Is that Gregg singing lead? It almost doesn't sound like him. This doesn't sound like the Allman Brothers to me. I agree with Butch. They should not have brought this back after they voted out Dickey. Why vote an originial member, even if he deserved it, out of the damn band then play one of his famous songs and not make it sound right??

This is a much better version. This is how it is supposed to sound.

Original line up did everything better.

Everything.

Amen piacere. That WAS the Allman Brothers Band. If Duane and Berry had not been killed the original lineup would have been the ONLY lineup. Actually it was never the same after Duane died. They toured all of 1972 with Berry.

That is fantastic. Derek and Chuck's solos are amazing. Gregg nails the vocals. Harmonies are there. It definitely has the 3 percussionist sound of the post-1991 ABB.

It was always magic when Chuck joined the final rendition of the band on stage and I'm glad a couple of these found there way on to this release.

And the 9/25/04 version from the Fox is even better (despite not having Chuck on it).

Obviously, other's mileage varies...

Yes they should have played note for note every song from the original line up. No evolution, no inspiration, no agency. Same set list every night like skynyrd. In fact, just play decade of hits over the pa.

I play Decade of Hits over my PA in the car often. Did today tori. That album has sold over 2 million copies. The ABB's first and only Platinum album since Brothers and Sisters. But it's just selections from the first 5 albums plus Crazy Love from Enlighten Rogues.

After Duane died it was devolution...not evolution. Especially during the Arista years.

Things got better in 1989 to 2014 albiet they had their ups and downs and by 2011 it was getting boring a little to me and a lot for Butch Trucks yet he got cold feet in 2014 about the band hanging it up. Butch complained it had again become too predictble. That he knew what Warren and Derek were going to do before they did it and squaked about how the original lineup was so unpredictable and creative. Butch was right. He was s victim of devolution. That Warren was too worried about making a mistake or having a train wreck to jump in the deep end and take it somewhere new. But Derek and Warren made it clear they were not going to agree to another 5 years like they reluctantly did in 2009, Butch wanted to keep going beyond 2014, the date they all agreed in 2009 would be the end. Sadly Butch needed the money just as everyone was ready to commit to other projects. I enjoyed Butch coming on the site for all those years. Thanks Butchie RIP.

The material on A Decade of Hits can also be found on their original comp release, 1975’s 2-LP The Road Goes On Forever - as well of course as on the box sets & other best of releases
Well Beginnings was technically a reissue too but you get my drift....

Hell & High Water, & Mycology are good overviews of the Arista records & Epic records respectively

[Edited on 3/1/2020 by Stephen]

Sorry Blackey, this is a great version of Blue Sky, you can't tell that is Gregg singing? Get out of 1971 and enjoy the evolution of one of the greatest bands ever. I have read all of your posts in the past. So I know where you stand on all lineups since the original six. I am willing to bet you are in the minority on this one, Tim is right, great version, great leads, and Chuck is a bonus anytime he plays.

Despite Blackeys admonition, I will continue to enjoy this version of Blue Sky and anything else that grooves. It’s no less enjoyable because it does not meet an irrelevant standard. Gregg replaced Reese Wynans so perhaps we should not listen to what transpired after March 26, 1969. Or perhaps we take the standard back to the Hourglass or Duane noodling around in Mama A’s basement. Reductio ad absurdum

THIS is the BEST live version of Blue Sky and how it is supposed to sound.

By saying the 2005 version is EVOLUTION sounds as if you are saying the 2005 version is an improvement. It is NOT!!! The real ABB did not begin in 2001. The REAL and pure version of the ABB, and the best version, ENDED in 1971. Gregg, Butch and Jaimoe all agreed and they played in both bands.

You don't kick a man out of a band he was a huge reason had a certain sound and was successful, then start playing one of his signature songs with another person on lead vocals. It is wrong and it stinks. And do this after the new defacto leader of the band, Butch Trucks, said they would NEVER play any of the songs Dickey wrote and sang on again.

With this kind of logic, it's fine to have an ABB now .....with another member singing Gregg's songs.

So you won't be confused listening to the best live version of Blue Sky linked above, whoever mastered this archival released didnt know much about the band. Its reversed. Duane, Gregg, Jaimoe is on the right side and Dickey and Butch are left side.

Dickey's solo here (second solo) probably is the best electric guitar playing on Blue Sky I've ever heard. The power, emotion and intensity is just unbeatable.

Very beautiful and musical bounty for the ears and the soul.

AMEN!! If Derek's solo does not move you....not sure what to tell ya!!!

I think it's great and shows Gregg had the balls to sing this...AMEN!!!

Can I like both?

I love “Blue Sky” from this period, I actually prefer Gregg singing over Warren. I probably listen to the Fox Box version more than any Dickey/Warren versions these days. There is something about the song in E, it just sounds right, hits the harmonics on the guitar neck just right. And the world is a better place for getting to hear Derek tear this song up. The truth is, the ABB was playing it better than Great Southern was during this period, and it needed to be heard. Yes, the Stonybrook version is amazing, but it’s too good of a song to be shelved.

The last lineup, other lineups and especially Great Southern loses everytime when you do a straight comparison of songs recorded by the originial lineup. It takes those 6 to make all the ingredients sound like the original Allman Brothers. That is the case with anything on Fillmore East and Eat A Peach. On those recordings that is the ABB at its absolute best. Great Southern and the last lineup can't touch it. Not the right chops and chemistry.

The last lineup was better than Great Southern and the Great Southern of 1976 to 1978 was better than the last Great Southern.

Great Southern also didn't create anything new. The Dickey Betts Band of 2001 had some decent new songs. Donna Maria was a nice instrumental.

The last ABB lineup had some decent new songs and covers. I enjoy hearing them play Bag End and Egypt. Rocking Horse is good as is Firing Line on their lone studio album. But Hitting The Note didnt have an outstanding song and the last album One Way Out just barely sold 30,000 copies and isn't even close to Fillmore East and Eat A Peach.

The last line up just wasn't creative enough to make it big on it's own. The ABB legacy is why they sold out the Beacon but they were doing that in the 90's and the 90's worked because of what happened at the Fillmore when Duane was alive.

The last lineup, Gregg solo or Great Southern just wasn't creative and Butch called it several times.

The last line up, Gregg solo and Betts and Great Southern could not top or match the originial lineup anyway you slice it.

They couldn't play Statesboro Blues, Blue Sky, Liz Reed etc better than the originial lineup and NEVER rolled out a killer new song. Not My Cross To Bear, Black Harted Woman, Dreams, Whipping Post, Revival, Midnight Rider, Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Please Call Gome, Hot 'Lana, Ain't Waisting Time No More, Les Brer In A Minor, Melissa, Stand Back, Blue Sky, Little Martha, Waisted Words, Ramblin' Man, Come and Go Blues, Southbound, Jessica, Pony Boy, High Falls or even Crazy Love, Good Clean Fun, True Gravity, Seven Turns, End of the Line, Kinda Bird, Where it All Begins, Soulshine or Change My Way of Living.

Last lineup, Gregg or Dickey solo just couldn't roll out another classic ABB song. They all had writers block.

If it were not for the original lineup the last lineup and Gregg and Dickey wouldn't have played to much of anyone and you all KNOW it. No use to argue about it.

And if Duane and Berry had lived, all these replacement players, Chuck, Derek, Toler, Neal, Warren, Otiel would have never been in the band. Why? Because the BEST players for the ABB sound were hired in 1969.

[Edited on 3/1/2020 by blackey]

Very nice very made special by Chuck. Everyone has their favorite. I try not to get hung up on when or who was playing with the band - just which version sounds best to me. My favorite is one I heard live on 3/15/13 at the Beacon. Warren sang but Derek's portion is so sweet. Just about perfect in my humble opinion this is how I like it played. PS highlight of trip to Big House is seeing Dickey's hand written lyrics in an upstairs bedroom. A very moving experience for me.

i thought this 2005 version was okay. Gregg singing Blue Sky was weird and i wasn't taken by it.

That 1971 version (also 9/16/71) is truly magnificent. Berry was a beast on it, they attacked the song beautifully. I know it's hard to compare, and really not even necessary. It's a great song and I like all takes on it.

I think the Allman Betts band does a fine job on Blue Sky as well

pops42. I heard Gregg on the radio in the late 2000's and was asked why he didnt sing Blue Sky when the play it now. He said Butch was opposed to doing it at all but we get so many requests. Gregg said he didnt want to sing it and no wonder the writer changed the key. It was too hard to sing. Gregg gave no hint as to who overruled Butch and who changed the key back to when the writer could sing it that way.

Duane Betts recently revealed as Great Southern got into the late 2000s they had to slow several songs down. But didnt say why. I saw Great Southern in 2010 and Ramblin Man was as slow as Mellisa. It was that noticable. Apparently Dickey was slowly loosing it. Dickey and Gregg apparently burned themselves out by the time they got into their late 60's but Dickey a bit more so. Neither one ever had another real good original song and Gregg's drout went back further than Dickey. Dickey did have a few keepers on Seven Turns, Shades of Two Worlds and Where It All Begins but a few were written with Warren Haynes.

In all seriousness, I come to this website to hear about shows from folks like Hotlantatim. I trust his perspective and seek out shows he recommends. I don't understand Blackey's relentless need to compare everything to the original band. No one disputes the original band was fantastic. Life is too short to argue about something so utterly pointless.

In all seriousness, I come to this website to hear about shows from folks like Hotlantatim. I trust his perspective and seek out shows he recommends. I don't understand Blackey's relentless need to compare everything to the original band. No one disputes the original band was fantastic. Life is too short to argue about something so utterly pointless.

Consider yourself officially "blackey'd" --- I've been there, too. Not going down that rabbit hole again

That version of Blue Sky is off the hook. Derek's solo hits nerves I didn't know I had. Then later on in that show during Layla? one of the few times I've cried simply listening to music. Best version of Layla ever. That whole show was superior.

I agree w/the last 2 paragraphs of blackey’s 12:04 post - the original band was a preordained something that was meant to happen, & did at the famous 4 hr jam March 1969 at Butch’s house - their music touched/s me in ways that you described islala in this show - they left behind something carried on to this day & the March 10 show - I don’t compare them to what came later, their music was/is too far beyond that & besides, it’s off the mark to compare the trailblazers, the people who made the footprint - they’re exempt:):)

I loved it when Blue Sky was returned to the same key as EAP - it had lost some of its magic live after a certain point, But Never Ever On EAP & that is a beautiful take of it posted here!:cool:

it was a hellacious treat when the Warehouse & Stonybrook ones surfaced - one shorter, then the longer one 3 nights later

music sweet music

[Edited on 3/2/2020 by Stephen]

Just a question about some of the unreleased tracks.

"Loan Me a Dime" (Live at World Music Theatre)*
"Desdemona" (Live at the Beacon Theatre)*
"Blue Sky" (Live at the Beacon Theatre)*
"Little Martha" (Live at the Beacon Theatre)*

During the era of when they released alot of they're live shows on Instant Live,Nugs,Munck Music, did they hold back some of the shows for official releases or speacial releases like this box set? Just curious.

That was great
As good as StonyBrook? No.
I'm still glad it exists.
I saw BS live with Dickey in 74 and the early 90s, saw it with Derek and Warren in 2013. They were all great, I felt lucky to have experienced it.

When I go to jazz shows and someone plays Round Midnight, Giant Steps, or So What (assuming they play it well) I enjoy it for what it is, and don't criticize or shoot it down because of cours Monk, Train, and Miles played the definitive version.

Life goes on
Music goes on and will (and should be) constantly be re interpreted.

"Loan Me A Dime" was recorded prior to when the ABB started releasing live shows. 2000 Vs. 2003

For some reason, the Beacon shows were not released as Instant Live shows until sometime around 2009.

I always thought it might have been due to regulations related to the stage hands union, but do not know for certain.

I always thought it might have been due to regulations related to the stage hands union, but do not know for certain.

That is also what I remember hearing at the time.

I enjoy and acknowledge good musicianship of the last lineup. I see Govt Mule and Derek everytime they are close.

My rub is my loyalty to the original lineup and the incredible joy, bliss, inspiration and thrills The Allman Brothers Band had then. The energy, tightness and creativity. The on the fly adventurers they would take on the jams and the incredible songs they were writing such as Blue Sky.

Apparently Dickey's drinking, drugs, bullying, meanness, punching Butch in the nose and pulling a knife of Allen Woody snowballed into Butch and Gregg planning to quit then deciding to vote Dickey out. Maybe that was justified. I don't want to revisit all that drama.

But the fact is Dickey wasn't just another member, Dickey was key to the band's sound, identity and song writing .

Dickey felt he was being impersonated during the summer shows in 2000 and he had a point. Duane and Berry most likely would have never handled those problems leading up to the fax that way.

Then Butch posts here that they are removing all songs Dickey sang on and as soon as they write new instrumentals, Dickey would basically be erased from the band going forward.

Then Blue Sky is back and Dickey's instrumentals never actually left the sets. That was a bad way to handle Dickey's contribution to the band's legacy.

Who in the hell decided NOT to do what Butch said about no Dickey songs and why.

It's not the last lineup. I love hearing them play Bag End for example. Its playing Dickey's songs after original member Butch Trucks , who seemed to be calling the shots, said Dickey's songs were gone and going.

Can I like both?

::Spits on the ground in disgust::

By saying the 2005 version is EVOLUTION sounds as if you are saying the 2005 version is an improvement.

No, it just means it changed over time. Whether you think that's an improvement or just different is obviously personal.

You can like more than one version of a song. I thought that was the whole point - you're supposed to! This band lasted for 45 years and improvised a lot. It's fun to hear about people's favorites (to a point), but nobody with any sense thinks you're supposed to pick one take and then criticize all the other ones for falling short. The original band didn't do that. They may not have even thought there was anything special about the versions we're talking about here. They weren't thinking about how anyone was going to feel about them in 10 years or in 50. They weren't going to quit because they thought they'd played the songs as well as they could possibly be played. Even if you do think one performance is obviously the best, does that mean you're not supposed to listen to any others? That'd be a shame.

In all seriousness, I come to this website to hear about shows from folks like Hotlantatim. I trust his perspective and seek out shows he recommends. I don't understand Blackey's relentless need to compare everything to the original band. No one disputes the original band was fantastic. Life is too short to argue about something so utterly pointless.

Consider yourself officially "blackey'd" --- I've been there, too. Not going down that rabbit hole again

It shouldn't be this hard not to get annoyed by this noise, but it is!

My rub is my loyalty to the original lineup and the incredible joy, bliss, inspiration and thrills The Allman Brothers Band had then.

Oh I think you've made your point. Several times. Everyone loves the original lineup, obviously, but the world keeps turning and great songs get played again.

I don't want to revisit all that drama.

Then STOP rehashing all of the drama in every single post. EVERYONE here knows the history.

Appreciate your passionate thoughts and opinions, but just enjoy the music for what it is and not what it isn't.

Excellent version of Blue Sky – drastic improvement over what the original lineup was capable of doing. Obviously, a significant upgrade in the piano with Chuck on board. Then a monumental improvement with Derek Trucks playing the first solo – just so vastly outstripping what far lesser players such as Duane Allman and Dickey Betts could conceive of doing.

The original version and any subsequent live versions by the original lineup should be preserved as primitive curiosities so we can see what songs like this were like when performed by those with earlier, more limited levels of musical proficiency – but for anyone wishing to seriously listen to this song should only opt for versions by the last lineup. I mean maybe you could listen to the Warren/Dickey lineup take on it if you are desperate, but really just stick with the final lineup if at all possible – the longest tenured, greatest realization of the concept that was the Allman Brothers Band. Please. everyone here, consider sealing all the physical media you have with the original band and just put it away in an attic or something for safekeeping - there's no need to ever listen to anything but the last couple lineups.

[Edited on 3/2/2020 by slothrop8]