Allman Brothers release 45-CD, $499.99 Box Set of their 2009 Beacon Theatre Concerts

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Derek Trucks Goes Behind the Allman Brothers’ Beacon Box Set

2/18/10, 10:07 am EST



On March 11th, the Allman Brothers Band open their annual spring residency in New York City, moving uptown from their traditional haunt, the Beacon Theatre — currently held hostage by a new Cirque de Soleil production — for 13 shows at Harlem’s United Palace Theater. That leaves you plenty of time to relive every note of last year’s 15 Beacon concerts, which have been released in a deluxe box set of 45 CDs through the Allmans’ Website, Hittin’ The Note. The 2009 Beacon Box comes in a hefty wood case with a glossy booklet, souvenir backstage passes and a two-CD bonus show from December 2008. The price is $499.99 (about 10 bucks a disc); the 2009 Beacon concerts are also available separately for $27 each.

The Allmans’ 2009 Beacon season was a 40th anniversary celebration of the band’s founding in 1969 by the late guitarist Duane Allman and the release that year of the group’s debut album on Capricorn Records, The Allman Brothers Band. They performed the entire thing, in sequence, on March 26th, the original release date. There were guest appearances on all of the other nights by all-star friends and fellow travelers, from Taj Mahal, Johnny Winter and Z.Z. Top’s Billy Gibbons to Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell of Phish, the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir and Phil Lesh and, on March 19th and 20th, Eric Clapton in his first-ever performances with the Allmans.

“The way you could tell it was different,” Allmans guitarist Derek Trucks says of the 2009 concerts, “is that at the end of every Beacon run, on the twelfth or thirteenth night, you can feel the guys want to go home. Gregg’s a little wore out. But at the last show of that run, Gregg was like, ‘Shit, I can do 10 more like this.’ “

Many guests had personal histories with the Allman Brothers. Duane played on Clapton’s 1970 Derek and the Dominos album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. The Dead and the Allmans shared bills and stages in the early Seventies, including the 1973 Watkins Glen festival. Trucks cites the March 16th show with singer Bonnie Bramlett — Duane played with her on Delaney and Bonnie records, including the 1971 acoustic session, Motel Shot — and the March 17th appearance of early Capricorn labelmates Scott Boyer and Tommy Talton from the country-rock band Cowboy. “They were great,” Trucks says of those nights, “because there was an immediate connection to the start of the band.”

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/02/18/derek-trucks-goes-behind-the-allman-brothers-beacon-box-set/

[guitar man]

1. damn, I wish I could swing it

$10 a disc is not bad but $500 at one whack is out of reach for me right now...I bet it's great

[Amerigo Vespucci]

2. They were one of the bands to really jump on the "entire tour season" thing.

I've heard a couple of their single-show releases. My guess is that the $10 discs will be well worth it.

The Beacon, for the Allmans, has been sort of like Winterland and other classic Bill Graham venues for The Grateful Dead. It just brings out their best, consistently...with the notable exception of "Peakin' At The Beacon," the last Dickey Betts CD with the band. Listen to that one and you'll agree that letting him go was the right thing to do.

:toast:

[guitar man]

3. yeah, I've heard it

I hated to see Dickey go but I agree it was time. Hiring Warren was the smartest move Greg has ever made. ;)