Customer Reviews

S.U.N.Y. at Stonybrook (Live 9/19/71)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I began collecting Allman Brothers live shows someone traded me Capt. Skippers wonderful remaster of this show. I knew immediately I had something special as soon as I heard it. Duane and dickey were so on this night that I was trasported to a place that I had never been musically. I knew Duane Allman was my favorite guitarist, and arguably the best to pick up the instrument, but this show cemented that in my mind.

Imagine my excitement that the 9/19/71 Stoneybrook show was to be the second release in the Allman Brothers archival release series. And not only was it a decent soundboard recording, but it had an amazing 11:26 minute version of Blue Sky (One of three known live versions featuring Brother Duane.) In addition the amazing 19:37 version of Dreams is here in all it's grandeur. Add this to some of Duane's best slide work on Trouble No More, Don't Keep Me Wondering and of course Statesboro Blues and a cooking version of Elizabeth Reed and you have everything you need for a major musical/religious experience.

This is essential listening for any Allman Brothers fan. IMHO opinion of the 50 or so shows I've heard from the Duane era of the band, this is the best I've heard the band play. Get this if you don't have it. If you have the Capt. Skip remaster, get this one too

Archival live recordings are valuable indeed, because moments of greatness are captured that can never be duplicated. Such is the case with the Allman Brother's "S.U.N.Y. at Stonybrook 9/19/1971".

This is the second release in the Allman Brothers Archival Collection. In September of 1971, the Allmans made their fifth visit to S.U.N.Y. (State University of New York), right when all the stars were aligned for the band. "Live At Fillmore East" had been certified gold, and reviewers were unanimous that the Brothers were the best in the land.

High points are many, including a blistering "One Way Out"; at the conclusion, a proud Duane Allman boasts into the mike "That's my brother singin'!" Greg is in fine voice throughout this 107 minute double disc, but the real treat is the live version of "Blue Sky", which introduced the world to the talents of Dickie Betts. His lead vocal is strong and confident, and he and Duane's guitar leads reach heights worthy of "Fillmore East". At the end of the song, Duane again shouts praise: "Dickie Betts- WHOO!"

The second disc contains a nineteen minute version of "Dreams", showcasing Duane's powers on slide, and Betts' instrumental "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed", where the entire band gets to shine.

Sadly, the following October, Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident, as was bassist Berry Oakley thirteen months later.

The Brothers today are still creating great improvised blues-based rock, as is Dickie Betts with his own band, Great Southern. But these archival releases are welcome reminders of where it all began.

Apparently this disc is hard to track down, which is a shame (I picked it up in the used bin at Amoeba in Berkeley). The playing here is at least as intense as at the well known Fillmore concerts. Duane is mind-blowing as usual, but the revelation here is Dickey Betts - he simply tears it up in "One Way Out" and "Blue Sky," which features blissful extended solos from both gents. The sound is raw but powerful (comparable to Ludlow Garage), and the guitarists' sounds are captured with immediacy. Don't be discouraged by the sound on the opener, "Statesboro Blues" - it gets better. The repertoire is standard '71 ABB, with the blues-based material on disc one and expansive readings of "Dreams" and "Elizabeth Reed" on disc two (sadly, there's no "Mountain Jam," though the rare "Blue Sky" compensates). The only problem with this release is that disc one is so good that I've had a difficult time turning it off and moving on to disc two.

Let me say upfront that I love the ABB and Duane in particular, so I was very excited when this arrived in the mail today. A few weeks back I had finally acquired the import/SACD version of Fillmore East and couldn't be happier with it. But for me, the sound is like listening to an AM radio in your car during the 70's, and not a very good radio at that. I hope to revisit it soon and somehow overcome the poor sound, but it's going to be a real challenge.

A good show though equiptment/recording problems are apparent...not professionally done like Fillmore. Unreasonable to expect the quality of the best live album ever, but the songs have energy-and there are some new ones like BLUE SKY. Early Allman Bros. had a setlist they rarely strayed from, and although they improvised, they stuck to blues scales so the conversation can become repetitive. Good addition for fanatics..though Fillmoe East (original) is preferable, and enough for the casual fan.

I echo the other reviewers who have pointed out that this is not a polished recording; if that's what you're looking for, the Fillmore shows are the place to go. Here, the vocals aren't always that good, and there are definitely sound issues, particularly on the first few tracks (but if you buy this from "Hittin' the Note," the official Allman Brothers merchandise center, they warn you quite clearly about that - the sound got tweaked as the show went along). However, these technical quibbles are not the real point, and certainly not a good enough reason not to buy this recording, one of the last before Duane Allman's tragic death in October of '71. Here, it's the jams. Duane and Dickey Betts, trading back and forth. Gregg Allman's flawless B-3. The magnificent rhythm section keeping everything grounded, even as the frontmen go off on prolonged free-forms of nearly 26 minutes on "You Don't Love Me" and nearly 20 minutes on both "Dreams" and "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." Taking established material (or, in the case of "Blue Sky," brand new material) and going off into dreamy, spacey new territories. They were so tight and well-oiled at this juncture, a fierce machine. It's a crying shame (for many reasons) that Duane was subtracted from the equation only six weeks later.

For me, this band has always been about the playing, and the playing was rarely better than here. It's raw, to be sure, but pearls and diamonds start out that way, too. This is an unpolished musical gem to match any other.

If you dig the ABB you MUST own this disc. All the Fillmore tunes are tweaked to the point where the band can pretty much do whatever they want. Duane's stage leadership(you can hear it on and off mike) is supported by the band-they're ready to go. Get it for 'Blue Sky' alone and you have the best 'boot' I've ever heard.

Although this concert was recorded only 6 months after the legendary Fillmore East album, the band sounds so much tighter and musically advanced in this Stony Brook set. The recording itself has its' flaws...it is definitely not a high quality mix. But the tracks get progressively clearer as the CD advances. Duane & Dickey are so much in tune with each other. Listen to Elizabeth Reed. Dickey has some guitar trouble just when his solo is about to start. Duane fills in with some nice rhythmic little riffs until Dickey can overcome his problems. Dickey then proceeds with one of his best solos ever! Then Duane sounds so inspired he returns the favor like a man possessed! The whole band sounds fantastic, with Berry Oakley laying down the law with his rumbling bass and Greg sounding in fine form with his vocals. If you can just get past the fact that the recording itself is not as good as the Fillmore album, and if you can concentrate on the music being played at such a high level, then I think you'll agree that this was the Allman Brothers Band at its best.

first, yeah maybe the audio isn't that great..but to listen to Duane jammin along with Dickie its priceless. The 11 min. Blue Sky sounds better than the studio version, and Duane's solo on Dreams is extraordinary. I would recommend this album to any hardcore Allman Brothers fan!!!! Eat a Peach.

Yes, this is a powerful great performance by the band, but unless my CD got some sort of manufacturing problem, the recording is pretty bad, like a bad bootleg. The sound is flat, no brightness and no depth, and the mixing is almost non existing. The playing is superb, but this CD sounds like somebody in the audience recorded it. Only for die hard fans. I am a fan and am having problems getting over the bad sound quality...