The Allman Brothers Band - Eat a Peach

Eat A Peach - A Masterpiece All Over Again

Man oh man oh man - THIS is the best of the best, the best remaster of the best of The Masters of American Rock/Jazz/Blues ever, The Allman Brothers Band when they were at their peak. The sound engineering on this CD has to be heard to be believed, but take my word for it, it is freaking excellent! Eat A Peach, when I first bought the album as a heartbroken junior in High School, was a great testament to the band and to their fallen leader, the greatest guitarist ever, Duane Allman. Of course the stuff Duane played on was excellent, but what we fans were ultimately saved by were the new recordings they made without him. They were so damn good with Duane, and yet the band was still damn good without him ( or should I say, without Duane's guitar playing, for he was certainly there in spirit when they recorded these songs.). And this superb remastering makes it all sound awesome. AND: added to all this is the second disc which features the entirety of the Brother's performance at the closing of the legendary Fillmore East. The sound quality of this disc is damned good, just a shade less than the original Fillmore recording, but hardly noticeable, I'd say. It's great to hear Duane talking between songs, great to hear his mind-altering guitar playing, great to hear Berry still playing the best bass in the world, and man does Greg sound good here. And of course Dickey Betts is awesome, and Jaimoe and Butch laying down the great double-beat...Jesus Christ! What a band they were! So glad they were with us while they were, but so damn sad Duane and Berry were gone so soon after these recordings. This CD is the best way to remember what was the greatest American rock band ever. Amen!
Now here are some more words a couple of months later. I now think that the second disc here sounds BETTER than the original Fillmore show. The mix is absolutely superb. Perhaps Duane and Dickey are playing a little more loosely here than on the Fillmore CD, but the overall sound here is just perfect, especially on headphones. This Deluxe Edition of Eat A Peach would definitely be on my Desert Island list. It has almost everything Fillmore has, plus the great studio songs they recorded just before and just after Duane's tragic death. I cannot recommend this CD enough - absolutely worth every penny. Listen and enjoy, rejoice and cry, it's all here. Duane Allman was a musical genius. And his band was the best this country ever produced. There's never been anything like him, or them, since. March 8, 2008

MOST DELECTABLE SOUTHERN ROCK

In 1972, Eat a Peach, released after the death of Duane Allman, one of the most outstanding guitarists ever, solidified the foundation of Southern Rock, much of it laid by the late, great musician and his surviving brother, Gregg. A landmark album in its own right, Eat a Peach was perhaps the first new release that combined music recorded in the studio with that which was recorded before a live audience. This was made so due to Duane's untimely fate. In fact, questions had previously arisen as to whether there would even be another Allman Brothers project after the 1971 classic, Live at Fillmore East. Dedicated to the memory of Duane, Eat a Peach was Gregg's answer, blending together tracks recorded before and after the departure of the elder Allman brother. And a triumphant decision it turned out to be.

Contained are the traditional Southern Rock staples Ain't Wastin' No More Time, the eternal Melissa, and the often-played but impossible to overplay Blue Sky. Included is the longest recorded rock track that I know of that was performed continuously (There was splicing and summing of recorded fragments in other albums such as Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick), which was the roughly thirty-three-and-a-half-minute outtake from Live at Fillmore East, Mountain Jam.

Eat a Peach is a most enjoyable, though sometimes poignant, listen. It has, again, the finely-tuned organ and the top-notch guitar work of the great Allman Brothers. You have the signature live and studio pieces that have preserved the Allman Brothers' legacy.

In the Deluxe CD version is included the Allman Brothers' final performance at Fillmore East, recorded just a few days after the aforementioned, breakthrough live album. It is another nice addition to the Southern Rock repertoire. 'Nuff said.
December 21, 2007

Great idea but...

After reading all the reviews, I decided to buy this package. It is in a lot of ways a disappointment. Comparing the second disc to The Fillmore Concerts, it doesn't even come close in terms of sound quality or performances. This show the band sounds tired and lacking the intensity of the FC discs. For instance, track 5 on disc 2 (I.M.O.E.R.), is played
slower than usual and Whipping Post is performed light years differently than on The F.C. disc. At times it sounds as though Duane and Dicky are not in tune with each other. I fail to understand why Universal music decided to include two tracks on disc 2 from 3-71 and move One Way Out, from the last show to disc 1. And Mountain Jam on disc 1, is this the only decent version of this track? Were any other versions recorded during this same period?. I would like to hear all the Fillmore shows in the proper running order, remixed of course like the stellar Fillmore Concerts set. My advice would be to stick to the Fillmore Concerts set if want the very best sound and performances. I have heard raves about how good the sound quality is on this Eat A Peach deluxe edition, sorry I don't agree. This was the 70's and recording technology was not as good as it is today. Now if it were given the red-carpet treatment, it may have sounded much better. The high end is rolled off, there's way too much bass in the mix, and at times solos are distant. A complete remix should have been done to start with. But in the end what really matters are the performances and they are not that great (the 6-27-71 show). Disc 1/9 tracks/69.37. Disc 2/9 tracks/76.27. The booklet and packaging are fine. August 11, 2007

Excellent Double Disc

I must admit that i bought this CD for one song, and this song is "One Way Out". I loved the tune because it had a remembrance with the "Rat Bat Blue" song made by Purple. Now, this CD has a very important thing that it must be mentioned: It is a compilation that includes Duane last concert, before beeing killed in an accident. And also, it includes never before released material, like Statesboro Blues, Hot 'Lanta, among others...
It's a good stuff to be heard when you are travelling by car, or, after work sitting in your couch on the living room (i prefer the latter one), so go ahead and buy this, if you want to know Allman Brothers. July 12, 2007

A perfectly packaged combo

Eat A Peach was arguably the Brothers last great album, however as a fan of the band it is also a reminder of what we lost on October 29, 1971. With only 3 songs completed at the time of Duane's unfortunate passing the band soldiered on and completed 3 new songs for the album as a quintet. The results were outstanding and with the addition of 3 live tracks that wouldn't fit on Live at Fillmore East, it filled out this double album nicely.

The remastering of this package far exceeds any of the previous attempts, the sound is now very clear and it is a pure delight to listen to this improved sound.

The real benefit of this package is the second disc of live material that was recorded on June 27, 1971 from the closing concert of the Fillmore East. A copy of this show was widely circulated amongst tape traders, however the quality of the sound included in this package far exceeds those of any of the circulated bootlegs. Any new live recordings that surface with Duane Allman's slide guitar are must haves for any fan of the Band or anyone who appreciates quality guitar playing.

This package is highly recommeded for those looking to upgrade their copy of the original album. It would also be a great place to start if you are looking to experience the Band for the first time, as it gives you a nice mix of studio and live recordings. The Allman Brothers need to be experienced in a live setting. March 28, 2007

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