Rock-tober 23, 2014

Grab any true believer Southern Rock and Roller and ask them to name their favorite Allman Brothers tune. Brace yourself, you're going to get a lot of different answers.

"Statesboro Blues" was an old blues song first released in 1928, but it was the Allman's 1971 recording highlighting Duane Allman's slide guitar technique that most everyone remembers. He used an old glass pill bottle as a slide to create the unique riffs. That bottle became just as important as his guitars and he carried it around in a briefcase to prevent damaging it.

"Whipping Post", also released in 1972, has a dual personality. The single runs for 5 minutes. However, the Mac Daddy, full-on concert version can run in excess of 22 minutes. The song became such a staple, fans took to yelling "Whipping Post!" during concerts, foreshadowing the tradition of screaming, "Freebird!"

"Melissa", also released in 1972, came off Eat a Peach, a tribute to Duane Allman who died a year earlier in a motorcycle accident. Greg played this song at his brothers funeral calling it "my brother's favorite song that I ever wrote."

"Midnight Rider" came close to being this day's feature. From 1970's Idlewild South it's about a very free spirit who fights hard to avoid any encumberances. It's their most covered song, and some say the best showcase for Greg's vocals.

You'll not likely find today's feature on any of the typical listings for Allman Brothers top songs. Perhaps because its album, Where It All Begins, was released much later (1994) than the established canon of the group's hits. I myself only recently "discovered" this 20 year old release. The song was written by group guitarist Warren Haynes and it took it's title from a nickname his father had for him. It's definitely a blues number, but it's also incredibly uplifting. Ask this true believer Southern Rocker for his favorite Allman Brothers tune, and I'll tell you, "Soulshine".

On October 28th, at New York's Beacon Theater, the Allman Brothers will play their final concert. The band has weathered tragic loss and years of intra member strife, but they've graced us with some of the greatest blues and jazz themed songs to come out of the Southern Rock genre.