Released shortly after the death of guitar legend Duane Allman, EAT A PEACH occupies an important transitional spot in the Allman Brothers' discography. The leading three tracks, recorded after Duane's death, point the way toward the band's future. While still rooted in the group's blues-jam roots, these songs show the Allmans angling closer to the melodic country style that was guitarist Dicky Betts's forte. Betts acquits himself well on the opening "Ain't Wastin' Time No More," deftly handling a slide-guitar part that cannot help but evoke the group's departed member.
"Melissa" plays squarely to Betts's strengths, while "Les Brers in A Minor" recalls the extended jams of the AT THE FILLMORE EAST album. The next three tracks on EAT A PEACH are taken from the Fillmore shows. Each selection represents the Duane-era Allmans at their best, especially the blistering "Trouble No More." The sound quality on these tracks, however, does not compare well to the analogous tracks on THE FILLMORE CONCERTS, an expanded reissue of the classic live album. The final three tracks, studio sessions featuring Duane, hint at what PEACH might have been had Duane lived.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (4/13/72, p.62) - "...typically, the whole band merges into one organism, one master musician with 30 fingers and six instruments to play on..."
Spin (p.87) - 5 starts out of 5 -- "[A] sometimes somber, sometimes epic astral-boogie elegy."
Q (p.118) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "The mellow country vibes of 'Blue Sky' and 'Melissa' are nice..."
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