Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Live Allman Brothers At Their Peak!, October 21, 2003
I have wondered for a long time when this was going to be released. This 2 cd set contains both of the Allman Brothers Band's performances from the Atlanta International Pop Festival in July of 1970. "Every Hungry Woman" from the first set was previously released on the "Mycology" compilation and scorching versions of "Statesboro Blues" and "Whipping Post" from the second set were released on the "Great Festivals of the Seventies" lp in 1971. Highlights of the first set include an inspired version of "Dreams" and the Berry Oakley vocal spotlight "Hoochie Coochie Man". The band was really locked in by the time of the second set. From the barnstorming opener "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" the intensity never fails. After the aformentioned slide workout "Statesboro Blues" the band performs one of the best ever versions of "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed". Duane and Dickey trade licks like there is no tomorrow. An emotional reading of T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday" follows with a great vocal by Gregg. Berry Oakley's lead bass kick starts the runaway version of concert favorite "Whipping Post" played jazzier than usual. Just when you think the intensity can not get any higher the best ever version of "Mountain Jam" clocks in next at around 28 minutes. Johnny Winter joins in on the jam to make it more interesting than usual. It contains a monster bass solo by the underrated Berry Oakley and great jazzy drum interplay between Butch Trucks and Jaimoe. The guitars of Duane and Dickey just soar and Gregg adds some interesting keyboard fills to the mix. Old friend Thom Doucette adds his tasty harmonica playing to a number of songs on the set. The first set also contains a good version of Muddy Waters' "Trouble No More" which was not played during the second set. Some have called the Allman Brothers Band of this time period the greatest live American rock band. This new set "Live at the Atlanta International Pop Festival" ranks right up there with "At Fillmore East" and after hearing these two live sets I'm inclined to agree. The new 2 cd set is the next best thing to being there! If you like this set by all means pick up the Deluxe Edition of "At Fillmore East" that was recently reissued. The new Deluxe Edition of that set contains at least one version of every song played during this historic run of concerts. Hopefully some of the performances of the other bands that played at the Atlanta International Pop Festval like Ten Years After, Mountain, Johnny Winter, Jethro Tull etc. will be released in the future.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing. Some of their best live material ever, August 8, 2004
Opening with a thoroughly bizarre introduction, and equipped with the unwieldy handle of "Live At The Atlanta International Pop Festival: July 3 & 5, 1970", this excellently remastered double live album captures The Allman Brothers Band in July of 1970, eight months before the legendary Fillmore shows.
The sound is very, very good, crisp and realistic, and the young band plays with authority and skill (singer and organ player Gregg Allman was 22 at the time, and guitarist Duane Allman little more than a year older). Duane Allman and Dickey Betts play off the muscular organ riffs of Gregg, laying down energetic, eager and lean renditions of songs like "Every Hungry Woman", "Trouble No More", and "Statesboro Blues", versions which have a tough, rock n' roll-like immediacy sometimes lost on longer, more improvisational versions of those songs.
Disc I is the longest, although not by much. Duane Allman's slide guitar burns all the way through, and he and Dickey Betts lay down galvanizing licks behind Gregg's powerful vocals on "Trouble No More", "Every Hungry Woman" and "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'". Thom Doucette adds gritty blues harmonica to several numbers, bassist Berry Oakley sings a great, rough version of "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man", and the 11-minute "Elizabeth Reed" features more high-class guitar playing than most full-lenght CDs.
"Whipping Post" includes a l-o-n-g instrumental jam which will probably appeal mostly to diehards, and this is not the best version I've heard of that song, but almost everything else on the first disc is top-notch, including the coolest, most swinging "Mountain Jam" ever!
Disc II features the original mixes of July 7th's performances of "Whipping Post" and "Statesboro Blues", first released on "First Great Rock Festivals Of The Seventies". ("Every Hungry Woman" from disc I has seen the light of day before, too; everything else is previously unreleased.)
This version of "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" is even more magnificent than the one on disc I, a tough-as-nails rendition, all howling slide guitars and pounding drums, courtesy of Butch Trucks and Jaimoe Johnson. And this very tight, four-minute "Statesboro Blues" features, among its many other virtues, three magnificent, fiery guitar solos, including the opening one which threatens to ignite the CD player.
The 28-minute (!) "Mountain Jam" features a guest appearance by Johnny Winter, who plays third guitar, and if you like 28-minute Allman Brothers jams (not everybody does), this version will thrill you.
Disc II's 13-minute take on "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" is unusually beautiful, filled with urgency and power, and while the 9-minute "They Call It Stormy Monday" is somewhat more subdued than the Fillmore version, it has lots of soul and some fine guitar playing as well.
Lots of listeners have already made up their mind and decided that the Allmans' "At Fillmore East" album is the greatest thing ever as far as early live Allman Brothers is concerned, and this album probably won't change their mind. But to me, these two discs match the Fillmore concerts every step of the way, due to the quality of the performances as well as the exceptionally clear sound and wonderful three-dimensional mixes.
Very highly recommended.
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27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Real Find in a Great Year for ABB Releases- 4&1/2 stars, October 29, 2003
It's been an overwhelming year in regards to the quantity of ABB releases/goods in 2003. With a long list including the Beacon dvd, the Instant Live shows, & along with the recent gem> the 9/19/71 archive release... the Atlanta Pop release from Sony. (For more information, check out the offcial ABB web page.)These recordings have been circulating in the trading circles(you know who you are) for a bit, but NEVER in this recording quality. The quality of these recordings is nothing short of breathtaking. There was a neat little promotion for this release through the Sony web site that included a promo poster as well(I think it's over though). Re: the shows
It's an essential recording that is just as important as the Fillmore East album. Their "sound" had yet to reach Fillmore levels, but it's an interesting contrast to the Fillmore shows as well: the large festival atmosphere permeates with an overabundance of energy. Just listening to Duane Allman & Berry Oakley (listen to him on Hoochie Coochie Man) work the crowd is a guilty pleasure for ANY Allman Brothers Band fan. My personal preference between the two shows is the 7/3/70, as I like the flow of the setlist(even w/ the rain delay). Duane Allman is simply awesome throughout the gig- recommended are Dreams & his solos on Mountain Jam. The guest appearance by Johnny Winter on the second MJ is a mixed bag.... he does not add anything musically, & some may even find him to be a distraction. One should also note, that the Mountain Jam w/ Winter also has been edited down, as the original running time is much longer (in the 40 min. range). How do I know this? Well, I have it, as do countless other traders. So people that have had the show should hold onto their Captain Skipper remaster.... but should get this release as well due to the stunning sound quality & packaging. Although the recent Dickey Betts split has caused a division of sorts to the many faithful in the ABB legion, w/ many claiming who is "right" or "wrong", there is a common ground for them all: the original line up. A dear place in the hearts of many, when Duane, Gregg, Dickey, Berry, Butch, & Jaimoe were all playing music together.
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~ Duane Allman
~ Allman Brothers Band
~ Duane Allman
~ Allman Brothers Band
~ The Allman Brothers Band
by The Allman Brothers Band 
