Review: Gregg Allman Band, ‘One Night In D.C., May 15 1984’ – A Live Vault Release From A Fallow Time For The Allmans…

I like to mix things up here at B&V, relatively speaking, and I know I just posted about a live album – the Pretenders’ Kick Em Where It Hurts – but I found myself this week entranced by yet another live album, this one from the vaults, the Gregg Allman Band’s One Night In D.C., May 15 1984. Posting about two live albums in a row may seem excessive, but you know we love our live albums around here (it’s the next best thing to being there) whether those are double-live or single disc live albums. Both LPs were released last week, so what am I to do? I also just found out that last year Gregg’s camp released a different live album from the vaults, Uncle Sam’s recorded in Hull, MA in 1983. One could look at these as companion pieces of a sort as both capture Gregg out on the road, playing smaller theaters with roughly the same band: Dangerous Dan Toler (lead guitar), Frankie Toler (drums), Gregg Voorhees (bass), Bruce Waibel (rhythm guitar), Tim Heding (keyboards) and Charles “Chaz” Trippy (percussion). Surely Chaz Trippy is a stage name? On Uncle Sam’s they augment the band with two guys on horns but those guys aren’t on this ’84 release.

I’ve always been a big fan of the Allman Brothers from their earliest albums with Duane Allman all the way up to the release of the recording of their final concert put out last year. And I’ve always been a big fan of Gregg Allman‘s solo work as well. I found this performance from DC (as well as the one from Hull) to be a fascinating glimpse at Gregg’s work at what was a bit of a tough time for him. The Allman Brothers formed in ’69 around Gregg, his brother Duane (guitar), Dicky Betts(guitar, RIP), Jaimoe (drums), Barry Oakley (bass) and Butch Trucks (drums). Their seminal live record At Fillmore East made them stars but then tragedy struck not once but twice when they lost founder/leader Duane Allman to a motorcycle accident. One year and a few blocks away they lost Barry Oakley to the same fate. Gregg was grief stricken as well as self-medicating and Dickey Betts slowly became the de facto leader which Gregg resented. His name was on the band so who can fault the remaining Allman? Heavy drinking and drugging mixed with that resentment led to a lot of conflict within the band and by 1976 after playing benefits for Jimmy Carter they broke up.

Gregg had recorded his first solo outing, Laid Back, at the same time the band was recording Brothers And Sisters and had followed that up with a sensational live album. In 1977 he put out his second solo record, Playin’ Up A Storm, that I’ve always dug. Unfortunately after that he recorded Allman And Woman with gads, his wife, Cher. That album turfed commercially. By 1979 the Allman Brothers Band had reunited but with rather muted results. There was still turmoil, strife and line up changes. At one point they fired Jaimoe? Jesus, how much coke does it take to fuck that up, firing a founding drummer? It’s hard sometimes to distinguish between the solo bands and the actual Allmans. For example I know both the Toler brothers who play on this album were briefly in the Allmans and might have played with Dickey’s solo band (I might be wrong about that). In what was to be known as their “first reunion” only held through 1981’s tepid Brothers Of The Road. Coincidentally Cher and Gregg split up in 79.

The early 80s found Allman at loose ends. I don’t think he even had a record deal and by that time his last true solo album was almost 5 years old. I read somewhere he moved back to Florida to live with his mom, never a good sign. The Allmans were in this fallow period and Gregg really had no where to go. He was still drinking pretty heavily and probably needed the bread so he re-formed the Gregg Allman Band and went out on the road. Here we have this rock n roll legend whose voice is like Howlin’ Wolf and Son House had a baby goes out and plays 1200-seat theaters. If you loved a band who split up and you see that the singer is playing in your town, trust me, go see him. That, to me, is what makes this performance so fascinating. He’s doing this because he loves to sing.

One Night In D.C is a really strong testament to Gregg’s legacy. Both the live albums I’ve mentioned really are. In D.C. finds Gregg and the band taking us through some really strong versions of Allman Brothers’ classics, a few Gregg solo tunes (mostly from Playin’ Up A Storm), and a few “new” songs that at the time they were playing them, hadn’t been released yet. Those tracks would end up finding a home on Gregg’s 1987 album I’m No Angel. While that album’s production was very much “of it’s time” and sadly very 80s, it’s still a personal favorite. If “Things That Might Have Been” from that album (sadly not on this live disc) doesn’t grab your heart are you even alive?

This live album starts with an ethereal version of “Dreams,” originally from the Allman Brothers’ debut album. Gregg is fine voice and his organ is right out front where it belongs. Up next is “Sweet Feelin'” from Playin’ Up A Storm and it’s a fine southern funk song. Next is the Allman’s “Hot’lanta.” These guys don’t jam with the fervor of the original but they turn in a fine version. Next is “Yours For The Asking” which ended up on I’m No Angel which I really like this version because there’s not as much synth. It’s a little bit more raw, which I appreciate. “Need Your Love So Bad” is an old Little Willie John track the Allman’s covered on Enlightened Rogues. I could listen to Gregg sing the blues all day long. The blues continue with Muddy’s “Trouble No More,” oh yes! That one is followed by an almost 18-minute jam from Playin’ Up A Storm, “Matthew’s Arrival.” It may not be “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed” but it rocks and features solo’s by several members of the band.

After that, the band does a mini-acoustic set, kicking it off with the classic “Melissa.” I will say, Dangerous Dan Toler’s guitar solo is a little rapid fire for the bucolic nature of the song. But, this was 1984 and what guitar player hadn’t been heavily influenced by Eddie Van Halen… Choose your spots to shred Dan. From there we get a great, stripped down “Midnight Rider,” more like the Allman’s original than the Gregg solo version. The band rejoins Gregg & Dan for another track destined for I’m No Angel, “Faces Without Names.” I really like this track as well. From there, it’s Katy-bar-the-door through a lively “Statesboro Blues” and after band intro’s, “One Way Out” one of my personal Allman favorites…”Ain’t but one way out baby, and Lord I just can’t go out the door, ‘Cause there’s a man down there, might be your man I don’t know…” Let those of you who haven’t had to hide under a bed cast the first stone.

Were there some classics we didn’t get here? Sure. I’d have loved some stuff from Laid Back like Gregg’s version of Jackson Browne’s “These Days,” or “Queen Of Hearts.” “Whipping Post” seems conspicuous in it’s absence. But you get a good taste of where Gregg was at in the mid 80s. If I’m nitpicking the piano is clearly an electric piano and I would have preferred a ore natural sounding baby grand. And yes, Toler does play too fast sometimes. But all things considered, this is a pretty kick ass rock n roll/southern rock/blues live album with one of the greatest singers the genre ever produced.

Gregg’s comeback was still a few years with 1987’s I’m No Angel, but the seeds of the Allman’s second reunion, which was vastly more successful, and the Seven Turns album were being sowed out in small theaters by Gregg singing his ass off. Proof that if you keep grinding, good things will eventually turn up.

If you feel like shufflin’ your feet around and drinking some sour mash this weekend, slip this lovely live album onto the stereo and get ready to move, baby. Me, I’ll be playing this while I press my nose to the front window, waiting on the postman to bring me my new Springsteen box set… sigh.

Take care of each other out there… it’s getting darker by the minute. It’s gonna take a lot of rock n roll and whiskey to get us through the long hot summer. Cheers!