Southern Jazz Music

I am a fan of The Allman Brothers, but not one of the "die-hard" fans who follow them like people follow the Dead, yet without a doubt this record is an essential must have in any collection.

I have seen the band a couple of times live (without Duane) and each concert has been superb in musicianship and performance. And this record captures it all perfectly in one of the best live recordings ever.

Each player shines on this record and the jams take you along with them for a fabulous ride through rock and improvisation that thrills and enthralls every step of the way without ever feeling long, tedious or self indulgent. Though all players shine, Allman and Betts on guitar is simply amazing.

As I said, a must have in any collection.

The Allman Brothers will receive Billboards Legends Of Live Award. This Award is Given for Contributions to Live performing. The Allman Brothers have gotten into Politics during the 2008 Presidential Race - Interestingly, In the 2008 Presidential Primary race, Hillary Clinton earned more Votes than any Presidential Primary candidate in the history of America (hillaryclintonforum, The Denver Group)

Wow, I have the task to try to convince you of the greatness of The Allman Brothers at Fillmore East. Many folks have already given great reviews of this album, so I'll try to give my take on this one.

First, some background. This album includes selections from two nights worth of performances at the "Fillmore East" music club in 1971 with the band's original lineup, including the incomparable Duane Allman on lead/slide guitar (he would die in a motorcycle accident later in the year). The band had recorded and produced two studio albums in their previous couple of years together, and this was their first live album. There is another version available of this album that has additional recordings from these concerts (simply called "At Fillmore East" by Amazon), but I personally don't have that album, so I'll let others discuss the virtues of it.

Now, onto the music. At face value, this album mixes a couple of their previous hits ("Whipping Post" and "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed"), some blues classics ("Statesboro Blues", "Done Somebody Wrong", "Stormy Monday", and "You Don't Love Me"), along with an original instrumental ("Hot 'Lanta"). The band mixes their own style of blues, Southern rock and even a bit of jazz, throws in the slide guitar and adds harmonica on one track, and uses their own improvisational skills to turn out a memorable performance that all of us who weren't in attendance (or in my case, not even born yet) are now fortunate enough to experience through the joy of this album.

I won't describe all of the tracks in great detail, but I'll cover my personal favorites. The album starts off with a jolt with an infectious and upbeat "Statesboro Blues", where Gregg Allman shines with his strong vocals. The album mellows out with the third track, "Stormy Monday". This song is even-keeled throughout, with an extended guitar solo backed up by solid bass, organ, and percussion, giving us a taste of what's to come. "You Don't Love Me" follows that with another catchy number for almost 7 minutes (with the aforementioned harmonica), when Duane starts taking over the song. Before too long, the other band members join in the fun. While this isn't my favorite track, it is fun to listen to the musicians go to work. For my money, the album climaxes with the sixth track, "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed". The song may be a touch over 13 minutes long, but it never seems to be that long when I listen to it as it never feels dull. The band takes a previously-recorded instrumental of theirs and nearly doubles the length with searing guitar sections (with some nice organ stretches thrown in), building to a crescendo around the 10 1/2 minute mark and again at the 12 minute mark. In general, I'm a big fan of rock instrumentals, and this may be my very favorite. The finale of the album is simply the longest song I (currently) have in my music collection. At just over 23 minutes, "Whipping Post" takes a trip starting with the familiar opening of the studio version of this song (in an unusual 11/8 meter for parts), goes through some nice guitar stretches, then nearly grinds to a halt after 10 minutes. It then goes through some "less organized" stretches where the musicians are able to add their own flavor to the song. It peaks near the 17 minute mark, where the conclusion of the studio version is inserted in this live version. From there the song slowly peters out. For me, this song does kind of drag in sections, as I feel about the middle stretch of "You Don't Love Me".

When you put it all together, you have one of the strongest live albums available, especially if you favor the blues/Southern rock style of The Allman Brothers Band. You get a good listen to the greatness and originality of the individual band members, especially Duane Allman. And yet, the sounds come together to form some fantastic music. You may argue whether you prefer some of the more improvisational stretches in the songs, but it's hard to argue the quality of the individual and collective performances that this band put together in those fateful concerts in 1971.

The first time I heard this record back in 1971 when it was first released
my ears were opened. I was into the blues and was blown away with the duel lead guitars that Dickie Betts and Duane Allman played so well.
When I look back and evaluate who the great guitar players in Rock history are I have to include Duanne Allman among the very best.
It is as Eric Clapton once said "We were coming at the same thing from a different direction, I was bending strings and Duanne was playing slide.
Duanne Allman to this day is still possibly the best slide player I have ever heard. Ironically Derek Trucks is probably the best I have heard recently, ironically both from the Allman Brothers.
This Album is an abbreviated version of the classic live CD. If you want the entire CD you can get it now.
This version is missing One way out for instance and Mountain Jam and a few others. My advice is get the longer version and pay a few more dollars.
This CD does inclued Whipping Post, Stormy Monday, Statesboro Blues, Done somebody wrong, You dont love me, Hot 'Lanta and Momory of Elizabeth Reed.
You are in for some outstanding guitar. This is a classic any way you slice it..........................

I was very disappointed with this CD. It is not the album I remember. Some of the material has been left off to allow the double album set to fit onto one CD. Too bad.

This CD is definitly worth the $1.00 it cost. most songs cost that nowadays, & this has plenty of jams.

Da track wit' Pete Rock + Lost Boyz is da illest track on this CD, 'The Yearn'. Da Wu-Tang represent on this CD. I gotta say this is a dope CD but it lackz some serious gangsta. It needed Tupac on it or someone like dat. Definate jammin' CD.

The only reason I give this album a four is because it has some great tracks that it seems no one has ever heard about. Personally I could do without the Wu-Tang and gansta stuff...but the tracks by Buckwild/OC, Oranized Konfusion, and Common are increible unknown tracks that everone has to check out. Plus the CD is for a good cauze. Peace, SV

Funny I received this at a safe sex convention a while ago out in Los Angeles. This album is featuring rappers that are supposed to promote safe sex and stay away from drugs. In some ways it does. Some of the songs really get down to the point like the Chubb Rock & Biz Markie song "No Rubber No Backstage Pass" and the song "Check Ya Self" with Ant Banks, Spice 1, and others. So the message in many of the songs are right in your face, in a case to protect yourself from AIDS, which I'm sure you know what that is (if you don't you need to look it up ASAP). Some of the songs are real hard to catch on like the Organized Konfusion song "Decisions" and "Lately I've Been Thinking" with Common and Sean Lett.

A lot of these songs really have nothing to do with the concept of this album, like Coolio's "I Breaks 'Em Off" and Mobb Deep's "Street Life", causing a lot of this album to fall under skip material.

This CD is part of the "Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series". I'm assuming the money that came from the sales of this album went to AIDS perceedings to help eliminate it. I bought this for $2.00 because of the names I saw that were on it and thought it would be nice. Most of this album teaches a lesson, while the rest is just filler. But you can buy this as low as a penny, so it's something you want to check out.

Favorite Tracks: No Rubber No Backstage Pass, The Yearn, America, Blood, Check Ya Self, Lately I've Been Thinking, Decisions, Sport That Raincoat, Stay Away From The Nasty H***

Peace Everyone!!!

This CD is definitly worth the $1.00 it cost. most songs cost that nowadays, & this has plenty of jams.

Da track wit' Pete Rock + Lost Boyz is da illest track on this CD, 'The Yearn'. Da Wu-Tang represent on this CD. I gotta say this is a dope CD but it lackz some serious gangsta. It needed Tupac on it or someone like dat. Definate jammin' CD.

The only reason I give this album a four is because it has some great tracks that it seems no one has ever heard about. Personally I could do without the Wu-Tang and gansta stuff...but the tracks by Buckwild/OC, Oranized Konfusion, and Common are increible unknown tracks that everone has to check out. Plus the CD is for a good cauze. Peace, SV

Funny I received this at a safe sex convention a while ago out in Los Angeles. This album is featuring rappers that are supposed to promote safe sex and stay away from drugs. In some ways it does. Some of the songs really get down to the point like the Chubb Rock & Biz Markie song "No Rubber No Backstage Pass" and the song "Check Ya Self" with Ant Banks, Spice 1, and others. So the message in many of the songs are right in your face, in a case to protect yourself from AIDS, which I'm sure you know what that is (if you don't you need to look it up ASAP). Some of the songs are real hard to catch on like the Organized Konfusion song "Decisions" and "Lately I've Been Thinking" with Common and Sean Lett.

A lot of these songs really have nothing to do with the concept of this album, like Coolio's "I Breaks 'Em Off" and Mobb Deep's "Street Life", causing a lot of this album to fall under skip material.

This CD is part of the "Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series". I'm assuming the money that came from the sales of this album went to AIDS perceedings to help eliminate it. I bought this for $2.00 because of the names I saw that were on it and thought it would be nice. Most of this album teaches a lesson, while the rest is just filler. But you can buy this as low as a penny, so it's something you want to check out.

Favorite Tracks: No Rubber No Backstage Pass, The Yearn, America, Blood, Check Ya Self, Lately I've Been Thinking, Decisions, Sport That Raincoat, Stay Away From The Nasty H***

Peace Everyone!!!

This CD is definitly worth the $1.00 it cost. most songs cost that nowadays, & this has plenty of jams.

Da track wit' Pete Rock + Lost Boyz is da illest track on this CD, 'The Yearn'. Da Wu-Tang represent on this CD. I gotta say this is a dope CD but it lackz some serious gangsta. It needed Tupac on it or someone like dat. Definate jammin' CD.

The only reason I give this album a four is because it has some great tracks that it seems no one has ever heard about. Personally I could do without the Wu-Tang and gansta stuff...but the tracks by Buckwild/OC, Oranized Konfusion, and Common are increible unknown tracks that everone has to check out. Plus the CD is for a good cauze. Peace, SV

Funny I received this at a safe sex convention a while ago out in Los Angeles. This album is featuring rappers that are supposed to promote safe sex and stay away from drugs. In some ways it does. Some of the songs really get down to the point like the Chubb Rock & Biz Markie song "No Rubber No Backstage Pass" and the song "Check Ya Self" with Ant Banks, Spice 1, and others. So the message in many of the songs are right in your face, in a case to protect yourself from AIDS, which I'm sure you know what that is (if you don't you need to look it up ASAP). Some of the songs are real hard to catch on like the Organized Konfusion song "Decisions" and "Lately I've Been Thinking" with Common and Sean Lett.

A lot of these songs really have nothing to do with the concept of this album, like Coolio's "I Breaks 'Em Off" and Mobb Deep's "Street Life", causing a lot of this album to fall under skip material.

This CD is part of the "Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series". I'm assuming the money that came from the sales of this album went to AIDS perceedings to help eliminate it. I bought this for $2.00 because of the names I saw that were on it and thought it would be nice. Most of this album teaches a lesson, while the rest is just filler. But you can buy this as low as a penny, so it's something you want to check out.

Favorite Tracks: No Rubber No Backstage Pass, The Yearn, America, Blood, Check Ya Self, Lately I've Been Thinking, Decisions, Sport That Raincoat, Stay Away From The Nasty H***

Peace Everyone!!!

This is a really wonderful solo recording from one of the vocalists of the Manhattan Transfer. I discovered this album a while back and listen to it frequently. All the songs are beautifully produced with ballads and up tempo selections. There's one great duet with Janis Siegel "Everything's Made For Love" and it really swings. I highly recommend this disk. I just wish he'd put another solo record out soon!

This is one of the best undiscovered gems of 2007. Sample "I've Had It" for a taste. Ellis is a great singer songwriter and you will listen to the entire CD over and over.

Transaction was good. The music on this CD is wonderful. Just what I was looking for.

Frankly, I never thought that I'd see any of these tracks appear in CD form again.They were originally issued mainly as 45's on on the SeventySeven record label, an album from the same label called "Loving You, Loving Me", tracks from a Monument album called "The beginning" and some subsequent releases on the Sound Stage 7 label which appeared at the end of the 1970's. Since when she appears not to have recorded any more tracks.This is a great shame because this album reveals her as a fantastic performer who could handle a diverse range of styles. It helped that the arrangements for all the sessions were handled empathetically with great brass charts, strings and backing vocals wherever they were recorded (Greenville and Memphis are mentioned in the sleeve notes).She seemed best suited to the slower material, where although performing in her own style, performances are redolent of Shirley Brown and Ann Peebles. Of the up-tempo tracks I rate "I had a fight with love"as the best.However, when she tackles material like "I'm his wife (you're just a friend),"I want to be loved" and especially the brilliant "Be Serious", she is really convincing, adding new dimensions to the 'hurt and neglected woman' genre. It's disappointing that the last known contact that the sleeve note writer had was a 1979 magazine article,because the artist and the album both deserve a much wider audience.If she is still with us, she'd only be 54, and a voice like this might well have matured and have an enormous amount of potential left to realise.If you are looking for an album to go with the purchase of your Joss Stone album, take a chance on paying out a few dollars to get your hands on this fantastic album, and bring the singer to a wider audience!