Hittin' The Web with The Allman Brothers Band

Allman Brothers Prove Rock Prowess Once Again

Articles / Music
Posted by Lana on Oct 02, 2001 - 07:40 PM

Music Review by Dean Johnson

Boston Herald

Saturday, June 23, 2001

The night began with ``Whipping Post.''

The Allman Brothers Band opened its extravagant 160-minute concert
at the Tweeter Center last night with its tour-de-force song. That's
the musical equivalent of tossing a hand grenade onto a fireworks
barge, and that's just about the way the show played out for the
near-capacity crowd.

It was an inspired evening for the veteran rock outfit, one that
featured everything from a trombone solo in the middle of
``Southbound'' to a cover version of the Otis Redding soul classic
``I've Been Loving You.''

Last year's version of the ABB with Derek Trucks and Jimmy Herring on
guitars proved the group could survive without (fired) founding
guitarist Dickey Betts. This year's version has Trucks with onetime
ABB member Warren Haynes back in the fold, and the difference is
striking. This is a true guitar band again.

Haynes took extended solos on tracks like ``Rockin' Horse'' that no
one will come close to matching at the Tweeter this season. Few rock
outfits have ever featured two slide guitarists as gifted as the current
Trucks/Haynes combination.

But Haynes is also tutoring (or maybe pushing) Trucks into becoming
a stronger traditional electric guitarist, never Trucks' strong point.
Along with classic ABB numbers ranging from ``Statesboro Blues,'' and
``One Way Out'' to ``Midnight Rider'' and ``Trouble No More,'' the
band performed a snarling ``Hoochie Coochie Man'' and even a new
tune, ``Desdemona.''

Though Haynes was the outstanding player last night and even took a
few vocals, Gregg Allman sang well, anchored down most tunes with
his keyboard work, dedicated the night to the late blues great John
Lee Hooker, and added some rollicking piano to ``Statesboro Blues.''
Some of the band's fans may have missed Betts' fluid, melodic guitar
work last night, but the members of the Allman Brothers Band ably
demonstrated they prefer to keep seeking new musical boundaries
than resting on past laurels.



This article is from Hittin' The Web with The Allman Brothers Band
  https://hittintheweb.com/

The URL for this story is:
  https://hittintheweb.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=37