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Critics for the most of them only know greatness 20yrs after the beginning, T All,am Brothers Blues Band is absolute proof the roots of blues are etched into the grooves of this record. I know this because a friend of mine sitting in the backseat of a 71 or 2 Mustang at the end of Whipping Post said, it was so good he thought he'd wet his pants. Now if that ain't proof of greatness I don't know what is plus its a great laugh.
I heard some tracks from this album while flipping through radio stations on a road trip. As soon as I got to a computer I had to get to amazon and find this.
What a revelation to hear this again, almost 40 years after the fact. About the only complaint is that Greg gets carried away at times with his howling. Possibly the finest debut album ever produced. Although the various live releases from the Fillmore display the Allmans at their absolute best, this one rocks from start to finish. The whole band is tight, but the most talented were the two who died young, Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. This is a classic that will never sound outdated.
The initial time you are so engrossed on the music, Greg's words may have escaped you. The beauty of blues-rock is the ability to expand the song and take it in a different direction each night. If you analyze the restrictive circumstances the group dealt with they should receive even larger accolades. The finishing combination of "Dreams" and "Whipping Post" is extraordinary.It took one listen and the legions of Allman fans it created were in unison with the hope the road would go on forever. "Trouble No More" may say Muddy Waters on the writing credits but as the Beatles always did, the Allman's cover would be the definitive version. If you are still able to withstand the onslaught, the LP ends with "Whipping Post." To this day it is served frequently on Classic Rock stations.
The entire LP didn't even reach thirty-four minutes. The suits were more interested in making the record a calling card for the live dates. Shocking as may seem "Whipping Post" would not even be the longest tune on the album. How short is thirty some odd minutes to a blues band or a progressive rock group, "Mountain Jam" would appear years later on "Eat A Peach" tallied more ticks on the clock than the entire seven tracks on the debut.The legendary debut by the Allman's opens with a cover of the Spencer Davis/Eddie Hardin tune "Don't Want You No More." Greg would show us what would became his signature organ sound. As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various music supplies and recordings from the 60's and 70's.The Allman Brother's self-titled debut has received universal praise for its incredible display of the blues; the musical interplay between Duane, Dickie, and Greg and such confidence in the material five of the seven tracks were penned by a band member. "Black Hearted Woman" grabs you by the throat without mercy. The energy is indescribable and after three tracks your ears have encompassed three different sides of the Brothers.
The classic riff and blues power at its best makes this one a must for a time capsule. "Every Hungry Woman" needs two listenings. "It's Not My Cross To Bear" wouldn't seem right if it didn't come from Greg's voice. Your only awareness of time is that you keep and not the length of a composition. "Dreams" turns out to be the longest track on the record.
The Brothers didn't take the song past two and one half minutes but everything including the kitchen sink is there for us to soak up. The pure emotion of the vocals with the guitars left the masses speechless the first time this went on their turntable in 1969. At over seven minutes, the only blemish showing is it didn't go on forever. Enjoy the music and be well,Craig FentonAuthor of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"
A great debut by the Allman Brothers Band. Though they would make even greater music, with Duane's guidance, this album still stands the test of time.
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