Gregg was far from his best in 2012 and I consider it the weakest Beacon year I saw other than 2000. But they did have a bigger repertoire and did some interesting things - especially the acoustic mini-set, which helped compensate for his lack of vocal strength. Needle and the Damage done was a very poignant choice of cover and it seemed to give a lot of people chills and These Days was meaningful. Come On in My Kitchen with Oteil on banjo was great, and since few of us go to see them do My Favorite Things in the old days it was nice to see them bust that out.

Gregg was far from his best for most of the 90s too. If we discount years where Gregg is not at his peak then we would be discounting much of the reunion since 89.

I enjoyed much of the 2012 run for the reasons given. Expanded sets and trying to explore and experiment a bit. After that run, things cut back quite a bit with the sets and exploring.

Gregg was far from his best in 2012 and I consider it the weakest Beacon year I saw other than 2000.

i didnt go to the beacon in 2000 but yeah, 2012 was a struggle....

gregg looked so bad.....

and wanee was worse...

i figured for sure that when he (barely) sung needle and damage done, it would be the last time i would see him on stage...

thankfully, by the next show at all good----he looked and sounded much better......

Gregg was far from his best for most of the 90s too. If we discount years where Gregg is not at his peak then we would be discounting much of the reunion since 89.

I didn't discount anything. There were some good things that year. You're right that they mixed it up in a way they did not in the years before or after, which is too bad. But in my opinion, 2012 was the worst Beacon Run for this lineup because Gregg's voice was at its weakest and he messed up so many lyrics and cues and things. That doesn't mean there was nothing good. That's just how I see it in the context of other ABB years.

Gregg was definitely weak that year. I was fortunate enough to catch 3/26 with Bill Evans and Nels Cline who were great - but it wasn't really the ABB

Gregg was far from his best in 2012 and I consider it the weakest Beacon year I saw other than 2000.

2000 was God awful. And that was my first time at the Beacon. Almost the same set both nights. The way they butchered Dreams was unbelievable. And two nights in a row. It was still great to go there for the first time though.

Maybe someone should have told Gregg to listen to the tapes and then send him a fax. 😉

Or some of the tapes from 90 to 96.

Gregg was far from his best for most of the 90s /mid to late 70's too.

Fixed that for you... 😉

Gregg was far from his best for most of the 90s too.

I dunno. You are pretty much saying most of a decade, right? And that decade put out arguably the best stuff since the 70s studio-wise. I only saw them once a year back then when they came through Detroit and they were always good, beer cans and full ashtrays on top of the B-3 and all. 😉

Gregg was far from his best for most of the 90s too. If we discount years where Gregg is not at his peak then we would be discounting much of the reunion since 89..

That is definitely a stretch, Gregg might have had some rough shows around '96, but almost every show I have from this era, he sounds great. For the vast majority of the tours from 89-99, Gregg still sang excellently. There is a reason this era of the band is considered one of the best. Definitely better than he did in the 80s when he growled more than he sang. Regardless, Gregg was in poor health during the 2012 run so I don't see the point of going down this road.

[Edited on 11/14/2014 by porkchopbob]

Gregg was in really bad shape in 2012. I really thought I might never see him sing again when he walked off the second to last night and did not return.

I'm pretty sure the variety was a direct correlation. hey had to cover a lot of time and material.

Gregg might have had some rough shows around '96,

Don't see how '96 was any worse than this...

Gregg in '95.

There is a reason this era of the band is considered one of the best.

Betts-Haynes-Woody...

Gregg was far from his best for most of the 90s too. If we discount years where Gregg is not at his peak then we would be discounting much of the reunion since 89..

That is definitely a stretch, Gregg might have had some rough shows around '96, but almost every show I have from this era, he sounds great. For the vast majority of the tours from 89-99, Gregg still sang excellently. There is a reason this era of the band is considered one of the best. Definitely better than he did in the 80s when he growled more than he sang. Regardless, Gregg was in poor health during the 2012 run so I don't see the point of going down this road.

[Edited on 11/14/2014 by porkchopbob]

I agree with Bob. I have so many shows from the '90s, including the period when Gregg was drinking where he sounds really good and knows the songs well (and I agree about the assessment of the'80s). Even the RnR Hall of Fame One Way Out that is presented as evidence, Gregg is right on cue. His voice is a little garbled but he sounds like Gregg and he's not doing the '80s shouting for sure. He was really high/drunk that night but he had a way of compartmentalizing it most of the time. I was impressed, considering his induction speech just a few minutes earlier.

In 2012, when he was having serious physical problems it was something different altogether different. I really thought we were losing him when I saw him at Wanee. The way he bounced back for that Summer Tour 2012 was pretty unbelievable. By August he was sounding really good (have the Peachfest 2012 show and he's back). By December '12 when I saw Gregg & Friends, it was as if Winter/Spring 2012 had not happened.

And yes, the variety of 2012 definitely makes for some unique music! Thanks for reminding me PCB!

My recall,in those days, and I was going to most shows of the beacon runs each march, and the shows,Gregg included,were outstanding.

I'm certain he had some off shows...not reflective of his 90's work,which was significant and very good.

I saw shows where Gregg was effed up in the 70's(1975-76 in particular) but they were still very good shows.

The shows in late 70's,early 80's were,IMO,the bottom...Dan Toler was a good player not nearly as good as the other abb guitarists though the years,but the band of that era were awful...rook goldflies on bass...gimme a break...,no Jaimoe for a time,synthesizers,so effing loud back then to hide how awful they sounded.That wasnt Gregg's fault...the band sucked at that point.

Yes,we can attempt to diminish Gregg,Dickey,whoever...it is all irrelevant to me...the personal relationships,feuds...not my business..I'm a fan of the music...they played well,I was pleased...all these negative opinions on threads about Gregg or Dickey...a waste of breath.Both guys have given us the finest music over the years...I'm grateful.We don't know these guys personally,yet oddly we tend to take up what we imagine to be their differences.

No offense to any of the fine people here who might differ...

[Edited on 11/14/2014 by dadof2]

[Edited on 11/14/2014 by dadof2]

Maybe someone should have told Gregg to listen to the tapes and then send him a fax. 😉

I'm kind of wishing we could tell you read this thread and send you a fax. Or maybe you can stop trying to derail this thread with slagging on Gregg an argument about old shit?

Maybe someone should have told Gregg to listen to the tapes and then send him a fax. 😉

If he worked for me I would've sent him a fax ASAP!

To offer him a huge pay increase for a job very well done 😛

 

I realized I'm guilty of thread derailing!

So,back to it...there are so many wonderful years of Allmans music...I'd want to listen to music from all years except late 70's-early 80's before 2012.Not the finest moment in Allmans history and shows with no Gregg,to me,may have great music but are not the Allmans.

Gregg might have had some rough shows around '96,

Don't see how '96 was any worse than this...

Gregg in '95.

Well, that is the night that Gregg decided to clean up, by his own admission - the bottom is hardly a representative of a decade. No sure why you have such an axe to grind with Gregg's singing during one of their creative and performance peaks since it's pretty irrelevant to the topic at hand, but most of the 1990s he sounded like this (pretty freaking good):

1991:

1995:

1997:

Fact is, PCB...that lineup is my favorite outside of the original. Doesn't mean when Gregg was drunk, it wasn't hard to watch.
Don't have an axe to grind with Gregg's singing. When he's good..he's great. When he's not...he's not.

I'm kind of wishing we could tell you read this thread and send you a fax. Or maybe you can stop trying to derail this thread with slagging on Gregg an argument about old shit?

Really. That's what Dickey Betts threads are for...

So about the 2012 Beacon Run.

That era is also a highlight in ABB history for me also. But I was at many shows in the 90s where Gregg was pulled way back in the mix both from a singing and playing stance. This has also been mentioned by the band themselves and not denied. It has also been mentioned on here by many others. I too have many shows where Gregg sounded great. But there are many where he mumbles through the words and the very minimal talk made it even more obvious. Gregg himself admits this so not sure why some would disagree. Fanfrom 71 nails that the magic of that era came mainly from Dickey, Warren and Woody along with the always good percussion.

As for the listen to the tapes part, it was humor. Something which goes right over Marley's head along with many other things over the years. As for derailing the thread, that is pretty funny coming from the guy who posted disagreeing and trying to tell Bob that he was wrong in the second post. You sure are a barrel of positivity, Marley. Maybe he should send you a PM first next time asking if it is OK to like something. You could send a fax if you like but I prefer those with the balls to speak to my face.

Now back to 2012 and Marley telling us why we are wrong.

That era is also a highlight in ABB history for me also. But I was at many shows in the 90s where Gregg was pulled way back in the mix both from a singing and playing stance.

As long as you're not discounting them, whatever that is.

As for derailing the thread, that is pretty funny coming from the guy who posted disagreeing and trying to tell Bob that he was wrong in the second post.

This is probably the crux of what's going on here. I didn't try to tell him he was wrong. I said I didn't think it was a good run because I don't think it was, but I said there were some good things that happened and I focused on those. Why? Because I didn't want to sound like I was telling him his opinion was wrong or be argumentative. You wanted us to know Gregg was drunk a lot in the early '90s because, I don't know, maybe there's someone on the Allman Brothers fansite who doesn't know that.

Now back to 2012 and Marley telling us why we are wrong.

That's the funny thing about this: you and I have the same opinion about the 2012 run. I'm just asking why you're yammering on and on other stuff- the same stuff as in lots of other threads. If history is any guide, someone will tell me it's Butch's fault.

[Edited on 11/14/2014 by Marley]

Sorry next time I will send you a PM to find out if I am yammering on and on with a two sentence post. Your approval would validate my opinions or you could spare me from yammering.

Again my apologies for not following the proper chain of command.

Why? Because I didn't want to sound like I was telling him his opinion was wrong or be argumentative.

Really. That's what Dickey Betts threads are for...

The difference between this thread and most Dickey threads, here people don't seem to get too bent out of shape when confronted with the reality of Gregg's ups and downs.

The difference being the vast majority here were either not born yet, or were not going to ABB concerts yet so to be confronted with Gregg's many downs over the decades.
If they had...maybe they would get a bit more bent out of shape with the pot calling the kettle black.

But we don't want to let that stop people from only bashing Dickey Betts!

The difference being the vast majority here were either not born yet, or were not going to ABB concerts yet so to be confronted with Gregg's many downs over the decades.
If they had...maybe they would get a bit more bent out of shape with the pot calling the kettle black.

The difference being...everyone on stage in 2012 was sober. Dude, you made your point - Gregg had some off shows in the 90s. This is not news. Everyone has agreed with you. Gregg wrote a book about it.

Since everyone fixates on the negative, most of the talk in March of 2012 was about Gregg's state of health (understandably so). I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the unique musical moments that occurred on stage during the 2012 Beacon run. But I guess the substance-related performance valleys for this band from other decades are interesting, too, so have at it.

Gregg wrote a book about it.

Some may call it a book... I think it's also well known he didn't write it.

Since everyone fixates on the negative, most of the talk in March of 2012 was about Gregg's state of health (understandably so).

Understandably so...because sometimes when you abuse the body for decades, it starts shutting down.
And as far as the Hep-c...anyone who thinks they can pinpoint the exact time they acquired the disease, as in a specific tattoo...are kidding themselves at best.

But I guess the substance-related performance valleys for this band from other decades are interesting.

The band has a 45 year history. ALL facets of the bands history should be interesting, and certainly included to paint a true and complete picture.
The bands history is not just 2000 to 2014. As much as most believe it is...

The band has a 45 year history. ALL facets of the bands history should be interesting...

In no way shape or form is this interesting:

[Edited on 11/15/2014 by axeman]