Allman Brothers: "At Fillmore East"

For our blues week, I’ve wrestled with what album to feature today and finally decided to feature the Allman Brothers classic live album “At Fillmore East.” The only problem is that the length of certain songs prevents their being uploaded to YouTube without being split into several segments.

I got this album in the mid 1970s, but was familiar with it from the numerous airplay that the LP got from Pittsburgh’s WDVE and have nearly all of the album on tape – so a vinyl version was not necessary. I finally got it when I bought a fellow student’s entire album collection. The album was recorded at the Fillmore East in New York in 1970 and the LP was released in 1971.

Stormy Monday

This T. Bone Walker song (recorded also by Bobby “Blue” Bland and many others) ends out what some consider the blues side – side one.

Statesboro Blues

Kicking off Side One is Blind Willie McTell’s “Statesboro Blues.” The other day, I featured Taj Mahal’s version of this tune and alluded to the classic recording of the Allmans. Here it is. Duane Allman’s slide guitar makes this tune.

In Memory of Elizabeth Reed

This instrumental is dedicated to the grave site of Elizabeth Jones Reed Napier located in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia. Located near the railroad tracks that run along the cemetery’s border, this secluded location was where members of the band could be found away from public eye doing all manner of illicit and illegal activities.

Their favorite spot was the grave of Mrs. Napier. Since the stone reads Elizabeth Jones Reed wife of Briggs H. Napier, she was immortalized in song as Elizabeth Reed and not Elizabeth Napier.  Duane Allman and Berry Oakley rest side by side in the same cemetery not far from the grave of Elizabeth Reed.

Photo stolen from FindAGrave.com; 

for more photos see her Find A Grave memorial

I am not sure if this is the same version as found on “At Fillmore East,” but this live recording occurred during the same tour at the Fillmore East. The LP recording takes up 13:04 on Side Three of the double album.

Whipping Post

This Greg Allman composition was quite the jam on “At Fillmore East,” as it ran the complete fourth side of the album at 23 minutes. The song was loaded to YouTube in three sections and I strung these three together into one YouTube playlist.