Customer Reviews

Eat a Peach

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Released in February 1972, less than four months after Duane Allman's death, EAT A PEACH gathers together the final tracks laid down by the original Allman Brothers Band, the only studio documentation of the short-lived five-man, one-guitar ABB lineup and the remaining performances from the concerts which had yielded the epochal AT FILLMORE EAST album. Far from being a stereotypical posthumous odds and ends collection, however, EAT A PEACH is a treasure trove containing much of the Brothers' best work, and stands right beside FILLMORE at the very apex of their stupendous body of recordings.
Opening with the post-Duane tracks, EAT A PEACH demonstrates from its very first notes that there was - and is - far more to the ABB than one amazing guitarist. Brother Gregg's "Ain't Wastin' Time No More," though written before Duane's crash, is an effective and all-too-poignant rumination on uprushing mortality with excellent playing from the whole quintet. Dickey Betts, tossed into the unenviable position of sole guitar player in rock's most celebrated two-guitar band, more than holds his own here, contributing top-notch picking on every track - most notably his own thunderstorm instrumental, "Les Brers in A Minor," which starts out as a grinding tribute to amplification before morphing into a Santana-esque Latin funk workout liberally spiced with impressive displays of chops all around. "Melissa," a beautiful old ballad co-written by Gregg which the Brothers had first recorded with their previous group the Hourglass, is by contrast epitomally delicate and genuinely moving; Dickey's ethereal lead is a dream.
Next up: thirty-three minutes of "Mountain Jam," longest of the ABB's many long onstage workouts, the Duane-drenched final third of which is at least the equal of anything on FILLMORE and makes me wonder why that album wasn't simply released as a triple, with this LP-length track included, in the first place. Also recorded during the Fillmore East engagement, "One Way Out" and "Trouble No More," which the Brothers had first tackled on their 1969 debut album, are solid blues jams in the classic Allmans vein.
Finally, there are the last three studio tunes featuring Duane, which with fitting irony point to yet more new directions this band might well have explored had it only had the opportunity. "Stand Back," a bouncing number from Gregg, would've been equally at home on IDLEWILD SOUTH; but Dickey's sublime country ballad "Blue Sky," with its brilliant solos from both guitarists, and Duane's only ABB composition, the brief dobro/guitar duet "Little Martha," mine and master new territory and suggest that a more varied range of material, from an expanded group of songwriters, would have kept this band firmly at the front of the pack through all those gigs that might have been.
More than thirty years later, the original ABB's handful of recordings remain one of the great listening experiences to be had anywhere. EAT A PEACH and AT FILLMORE EAST are the very best of the great, which really leaves nothing to say.

How does one introduce an album one has had to replace twice before finally getting it on CD? Byu admitting that it provided a constant accompaniment to his life for more than two decades, that he remembers hearing the echoes of "Blue Sky" wafting into the rafters at his wedding reception in an expansive old mansion beloinging to a friend's parents, or that he felt more at home when listening to it on a Sony Walkman in strange motel rooms all over the country when traveling on business? It seems to be a permanent part of my life, like Sgt Pepper or Bookends. This is the album released at the apex of their rise to fame and fortune, a studio album completed after lead singer and slide guitar magician Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident. This is s spellbindingly good collection of an under appreciated band at their very best. You will find most of the songs included here on their various "best of the Allman Brothers" collections, and for good reason. Whether it is for the matchless "Blue Sky', or for the blockbuster sound of "Ain't Wasting Time No More", this is an album so terrific, you will play it again and again. I especially like their guitar instrumentals. Gregg Allman and Dicky Betts perform absolutely magically here, and it is all captured for your endless amusement and entertainment. Enjoy!

Along with Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Street Survivors," The Allman Brothers' "Eat a Peach" is one of the defining albums of Southern Rock. It is also the high point of this troubled band's recording career. That said, its also an interesting mix of songs, with the live track "Mountain Jam" checking in at over a half an hour, or nearly as long as the rest of the album combined. Yet it is a great half hour, an amazing feat in that it is not at all repetetive or boring. The rest of the songs are almost all Allman classics, including "Blue Sky," "Ain't Wasting Time No More," the ballad "Melissa" and the amazing Duane Allman guitar solo "Little Martha" that is made even more poigniant by the fact that he died not long after recording it.

"Eat a Peach" is a must own for any fan of southern rock. It is simply the Allmans' finest hour.

Arguably the best studio work of the ABB career, with gems like Blue Sky, Stand Back, Ain't Wastin' Time No More, Les Brers and Melissa, plus the definitive versions of One Way Out and Trouble No More. Mountain Jam twists and turns finding every nuance of the tune, much the way good jazz players turn a fairly simple standard inside out.

Perhaps most interesting to me is that you can see the incredible growth of the band in just 6 months since the Fillmore record, and sense the search for a new voice in a post Duane era.

essential music. Played with pride power and passion. Great songs, great performances

Imagine the pressure of having to complete an album without your group's leader- the one who held it all together, the linchpin of all of the sessions. 99.9 percent of all groups would falter, fade away and never be heard from again if what happened to the ABB on 29 October 1971 (and sadly again on 11 November 1972) happened to them.

No. Not the Brothers. Had Duane lived, I'm sure that the album would have been without the "Fillmore, Pt. II" material, but to have it there is having a great piece of live music.

"Blue Sky", "Stand Back, "Little Martha", especially "Little Martha" are all 5-star tracks by a group that didn't see what was just around the corner. "Ain't Wastin' Time No More", "Les Brers In A Minor" and "Melissa" are all loving tributes to the spirit one young man from the South had.

Some might say, most might say that "Eat A Peach" has its problems, its weak points and so on, but not me. "Eat A Peach" is the greatest album ever recorded. Any CD collection without it is incomplete.

While I own and covet the more "LP-sounding" Mobile Fidelity ("Original Master Recording Ultradisk" gold CD) version, this remastered version is easily competitive and a whole lot cheaper. The sound quality is now excellent and the treble is no longer muted.
I have little to say about this albums content that has not been said before: it is arguably the best Allmans album and is certainly a must-own. What are you waiting for?

If this recording consisted of only the Mountain Jam, it would be worth the money spent. To hear the final notes of Whipping Post leading into the Jam...to Dickey and Duane circling around each other as they head into the main theme of the piece...and then the amazing musical journey of the Jam itself...it's about as close to perfection that any band can hope to achieve. About the only thing better is listening to both on the Fillmore Concerts CD in sequence, and you realize that these guys jammed for nearly an hour without a break.

Not that the rest of Eat a Peach lacks anything. Blue Sky is a well-deserved classic, and just hearing the opening notes makes me smile every time. One Way Out, Ain't Wastin' Time No More, Les Brers in A Minor, Melissa...it's like an honor roll of rock n'roll. And then there's Little Martha, one of the sweetest, tightest, loveliest pieces Duane and Dickey ever put down.

If Fillmore East is the greatest live album ever recorded, then Eat a Peach has got to be the best all-around Allman Brothers album. Talk about an essential album...this has got to be near the top of the list.

If you dig the live tracks on this album, check out "Fillmore East". Hell, check it out either way it's a great album too! But if you realllly like "Mountain Jam", I'd recommend "Ludlow Garage". It sounds just as you'd imagine, like they're playing in a small room. A friend of mine burned it on CD a couple months ago and I've probably listened to it 20 times already. "Les Brers" on vinyl is a must if you can get it too.

I was a young Southern rocker when this record came out in the early 70s and, like most, was grieving over the tragic loss of Duane Allman. A lot of people bought this record out of respect to Duane, but really didn't expect much of an album made up of Fillmore leftovers, Duane-less studio tracks and Duane's last work in the studio with the band. In short, we thought this would be the band's swansong.

Listening to this record now, however, it is obvious that this may be the best work the Allmans ever did. The studio tracks that kick things off show that Dickie Betts and Gregg Allman had more than enough talent between them to continue making vibrant music for years to come.

The live tracks are blistering forays that come very close to quality of those found on the Fillmore East album. Even the addition of the much-maligned Mountain Jam fits beatifully - a single extended and admittedly self-indulgent jam executed with the passionate precision of masters.

The three studio tracks with Duane that close out the set show the band at its inventive best - particularly the hit Blue Sky and the pensive Little Martha. Yes, Duane was gone... but all was not lost. Eat a Peach showcases all the mesmerising facets of the Allmans in one outstanding package.

A great album on all levels. If this one isn't in your collection, it should be. I still get chills when I pop this one in and "Ain't Wasting Time No More" comes on. Sounds fresh as the day it was recorded. The album is actually a mix of stuido and live material (recorded at the Fillmore East), and each provide their own unique rewards. The playing is phenomenal, and the songs are beautiful. Duane Allman, one of the great slide players, is featured mostly on the live material, with the exception of "Blue Sky" (YES!!) and "Little Martha" (a sweet 2-guitar instrumental with Dicky Betts). The live material, where the Allman's really opened it up, has the feel of improvisational jazz (not surprising, as Duane was listening to Miles' "Kind of Blue" at the time). Throw in the laid-back "Melissa" and what else can you say. Even the artwork by Jim Flournoy Holmes and W. David Powell is classic. Folks, they don't make many like this, and when they do, we can just sit back, listen, and be forever grateful.