For the first time in I don't know when, I turned the stereo on today. A few weeks ago, Sue Unit and I were shooting pool and she said, "This pool hall would be even better with some music."
I've got about 200 vinyl record albums and nearly that many CD's. I just never turn it on. A few weeks later than Unit's request (I'm every bit that slow), I turned the stereo on today while we shot pool. It brought back memories and opinions at the same time, just the music.
All I could think to let play was the Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East album, a 4-sided collection recorded in 1971. Side 1 is in my opinion one of the best album sides in music history. Well, to clarify, record albums used to have "sides."
For you kids who don't know what "records" were...well that's the way we used have to listen to music. Not a CD, not iPod, but a steel needle reacting to the grooves in a plastic platter that spun around at 33 1/3 RPM and..... well, never mind the history lesson.
The real point is the music. Allman Brothers. Duane Allman was the front man, although Gregg Allman, his brother, did all of the singing. Duane introduces the songs, and Gregg sings. It was all Duane's band. He made it happen. Google it and read up on the history, it's fascinating. At one time Gregg was even married to Cher.
But from all I've read and gathered, I still cannot for the life of me, even still, understand how Dicky Betts ended up being the second guitarist in the Allman Brothers Band with all that talent on board.
Berry Oakley was probably the best bassist in history for that style of music and died totally unrecognized. Even Gregg Allman in later interviews said he really didn't pay attention to what Berry was doing, didn't realize until later how good he was.
They had two drummers. Well, a drummer and a "percussionist." Jai Johanny Johanson and Butch Trucks.
Derek Trucks is the nephew of Butch Trucks (correct me, I think that's the connection) and Derek Trucks is one of the most amazing guitarists going. He's incredible. And it doesn't hurt that he's married to Susan Tedeschi, another great guitarist/vocalist. Check out the "Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007" DVD.
Wait, I'm going down a dirt road, getting into all the stuff I think I know and could talk about all day and night.
Duane was one of the greats, I'd put him up there with whoever as far as ability, and he made me start playing slide as soon as I heard Statesboro Blues off of Side 1 of the Fillmore East album back when I was a kid.
Dicky Betts was a one-fingered lead player who should have found a home playing at For What It's Worth in Rock Hill SC. But he got rich and famous doing it with the Allman Brothers Band. Go Figure. For Duane and Dicky to be the two front guitar men for the Allman Brothers, I'll sure never in my life understand it. Just listen to it. Listen to Side 1 on the Fillmore East album. A tremendous, 500x exponential difference in ability. They swap lead breaks, and it's absurd. I wouldn't want to be Dicky swapping leads with Duane. You can't, you might as well not. But he DID.
And then when Duane died, Dicky took over. And he turned it into a country band. You could hear it coming in Dicky's "lead breaks" on Fillmore East. Tinkle tinkle, twang twang.
Dang. Or maybe I'm over-analyzing. All I had to do was to hear that album side again, and it all came back to me.
But I guess Dicky was all they had left when Duane and Berry died. Gotta keep going somehow.
I've got about 200 vinyl record albums and nearly that many CD's. I just never turn it on. A few weeks later than Unit's request (I'm every bit that slow), I turned the stereo on today while we shot pool. It brought back memories and opinions at the same time, just the music.
All I could think to let play was the Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East album, a 4-sided collection recorded in 1971. Side 1 is in my opinion one of the best album sides in music history. Well, to clarify, record albums used to have "sides."
For you kids who don't know what "records" were...well that's the way we used have to listen to music. Not a CD, not iPod, but a steel needle reacting to the grooves in a plastic platter that spun around at 33 1/3 RPM and..... well, never mind the history lesson.
The real point is the music. Allman Brothers. Duane Allman was the front man, although Gregg Allman, his brother, did all of the singing. Duane introduces the songs, and Gregg sings. It was all Duane's band. He made it happen. Google it and read up on the history, it's fascinating. At one time Gregg was even married to Cher.
But from all I've read and gathered, I still cannot for the life of me, even still, understand how Dicky Betts ended up being the second guitarist in the Allman Brothers Band with all that talent on board.
Berry Oakley was probably the best bassist in history for that style of music and died totally unrecognized. Even Gregg Allman in later interviews said he really didn't pay attention to what Berry was doing, didn't realize until later how good he was.
They had two drummers. Well, a drummer and a "percussionist." Jai Johanny Johanson and Butch Trucks.
Derek Trucks is the nephew of Butch Trucks (correct me, I think that's the connection) and Derek Trucks is one of the most amazing guitarists going. He's incredible. And it doesn't hurt that he's married to Susan Tedeschi, another great guitarist/vocalist. Check out the "Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007" DVD.
Wait, I'm going down a dirt road, getting into all the stuff I think I know and could talk about all day and night.
Duane was one of the greats, I'd put him up there with whoever as far as ability, and he made me start playing slide as soon as I heard Statesboro Blues off of Side 1 of the Fillmore East album back when I was a kid.
Dicky Betts was a one-fingered lead player who should have found a home playing at For What It's Worth in Rock Hill SC. But he got rich and famous doing it with the Allman Brothers Band. Go Figure. For Duane and Dicky to be the two front guitar men for the Allman Brothers, I'll sure never in my life understand it. Just listen to it. Listen to Side 1 on the Fillmore East album. A tremendous, 500x exponential difference in ability. They swap lead breaks, and it's absurd. I wouldn't want to be Dicky swapping leads with Duane. You can't, you might as well not. But he DID.
And then when Duane died, Dicky took over. And he turned it into a country band. You could hear it coming in Dicky's "lead breaks" on Fillmore East. Tinkle tinkle, twang twang.
Dang. Or maybe I'm over-analyzing. All I had to do was to hear that album side again, and it all came back to me.
But I guess Dicky was all they had left when Duane and Berry died. Gotta keep going somehow.
Comment