Fillmore West, 1/29/1971
THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
This solid soundboard recording was made in San Francisco just about a month before The Allman Brothers Band went to New York to cut their historic double album At Fillmore East. The set lists are basically the same for both coasts, except that this show features a stellar, 11-and-a-half-minute version of "Dreams," one of Gregg Allman's greatest songs. Duane Allman and Dickey Betts blend their guitars over a smoldering swing groove. Duane's slide is warm and round and mesmerizing. You can hear how he earned the nickname Skydog — he takes his guitar into the heavens. Wolfgang's Vault material is not downloadable, but streaming should do you just fine.
This article appears in Feb 14-20, 2007.