I always thought that brief period was one of the best on paper, but it just wasn't to be. That is one of those big "what ifs". Dickey and Derek played off of each well enough, but they never had the time or the stability during that period to gain any momentum, and the internal strife within the band during that period is well-documented. It's too bad, their styles really complemented each other well when the band was on (Peakin' at the Beacon isn't a total wash). It's hard to view that period relative to the other eras due to what was happening within.

I could have put together a single live CD from that era with select cuts where they were tight as a group that would have blown away Peakin at the Beacon.

They had some song selections that just flat out didn't work with that lineup (Crazy Love and Shady Streets and some others). Harmony vocals between Gregg, Dickey & Marc (on Seven Turns, Midnight Rider type Dickey penned songs) sounded flat out..... unrehearsed.... compared to when Warren was in the mix.

True Gravity was one they could absolutely nail on a good night and they did better versions of every single song at different shows compared to Peakin (plus the muffled sound of the final product....geez).

With better group relations, more rehearsals etc that lineup could have been just great. I will say they were better live than on tape. I really enjoyed 3 of the 4 shows I saw from that lineup including the very final one in Atlanta...in the large crowd of 30,000+ in that field I totally missed the tension on stage!

I was just in awe of that lineup a few times.. that 30th anniversary tour is a good example. They opened with don't want you no more/cross to bear/ blackhearted woman right out of the gate ! If you had seen them in 1996 they were playing the same set list from 1994. When Derek came into the band he lit a fire for sure. The set list was getting mixed up . Please call home.. high falls oh man that was sweet with Derek !! Maybe it was the mushrooms I don't know

I could have put together a single live CD from that era with select cuts where they were tight as a group that would have blown away Peakin at the Beacon.

They had some song selections that just flat out didn't work with that lineup (Crazy Love and Shady Streets and some others). Harmony vocals between Gregg, Dickey & Marc (on Seven Turns, Midnight Rider type Dickey penned songs) sounded flat out..... unrehearsed.... compared to when Warren was in the mix.

The release of Peakin' at the Beacon always aggravated me. Obviously, 15 years ago recorded concerts didn't appear on Youtube immediately, so after news came that Dickey was fired I remembered being among the "WTF? How bad was he?"

I got the sense both sides wanted to release tapes from the 2000 Beacon run not just to get out of their Epic contract, but also to prove a point to fans: either that the performances were decent, or that the shows sucked. Both were right to a certain extent, but for the fans' sake, they could have at least picked some more solid shows from 1999 to ask people to cough up money for. Then Butch says publicly "we are not proud of that album", but it's still $15. They could have released something that they were proud of if they wanted to, but everything was up in the air at that point and everyone was pissed off. No one even knew if the band would continue at all.

I will say, I thought "Seven Turns" is the best track form Peakin', followed by "Don't Want You No More/Cross to Bear". "Stand Back" and "Leave My Blues At Home" are train wrecks.

[ I remembered being among the "WTF? How bad was he?"

I thought the same thing when I saw his first show out of the band just a few weeks later.
The band wasn't real tight because they hadn't played together other than a handful of rehearsals, but Dickeys playing was as good as I had seen it in the previous 3 decades.
Didn't quite get the " listen to the tapes" comment honestly...

I agree with you on peakin at the beacon although i still love it haha. Derek really blew my mind around that time.. I mean he's a better player now he was only 20 at the time but he could channel duane and still keep his unique sound. I think dickey playing was on the decline and the drinking didn't help. He was sloppy at times. But there's nobody I'd rather see handling guitar and vocals for the allman brothers band. When they fired him it killed me. Oh man that hurt ! Then I read Alan Paul's book. I understand a bit better now but dickey was such a big part of that sound. Warren came back thank god but it wasn't ever the same. A lot less jazz in the music. Although Jaimoe kept that aspect going I guess

In my opinion, it's a tale of two years.

1999 had some excellent shows. The Atlanta show that year had great versions of Dreams and Liz Reed, and there is a show from Oregon from that year that just smokes.

Spring 2000 was a different story. I've never been more disappointed in a concert in my entire life than I was at Jazz Fest in 2000 with the ABB. I had brought a bunch of friends, who I had pumped up endlessly about how great the Allmans were, and they just looked at me like "THIS is what we drove from Atlanta for?" Almost like it was a totally different band than the one I had seen less than a year before in September 1999.

The saddest part of that show was at the end, when Dickey said from the stage "We're going to go ahead and finish up so somebody good can come on" or words to that effect.

The sad part? They were the last band on that stage that day 🙁

Saw one Dickey/Derek show.

Highlight was Lucinda Williams opening.

JJ's Alley, Georgia on a Fast Train sucked big time.

Listened to this show last year driving to Boston, first ABB show for two of my kids.

While some of it was decent, other parts just sucked the life out of it.

I saw Five shows from 6/19 to 7/4. The 6/19 Indianapolis show was going to be my last after seeing a couple poor shows the year before. I was really impressed that night. I saw a couple so so shows at the Louisville Palace a week later and a good show in Cincinnati the next week. The 4th of July show in Nashville had what is probably my favorite Blue Sky that any line up of this band has played.

[Edited on 8/13/2015 by fast43]

There were some good moments for sure, but Dickey was obviously not in great shape especially in 2000 and frankly Derek's rhythm playing was not on the level of his lead playing... warren and jack were much more complete players at that point.

Spring 2000 was a different story.

Spring 2000 also includes one of the most cringe-worthy moments that tops Zakk Wylde: the Steven Seagal sit-in. Not sure what show (May me thinks?), and I can't find the photos that used to be up, but it happened.

Zaak Wylde ... Steven Segal ... Don Johnson ... Cher ...

I guess the drugs were just so much better in those days! 😛

Red Rocks 1999...the music was good, great in points, but let's just say that Dickey was not very happy with young Derek. Between some songs, I won't say berate, but I will say yell.

Alan,
That's interesting to hear you say that about Derek's rhythm playing. I've always thought the same but have attributed it to Dickey's playing at the time, thinking that playing off of him was what caused Derek's rhythm playing to be somewhat lacking. I saw the band live once with that lineup, front row, and felt it was an off show, musically. Oteil and Butch were brilliant and kept the band moving forward.

Back to Derek's rhythm playing, though. I saw the band the next summer with Jimmy Herring and have a bootleg from that year. I would say his rhythm playing had improved by then. Listening to Hittin' The Note and the live Beacon release, as well as show I saw in Memphis in 2002, I would say Derek's rhythm playing improved immensely over a short period of time. To what, if anything, would you credit that? Playing with Jimmy and/or Warren? Continuing to work on that aspect of his playing?

By the way, I greatly enjoyed One Way Out. I got it from the library last year and read it in a week. I gave it to my father for Christmas last year.

I was front row for the 30th anniversary show in Mansfield ,ma in 1999. I am around Derek's age (36) so maybe it was just seeing a kid my age shred with the masters that had me mesmerized. Like Alan said great moments overshadowed by the internal problems I guess. Although that show I speak of was really outstanding I thought at the time. Maybe June or July 1999? The instrumentals were really great ! Someone pointed out true gravity.I saw a mean version of high falls that was better than peakin at the beacon. Also they pulled out les Brer in a minor on that tour. So a good chunk of the first record was played and les brer the second set had my feet moving. Like I said in an earlier post so much more jazzy then the Warren-Derek era. But I think Warren treated Derek more as a peer than dickey. Must've been tough when dickey laid into him lol. I loved most of the brothers lineups anyway.always great musicians. Fortunately I missed Steven segal haha... wtf ?

On the Les Brers note, I do remember them closing the second set of the show I saw with that lineup and it was beautiful. I remember thinking, after it was over, why didn't they play like that the whole show?

Agree that this lineup was amazing on paper but just didn't work. I would say there were four major lineups of the Brothers - Duane/Dickey/Berry; Chuck/Dickey/Lamar; Dickey/Warren/Woody; and Warren/Derek/Oteil. As much as I'd like to put Dickey/Jack/Oteil or Dickey/Derek/Oteil or even Derek/Jimmy/Oteil on the same level, I just can't. Although, Derek/Jimmy/Oteil, while short-lived, comes close.

99-01 was very up and down for the ABB IMO. Beacon Run 99 was it for Jack. I was in the corner of the lodge Otiel side and could see Jack on the side looking in pain. Jaimoe was helping him out at one point. The band just seemed sloppy that run IMO but Jack was awesome in summer 97 and 98. Would love to hear a really good release or sound board from that era. It's really the only hole in my ABB collection. I know there's some audience stuff out there though.
99 summer, I believe was Derek's firs tour. I caught which was at the time the biggest crowd ever NJ PNC center on labor day. I recall Lucinda Williams opening and it being a fun set. Derek struck me as great and sounding more like the Duane era. I thought it was great but odd that they were drawing huge crowds when they were in such a transitional phase.

Beacon 2000 was real sloppy. Dickey was all over the place. Especially on St Patricks day which you could chalk up to well....St Patricks day. I recall giving a bad review of the show on the old green ABB site and people thought i was nuts. " That show was killer !" Lots of kool aid drinkers back then but I realized everyones' take on show depends on lots of factors. Mood, sound , etc.

The best part of spring 2000 was all the after shows with DTB, O'tiel at places like the wetlands. I was really leaning to the next phase and wasn't surprised when Dickey got fired.

I was upset with the organization after peakin at the beacon. They promoed it heavily, I bought it and then they said it sucked.
WTF ? I think age and the fact that it's only official document of that line up has made me warm up to it a bit. I especially like the high falls. Overall, 1999-2000 is a mix of Derek getting his legs under him and Dickey's issues. Kind of wasted potential but some good if inconsistent music despite that.

Although, Derek/Jimmy/Oteil, while short-lived, comes close.

I much preferred Jack & Dickey over Derek and Jimmy. Jack and Dickey played beautifully together, it was a real back to basics for the band. I love Warren & Dickey era, it is one of my favorite periods for the band, probably second only to the original lineup, but it could get really heavy at times. Dickey and Jack had a lot more nuance, there was a lot more air in the conversation, especially on the instrumentals like "High Falls" and "Les Brers". Some songs felt almost skeletal, like "Sailing 'Cross the Devil's Sea".

I know a lot of people love the Derek/Jimmy era and I give it a lot of credit for reinvigorating the band ("Mountain Jam"!), but I never thought Jimmy Herring fit the Allmans Brothers' melodic sensibilities. I am a Jimmy Herring fan, (ARU this Sunday!) but as a player he's a bit of a space cadet and his mile a minute style just didn't fit. The band lost that steady swing that always set them apart. It was usually interesting, but it wasn't the Allman Brothers. Songs felt rushed and formless at times. I remember hearing one of the worst versions of "Jessica" Summer 2000, like they were in a race to finish. There's a "Mountain Jam" out there where it sounds like ducks quacking for about 5 minutes. But I'm sure all of that playing so Gregg could take some breaks from singing really helped Derek grow as a player.

Maybe after being stuck in the mud in Spring 2000, the band had to push themselves in the other direction in order to get back to where they needed to be.

[Edited on 8/13/2015 by porkchopbob]

I would say Derek's rhythm playing improved immensely over a short period of time. To what, if anything, would you credit that? Playing with Jimmy and/or Warren? Continuing to work on that aspect of his playing?

I don't think he had ever played that much rhythm guitar before! And certainly not in accompaniment of another lead player like Dickey. Derek's intuitiveness and genius would have taken care of it sooner or later no matter what.

Dickey just plays and can lose track of where he is... Other guy's job is to smooth it all out... Warren had so many years experience playing with Dickey and he knew how to anticipate where he was headed and catch him when he fell... Jack is so good and sympathetic that came naturally to him...

All just my hindsight opinion... It was a lot to throw a 19 or 20 year old kid into, even one as talented and mature as Derek...

I really enjoyed 3 of the 4 shows I saw from that lineup including the very final one in Atlanta...in the large crowd of 30,000+ in that field I totally missed the tension on stage!

Tim, i couldn't have said it better myself re: Dickey's final show that day in ATL. We had an absolute blast that Sunday(?) of MusicMidtown. The lead in to the Brothers' Allman return to the parks of Atlanta was Drive By Truckers > drivin' n cryin' > ABB. The Truckers got everybody in a real fine mood, then d-n-c built the crowd even more, showing us they could still bring it, then ABB did their thing. it was great seeing Derek up there, and hearing those songs cranking out across that place & space in time. the crowd was WAY into it, for better or for worse, as MM was a drink n smokefest.

before ABB, some dude in the back near us was alone with his flagpole, then proceeded to pull out and hoist his rebel flag, much to the chagrin of many around him. i started givin him hell as he had several other flags, including an ABB peach flag he could have raised, but he just kept saying, "C'mon man, it's nothing..." I kept on ragging him, and a few others joined, and he finally retreated somewhere else.

Love is in the air...

The Birmingham show from 1999 is quite good particularly Derek's solo on Blue Sky. The other shows I've heard particularly those early in the tour lack cohesiveness and energy.

We saw some amazing concerts during the Dickey & Derek era.

I'm in an odd position because the last two shows I saw with the Dickey and Warren lineup were at the Beacon and one was the last time for Warren and Allen and after hearing the rumors about how sloppy the band was on the west coast leg of the 1996 tour and how Dickey disappeared and failed to show for a show and how when Dickey did show he tried to punch out Butch, told everybody in the band off, pulled a knife on Allen Woody which when hearing that rumor I figured wasn't true until I bought my copy of Alan Paul's book and the rest of the tour had to be canceled. So I was expecting a so-so to bad show but both shows were really strong. When the lights came up and I saw a Fender Stratocaster next to Warren's Les Paul on the guitar stands, I figured someone was subbing for Dickey but Dickey played one of his Strats most of the night. Then the rumor made it over to our area that the second show I saw at the Beacon was the last one for Warren and Allen. It was sad because from 1989 to about 1994, I thought the lineup was the best since the original which to me, is and always will be the high water mark for the ABB in musicianship, energy and creativity. No other line up has matched it to me.

The shows I saw in the summer of 97 with Jack and Otiel were real good to me. Then at the 99 Beacon run we were hearing rumors Jack was leaving because Dickey kept getting louder and refused Burt Holman's request to turn down a little.

The rumor mill then was Butch Trucks thought of Derek to replace Jack because Butch wanted to try to keep the band going rather than break up so Butch suggested Derek to Dickey and other than Dickey wondering if he could play lead in addition to slide, Dickey said tell him to come on. Indeed Butch said so much in an interview. The summer of 99 was actually said to be a high point for the band after a decline from the fire in the early 1990's. Gregg and Dickey, according to Butch's interview online at the time, were very inspired by Derek and how he reminded them of Duane and Gregg and Dickey both were playing the best they had in years according to Butch. The 4 or 5 shows I saw in the summer of 99 proved that statement to be correct to me but I only saw about 5 shows so there may have been some that were not so good. Derek did channel Duane when he played slide and Otiel seemed closer to Berry Oakley than anybody I had heard on bass in the band. For those who can't remember the original band, as hard as this may be to believe, it was usually more than just a little better than any other lineup. The level of musicianship, energy and creativity was and still is the high water mark for any lineup calling itself the Allman Brothers. And the chemistry the original six had with each other on stage also was the best. I guess because they all believed in Duane Allman and respected him so much. I repeated myself again because it's important to me to let younger fans know the original ABB WAS the Allman Brother Band at it's absolute peak.

So the shows I saw in 99 with Derek was very good from an energy stand point. The band was hot and Otiel was so good on bass that I really didn't notice Derek lacking when he was not playing a slide solo. And the slide solos were very amazing and emotional. It was almost as if Duane was there with all due respect to Warren and Jack etc.

But the two shows I saw in the spring of 2000, all of that was lost. Dickey wasn't playing well and seemed angry with the other guys on stage and they seemed to want to be somewhere else. Derek said in a post "fax" interview he never had a problem with Dickey. That Dickey was always nice to him but he was aware that tension in the band because of Dickey's temper and life style was starting to boil over.

Apparently Dickey and Gregg are friends again if and when they see each other again. Don't know if they spoke on the phone since Gregg made the overture. But I'm not sure Dickey will play again. I mean play with any band. It may be he would join Gregg on stage for a couple of songs if and when he feels up to playing a little.

Dickey doesn't need the money so he can stay retired if he wants. According to a website that tracks the wealth of famous people including actors and musicians, Dickey is a millionaire 40 times over and surprisingly at the time the figures were put on the site, is way ahead of the other original members. I would imagine Gregg has moved close to Dickey in recent years and beyond the 15 million the site gave as Gregg must have been making more money than Dickey during the last 10 years or so. Duane wasn't on the site but I read more than once that when he died his estate was worth 2 thousand dollars. I'm sure it is far more than that now. Duane was killed when the band just had their first gold record "At Fillmore East" and apparently missed the gravy. But what a legacy he left in his short life!

My first show was during these years in '99. It was 6/25/99, and it was amazing.

I have friends who saw the band more than I did during those two years and their complaints are that Dickey was way too loud, and that shows were pretty much all the same minus one or two songs. They said that when Betts was still in the band in 2000 his playing was not nearly as good as it once was a year ago.

Interesting observations on Dickey's playing. I thought his prowess began to decline after 1996/97 as well. I saw 4 shows in 1996 and 4 in 1997. He played some very improvisational stuff in 1996, especially during some of the True Gravity marathons they did that year. I also loved his 'wah-wah' playing on songs like Aint Wastin Time No More and I Know I Ought to Leave Here. In 1998, I attended three shows and Dickey's solos seemed shorter, louder and more repetitive. At the Pittsburgh show that year, he was frustrated about something and played maybe a 30 second solo in Liz Reed before storming off the stage before the drum solo. It was kind of a let down as Jack wrapped up about a 10 minute solo. I know Butch observed that Dickey wanted repetitive set lists because he was having trouble remembering songs. The Beacon run in 2000 was definitely sub-par and from the two shows I have listened to, the short spring tour was an epic disaster. I can't comment on his post-2000 playing as I have not listened to many of those shows.