@robertdee The difference (to me) between the final line-up of of the Allman Brother's Band is that they built upon what was already there. First, there is a mountain ... All of these ... all-star tribute bands (and that's what they are) aren't doing anything with the material that countless bar cover bands in every small to large town have been doing since the original band began. As I said - great players, but they're really re-plowing old fields. Most all of these players are exceptionally talented to the point where they really should be composing and playing material that is their own. I know - they gotta pay the rent and all that.
Back to the Skynnyrd/ZZ Top thread (sorry for the U-turn!), Yeah, ZZ Top is a badass band that has withstood the challenges and tests of time like no other band! If they play their hits note-for-note - that's cool! I'm not sure they were ever part of the "jam band" scene to begin with.
Skynnyrd? I was onboard early - saw them as an Allman Brothers Lite or replacement fix. I really liked the first two LPs (Pronounced and Second Helping). Then, a couple of interesting phenomena began to enshroud them. First, they somehow began to appeal to the redneck element. By redneck, I mean the very types of people who used to abuse (verbally and even physically) the long-haired (hippies) population that were prevalent at ABB and Dead concerts. Skynnyrd literally gave rise to the long-haired, dope-smoking redneck nation! Secondly, they and their legions of fans became the object or scorn and ridicule by the fans of newer pop music (skinny tie bands ... you know who they are). What sucked most about this was that the Allman Brothers Band, who were actually miles above bands like Skynnyrd in terms or musical prowess and sophistication - got sucked into this eddy. Merits of the music aside, I can remember when the new-wavers just looked down their noses at people who dared still listen to the ABB.
All things have their way of coming back around. After the saccharin effects of those skinny-tie bands (many or whom DID have their own merits) wore off, people started re-visiting bands like the Allman Brothers - the Jam Band era arrived!
I have revisited the Skynnyrd stuff in recent years. As big a redneck as Ronnie seemed to be, I have found poetry in his lyrics. Their never-ending, going outta business tours - for me - have sullied their history. They had attitude and grit - not unlike the Who or some of the punk bands. And like the Who (all of this stuff my own opinion) - a more poetic and proper ending would've been to go out in that flame and explosion of glory!
I could ramble on for quite a while ... but I won't.
Peace and Love,
R
@rusty Yes by 1974 and 5 Lynyrd Skynyrd, Charlie Daniels and Marshall Tucker were into the south is going to do it again, Confederate flag waving, the long haired redneck thing. That evolved into the so-called New Country bands with Hank, Jr., Waylon Jennings, David Allen Come and many others. I'm more progressive to be part of that so I didn't see those bands.
Butch Trucks, after 2000, began to comment about how he couldn't stand that kind of music and the Confederate flag south will rise again music and was embarrassed that the Allman Brothers Band influenced the rise of that through Dickey hijacking the band with Brothers and Sisters and all that country rock stuff he wrote and bullied it onto that album.
Butch said he didn't care if it is their biggest seller. It's embarrassing and the Allman Brothers Band would never play Ramblin' Man again and as soon as they write some new instrumentals, all of Dickey's songs will be dropped. He even stated that if he had it to do over, he would have demanded they vote Dickey out just after Duane died and hired two new guitar players and Dickey on Brothers and Sisters and his songs on all the albums afterwards does not reflect the kind of band they had under Duane Allman.
I imagine that was more Butch's anger toward Dickey that Butch admitted had been building for years than most of Dickey's songs. He even said Dickey bullied his stuff on the last album they made with Dickey. Butch said they were set to record Rocking Horse for Where It All Begin but here comes Dickey from a few days at his home and he refused to even consider it. Dickey said we are doing Mean Woman Blues not Rocking Horse Dickey Betts is going home and will not play on anything in this album. Butch said they had to do Dickey's song, another filler song from him just to get a writing royality and Rocking Horse was a much better song.
I enjoyed Butch's blog in the 90's. A member of my favorite band taking questions from fans was way cool. But in the 2000s I didn't know what to think with Butch airing all this dirty laundry about the band and hardcore Dickey bashing off and on for several years.
I loved Butch and the sound he added to the ABB. But I liked Dickey better. His voice was a good contras to Gregg's, Dickey's unique guitar style that had been part of the band from day one plus some of my favorite ABB songs came from Dickey including Blue Sky, Jessica, Southbound, Revival, Liz Reed and others.
Also I got the impression Butch was jealous of how much money Dickey had made off the ABB. I hope that is wrong. Maybe he wasn't.
Too bad they didn't find a way to get along and be more gracious to each other.
@robertdee the more i hear about butch trucks he just sounds pretty lost of anything that went on. brothers and sister was released in august of 1973. skynyrd, marshall tucker band and charlie daniels band already had released albums by then. now butch says what dickey did on brothers and sisters influenced bands that had been touring years prior to 1973 and had albums already. i'm sure the ABB influenced those bands but i'm guessing the bands first 2 albums would have been what influenced these guys.
to point to butch if you don't like what betts wrote then you write something or have gregg write more tunes. point blank dickey made butch a ton of money with these songs he hates and then butch wants to whine about it.
also how the heck did waylon jennings get lumped into any of this? in that case willie nelson has to get lumped in too
@matt05 About 15 years or so ago I heard a song on MTV by a guy named Geoffrey Williams titled, "Blue". This song had an old school R&B vibe to it (back when R&B actually had rhythm and blues in the mix). I loved the song (still do)! I bought the album thinking that the rest of the songs would have a similar vibe. I was wrong. None of the songs sounded anything at all like "Blue". It was mostly dance/disco-ish stuff. It was all good - just not music that I would listen to.
I tell this story because y'all brought up "Ramblin' Man". Personally, I love "Ramblin' Man". The song is so good, that even Bob Dylan has said that he could've written it and wishes that he had. But there are a lot of people who bought Brothers and Sisters thinking that it might be an album full of similar songs. The dyed-in the wool fans knew better - even though "Blue Sky" had been an indication that the Allman Brothers had the potential for doing such a tune.
I was always turned off by Butch's comments on the song. Yeah, Dickie put some serious coin into Butch's bank account with "Ramblin' Man".
Have y'all ever noticed that when you meet certain folks, and tell them that you're an Allman Brothers fan - they start singing, "Lord, I was born a ramblin' man ..."? It kinda became the signature tune for the band - at least for a while.
@matt05 Yes both Willie and Waylon and Billy Joe Shaver too. They were part of the Outlaw country movement that more or less were influenced by the so-called southern rock bands. Some more than others. Waylen not so much I would say.
I've heard at a band meeting in the 1990's Dickey told Butch those songs I wrote back then you don't like is the reason you were driving a brand new Volvo in 1974. That may be just a rumor going around in the mid 90's but it was the first time I heard anything about Butch not liking many of Dickey's songs.
Well may Butch Rest in Peace. He was the backbone of the band's rhythm section from 1969 to 2014.
This goes out to Butchie!!
@rusty i'm sure a lot of people did buy the albums based off of "ramblin man" and were shell shocked. betts always wrote in many styles and we can praise the instrumentals, the southern tunes, "revival", the fact that the epic years he helped keep the band going with songwriting and didn't try and hog all the vocals. betts clearly knew what he should sing and what he shouldn't sing which is great self awareness as i don't want to hear betts singing "shine it on", "nobody knows" or "no one to run with"
not sure why butch needed to take issue with betts writing songs to the point saying he should have been fired back in 1972. NO ONE should have been fired in 1972 but imo the person casting stones was probably the most expendable at that point as he wasn't a writer or singer. again not that butch should have been fired just saying what an odd comment to make about betts
Apparently they are the official ABB tribute band
I know very little about this "offical" tribute band. Was there a proper press release statement? Was this sanctioned by the surviving two memebers, the familes of, Bert Holman,lawyers? Who owns the name? So they are carrying on the music of the band, like other tribute bands. Some classic rock bands like ACDC ,VH and others have quite a few of those types out there, but I guess since this ok'd by some "entity/gate keeper" who is the curator of all things Allmans, makes it "thee" official act.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Apparently they are the official ABB tribute band
I know very little about this "offical" tribute band. Was there a proper press release statement? Was this sanctioned by the surviving two memebers, the familes of, Bert Holman,lawyers? Who owns the name? So they are carrying on the music of the band, like other tribute bands. Some classic rock bands like ACDC ,VH and others have quite a few of those types out there, but I guess since this ok'd by some "entity/gate keeper" who is the curator of all things Allmans, makes it "thee" official act.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Just out of curiosity I pulled up the local venue here in Indiana to see what some of the tixs are going for.
3rd row center Official Platinum $546.00 + FeesStaying in the lower level towards the back you have 276.00 to 149.00
Upper level 176.00 to 49.00 and the lawn 29.50
Everyone has some kind of premium ticket now. Front row - center to see Little Feet is $570. Looks like they have sold 8 of the 12
