Live at Winterland 1973

Moving forward to September 1973, the band seems to be largely in good form through this show at Winterland and also notes that they are enjoying the small venue as compared to the arenas they had been playing. There are moments, like in the intro to Jessica, where something seems a little off, but there are also converse moments of greatness, as in the You Don’t Love Me > Amazing Grace > Les Brer in A Minor run. Southbound here and One Way Out we’re also pretty killer. The Nassau show ultimately may have been a bit stronger though in the end.

Win, Lose, or Draw

After a string on constant success, even after the loss of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley, even in bringing in new pieces in Lamar Williams and Chuck Leavell, this band still seemed unstoppable. Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman kept it all going strong - the excess began rearing its head around the time of the ‘73 tour of Brothers & Sisters, but the collapse comes with solo albums from Gregg and Dickey, followed by the guys unable to stand each other by the time they record this, and it certainly shows. Yes, their cover of Muddy Water’s Can’t Lose What You Never Had rocks and is like muscle memory for these guys, and the 14 min epic High Falls may not quite capture the same magic as some of the earlier instrumentals but it’s still great in its own right. Beyond that, everything else feels like Allman Brothers with the edges dulled. It’s not miserably bad but it’s not exactly representative of what these guys are capable of. Just sort of there. Hence, the first breakup of the Allman Brothers soon came- and just a short while later a chance at reformation and redemption: take one.

Oakley played on the opening 2 tracks, Wasted Words and Ramblin’ Man. Ramblin’ Man was being worked on while Duane was still alive. There’s a rehearsal tape that was made in April of ‘71 in Gatlinburg, TN that’s floating around. IIRC, it’s called simply The Gatlinburg Tapes. An early version of Ramblin’ Man is on it. Good stuff.

Are you gonna listen to Gregg’s Laid Back as it was recorded concurrently with B&S and used the the same producer and a lot of the same players? Leavell was actually brought in to record on it before the Allmans record.

Without getting into any serious literature, it seems most the band acrimony was over drugs and the solo albums of Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts, as well as Gregg Allman’s tour with only a few of the guys. I will try to include that.

Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas

The live album that would be the final notes of the initially revamped Allman Brothers with Chuck Leavell and Lamar Williams, this one may not live up to At the Fillmore, but there’s so much here that’s worth looking at, well some sound issues notwithstanding. Southbound (from the same Winterland show I already listened to) sounds great, as does Elizabeth Reed, Can’t Lose What You Never Had, and Jessica. If listening to the earlier Allman Brothers felt like ritual, this almost seems like an Odds N Sods of live performances without Statesboro Blues, Trouble No More, Whipping Post, You Don’t Love Me, One Way Out, Stormy Monday, or Done Somebody Wrong - all staples of their live show completely left off this one.

So with this period mostly shut, we now go a bit back to listen in on what were key elements that broke this band up…

Gregg Allman - Laid Back

As noted in the comments above, Gregg Allman recorded his first solo album in conjunction with Brothers and Sisters, using a few Allmans but mostly bringing in new musicians to channel an independent vision. The results are much as the title suggests, with the all out assault of the Allman Brothers replaced with a slower and more deliberate approach, but still with extensive instrumentation. The revamped Midnight Rider, and Queen of Hearts immediately stick out as opening highlights, and Please Call Home and Don’t Mess Up a Good Thing complete basically a perfect first half of the album. The second half isn’t quite as enveloping as the first - perhaps because of pacing or I was ready to depart the space this album is in, but the closing hymn of Will the Circle Be Unbroken could end up being the best thing on this album. Certainly a solid and new perspective on Gregg Allman on its own.

Without having LAFE to compete with, this one’s actually not a bad live record. I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would n

Agreed. It is better than it is given credit for - other than Elizabeth Reed, it does seem to focus more on shorter and more straight forward performances, but really it surprises me to think that many people who be able to stomach 4 20-45 min jams on a single live album, so it made sense.

The Gregg Allman Tour

Like a solid one-two punch combination, The Gregg Allman Tour immediately follows, the live album from the tour that apparently pissed off everybody. Whereas the songs on Laid Back are more ballad-like and at times seem to reveal what Gregg Allman was going through, the show, with its extensive lush instrumentation and its commitment to raising these and some covers up with the help of the Cowboys and what seems like a massive orchestra, horn section, backup singers - was everyone in this band? - brings with it a great melding of blues, rock, gospel, soul, country, and everything in between with Gregg Allman seeming almost Dr. John in his vibe. Needless to say I found this very enjoyable - more so than the solo album. In some ways, it feels like everyone around him is lifting him up in this moment. Too bad this caused a tremendous amount of acrimony once back at his day job, even though right across the way…

That’s one that I’ve never listened to.

Richard Betts - Highway Call

While Gregg Allman was busy honing in on his southern soul, Dickey Betts was developing a solo sound of his own. This first solo album focuses on a deeper dive into country music - a space the Allman Brothers toed around in on Brothers and Sisters, but here delivered in full force. Long Time Gone and Highway Call certainly have their moments, and the 14 minute instrumental country jam of Hand Picked might be my all time favorite country song now. But outside of that, I recognize this as music that is probably good but it doesn’t much appeal to me. Perhaps, other than Hand Picked, a little too far down the rabbit hole for me.

I don't know if you can listen for free, but the description of Dickey Bett's tour from around that time is certainly interesting:

https://www.wolfgangs.com/music/dickey-betts/audio/2391-1830.html?tid=22578

Based on the description, there were 14 people in the band!

Fever dawwwwg!

Gregg Allman Band - Playin’ Up a Storm

Fast forward a few years, just past the dragging and mediocre Win Lose or Draw and the better than expected Wipe the Windows…

The band is now officially split and now three factions have formed - the first the Gregg Allman Band with a whole new band that released this one. This seems to split the difference between the classic Allman sound and a poppier side. There’s a bit of everything 70s in here, but it holds up as a decent and strong album despite an ugly as sin cover art. The reworked Come and Go Blues, Let This Be a Lesson to Ya’, Bring It On Back, Cryin’ Shame, It Ain’t No Use, and One More Try are all highlights - songs that would easily topple what’s on Win Lose or Draw, but not to the level of the Allman’s heyday.

Is the album with Cher up next?!

It’s not on Spotify which means I have to go looking for it. Can you imagine? For the sake of completism I have to actively try to find a terrible album to listen to.

Next will likely be Sea Level and/or Dickey Betts. But I think I will be on all that next week some.

Sea Level is fucking great.

I’m pretty sure all the tunes from Allman and Woman are on YouTube. I had to find them there when I was looking for it.

I half hope someone stops me on the street in headphones and says “Gregg Allman and Cher!? Wtf is wrong with you!”

At least she didn’t do an album with Gene Simmons after the split from Gregg.