Growing up, my friend Josh Brown and I listened to The Allman Brothers' track, Statesboro Blues, at least a hundred times. When we got into the car to go play billiards or when the two of us simply needed a drive to clear our heads after a tough week. Without being extraordinary, Greg Allman's voice was mysterious and soulful. It was like he knew something that you didn't, and in order to find out, you had to listen to his tunes.
Allman passed away this weekend at the age of 69. For over a year, he had battled issues relating to his throat as well as other serious illnesses. He had to cancel a portion of his tour last year, and in March of this year, Allman scrapped another tour. The Midnight Rider had gotten too old to tell his stories on the road.
Whenever I think of Allman, I think about three songs: Statesboro Blues, Midnight Rider, and Sweet Melissa. Those were my three quintessential Allman Brothers tunes. Can you hear the former kicking up after that deep whail of the guitar?
Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low; I woke up this morning, I had those statesboro blues.
Blind Willie McTell wrote that song in 1928, and Allman and his band released their version in 1971. The song remains at no. 9 on Rolling Stones' top 100 songs list. Great songs never die; like the musicians who pass before they fall, the lyrics connect to our lives in ways we didn't see coming. I wouldn't sit here and say The Allman Brothers are among my top five bands, but that doesn't take away from the impact of their music. Whether you liked it or not, it had an impact. Great music usually does. It simply can't be denied.
Allman helped form the Allman Brothers Band in 1969 along with Duane Allman, Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks, and Jai Johanny Johanson. The band recorded hits such as Ramblin' Man, Whipping Post, Blue Sky, Hoochie Coochie Man, and Jessica in addition to the three I mentioned above. If you weren't a Lynyrd Skynyrd guy, Allman got your attention. The depth of the Allman Brothers Band catalog is highly underrated.
One of my fondest live recording listening moments is Allman joining the Dave Matthews Band for a rendition of Sweet Melissa. DMB are my guys, so seeing them pair with a legend to sing such a great song of passion was a top moment. Two guys with voices that are undeniable, trading lyrics like a couple sinners at a bar looking for one last shot.
Sweet Melissa is a song about yearning for a time that has since passed you by. Listening to it now will only make you think about what one last Allman performance could have been like. I tried to imagine it today...
A pale and weak looking man climbs up onto a stage, and he has a guitar in his hand. He may not have much time left, but he will play as many songs as he can before his number is called. He strums the guitar and starts to sing about a girl he once knew, but who has since vanished from his life. Her name is Melissa, and he imagines one last moment with her. Who knows? The old man plays that song, and suddenly he disappears from the stage.
Gregg Allman won't go down with the legends of music, but his impact on the genre of rock n' roll will not be forgotten. He helped bridge the gap between blues soul and rock, which paved the way for many others after him. The band's tunes will be appreciated decades from now. It will live on.
For the time being, wake up heaven and turn your lamp down low, because a Midnight Rider is ramblin' through.
