I was at the big music store here today and a younger guitarist who also plays bass and I were talking and I came clean and told him my favorite band by far was the Allman Brothers Band.
And he likes the Allmans too but his favorite is Z. Z. Top.
This young man mentioned what a fantastic recording the original studio version of Liz Reed is. It was always so over shadowed by the At Fillmore East live version and other live versions I've heard over the years and I realized I had never really listened to the Idlewild South version critically.
I was told the production on the track is excellent. So is the arrangement and the song writing. I was told the musicians on the track turn in excellent performances. The bass player and drummer set the table and the two guitarists and the organ player present excellent solos.
I took a careful listen and the young musician, Nick, is right. There are top shelf performances on this track. It doesn't really kick into high gear like several live versions but technically this track is perfect. Tom Dowd may be part of the reason.
Take a critical listen to all six musicians and tell us your impressions!!
It IS perfect in every way. I love the LAFE version but the original really takes me back. I was 8 years old when this came out. My sister bought it and played the album to death. As a youngster I latched on to Midnight Rider & Revival. But when I hear the original version of IMOER it really takes me back to my childhood. What a great feeling it gives me. So familiar. I know every little note that is coming but it is still as if I am hearing it IN AWE for the first time. What a GREAT recording! I have always felt that this song, and this particular version really captured and defined the ABB.
The At Fillmore East version is certainly tops....I've also always liked the Wipe The Windows/Brothers And Sisters Deluxe Edition version from Winterland with Lamar Williams and Chuck Leavell.
@paulcoletti It's a good jazzy arrangement especially for a Sunday morning.
I remember reading Chuck Leavell saying he, Jaimoe and Lamar were behind getting their version of Liz Reed more of a jazz bag which is what Jaimoe really liked and he turned several jazz groups records on to the band.
SUNDAY MORNING JAZZ!
It IS perfect in every way. I love the LAFE version but the original really takes me back. I was 8 years old when this came out. My sister bought it and played the album to death. As a youngster I latched on to Midnight Rider & Revival. But when I hear the original version of IMOER it really takes me back to my childhood. What a great feeling it gives me. So familiar. I know every little note that is coming but it is still as if I am hearing it IN AWE for the first time. What a GREAT recording! I have always felt that this song, and this particular version really captured and defined the ABB.
I bought a used cd of "Beginnings" to listen to at the office. I was just starting to get into the band and when I heard IMOER all of a sudden I was back in junior high and remembered that I'd heard this before (my art teacher Mr. Taylor always played music during class and he was an ABB fan). While I'd finally "scene the light" as they say, I was hooked then. Funny thing is the cd got left in my computer when the company upgraded the desktops when I wasn't there. Fortunately I found my old pc and found my cd. Still have it. To good times!