Allman Brothers Band - Fillmore Box Set (Part Two)

It blows my mind that so many people got their music pre-release day and here in the South we have to wait until release day (BD). Buying the CDs from the UK I get them second week of August.

 

I just opened the Blu-Ray set. The packaging is very flimsy. The disc slots concerned me, but all three discs came out with no scratches.

As I am going out for awhile this evening, I probably won't get to listen to the set tonight. For now, I blame the "low" DR on the flimsy packaging.

 

After careful comparison, Every photo in the hard cover book was also in the Deluxe Edition 2cd set, except this photo of Duane. (afaict)

 

Barry,

I agree 100%. I'm sure DR numbers have some meaning but I'd rather listen to my music than read graphs and numbers .

Bill

 

You said it brother !!
I am totally peeved.
I don't even see a listing for the blu ray on amazon.ca at all.

 

Disc 2....

 

Got my copy today and played the first 2 discs.....I have pretty much every CD copy of the album and my favorite has been the SHM-SACD version .I am impressed the sound of the new set,it is not compressed or overly loud and is detailed and open sounding.I would compare it to the 2 disc deluxe version with this one being a bit more detailed to my ears.The lead guitars are more prominent in the new set to my ears and in general I am quite pleased.I knew I would love the new music presented on this set but was worried about the sound quality.I am pleased with both!

 

I received mine today from Bull Moose and haven't listened to it yet.

 

Qobuz.com has this on sale in hi-res (192/24). I'm downloading now. Can't wait to listen!

 

Disc 6, which replicates the EAP deluxe disc 2 is the "obvious" choice for a shootout. No comparison IMO- the new mix/mastering appears to lift several layers of veiling off the music. Buy with confidence, this box is awesome.

 

I'm disappointed in the packaging of the CD set. It's too big, so it's difficult to hold and read, and for sure the discs will get scratched. Too bad it couldn't have been in a smaller size package, like the CSNY 74 set.
Anyway, the liner notes are a good read, but why no discographical information, like first releases?
The music is fantastic. Good sound, and I absolutely love the soprano saxophone on Elizabeth Reed! Sounds a little rough but it could have turned into something really special with more performances. To me it sounds like Duane picked up on the little flurry of notes near the end of the saxophone solo and incorporated that into his own solo on the original release. And the funky chunky rhythms the guitars are playing during the organ solo seem more prominent on the first disc.
I'm really glad this set exists. Thanks to whoever made it happen!

 

If someone compares anything to the first pressing LP please give a review. I have the first pressing and never found it to be very impressive because it was very inconsistent and kinda sibilant.

 

I am so looking forward to hearing this 6 CD set once it's delivered tomorrow. It's the only audio purchase I've made since I heard a few months ago that this was going to be released. Funds are tight, but this was always the #1 priority. I'm getting goosebumps reading the early reviews from posters here, especially with how good "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" sounds with the soprano sax.

 

Precisely why I ordered from Germany.

 

Disc 2 / Set 1 You Don't Love Me ...without the splice...after 43 years...

 

Is that the first half of what's on the original album? And it was the second half performance that was used in its entirety on the quad mix?

 

Yes, and I don't know, I'm ashamed to admit.

 

Googles...according to this that's the case, but I've never heard it.

"The Fillmore Quad LP (and the Fillmore East Concerts CD's) have a different You Don't Love Me... but only the first 6 1/2 minutes are different.... it's the same after that.... sure would love to hear the complete other version from the March 1971 Fillmore East run)"

http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=XForum&file=viewthread&tid=128122

That said, that person is wrong about The Fillmore Concerts. That uses the same takes as the original album, just edited slightly differently.

 

I never heard the Quad either. All anybody around me had in the 70s, was the stereo album, inc. myself.

Oh God...Stormy Monday is on...goosebumps... knew a guy in high school ( 75-76), that played this on a black Les Paul, note-for-freaking note !!!

 

The Classic Records 200g reissue has been my go to copy since it was released. I'll have the new LP set in my hands on Friday.

 

Stop it, stop it, just STOP IT.

I have several days to wait.

 

I like the Classic too, but would give a slight nod to an original Monarch pressing with AT/GP in the deadwax on all 4 sides.

I'm really happy with the new box.

 

Good to hear about the box.

 

My ears are thrilled so far. Unfortunately, I have to get up early for work tomorrow, so I've only had the chance to listen to the first two discs. They sound fantastic through my Sennheiser HD 500s. The mix is powerful and dynamic, with Berry Oakley the sun in the center of an extraordinary musical solar system. The team behind this release did an absolutely stellar (to extend my clumsy metaphor) job.

As for the music on the first two discs...for anyone who knows the original album well, this release is bursting with surprises. Yes, the Allmans have built their reputation largely on the quality of their improvisation, but I was still shocked by the sometimes subtle, sometimes radical differences contained in the alternates on these first two discs, with Duane in particular playing around with opening riffs that are now considered iconic thanks to the original Fillmore East. While there are certain licks that are constant from performance to performance, there are ideas - most of them interesting, many of them as compelling as those crystallized on the double album - that are unique to each performance, as well.

The first disc falters only slightly when it becomes clear that Juicy Carter cannot sustain interest over the course of a long solo, and his solo in "Liz Reed" is a long one, indeed. When he runs out of ideas, he turns to dissonance for the sake of it. Thankfully, he cuts himself short during the "Liz Reed" on the second disc, which improves matters somewhat.

That's it for criticisms from me. The slightly sloppy opening to disc two's performance of "You Don't Love Me" provides almost charming relief for the fiery final twelve minutes that were used on the album proper. The performance of the same song on disc one features a significantly different second part, which is excellent but nowhere near as innovative and volatile as it becomes on disc two. In the end, that section becomes all the more miraculous when you realize that it actually was a seat-of-the-pants improvisation that could've come off the rails at any moment. Thank God it was captured on tape.

The "Whipping Post" on disc two runs hot and hotter. It is quite different in places from the released version, but it is by no means inferior. Here, Juicy Carter is content to provide a little color, making it the most successful of his appearances in the box. The band plays as intensely as I've ever heard them, building beautifully on the twelve exceptional minutes that close "You Don't Love Me."

Amazingly, the band could have released either of these first two discs as their new live album in 1971, and it would have sealed their reputation as one of popular music's greatest live acts as surely as the final Fillmore East. As with "Whipping Post," and a few ill advised soprano sax solos notwithstanding, most of these performances are quite different from those eventually released, but not inferior. Now we have them all, at last.

Man, were these guys good. Berry Oakley doesn't get nearly enough credit for what he contributed to the band, at least outside of ABB fans. His pulse is steady enough to ground the rhythm section, but his uncanny ear for melody allows him to act as the perfect fulcrum for the twin geniuses of electric guitar on either side of him. And geniuses they are - Duane has to be in order to play off of Dickey, and vice versa. And Butch and Jaimoe are absolute mothers. Gregg Allman sits on top of it all, sounding more soulful than a man in his early 20s has any right to.

But I digress. If you love the Allman Brothers, you need this. If you love the original Fillmore East, you need this.

Oh, yes - the packaging is wonderful. I like the book very much.

Good night, all.

 

The bluray release is amazing. The first time I've bought a version specifically to hear in 5.1. I haven't listened to the Lps or cds yet.