a very interesting album to start Album Club with - thanks Simon - and really good to see that so many have given it a go so far.
    Alex

    Main System: Digital: HP Laptop/M2Tech Hiface/Logitech Media Server/FLAC; Marantz SA7001 KI Signature SACD Player and other digital stuff into Gatorised Beresford Caiman DAC Vinyl: Garrard 401/SME 3009 SII Improved/Sumiko HS/Nagaoka MP-30
    Amplifier: Rega Brio R. Speakers: Spendor SP1. Cables: Various, mainly Mark Grant.
    Please see "about me" for the rest of my cr@p! Gallery


    A.o.S. on Facebook - A.o.S. on Spotify - A.o.S. on Twitter

    There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing and be nothing Aristotle

  7. #27
    Join Date: Mar 2008

    Location: Newport

    Posts: 391
    I'm Simon.

    Default

    Excellent feedback and good to see so many have given it a try and joined in.

    Maybe an album like this maybe shows that we are more geared towards songs nowadays and don't really want 20 minute jam sessions.

    A couple of years ago I read an interview with Tom Hamilton, bassist in Aerosmith, who mentions a time as a young man he went to see Cream live, his favourite band. He hated the gig simply because, in his words, they didn't play any songs just played their instruments - just too many jams.

    I think that can be said about most people's views on this album.

    I still chill out and enjoy the jam sessions immensely.

  8. #28
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Lancaster(-ish), UK

    Posts: 16,937
    I'm ChrisB.

    Default

    I'm very late to the party on this one!
    I've known this album since my early teens and kind of became so familiar with it that I took it for granted. I was listening to it again a couple of months back though & I've played it again a couple of times in the last fortnight.

    Undoubtedly, these gigs would have been infinitely better for those in the audience than for those listening at home.

    Some of the 'noodling' that others noted is just part of what a rock gig was like then, and still is to some extent.
    The first three tracks are covers - Blind Willy McTell's 'Statesboro' Blues' and T-Bone Walker's 'Stormy Monday' probably being most well known of the three. 'Statesboro' Blues' kicks off with Duane Allman's trademark slide guitar sound but I always thought the rhythm section took a while to catch up and sounded a bit limp early on - surprising for a band with two drummers! 'Stormy Monday' has some great moments, but I agree it's too long & the live rendition should've been edited from for the album.

    Another track of substantial length is 'You Don't Love Me' - another cover and here, as well as during 'Hot 'Lanta' and '....Elizabeth Reed', I find the band really come together because the interplay between the various members is pretty astounding - either they were very, very well rehearsed or they were telepathic!

    '....Elizabeth Reed' & 'Whipping Post' - wow they must've been something to witness on the night!

    Overall, I think maybe the album's reputation has rather eclipsed it's content, but it's still a great artefact of a band at their live best.
    It's a 4 out of 5 from me.

    However, if you only want to own one Allman Bros album get one of the first two studio albums (which were flops on their releases).
    Taj Mahal did a great version of 'Stateboro' Blues' and Zappa did a couple of good versions of 'Whippin' Post'.

  9. #29
    Join Date: Jun 2011

    Location: Luton, UK

    Posts: 425
    I'm Dave.

    Default

    I've just put in an ebay bid for this one.

  10. #30
    Join Date: Jun 2011

    Location: Luton, UK

    Posts: 425
    I'm Dave.

    Default

    Well, finally, I got it through the post yesterday and, having listened to it, i really like it. A cracking recording too.

+ Reply to Thread
Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •