You speak for many of us bluesky. Cheers!

The Road Goes On Forever

Hittin the note was very good and I truly believe a follow up would have been better from these guys.

Absolutely a fantastic album! I'd say it is top 5 of my favorite ABB release for sure!

Glad so many people liked this album. My least favorite song on the album was Desdemona.

However, I loved Desdemona in concert. Derek & Warren would just kill it, as well as the band.

Old Before My Time is right up there as one of the great songs, the recording is superb.

I love this album.

I remember seeing the Allmans for the first time at the Beacon right after the album came out on 3/20/03.

I really enjoy hitting the note, the brothers best album since brothers and sisters. Keeps getting better as time moves along...

A very fine recording of the final incarnation of the band! I really wish that they'd recorded another studio volume with Jack Pearson and Jimmy Herring. To me, it's a shame that there will be no "official" documentation of their years with the Allman Brother's Band. I guess the costs associated with studio time and promotion were restrictive(?).

Add me to the list of fans of this CD.

Funny the opinion of Desdemona above, I actually love the version on the CD, love the sort of 'controlled' mayhem of the guitar solos.

This disc falls under my category of only bringing it out now and again, so as not to over listen and think of it as brand new each time I do listen.

In my opinion, Desdemona ranks way up there with anything done by any incarnation of the band. It is my favorite tune on the album. I have a difficult time understanding how anybody doesn't love it. But that's just me. 😉

I'm not sure why, but Hittin' the Note didn't jump out at me at first. I think I was still getting used to a world where Dickey Betts wasn't contributing heavily to an Allman Brothers Band album. I loved "Firing Line" and "Desdemona", but hadn't warmed to the rest. It really wasn't until I heard a lot of these tunes live, hearing the new tunes on the Fox Box and how seamlessly they mixed with classic tunes, that put me over. I still don't like "Maydell" and wish they'd done something more with "Heart of Stone", but "Desdemona", "Who To Believe", and "High Cost of Low Living" are high water mark moments for the band. What's crazy to think is when HTN came out, The Derek Trucks Band hadn't yet released an album with Mike Mattison on it. I'm really not surprised the Allmans never released another album of original material because everyone, including Gregg, were more focused creatively in other places.

I remember being at the Beacon and kind of bummed that they started into Who to Believe. Then Derek frigging brought the house down and it became one of my favorites. It just goes to show that there is an entry point for different songs.

High Cost solo gets me every time. I could listen to it on repeat (and have).

Loved the album since first listen back in 2003. in constant rotation in my house.

It's got a bunch of very strong songs that stayed in the band's repertoire to the end, and even though it wound up being their only studio album after Warren's return, I think it gave the band an important shot of credibility. As far as the album itself: High Cost and Desdemona always stood out to me as the best songs and they really shone in concert. Most of the songs got better in performance, even the ones that weren't stunners. When they added horns to Who to Believe it made a huge difference, the key change in Rockin' Horse created some moments of real beauty, and the Maydell > Manic Depression jams were a lot of fun. I never did understand why Firing Line fell out of the setlist after 2007.

By the way, here's how often the HTN songs were played:

Firing Line - 64 (first March 14 2002, last August 24 2007)
High Cost of Low Living - 86 (first March 17 2001, last October 28 2014)
Desdemona - 158 (first March 15 2001, last October 22 2014)
Woman Across the River - 200 (first March 14 2002, last October 25 2014)
Old Before My Time - 94 (first March 14 2002, last March 15, 2014)
Who to Believe - 61 (first March 16 2001, last March 12 2014)
Maydell - 40 (first March 14 2002, last March 17, 2012)
Rockin' Horse - 245 (first March 15 2001, last October 14 2014)
Heart of Stone - 13 (first April 21 1995, last March 13 2010)
Instrumental Illness - 122 (first March 14 2002, last March 27 2007)
Old Friend - 9 (first March 13 2003, last March 7 2014)

[Edited on 6/6/2017 by Marley]

I've listened to Old Before My Time repeatedly really since the first of the year. What a haunting song. It was the first song I put on when I was by myself just a few hours after getting the Gregg news.

High Cost of Low Living (Derek on the coda!), Desdemona, Old Before My Time and Old Friend rank up there among all-time classic ABB songs. Firing Line is not far behind. I enjoy all the songs depending on my mood.

The production work is excellent. The separation in the instruments is notable. Marc Quiñones shines throughout the album. Wish there had been a follow up.

(fyi High Cost of Low Living debuted at the Beacon March 2001.....3/20/01 I believe).

And I was glad they included High Cost at the final show. The show focused on the first 5 albums, but playing that one was a reminder that they put out good music until their final studio album.

(fyi High Cost of Low Living debuted at the Beacon March 2001.....3/20/01 I believe).

Right you are. That was a typo. I'm realizing now that I saw the first Who to Believe and the last Woman Across the River, Desdemona and Old Friend. I never did see Heart of Stone live.

And I was glad they included High Cost at the final show. The show focused on the first 5 albums, but playing that one was a reminder that they put out good music until their final studio album.

I was, too. I was pleasantly surprised that was the last HTN song they played and not Desdemona.

Some may have seen this list already but figured I'd post again

They've got HTN @ #8

Way too far down the list, imo --- It's #3 or #4 at the lowest for me.

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/allman-brothers-band-albums-ranked/#photogallery-1=7

fyi High Cost of Low Living debuted at the Beacon March 2001.....3/20/01 I believe

I'm actually a little surprised to learn that "High Cost" and "Desdemona" debuted in March 2001. Wasn't that Beacon run just to test the waters, with Warren as "Special Guest"? I didn't realize Gregg and Warren were already writing together again.

Some may have seen this list already but figured I'd post again

They've got HTN @ #8

Way too far down the list, imo --- It's #3 or #4 at the lowest for me.

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/allman-brothers-band-albums-ranked/#photogallery-1=7

the same people also rank Ramblin Man as #1.
Way too high on the list

fyi High Cost of Low Living debuted at the Beacon March 2001.....3/20/01 I believe

I'm actually a little surprised to learn that "High Cost" and "Desdemona" debuted in March 2001. Wasn't that Beacon run just to test the waters, with Warren as "Special Guest"? I didn't realize Gregg and Warren were already writing together again.

Looking back on it I guess all the speculation about what Warren was going to do was a little silly. Yes, he was billed as a special guest and officially he wasn't committing. And yes, it's hard to figure out what the ABB would've done without another guitar player who could write and sing. But as long as the guys weren't at each other's throats the way they were at the end of the Warren/Woody years, of course he was going to stick around even if the scheduling was going to get complicated.

Now that it doesn't matter so much I guess it's also worth pointing out that a bunch of the stuff on HTN was old material: Maydell must've been written for Seven Turns or shortly after it, Heart of Stone was a cover the ABB did a few times in the '90s, Rockin' Horse was left off of Where It All Begins, High Cost of Low Living was mostly written by some friends of Warren's, and Who to Believe and Old Friend were both released by other artists in the mid-90s (Warren co-wrote both). The performances matter much more, but the way fans were so excited by the fact that the ABB was coming up with new material at all shows you how much the fans wanted them to create anything new at all in those days. Once they finally got it together and got in the studio they did a hell of a job.

Anyone else remain confused by the image on the cover of the HTN album?

The longer I look at it, the weirder it is... in a cool way

Hearing new songs - original or cover tunes at The Beacon always generated excitement . The Beacon run prior to the release of Back Where it all Begins was just incredible .

This album has aged like fine wine. I liked it at first but was still in " where's Dickey" mode to an extent at the time. I've listened to mostly live stuff the past few years but dusted this one off last week. What great sound quality also.

Ray G - first time I heard Back Where it All Begins at the beacon 4/1/94 - I think my head literally exploded. I practically kicked down the door of Ralphs Records in Scranton PA , where I was going to school at the time, to buy the album on the release date a few weeks later.

The ABB was a force to be reckoned with in 94. HORDE Fest at Montage was quite a day later that summer !

Now that it doesn't matter so much I guess it's also worth pointing out that a bunch of the stuff on HTN was old material: Maydell must've been written for Seven Turns or shortly after it, Heart of Stone was a cover the ABB did a few times in the '90s, Rockin' Horse was left off of Where It All Begins, High Cost of Low Living was mostly written by some friends of Warren's, and Who to Believe and Old Friend were both released by other artists in the mid-90s (Warren co-wrote both). The performances matter much more, but the way fans were so excited by the fact that the ABB was coming up with new material at all shows you how much the fans wanted them to create anything new at all in those days. Once they finally got it together and got in the studio they did a hell of a job.

It's funny how timing is such a big part of the creative process. Sometimes a song just has to be "ready". As an artist, I total get that, you have to be compelled by the material, even if it's your own half-formed idea. Listening to other versions of "Who to Believe" is interesting: in others' hand it is an above average throwaway blues tune, but the Allmans gave it a bit of a "Thrill is Gone" swing, especially when they added horns, that really made it a solid Allman Brothers tune for that lineup.

Here's the original "Old Friend," which to my surprise is done as a hard rock tune and shifts into a funkier groove in the middle. Kind of an ABB move although the transition is really abrupt. Warren plays a couple of slide solos.

It's funny how timing is such a big part of the creative process. Sometimes a song just has to be "ready". As an artist, I total get that, you have to be compelled by the material, even if it's your own half-formed idea. Listening to other versions of "Who to Believe" is interesting: in others' hand it is an above average throwaway blues tune, but the Allmans gave it a bit of a "Thrill is Gone" swing, especially when they added horns, that really made it a solid Allman Brothers tune for that lineup.

Agreed. I can't find a full recording of this one online - it's on Spotify, though - but the clip I heard was less compelling. The first version was recorded by John Jaworowicz for an album he released with a band called Blues Co-Op. Warren and Jack Pearson both played on its only album. He died in 2001 but also co-wrote "Before the Bullets Fly" with Warren, and "When the Blues Come Knocking," which Little Milton recorded with Gov't Mule backing him.

Here's the original "Old Friend," which to my surprise is done as a hard rock tune and shifts into a funkier groove in the middle. Kind of an ABB move although the transition is really abrupt. Warren plays a couple of slide solos.

It's funny how timing is such a big part of the creative process. Sometimes a song just has to be "ready". As an artist, I total get that, you have to be compelled by the material, even if it's your own half-formed idea. Listening to other versions of "Who to Believe" is interesting: in others' hand it is an above average throwaway blues tune, but the Allmans gave it a bit of a "Thrill is Gone" swing, especially when they added horns, that really made it a solid Allman Brothers tune for that lineup.

Agreed. I can't find a full recording of this one online - it's on Spotify, though - but the clip I heard was less compelling. The first version was recorded by John Jaworowicz for an album he released with a band called Blues Co-Op. Warren and Jack Pearson both played on its only album. He died in 2001 but also co-wrote "Before the Bullets Fly" with Warren, and "When the Blues Come Knocking," which Little Milton recorded with Gov't Mule backing him.

Just goes to show, arrangement is everything - that "Old Friend" sounds like imitation Bon Jovi.

I listened to the Blues Co-op version on itunes, it's pretty straight forward.

I found a few versions of "Who to Believe" from the mid-1990s. Here's Tony Sarno, which isn't far off from the Allmans' version, just a little more stripped down and less funky.

There's another by Sandra Wright, which is a little more heavy and soulful, more akin to "Gambler's Roll", can't find a link to it though.

Looking back on it I guess all the speculation about what Warren was going to do was a little silly. Yes, he was billed as a special guest and officially he wasn't committing. And yes, it's hard to figure out what the ABB would've done without another guitar player who could write and sing. But as long as the guys weren't at each other's throats the way they were at the end of the Warren/Woody years, of course he was going to stick around even if the scheduling was going to get complicated.

Good points. Also, think about the timing and what was going on in the background at the time. Things likely weren't settled down enough to announce anything permanent. There were lots of legal and business negotiations going on.

I think that was one of the year's the Beacon run wasn't announced until some time in January, so perhaps all they could say was Warren was back as a special guest. The summer tour with Jimmy/Derek ended only 6 months earlier, and when the ABB played the Christmas Jam in December it was Warren subbing for Derek, not Jimmy subbing for Derek. And they announced the Beacon run just a few weeks later.

It's not entirely clear to me when the door was shut for good on Dickey's return, which could have affected Warren's commitment, but on the business side they still had to settle lawsuits and create new business entities. And as has been reported here, Warren negotiated an ownership stake in the business entity that was the 2001+ version of the ABB. Lots to work out over what was really a fairly short time frame.

Let's not rewrite history now just because Gregg has passed. Best album since Brothers And Sisters?!?! Give that pipe a rest. 😉 I always thought there were 4 good songs and 2 covers and filler. "Heart Of Stone"? Never understood that one. 7 Turns, Shades and BWIAB don't have to worry about this record ever surpassing them in greatness IMO. Again IMO Hittin'theNote will be what it is the only thing the band could muster in the dozen or so years after Warren's return. It's certainly no fault of Warren's or Derek's. But it is what it is ... a sad reminder ... the only studio document of what was an enjoyable band. 🙁