Thanks for sharing - Had not read that one before.

Am I just not reading the right things or are the days of edgy, provocative, border-line sadistic journalists like Tim Cahill gone?

That was a great read. Nice to see something from a period where most remember only turmoil.

Would love to know the songs Chuck wanted to bring to the band.

Thank you for linking this. Great read. This is what struck me most in the article:

At Capricorn there is some talk that We Three may record a jazz-flavored album and perhaps tour. All pretty much within the familiar structure of things. But the story goes — and here one protects his sources, since talk of disagreements in the band is likely cause for castration at Capricorn — that it is Betts and Leavell who sometimes don't see eye to eye. One evening, for instance, the Brothers were working on some new material. At one point, Leavell threw out some ideas. Perhaps it was a new, more complicated bridge: something that tasted more of 32-bar than 12-bar structure.

"Goddamn it, Chuck," Betts is supposed to have yelled, "I'm just a country boy and I ain't gonna play any of these fucking space chords." A minor disagreement, to be sure. The story goes on to suggest that it is Gregg who ends up the arbiter, who says, "Chuck, maybe that isn't just right," or "Dickey, let's just give it a try."

My take on that is .....Dickey didn't like to go outside of his zone after Duane died.....but when he was alive Duane had the creative force to push Dickey and the rest of them

you think Dickey would have dared to say that to Duane?....zero chance of that happening and zero chance of anyone else in the band saying it to him ... ZERO

. Duane would have loved playing with Chuck

Thanks, really dug that.

If I remember correctly ... I think I read it in "Midnight Riders" (you know - the book that the band doesn't like 😉 ) - seems as though Chuck wanted to/offered to/took it upon himself to become sort of a musical director. Seems like Butch made a statement about someone slamming Chuck against a bathroom stall or something.

I don't mean to get into the soap opera stuff and it has been years since I even looked at the book (found on an airplane in the pocket with the Skymall catalog and barf bag). Thing is, the Allman Brothers could probably have benefitted from some musical (and personal) direction in those days. After Duane and Berry's deaths, with the drugs, Scooter etc. - they were in sort of a downward spiral. I guess Dickey and the others might have been stuck in their comfort zones. Maybe too young, too hardheaded and too effed up to realize that Chuck could have been the shot in the arm that they needed?

This was all happening at about the time that I lost interest in the band. But Sea Level! That was a breath of fresh air!

The band was too dysfunctional at that point to innovate but if they were it would've been Chuck to lead the way. Funny thing is they dabbled in it later on. Kind of Bird, True Gravity, etc.

The band was too dysfunctional at that point to innovate but if they were it would've been Chuck to lead the way. Funny thing is they dabbled in it later on. Kind of Bird, True Gravity, etc.

Dickey didn't like to go outside of his zone after Duane died.....

Actually those early 70s years Dickey was hands down the hardest working guitarist in rock and roll, except for maybe Garcia. Show after show, long long shows, cranking that hurdy gurdy, I never saw a guitar player slaving so hard or reaching for anything he could come up with to keep that thing going. "Outside his zone" what does that even mean? If anything, he could take it easy with Duane leading the charge.

Maybe you just had to be there. Were you?

"Had to be there". You mean in the band, or as a fan attending shows at the time? I've been going to the shows since the beginning.

RE Dickey: I don't think anybody has ever accused him of "taking it easy". The idea of Duane "leading the charge" is (my opinion) romanticized to some extent. I saw a clip of the band at the Filmore East playing "Elizabeth Reed" earlier today. If anything, I think Dickey played at least on Duane's level and intensity. In that clip, I think he may have even outshone Duane a bit. If anything, they were "co-Generals" at the time (my opinion).

"Outside his (comfort) zone": a cliche'ed term, for sure. If Dickey wasn't stuck in any zone or pattern following Duane's death, he might have been heading off in a more country and western direction. That would certainly have been relatively new territory for the band. Chuck's playing was certainly going to cause a veer in direction. Perhaps not in the direction that Dickey or the rest of the band wanted. Seems like the direction that Chuck might've wanted to take the band ("space chords"...) was not in Dickey's interest ... or "comfort zone".

Hardest working guitar player except for Garcia: I think it is generally and unanimously agreed that Dickey took the reins following the exits of Duane and Berry. I think he did a helluva job! I also think that part of what led to his eventual ouster was that the others sobered up and found a still wild and crazy Dickey at the wheel. His driving was impeccable, though.

Thank you much for that link. Very interesting read.

Blooby

"Had to be there" as a fan, and was directed at "outside the zone" comment, which strikes me as one of those buzzword type things that doesn't really mean anything when you actually look at it.

Yeah, "leading the charge" maybe poor analogy. Just meant that with Duane there, he maybe wasn't as on the spot. He was really exposed when holding down the leads all by himself. Sometimes after a few hours it looked like he was in pain, just squeezing blood from that stone!
My first show was Watkins Glen, I never saw the band with both guitars, but in my experience as a musician, life does get a bit easier when you have someone else to lean on.