The Allman Brothers - where to start.

You too!

 

The Allman Brothers music is more sophisticated than Lynyrd Skynyrd (my opinion). I love the variety of instruments and sounds, as Duane's guitar melds it all together. They are most definitely one of the best live bands who ever graced our planet. I have listened to Filmore countless times over the last 30 years, and have yet to grow weary. Enjoy.

 

Live albums...........

other studio

Hittin' The Note
Shades of Two Worlds

 

One of my favorites is Enlightened Rogues. Do not overlook this one!

If you would like to start with a compilation, The Road Goes On Forever sums up their classic years very well.

 

Another vote for Fillmore East. You just can't go wrong with it.

 

The Road Goes on Forever 2lp set is a good overview. It offers some of their more well known songs up through Brothers and Sisters.

 

At Fillmore East

After that, the first 2 studuo albums used to be available in a 2-for-1 ser called Beginnings.

At A Peach is great (and in some ways is the best starting point since it has a mix of fine studio songs and great live jams)

Brothers and Sisters is very good

The best of the later comeback albums are Shades Of Teo Worlds and Hittin the Note, both very good

They have many live albums, Atlanta International (with Duane) and the more recent One Way Out are highly recommended if you like long jams (but again start with At Fillmore East)

 

Thanks buddy

 

Beginnings & At Fillmore East.

 

Will do. thanks

 

Just to let you know that Beginnings has a different mix to the original albums for some of the tracks.

JG

 

The first album was remixed for Beginnings, if I remember correctly. Idlewild South uses the original mix. On CD it is even more confusing; some issues/pressings have the original mix, while others feature the remix of the first album. And, come to think of it, I believe some CD issues of the debut album had the Beginnings remix instead of the original.

 

If you want a sampler you might try the 2 cd The Road Goes On Forever or Gold to find out if you like the band and want to purchase more releases. Stand Back: The Anthology is a 2 cd set that covers their entire career up to that time including the incarnation with Warren Haynes.

Their live albums are better than the studio albums. Most of the live albums are worth picking up. Most people consider At Fillmore East and Eat A Peach to be their best albums.

 

No, start from the debut and go in order...get the core catalog.

The 2 early 80's studio records are a fork in the road, but they do have a few bright spots. The ABB is best heard chronologically, to hear how they.progressed. Theirs is a very rewarding catalog.

 

If you love Skynyrd, it doesn't necessarily mean you will love the ABB. Their sounds are completely different, especially live. They get looped into the Southern Rock category, but they aren't very similar. The ABB incorporated a wide variety of music styles in their music and really have very little that sound like "Ramblin Man" overall.

I like the original Skynyrd, but they are far from my list of favorites. The ABB is one of my 2 or 3 favorite bands ever.

I would agree with others, here would be my top 5:

1. At Fillmore East
2. Eat A Peach
3. Idlewild South
4. Self titled debut
5. Brothers & Sisters

Four of those 5 are available in deluxe editions with bonus live stuff worth checking out.

If you want a one stop shop, get the Dreams box set.

There are only two albums really that are must avoids and those are Reach for the Sky and Brothers Of The Road.

 

Can't go wrong with any of the suggestions listed, but for a newbie...and not knowing how you feel about long live jams, I would steer the OP to their debut and Idlewild South. This should tell you if the band is for you. It is ABB at their absolute studio peak!
After that, then maybe Fillmore as it is ABB doing what they were famous for....a super tight live act! Eat A Peach continues with the live cuts and throws in some essential studio stuff.
Brothers And Sisters is also a killer album, sonically not as nice as what came before, but arguably, the best without Duane?
Also, I would like to throw a shout out to their last studio effort with Warren Haynes on geetar, some sweet tracks on Hittin' The Note for sure! Their cover of Heart Of Stone alone is worth the price of admission.
Enjoy!!!!!

 

while there is a lot, Live at Fillmore East and Eat a Peach is really all you need.

 

This would be my recommended order.

1. Live At Fillmore East
2. Eat A Peach
3. Idlewild South
4. The Allman Brothers Band
5. Brothers And Sisters

 

I began in 1972, with hearing Ain't Wastin' Time No More, through a hand-held transistor radio.
A few months later, after moving to just outside of Nashville, the garage band across the street introduced me to Whipping Post.
I then bought a copy of the S/T debut. I was hooked. Dreams was like nothing my 14 year-old ears had ever heard.

Yesterday was the 47th anniversary of the release of the first album.
I recommend you start there.
Then continue chronologically, if you like what you hear.

The biggest difference between Skynyrd and the ABB is improvisation. Ronnie Van Zant insisted on a touring jukebox. NO surprises, every performance should sound EXACTLY like the studio albums.
The Allman Brothers...same song never played exactly the same, even if you saw them every night.

Hope you enjoy what you hear.
.

 

This !

 

To the OP....let us know what albums you get and what you think. We definitely would like to hear your thoughts as someone discovering the band.

If it turns out they are not for your taste that's OK too.

 

This is an important point. If memory serves, the only original mix of the first album on CD is the Gur remaster from the mid-nineties.

 

Fillmore
Eat A Peach
Idlewild South - a fantastic album that, as was said above, got swamped by the Fillmore album.

 

thats one of my favorite stones tunes and the ABB more than does it justice. amazing version

 

guess i'm about to get slammed. get the DREAMS boxset and then get the albums with the songs that interest you the most.