A Hardcore Fan’s Favorite Pastime: Nit-Picking a Best-of List
And the "righteous" origin to one of Gregg Allman’s most well-known songs
Thanks for reading another edition of Long Live the ABB: Conversation from the Crossroads of Southern music, history, and culture.
I have just returned from a KILLER visit to Macon where I attended the 31st gathering of the Georgia Allman Brothers Band Association (GABBA). A highlight was finally scoring this t-shirt, 31 years after it first appeared. Also stopped by Rose Hill, and gave a copy of Play All Night to David “Rook” Goldflies, who played bass in the ABB from 1979-82 and with Dickey from 1977-83. A helluva player and even nicer dude.
Rest in Peach, Kim Payne
I was in Macon when I got word that Kim Payne, one of the original ABB roadies died, which leaves road manager Willie Perkins as the last of the crew the band featured on the back cover of At Fillmore East.
Payne has writing credit on “Midnight Rider” for giving Gregg the line “And I've gone by the point of caring, Some old bed I'll soon be sharing.”
No Allman Brothers Book can be without the roadies’ story, and Play All Night! Duane Allman and the Journey to Fillmore East is no different. I invested in a never-before-published outtake of the album cover photo session, which I’ve included here along with the actual cover.
Now for the nit-picking
Thought I’d share Loudersound.com’s Gregg Allman: the 15 best songs from one of the great southern songbooks.
I’m happy any time the Allman Brothers Band gets recognition and I’m not much of a fan of critiquing “best-of” lists, and this list is pretty good overall.
I’ll instead just add some comments to the tracks listed in this piece from
All in all, this is a really solid list, picking some of Gregg’s finest work. The site arranged its original list somewhat chronologically, so I’ll follow that construct.
The Allman Brothers Band 1969
“Whipping Post”
“It’s Not My Cross to Bear”
“Dreams”
I can’t argue with any of these as definitive Gregg songs. And this record has pretty definitive versions of “Cross to Bear” and “Dreams.” But I’m not sure many folks would choose this “Whipping Post” over the mammoth take on At Fillmore East.
Idlewild South 1970
No songs from this record made the list and I’m guessing the reason is they chose “Midnight Rider” from Laid Back rather than “Midnight Rider” from this album. “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’” would’ve been another great choice.
At Fillmore East 1971
I’ve already addressed this above. This is the version of “Whipping Post” to include on a list like this, not the studio version. Gregg is all over the live cut, not only with his vocals, but with some great comping on the B3.
Eat a Peach 1972
“Ain’t Wastin’ No More Time”
“Melissa”
I have no issue here. These are both really great choices. “AWTNM” is a theme song for my life.1
Brothers & Sisters 1973
The writers went with “Wasted Words,” the lead track on the band’s most commercially successful record. It kicked off sets on the 1973 tour. They overlooked one of my all-time favorite Gregg songs, “Come and Go Blues,” for what I believe to be an inferior, overproduced solo version from a few years later.
Laid Back 1973
This is a killer rendition of “Midnight Rider” and it’s really tough to choose just one from Gregg’s finest solo effort. “Queen of Hearts” is my choice, as it’s the song Gregg presented to the ABB and their rejection of it led him to make Laid Back. My second choice would be “Multicolored Lady.”
Playin’ Up A Storm 1977
Though “Come and Go Blues” is my second favorite Gregg song from the post-Duane era2, I disagree with their choice of this version over ABB versions on Brothers & Sisters or Wipe the Windows.3
Enlightened Rogues 1979
“Just Ain’t Easy” was Gregg’s only contribution to Enlightened Rogues, and it is simply gorgeous. A segue from this to “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” on the Enlightened Rogues tour, is featured on the Dreams box set.
I’m No Angel 1987
“I’m No Angel”—a major late-career hit—simply has to appear on any best-of lists for him. It really revived Gregg’s career and helped lead to an Allman Brothers Band reunion that lasted for 25 years. But here’s the thing, even though Gregg hit #1 on the Album Rock chart and #49 on the Hot 100, even though the video was ubiquitous on MTV for a time4…
Gregg didn’t write “I’m No Angel”
It’s by songwriters Tony Colton and Phil Palmer and—get this—was originally recorded by Bill Medley.
Yep, not only did Gregg Allman not write “I’m No Angel,” a former Righteous Brother recorded it first, and it sounds just like Gregg’s take to me: Bill Medley “I’m No Angel.”5
Just Before the Bullets Fly 1988
The list overlooks this record altogether, but the track I’d recommend is “Oceans Awash the Gunwale”—Gregg called it a personal favorite. Sure wish he’d have re-recorded this in the 2000s. The 80’s production takes all the emotion out of it: there’s way too much reverb on Gregg’s vocals6, the snare, and probably the air they were breathing.
Seven Turns 1990
They chose “Good Clean Fun,” Gregg’s only songwriting contribution on the album. It was a co-write with Dickey and ABB keyboardist Johnny Neel. It was an A-side single, with the album’s title track as the B-side. Anyone else remember the video on MTV?
Shades of Two Worlds 1992 and Where It All Begins 1994
Neither of these records are represented on Loudersound’s list, and they’re skipping two ABBsolute gems in my not so humble opinion:
“Get on with Your Life” (Shades). The version on First Set is really, really good too. Gregg was simply a master at the slow blues.
“Sailin’ ‘Cross the Devil’s Sea” from WIAB just smokes. It’s a cowrite with ABB stalwarts Warren Haynes, Allen Woody, and Jack Pearson.
I can only choose one, and I’m going with “Sailin’” here.
Hittin’ The Note 2003
Two tracks made the cut: “Old Before My Time” and “High Cost Of Low Living.” I wholeheartedly agree with “High Cost,” the only song from this record the band played at their last-ever show 10/28/14. My choice for a 2nd Gregg track on this record is “Desdemona,” which he co-wrote with Haynes.
Low Country Blues 2011
They chose two tracks from Gregg’s penultimate solo album. “Just Another Rider” is the only song from this album Gregg had a hand in writing and it’s a great Gregg song. “Floating Bridge” isn’t an original, an outlier on a list that skews heavily toward Gregg’s own work.
Searching for Simplicity 1997 and Southern Blood 2017
Neither of these albums shows up on Loudersound.com’s top 15 Gregg Allman songs, here are my choices:
“Whipping Post” (from Simplicity) a slinky arrangement in 4/4 time, which Gregg worked up at the challenge of Red Dog Campbell, the ABB’s infamous roadie. That’s Jack Pearson on guitar.
“My Only True Friend” from Gregg’s posthumous album. Southern Blood also included only one Gregg original, a co-write with guitarist Scott Sharrard, from the Midnight Rider who knew the road was coming to an end.
Here’s the final tally
All in all, Loudersound.com did a very good job with Gregg’s catalog.
The two anomalies are “I’m No Angel” and “Floating Bridge”—neither of which Gregg had a hand in writing. I swapped out period-appropriate tracks.
I also chose “Sailin’ ‘Cross the Devil’s Sea” over “Good Clean Fun” and “Desdemona” over “Old Before My Time.”
Almost forgot the playlists.
This is just my list of according to their parameters—with a little bit of artistic license. I’m honestly not sure how I’d tackle Gregg’s catalog in a similar exercise. I’m gonna ponder that more.
As always, thanks for reading. If you liked this post, please share it with at least one person.
Until next time.
“AWTNM” takes the top spot here.
The “I’m No Angel” video is worth a watch if only for how cheesy it appears today. This is the only link I can find. It’s not the full video, it’ll give you an idea. Gregg’s band here includes former Allman Brothers “Dangerous” Dan Toler on guitar and his brother Frankie on drums.
In fact, I wasn’t sure if the video wasn’t mislabeled and wasn’t Bill Medley, but instead Gregg’s version, it sounds so similar to me.
I jokingly call this song “Vocals Awash in Reverb.”
"Wasted Words" is a throwaway IMHO. Queen of Hearts or Multi-Colored over it 10 of 10 times... and "These Days" has to be there. and I can come out of the closet and say that "I'm No Angel" is just super cheesy. I wouldn't put it on any list.