At Fillmore East [Extra tracks, Deluxe Edition, Original recording remastered]

Allman Brothers Band | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1971
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Extra tracks, Deluxe Edition, Original recording remastered
• Label: Island / Mercury
• ASIN: B0000ADY9I
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,665 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Editorial Reviews

Made up of two 1971 (March 12 & 13 along with June 27) visits by Les Brers to New York, 'The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East' has long been regarded as one of rock's great live albums, but portions of those legendary performances have also wound up on albums like 'Eat A Peach' (the awesome, half-hour 'Mountain Jam') & the Duane Allman anthology. Now, for the first time, all recordings (in their original mixes) lifted from the Fillmore East dates have been assembled together into a two disc double gatfold digipak package with a slipcase boasting rare photos, notes & over two hours of some of the finest musicianship & improvisation in all of rock. 13 tracks. Mercury.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

235 of 243 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Notes on how this differs from other versions, September 26, 2003

By 

Dennis L. Myers Jr. "Yupsicle" (CHICAGO, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: At Fillmore East (Audio CD)

You've probably noticed that there are at least two other versions of the ABB March 1971 gigs at the Fillmore East. So how is this one different? First, be aware that there are NO previously unreleased tracks (including the fact that there are no alternate versions, taken from different shows).

This version contains the entire original AT FILLMORE EAST album from July 1971 (still available in a one-disc edition). Specifically, I mean these are the EXACT same performances (and mix, I believe) featured on the original. Of course, this new set adds the extra Fillmore material that was later released on EAT A PEACH, DUANE ALLMAN AN ANTHOLOGY 1 & 2, and the DREAMS box set. Again, these are all the exact same versions of these songs.

At first glance, the new "Deluxe Edition" looks similar to 1992's THE FILLMORE CONCERTS, with the notable addition of "Midnight Rider," taken from ANTHOLOGY 2. However, THE FILLMORE CONCERTS contains several alternate versions of songs, and is completely remixed (controversial among fans, but provides an interesting comparison). These alternate versions are not available elsewhere, though this may be an issue only for fanatics like myself. THE FILLMORE CONCERTS also had the benefit of original producer Tom Dowd, who recently died.

I have a few problems with the new "Deluxe Edition." First, the edits are shoddy. In some places, attempts are made to mix the songs together without the fade-outs between songs. In other places, the fade-outs are intact. I can't figure out this inconsistency. It seems like laziness to me, as if they just crammed together the existing mixes of the songs. Additionally, Dave Thompson's essay doesn't offer any new information, and seems rather short and lightweight. It's hard to not see the "Deluxe Edition" as some sort of cash-cow for the record company.

What are the pros? The photographs are fantastic. The prints of the front and back album cover are the best I have seen. Again, most of these photos can be seen elsewhere, but the prints are excellent. Aside from the price, I like that this gives an ABB neophyte the opportunity to hear all the songs together. After all, the performances left of the original LP are some of the finest of their career.

This new "Deluxe Version" of AT FILLMORE EAST is great for new fans and will be my recommendation when asked which Allman Brothers album to purchase first. For hardcore fans who have this material already, I think you will be let down overall. Those fans should pick up THE FILLMORE CONCERTS for a fresher perspective on these recordings. With five Fillmore shows on tape in the vaults, what the record company should have done was release each show, fully intact, perhaps in a box set. That would truly be a deluxe edition, but it would require much more work than was put into THIS set. So it gets knocked down to four stars for that reason.

37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Copy and paste job, December 9, 2004

By 

Blues Bro "bluesbro" (Lakewood, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: At Fillmore East (Audio CD)

Dont be fooled by a previous reviewer; this is not a complete show. All of these material has been previously released, and comes from different shows. Sometimes, the performances are edited/faded as they were originally issued. Love the packaging as with most Deluxe editions, the linear notes are not so great. I was not impressed by the sound, to my ears it sounds just the same as the earlier one disc released from Capricorn. There is so much material in the vaults from these shows, that this just doesnt cut it. Now, If you DONT own the Fillmore Concerts, this is still the best version available and the one you should get.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The confusing release of the Fillmore tapes, January 17, 2009

By 

Sedge (Moss Point, MS USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: At Fillmore East (Audio CD)

You can't help being a bit confused at this point. This is the 2nd of 3 re-issues of songs from the 1971 Fillmore concerts that made this band famous, and it has the exact same title of an album released in 2004, which should at least have been called Deluxe Edtion II. I think this is a result of the record companies belatedly catching up to the importance of this music, along with the inconvenient timing of digital technology. Here's the history:
1. The Allman Brothers At Fillmore East - original issue, double vinyl LP (September 1971, subsequently released in a 2 CD version, and an abriged single CD version)
2. The Fillmore Concerts - re-edited and re-mastered for CD, added songs (October 1992)
3. The Allman Brothers At Fillmore East (Deluxe Edition) - back to original edits with plus the new songs from the 1992 album plus "Midnight Rider" (and the issue this review is related to)
4. The Allman Brothers At Fillmore East (Deluxe Edition) - the original version, now in hybrid SACD format

For the true fan, there's something to be enjoyed in all of them. For the concert purist, 1992's The Fillmore Concerts is the one. For hi-fi fans, this SACD release is the one.