Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly.
He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
The Allman Brothers were the best of Georgia R&R followed by the B-52s (very different sound, of course). Their sound was truly unique I believe and so soulful and Greg was really the one that made it happen. RIP.
At 23, I had been playing bass for nearly 10 years, and was 100% self-taught. As a punk rocker though, I had never grokked the connection between the bass and the kick drum. This bit me in the ass in college, when I got kicked out of a rock band for being a shitty bassist. The guitar player told me to listen over and over again to “Live at the Fillmore East”, which I took with me to my first bass lesson ever. That album COMPLETELY changed my approach to bass, and played a pivotal role in making me the tolerably good bass player I am today.
I must have seen the Allmans a half-dozen times in the 1990s (this was the lineup that included Warren Haynes in the Duane role and the late great Allen Woody on bass).
Aw, gee, a sad milestone. Who wasn’t influenced by the Allman Brothers?
A memory. My first concert. I was barely a teen. An older brother drove us a couple of hours to Tampa in his ’68 VW bug for an Allman Brothers concert at a small old National Guard armory. There’s some audio of that concert on YouTube*. It was just a few months before Duane died. Greg happened to be sick that night as Duane explains at the beginning of the 17-minute “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” (across two videos).
My first concert, had never smoked pot, but got high just by breathing in that small space. No seating. Explored and found my way to a balcony overlooking the stage that was about 10 feet away. The band jammed and jammed until past midnight, until they said they had to shut it down due to City ordinances.
I had no idea what I had just experienced and expected all concerts would be that good. Nothing else ever came close.
I’m fifty-nine and grew up listening to pop and rock music. I got a little transistor radio when I was nine and listened to Top 40 hits every weekend. By the time I was a teen in the seventies, rock music was bursting forth here in the States and across the Pond.
I consider myself lucky to have seen the emergence of so many bands and singers. Allman Brother songs defined my youth, and when I hear them even now, they take me back to a time where political fires were burning, but we were too young to understand or worry. Those days are gone for me, but the memories of the music never die.
Unfortunately, my rock star idols are dying off. Led Zeppelin, the Stones, Creedence, the Who…hundreds of voices who shaped my youth with love songs, protest songs, ballads and more; they’ll be gone. It was a shock when Jim Croce died so long ago, and even now a shock to see Bowie and Prince and Michael Jackson gone.
I know i’d better get used to it, but it still hurts.
The Allman Brothers were the best of Georgia R&R followed by the B-52s (very different sound, of course). Their sound was truly unique I believe and so soulful and Greg was really the one that made it happen. RIP.
another of the really significant musicians and songwriters of our time. he is missed. RIP.
Gregg Allman had The Voice – one in a million.
At 23, I had been playing bass for nearly 10 years, and was 100% self-taught. As a punk rocker though, I had never grokked the connection between the bass and the kick drum. This bit me in the ass in college, when I got kicked out of a rock band for being a shitty bassist. The guitar player told me to listen over and over again to “Live at the Fillmore East”, which I took with me to my first bass lesson ever. That album COMPLETELY changed my approach to bass, and played a pivotal role in making me the tolerably good bass player I am today.
I must have seen the Allmans a half-dozen times in the 1990s (this was the lineup that included Warren Haynes in the Duane role and the late great Allen Woody on bass).
Very sad to see Gregg go.
Remember when Jimmy Carter talked that teenage kid down from his bad acid trip by telling him to put on the Allmans?
Best SNL skit ever.
Definitely needs to be in the conversation.
It’s funny, because my favorites all rip on Democrats:
Being able to laugh at yourself, or understand the humor in your belief system is a fundamental part of a secure personality.
.
FREEBIRD!
WTF?
Wrong Southern Fried Rock band. That’s Lynyrd Skynyrd, not Greg Allman.
I know, but most people don’t know or care.
Aw, gee, a sad milestone. Who wasn’t influenced by the Allman Brothers?
A memory. My first concert. I was barely a teen. An older brother drove us a couple of hours to Tampa in his ’68 VW bug for an Allman Brothers concert at a small old National Guard armory. There’s some audio of that concert on YouTube*. It was just a few months before Duane died. Greg happened to be sick that night as Duane explains at the beginning of the 17-minute “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” (across two videos).
My first concert, had never smoked pot, but got high just by breathing in that small space. No seating. Explored and found my way to a balcony overlooking the stage that was about 10 feet away. The band jammed and jammed until past midnight, until they said they had to shut it down due to City ordinances.
I had no idea what I had just experienced and expected all concerts would be that good. Nothing else ever came close.
Sad that the Allman brothers are no more.
* Can’t get the video to embed (thanks Chrome!) so here’s the URL: https://youtu.be/EF9JmrMnCaY
I’ve had to get reacquainted with Internet Explorer to do any video embedding. I think Firefox is still okay for embedding as well.
I’m fifty-nine and grew up listening to pop and rock music. I got a little transistor radio when I was nine and listened to Top 40 hits every weekend. By the time I was a teen in the seventies, rock music was bursting forth here in the States and across the Pond.
I consider myself lucky to have seen the emergence of so many bands and singers. Allman Brother songs defined my youth, and when I hear them even now, they take me back to a time where political fires were burning, but we were too young to understand or worry. Those days are gone for me, but the memories of the music never die.
Unfortunately, my rock star idols are dying off. Led Zeppelin, the Stones, Creedence, the Who…hundreds of voices who shaped my youth with love songs, protest songs, ballads and more; they’ll be gone. It was a shock when Jim Croce died so long ago, and even now a shock to see Bowie and Prince and Michael Jackson gone.
I know i’d better get used to it, but it still hurts.
RIP, Gregg Allman.