Guest Book

...Just waxing poetic about the ABB. After getting a chance to re-live some of The Beacon run on disc and some on Live365 a few things have occurred to me - and its all good! This band seems to on a mission...after a string of amazing shows last year which we thought couldn't be topped - they have somehow managed to raise the bar for live music in general yet again! The Allman Brothers Band right now is like some musical Thoroghbred trying to win every big race it enters. The music that they are now playing - whether its a new song, old classic or cool cover - has this sort of pulsating groove to it thats unlike anything we've ever heard from this band before. There seems to be this natural mesmerizing flow that they are attaining now with striking regularity. It seems to me many of the tunes are now opening up in ways that haven't existed prior to to The Beacon...I believe this was the next natural progression for this musical beast - to have the songs do just that. They seem to be able to turn over more stones than ever before to see whats under them... The open Jams and moments of pure improv seem to be going down musical paths that only elite musicians have the ability to walk down. Well this band is comprised of those type of elite players who right now are at the top of their game. No matter where you would rank Warren or Derek as "individual" guitar players through the history of this band is not important...not at all. Its where they are right now as a "duo" that really matters....and right now there has never ever been a better guitar duo! Forget who is playing lead or who is playing rhythm - if you really listen they are always doing both anyway! They have this ESP thing going on now which I feel is unparalelled in the history of music. Warren - the old vet who has probably shared the stage with more world-class rock, jazz and blues musicians than anyone in the last 20 years and Derek, the boy wonder who is as gifted a musician as there is anywhere - are aiming at the stars and hitting them. Their playing is more angular, more expansive and simply more exploratory than ever before. They have now shared the stage a countless number of times and their unique chemistry is really showing and shining... Each player is driving the other band members to reach the greatest of heights and they seem determined to leave it all on stage every night they play. When you really get into listening to this band - its almost hard to listen to anything else - because nothing else can compare to what these guys are doing. Nothing "takes me there" now the way this band does. At this point I simply refuse to get into the "which lineup" debate...it just doesn't matter. I have plenty of live shows to dip into when I need a dose of Berry and Duane or Dickey or Chuck or Lamar. What I like is the fact that the "best" music being played is right here and right now... The ABB is now riding a huge wave of creativity that looks like it will be here for a while longer. But, however long it lasts, we/they are playing with "house money". Who would of thought 35 years after it all started we'd even have a chance to say that... By the way, is Gregg Fu*kin' great or what? Damn, that man can sing! Peace