Gregg Allman’s Timeless Soul & Grit Gets Reawakened On ‘Great As Ever: Live In Philadelphia ’86’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

With the release of Great As Ever: Live In Philadelphia ’86, a theme is beginning to emerge in the chronological issues of this archival series. Notwithstanding how this package lives up to its title–it’s actually a reference to the loyalty of the audience from the leader of the band–Gregg Allman’s self-assurance and pride in his work is too obvious to ignore throughout the third edition of concert recordings from the late Southerner’s vault, this one captured on January 11, 1986, at Chestnut Cabaret, Philadelphia, PA.

From the very opening of “Don’t Want You No More”/”Ain’t My Cross The Bear,” the segue taken from the ABB studio debut, much of the set consists of well-known selections from the Allman Brothers’ discography. Yet none of these culls are extended improvisational pieces from the seminal Dixie rockers’ repertoire; the closest cut of that sort is this whiplash take on  “Hot ‘Lanta” where the synchrony between drummer Frankie Toler and bassist Bruce Waibel adds drama to the the comparatively abbreviated instrumental (which only ever appeared officially on the landmark concert title of 1971 At Fillmore East.)

The sextet, including the namesake, is likewise the aural picture of self-discipline on chestnuts such as “Trouble No More”–Gregg’s most guttural delivery here–while “Melissa” (dedicated to Dickey Betts) is magnificently bittersweet. It is telling, too, that what was purportedly the late Duane Allman’s favorite song among his siblings’ rivals in length is two of the rootsy ballads Gregg highlighted in his solo work.

Accordingly, none of these dozen tracks reach double figures in duration, but it is notable that the longest cuts on Great As Ever are the nearly eight minutes devoted to “Queen of Hearts” and close to seven minutes of “Just Ain’t Easy.” The former number derives from Allman’s initial solo album, ’73’s Laid Back, while the patently autobiographical likes of the latter first appeared on the 1979 Allman LP Enlightened Rogues; along with the similarly-soul styled “Need Your Love So Bad,” Gregg is at his most emotive here, singing with a passion that is, like this album overall, as personal as it is professional. 

The catharsis is palpable, evidence of how thoroughly the man had internalized his early R&B and soul influences as a fledgling songwriter while honing his presence as a commanding performer. Focusing on such material was arguably the main impetus behind Gregg Allman’s original initiative under his own name, so the prominence of those pieces here is in keeping with his recorded history, even at this juncture of his solo career, just prior to one of his most commercial efforts, 1987’s wryly-titled I’m No Angel. 

ABB griot Kirk West supplied the soundboard recording for Live In Philadelphia ’86, and there is no gloss to it whatsoever. Instead, clarity and depth in the sonics, overseen by archivist extraordinaire Bill Levenson, match the musicians’ engagement. Thus, the audio renders Chaz Trippy’s percussion as perfectly audible in the mix as Tim Heding’s ancillary keyboards. Yet those instrumental textures, like the sharp, twirling sound of Dan Toler’s electric lead solos–hear his tuneful tones during “Midnight Rider–never take precedence over Allman’s voice.

As the late younger Allman Brother intones ‘And I will always keep on trying…’, the unmistakable resolve in his phrasing suggests that line (or a variation thereof) might well have been the subtitle of Great As Ever. Such is the determined and dedicated attitude that permeates this forty-year-old performance.