Even if Duane Allman (known to bandmates and close friends, as "Skydog", hence the title) had never formed the Allman Brothers Band, he would have become a significant figure in American popular music, any way.
Well before his name gained mainstream recognition, he had already established his reputation as a rare and exceptional studio guitarist, leaving an indelible mark on a diverse range of recordings.
'Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective' is a 7CD box set. It contains Duane's best-known and most commercially successful recordings with the Allman Brothers Band, plus Derek & the Dominos, as well as session work with Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Boz Scaggs, Clarence Carter, King Curtis, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Ronnie Hawkins, Otis Rush, Laura Nyro, Lulu, the Sweet Inspirations, Laura Lee, Spencer Wiggins, Arthur Conley, Willie Walker, the Lovelles, the Soul Survivors, Johnny Jenkins, John Hammond, Doris Duke, Eric Quincy Tate, Herbie Mann and many more.
The set was produced by two-time Grammy winning producer Bill Levenson, and Galadrielle Allman (Duane’s daughter). Scott Schinder contributed comprehensive historical liner notes, complemented by additional notes by Galadrielle Allman, who in her recollection of her father, who died when she was a young child, writes in the liner notes:
"I am very lucky that my father is Duane Allman, an artist who left behind a wealth of incredible music . . . Working on this retrospective, I have gotten closer than I ever have been to understanding my father’s development as a musician and a man."This set also has a very cool live jam session with the Grateful Dead, and a collector's assortment of rare singles and long out-of-print album tracks.
Also included in the freeload is the 72-page book with the aforementioned essays by Scott Schindler and Galadrielle Allman, many rare photographs, a replica of Duane's guitar pick, and a Skydog sticker. In a future Duane/Allman Brothers post, I'll write some code, so those of you with a 3D printer can have Duane's pick. Currently, I'm too swamped mentoring PhD candidates with their dissertations.
For the freeload, tell us what are your favorite Allman Brothers albums with Duane, and without Duane, and why?
Fortunate to have seen him with the Allmans on 2 occassions - consecutive days. They played the Warehouse in NO and the next day they played an unannounced gig at an area called The Fly, which is a batture in a public park that abuts the Mississippi River. The concert at the Fly only lasted 45 mins until the cops literally pulled the plug on it.
ReplyDeleteFavorite with Duane is Live at the Filmore. Without is tough, because I really lost interest after Eat a Peach. Probably Brothers and Sisters which really is a very good lp, despite the fact that the recording engineers should have been pushed off a cliff for making the record sound like every mic had cellophane wrapping.
pmac - try these two versions of ‘Brothers And Sisters’ on for size. Both have pretty darn sweet sonics.
DeleteThe first is a vinyl rip from a pristine copy of the long out of print PRC pressing in 24bit/192khz
https://workupload.com/file/y9tnBsBgmtR
The second is the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s SACD from their Ultradisc UHR series in 24bit/88.2khz
https://workupload.com/file/9LvNCC8dUYt
Thanks Babs - pmac is right B & S always sounded like it was recorded on cassette tape.
DeleteAh - gracias, amiga! I always felt about B&S life I feel about Silver's Song For My Father. Great music that was horribly wronged by crap recording. Thanfully, the recent remastering of Silver's album has brought back its shine.
DeleteIntroduction to The Allman Brothers was At Fillmore East & it is my favorite, what's not to love about it. Full of energy that grabs the listener, you know that you're hearing amazing music. What a ride! It could have been titled Band On Fire, it would have been accurate. They seriously tore it up. After Duane, I think probably Hittin' The Note would be next in line, shades of the original band to my ears. Thanks Babs
ReplyDeleteAlso don't forget your resolution, let that mentoring fade away, when possible. Thanks so much.
I like the The Fillmore Concerts CD set that came out in the 90s, even if Tom Dowd did a little monkeying about in melding a couple of performances. It has brilliantly mixed and mastered sound, and as everyone here so far seems to agree, the Fillmore stuff was a high-water mark for both the band and Duane.
ReplyDeleteMy introduction was the twofer "Beginnings" of the first albums and I was hooked!. But the Fillmore concerts still get me everytime (the original plus subsequent re-releases). I thought the Warren Haynes era was pretty good but after losing Duane & Berry they were never quite the same.
ReplyDeleteAB with Duane - Fillmore, most of Eat a Peach
ReplyDeleteAB w/o Duane - Mellissa, Jessica
Duane w/o AB - Loan Me a Dime with Boz
I vote with anonymous!
Delete-notBob
Call me August
DeleteCall me Ishmael
DeleteJust don't call me late for supper
DeleteSlap my ass and call me Sally
Delete"Somebody call me a taxi." Ok, you're a taxi!
DeleteThey call me MISTER TIBBS!
DeleteCall me irresponsible, call me unreliable...
DeleteDon't call me n*gger, whitey!
DeleteSince I started this comment I'd like to call a time out.
DeleteGood idea, August. Go sit on the stairs...
DeleteWatch what u wish for...
DeleteLike pmac, I was also fortunate to have seen him with the Allman Brothers. For me it was at Winterland in San Francisco only three weeks before he died.
ReplyDeleteFav AB album with Duane: Any of the permutations of the Fillmore East recordings that include "Mountain Jam"
Fav AB album post-Duane: None really. For me, Dickey Betts without Duane is kind of like Paul McCartney without John Lennon. Once you know how good it could be when they were together, everything afterwards tastes like an unbalanced cocktail.
Following up on Anonymous above, my favorite Duane w/o AB is his work behind Aretha on "The Weight."
Link 1
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/NR5VzyQgYeV
Link 2
https://workupload.com/file/9TGadqFgGU5
I was fortunate enough to see the show on Boston Common, in 1971.
ReplyDeleteFavorite with Duane: 'At Fillmore East' (with 'Idlewild South' a close second)
Favorite without Duane: 'Brothers and Sisters'
Beginnings was my intro, so it gets the nod for AB w/DA, and I don't care what anybody says about Brothers & Sisters (I'm not an audiophile, so never noticed a problem!), it's a perfect album.
ReplyDeleteBoz's eponymous debut album is my fave DA sans AB album.
C in California
Idlewild South / Eat A Peach. Brothers And Sisters. With or without Duane, three great albums.
ReplyDeleteThank you again, Babs. My freshman year roommate was a Duane Allman fanatic from Long Island. I listen with pleasure to Idlewild South, Live at the Fillmore East, some of Eat A Peach, and Brothers and Sisters still.
ReplyDeleteD in California
Favorite ABB album with Duane - I'll cheat & say "Beginnings" (a double repackaging of the eponymous first album & "Idlewild South.") Why? It's the classic line up & the original play list.
ReplyDeleteFavorite post-Duane - "Seven Turns," because it's a solid set of songs & Dickey was in decent form, Gregg in good voice.
Here’s a limited edition Japanese SHM-SACD remastered version of ‘Live At The Fillmore East’ from 2010.
ReplyDeleteThis is my go to digital copy.
https://workupload.com/file/dzWgjMMgdKJ