the allman brothers band have always been the best southern rock band, and the least political of those groups. They had a resident guitar god in Duane Allman, who is also famous for being a session musician, and they were famous for their southern style jams on live albums like this one, which is universally considered their best album overall. terrific guitar work and licks abound, the band pulling off one of the best live sets ever recorded in rock music. If you are a fan of live music or rock in general, you have to have this. If you like southern rock you already do; if you don't you can't possibly be a real fan yet (Lynyrd Skynyrd, while good, aren't as classy or classic a band as the Allman's. You should get both in your collection). Also get Eat A Peach, their best studio album overall.

I grew up playing blues/rock guitar in the 70's but switched to jazz in college. I almost exclusively listen to jazz now because the best musicians reside in that genre. Guitar players like Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Alan Holdsworth are head and shoulders above anyone in rock. There is only one exception: Duane Allman.

Duane was the best ever in the rock category because he improvised brilliantly. Everyone on the album was clicking for this set with magical communication. This is the only rock album that I listen to on a regular basis and it is every bit as good as the best in the jazz genre.

Yes, it's been said before. This is very likely the very finest rock record ever recorded. Certainly the finest live rock record. Of course, there's The Who's Live At Leads, The Dead's Europe '72, and a host of others that those in the know rightly hold in high esteem. But with all due respect to all of those other bands-- it just doesn't get any better than this. Never has, and probably never will. One has to wonder in God himself had a hand in this. Maybe someone somewhere knew that Duane was not long for this world, and this was to be his masterpiece. Whatever the case, this performance is almost otherworldly-- it gives you goosebumps. And in all fairness it's not all about Duane, either. Every member of the band is absolutely, chillingly, amazingly spot-on.

I first heard this album when my brother purchased it on LP shortly after its original release. Since then I've owned at least three copies of it, including an audiophile LP pressing. I can't ever imagine being without a copy of this album, and if you truly love rock or the blues, neither should you. Whipping Post is incredible. Elizabeth Reed is mesmerizing. This is my all time favorite version of Stormy Monday (apologies to Bobby Bland). And I could go on-- every cut is absolutely astounding. And, this is truly one of those cases where the total is equal to more than the sum of its parts. If all you know about the Allman Brothers Band is Jessica or Ramblin' Man (both great cuts in their own right), then you don't really know this band. They were fine country-rockers, but their true genius was with the blues. And genius is not an overstatement.

In short, if you don't own a copy of this album, drop whatever else you're doing (i.e., stop reading this review) and either place an order for this disc or go directly to the nearest music store and buy it. Now. Not tomorrow. Not in a few minutes. Now. No one should go through life without hearing it at least once. And if you've heard it once, you'll hear it again and again and again. Of this I'm certain.

All that needs to be said is that this is the finest live album ever recorded. It may also be the the perfect record. Period.

People may prefer different styles of music. But no live record I've ever heard in any genre can match this one for its across the board excellence. It is dazzling in all aspects: from the spirit-lifting playing to the wrenching vocals to the sterling production.

For this set of shows, God was smiling on the Brothers.
Thank heaven they were rolling tape.

This is definitely one of the band's finest recordings. I first got this on cassette when I was young but was too immature to appreciate most of the music. As the years passed I grew fonder and fonder and eventually got the CD after the cassette wore out.

Greg is a great blues singer (a guy that ugly has gotta be), and Dickie and Duane play dueling Les Paul's on 23+ minute Whipping Post. T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday" has been recorded over and over again by almost every blues artist. However, this is without a doubt my favorite version of the song.

It's been over 30 years. This is still one of the finest rock and blues live performances.