Blues Rock: Allman Brothers Band's American University, Wash., D.C., 12/13/70

When the guitar wails to kick off “Don’t Leave Me Wondering,” the rest of the band comes in sounding a bit deadened, a strange reverb on Gregg Allman’s voice, and the sound echoing off the back walls of the Leonard Gym. The beautifully remastered live recording American University, Washington, D.C., 12/13/70 puts you in that half-filled, 1000 seat venue on campus to experience the about-to-make-it-big Allman Brothers Band. For those who grew up knowing the Allman Brothers Band as one of the overplayed artists on Classic Rock radio, this archival recording comes from the time when the Allmans were only heard on underground, college, or hippie radio. Used to either hearing the album versions of the Allmans or only knowing them to be doing huge concerts, it is exhilarating to hear this classic band in the time before the crowd cheers overshadowed the quiet parts of “Stormy Monday.” It’s the kind of recording that leaves you in no doubt that this music was made by six people conjuring the groove from out of thin air before your very eyes.

The sound of American University puts you in that campus gym, but band manager Bert Holman’s liner notes also help to set that stage in the listener’s mind for that night in 1970. It was a night when he was a just student on the University’s Concert Committee who had strongly encouraged them to take a chance on this amazing music. Holman’s experience in music promotion and his love for this band led to his future position as manager.

Much has been written about the legacy that the Allman Brothers Band will leave on rock ‘n’ roll, and much will be written. However, this live album brings four main thoughts to mind.

1) There is no doubt that this is Blues Rock. Somewhere along the line I stopped paying attention to the Allman Brothers Band, resigning them to Classic Rock radio. Yet, Classic Rock radio takes so many disparate styles and blends them together according to their decade-ism, so that you glaze over the fact that the Allman Brothers Band were essentially bluesmen first and rockers second.

2) I’ve always been more familiar with Lynyrd Skynyrd, but now I see that Lynyrd Skynyrd was doing Southern Rock by trying to reach the blues rock that the Allman Brothers Band could really do.

3) If your blood doesn’t pump in a new rhythm when Butch Trucks starts banging on the tympanis on “You Don’t Love Me,” then either your blood’s not pumping or your ears aren’t working.

4) There’s nothing quite like listening to a band jam on the same tune for 15 minutes (“You Don’t Love Me”) or 20 minutes (“Whippin’ Post”). Every once in awhile you can hear faint sounds of the crowd calling out, and this album puts you in that gym, coaxing the guys on to keep finding more and more sideroads to explore down that song highway.

Thanks to the Allman Brothers Band, Sanctuary Records, and www.hittinthenote.com for the review CD.