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Allman Brothers lose two guitarists...


Phil O'Keefe

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Then again, it was extremely difficult to replace Duane Allman & Dickie Betts as well, and they seemed to do pretty well doing that.  Main difference is that they would now need to replace two at once, and Gregg isn't getting any younger. 

Given the amount of time both Trucks and Haynes were devoting to outside projects this couldn't be a huge surprise.

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I would agree in 99% of the cases.  Let's face it, those two are not replaceable. 

If OTOH we're talking about replacing two guitar players for the Allman Brothers, then I think it should be relatively easy.  As much as I love Trucks and Haynes I never felt they quite captured the Dicky Betts and Dangerous Dan Toler vibe that they replaced.  That was a great pair that really defined a period of the Allman Bros sound when it was fresh.

And for that matter there is no way ever to replace Duane Allman.

Great bands go on as long as they remain relevant.  I'm not so sure the Allman Bros have been relevant in a while. 

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I've only heard a few of their songs, but the ones I have heard are just simple southern rock with mountains of diatonic guitar leads. As long as the replacement guitarists have that post-Vietnam scruffy old rocker look and Skynyrd lick library nailed they should be good to go. ;)

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koiwoi wrote:

I've only heard a few of their songs, but the ones I have heard are just simple southern rock with mountains of diatonic guitar leads. As long as the replacement guitarists have that post-Vietnam scruffy old rocker look and Skynyrd lick library nailed they should be good to go.
;)

You continue to amuse me.

The Allman Bros. were a blues-rock/jam band that INFLUENCED Lynyrd Skynyrd, Phish, Moe, Zakk Wylde, and many more. They impressed many, many of their contemporaries. You may have heard of Duane Allman who played with Clapton on Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. He also played with many, many R&B musicians.

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I never could stand Dickey Betts playing....for me, it ranks right up there with Neil Young, who sounds like he is wearing mittens while playing.

I much prefer Trucks with his wife Susan.....IMHO her voice is far superior to his guitar playing.

Trucks nor Warren have any stage presence what so ever.... they both have the same wardrobe range of The Dukes of Hazard characters (same shirt, same pants, same show)

I'll admit though, I find slide guitar 99% annoying as F**k, so I am probably not a good judge.

I do like Tedeshi/Trucks alot.....but not because of Trucks, but rather, despite Trucks.... whose playing is about as tasty as John Mayer's fake SRV put on voice.

 

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Trucks and Haynes are both great Southern Style guitar players. But you have to think of The Allman Brothers Band in chapters really.

It hasn't technically been the Allman Brothers Band since Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident.

That was the end of Chapter one, and IMHO, Chapter One was THE chapter. I wasn't very impressed with Idlewild South, but I was aware of Duane from his work with Clapton on Layla. Didn't even know about all the other artists he'd already recorded with.

But when I heard "Live at Fillmore East", it changed EVERYTHING for me. This was BluesRock with not loose jamming, but with Jazz influenced structure and sensibilities. Gregg's singing was pure Southern soul and the damn band swung man. The dual drummers, Jaimoe and Butch Trucks(Derek's Dad), Barry Oakleys powerful yet lyrical bass playing, Gregg's understated but thick B3 layering, set up a solid landscape for the magical pairing of Duane Allman's and Dicky Bett's fantastic guitar interplay. I cannot think of any two guitar players that complimented, and supported each others playing any more than those two. You could tell they fed off each other's playing. And the solos...My God....The best..Just the Best.

The tonal variations between them was distinct, Betts always going for a cleaner tone, Duane always going with a bit more gain and a bit more bite. Betts had a clear country influence in his playing and his solos and Duane's dripping with blues and really acidy ( if that's a word). They moved heaven and Earth on both "Live at Fillmore East" and "Eat a Peach". Duane wasn't on all the tracks on "Eat a Peach", but several of the tracks are from the same Fillmore concerts as the previous album which he is on. The studio tracks he isn't on are beautiful as well, and you can feel him in the room.

That's Chapter One, and the main one in my opinion. All the incarnations of the brand have had their moments, and some damn fine ones. But it's Chapter One for me.

Chapter two was when they went on, with just Betts on guitar, "Brothers and Sisters", damn fine album, "Ramblin man", "Jessica"...Hell yeah....Then Barry Oakley, also killed on a motorcycle, a few blocks from where Duane died.

Chapter three....and all the different Chapters since..

Trucks is the one to watch here..He's young and already has a trunk load of chops. Haynes is good whiskey and will be till he dies. Gregg will always find an audience.

But for the uninitiated, "Live at Fillmore East" and "Eat a Peach" are the albums that made guys like me lifelong fans and listeners. I can't go more than a month without listening to those two albums.

 

 

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Sheraton wrote:

 

 

I would agree in 99% of the cases.  Let's face it, those two are not replaceable. 

 

If OTOH we're talking about replacing two guitar players for the Allman Brothers, then I think it should be relatively easy.  As much as I love Trucks and Haynes I never felt they quite captured the Dicky Betts and Dangerous Dan Toler vibe that they replaced.  That was a great pair that really defined a period of the Allman Bros sound when it was fresh.

 

And for that matter there is no way ever to replace Duane Allman.

 

Great bands go on as long as they remain relevant.  I'm not so sure the Allman Bros have been relevant in a while. 

 

I agree.  I always thought it was a little unfair the way that Betts was kicked out.  I know he had a substance problem but so obviously did Greg.  Anyway, he didn't have any problem reforming Great Southern and performing with Dangerous Dan and company.  To me he wrote some of their best songs so I hope this is a chance for them to reconcile.  They're all getting up in age but I know he can still play.  As for Dan Toler, may he rest in peace, such a tragic way to go with Lou Gehrig's disease last year.

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AlamoJoe wrote:

 

 

Trucks and Haynes are both great Southern Style guitar players. But you have to think of The Allman Brothers Band in chapters really.

 

It hasn't technically been the Allman Brothers Band since Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident.

 

That was the end of Chapter one, and IMHO, Chapter One was THE chapter. I wasn't very impressed with Idlewild South, but I was aware of Duane from his work with Clapton on Layla. Didn't even know about all the other artists he'd already recorded with.

 

But when I heard "Live at Fillmore East", it changed EVERYTHING for me. This was BluesRock with not loose jamming, but with Jazz influenced structure and sensibilities. Gregg's singing was pure Southern soul and the damn band
swung
man. The dual drummers, Jaimoe and Butch Trucks(Derek's Dad), Barry Oakleys powerful yet lyrical bass playing, Gregg's understated but thick B3 layering, set up a solid landscape for the magical pairing of Duane Allman's and Dicky Bett's fantastic guitar interplay. I cannot think of any two guitar players that complimented, and supported each others playing any more than those two. You could tell they fed off each other's playing. And the solos...
My God....
The best..Just the
Best.

 

The tonal variations between them was distinct, Betts always going for a cleaner tone, Duane always going with a bit more gain and a bit more bite. Betts had a clear country influence in his playing and his solos and Duane's dripping with blues and really acidy ( if that's a word). They moved heaven and Earth on both "Live at Fillmore East" and "Eat a Peach". Duane wasn't on all the tracks on "Eat a Peach", but several of the tracks are from the same Fillmore concerts as the previous album which he is on. The studio tracks he isn't on are beautiful as well, and you can feel him in the room.

 

That's Chapter One, and the main one in my opinion. All the incarnations of the brand have had their moments, and some damn fine ones. But it's Chapter One for me.

 

Chapter two was when they went on, with just Betts on guitar, "Brothers and Sisters", damn fine album, "Ramblin man", "Jessica"...Hell yeah....Then Barry Oakley, also killed on a motorcycle, a few blocks from where Duane died.

 

Chapter three....and all the different Chapters since..

 

Trucks is the one to watch here..He's young and already has a trunk load of chops. Haynes is good whiskey and will be till he dies. Gregg will always find an audience.

 

But for the uninitiated, "Live at Fillmore East" and "Eat a Peach" are the albums that made guys like me lifelong fans and listeners. I can't go more than a month without listening to those two albums.

 

 

 

 

 

^^all this^^

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I thought the band got a great shot in the arm when Haynes first joined. His slide ( more in the Duane vein than Derek's) was a cool counterpoint to Dickeys lines. Lately, the band seemed formulaic, comfortable, dare I say.... a bit predictable, even boring?. Perhaps some new blood will inspire some adventurous, fresh music?

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BeanoBoy wrote:

 

 

I thought the band got a great shot in the arm when Haynes first joined. His slide ( more in the Duane vein than Derek's) was a cool counterpoint to Dickeys lines. Lately, the band seemed formulaic, comfortable, dare I say.... a bit predictable, even boring?. Perhaps some new blood will inspire some adventurous, fresh music?

 

Honestly, I felt that the Allmans held both Derek and Haynes back, even if I'm not a Trucks fan.

 

And we can't forget that Haynes played with David Allan Coe as his first big regular gig. There's rumors that he may have even played on the x-rated material Coe produced in the early eighties.

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BeanoBoy wrote:

 

 

I thought the band got a great shot in the arm when Haynes first joined. His slide ( more in the Duane vein than Derek's) was a cool counterpoint to Dickeys lines. Lately, the band seemed formulaic, comfortable, dare I say.... a bit predictable, even boring?. Perhaps some new blood will inspire some adventurous, fresh music?

 

 

Dickey and Dangerous Dan with Great Southern circa 2005 and better than anything The Allmans were doing with their post Dickey lineup IMO.

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Those guys are both fantastic players, without question, but this is The Allman Bros we're talking about.here.  You're going to have the best of the best guitar players from all over the country (or the globe) coming out of the woodwork for that gig.  I'm pretty confident they're going to find a couple of guitar slingers to fill those shoes sooner or later.

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