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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Up There In Quality with Anything by The Original Allmans, January 17, 2007
This album and its companion first set prove that Warren Haynes of Government Mule was the best possible choice to take the Duane spot. Haynes shines all over this album, not in displaying his own style to the detriment of the great spirit of the Allmans but in synergizing with Betts and the rest of the group towards the greater goal of re-capturing the magical Allmans spirit.
He channels the spirit so well, he gets the rest of the band to remember what they were all about and feel it that much better. And though he has chops to spare, not one note is overplayed. Solos sound sweet endlessly without boring the listener just like vintage Allman Bros. Listen and be amazed and hear Dickey Betts rise up to the challenge of Haynes and play like a revitalized man. The best performances? For me it would have to be "Back Where it All Begins" "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" (acoustic), "No One to Run With," "Jessica," "Melissa" (acoustic) and a 10 plus minute "Dreams."
Let me tell you, I even gave these two live sets the ultimate test, I played them back-to-back with the "Fillmore East" album and not only does it hold its own but sometimes it's even preferable. It has the spirit of the Allman Brothers in spades and that's all that matters, that's all that ever mattered (the spirit was wandering out in the air before the Allmans somehow latched onto it in 1969 and it became forever known as the Allmans' spirit), it's a seamless flow in terms of spirit, from a song off these live sets to something from 1971 if you had it back to back on a compilation disc.
Tom Dowd took a lot of care in recording these shows and they have great sound quality. Real old time, pure analog sound quality of sweet tones and instruments played well. No digital harshness or thin sounding digital instruments or crappy digital processing, everything you hear is fantastically analog and thick and things are balanced just right. This entire band is about tone and the recording does them justice.
Also amazing is how well Gregg's voice has held up and how deeply he still feels these songs. I could never figure out how a 22 year old white kid could sound as soulful as he did in 1969 until I read in the "Midnight Riders" biography book that Gregg's best friend Floyd Miles was black and through this friendship he and Duane had been playing with black musicians in the black part of Daytona Beach since the early 1960s. They were known as 'those white boys who can play that funky music.'
So make sure you get both these live sets, this and the one with the blue cover since both are excellent and essentially one long concert released as two. If any of you out there reading this are new to the Allman Brothers, you need get the "Laid Back" solo album by Gregg, one he made in 1973 right after Duane & Berry's death, it's a great one, his best. You also need to get the 2 Duane Allman compilations that include some of his work with Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett and others at the Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama, right before the forming of the Allman Brothers Band. And if you're also into the more jazzy and world-fusion side of things jam-band related check out "Mondo Garaj" by Garaj Mahal and "Cosmic Hug" by Fareed Haque group.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An overlooked gem..., August 21, 2002
First off, a big thank you to all who reviewed this cd here on Amazon; your recommendations and comments convinced me to buy this cd (and the First Set as well.)As an Allmans fan from 30 years ago, I had completely overlooked this era in their history, and I'm very happy to agree with the other writers that this music is well worth hearing. By the way, isn't it funny to compare the covers of these two cd's? The Orpheum Theatre has apparently been nuked, and one band member vaporized into a cloud of black soot! Two thumbs down to the Epic Records Art Dept......
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
You've got to hear this version of Eliz Reed!, June 17, 1999
By A Customer
I think the last person meant "Soulshine" not Southbound, which is on An Evening with the Allman Brothers. As far as 2nd Set goes, I don't care too much for Sailin Cross the Devil's Sea and this version of the normally excellent No One to Run With is sloppy and the Bo-Diddley licks aren't as sharp as the 1994 original. Other than that, this CD is just smokin. Soulshine, Back Where It All Begins, You Don't Love Me (better than the drawn out 1971 version), Jessica, Same Thing, and the spectacular acoustic Elizabeth Reed will show you why the Allmans are such a popular live act still today. Warren Haynes and Dickey Betts are a talented guitar tandem that have heavily influenced the young jam bands of today. And while I really like this CD, I would recommend getting An Evening with the Allman Brothers first, but GET BOTH.
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