Only two days are left in the now very old year, so it will not be long before the new, young year is finally here. As the calendar turns from 2023 to 2024, audiences waiting for new music will not have to wait very long for said content, as another new archived concert from The Allman Brothers Band is scheduled for release Jan 12 in the form of Manley Field House: Syracuse University – April 7, 1972. Spanning a total of 12 tracks (11 of which are actual song performances – the opener is just the band introduction) the forthcoming recording is a presentation that audiences will find intriguing. That is due in large part to its audio, which will be examined shortly. The concert’s set list and the band’s performance thereof makes for its own appeal and will be discussed a little later. The recording’s brief liner notes round out is most important elements. Each item noted is key in its own way to the whole of the recording’s presentation. All things considered they make Manley Field House: Syracuse University – April 7, 1972 a presentation that the most devoted fans of The Allman Brothers Band will enjoy.
Manley Field House: Syracuse University – April 7, 1972, the forthcoming new archived concert from The Allman Brothers Band, is a unique offering from the band that its most devoted audiences are sure to enjoy. That is due in large part to its audio mix. Throughout the course of the 92-minute concert, the audio mix is clearly spread across separate channels. Front man Gregg Allman’s vocals run on the “right” channel along with the lead guitar of Dickey Betts. Meanwhile, the rest of the group’s work is presented in stereo. In other words, it seems like the vocals and lead guitar were either recorded or remastered for this concert in mono while everything else was recorded or redone in stereo. The imbalance in the audio can at times, lead some listeners to scratch their heads. There is no discussion anywhere in the two-disc presentation’s packaging as to whether this was from the original recording or whether it happened in post for remastering. If in fact it was part of the original recording, then it makes for an interesting look back at recording tech at the time and leaves for plenty of room for discussion among audiences. Adding in that there are so many vintage concerts out there on the market whose audio is far better balanced, one can only assume this must have been part of the original recording. To that end, the noted true devotees of The Allman Brothers Band will appreciate this intriguing part of the recording. For all other audiences, as long as said listeners take in the concert more passively than actively, they will not find themselves too overly bothered by the imbalance. Keeping this in mind, the audio imbalance makes for an interesting historical aspect in its own right to the whole of this recording.
Knowing that the unique audio presentation of Manley Field House: Syracuse University – April 7, 1972, is not enough to doom the recording, there are other matters to examine here; not the least of which being the concert’s set list. Totaling 11 songs, the set list reaches back to the band’s 1969 self-titled debut album and all the way up to its 1972 hybrid studio/live recording, Eat A Peach. Fan favorites, such as the band’s covers of Blind Willie McTell’s ‘Statesboro Blues’ and Elmore James’ ‘Done Somebody Wrong’ are both here alongside original favorites, such as ‘Whipping Post,’ ‘In Memory of Elizabeth Reed’ and ‘Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More.’ The band – in its five-member configuration here (this will be addressed a little later in the note of the recording’s liner notes) – lets its performance do the talking throughout the course of the recording. The jam session that develops in ‘Whipping Post,’ for instance, just happens organically and audiences cannot help but enjoy the performance. The pairing of drummer Butch Trucks and percussionist Jaimoe makes for so much richness as the two men clearly compliment each other in their own right while Allman, Betts, and bassist Berry Oakley create their own depth. At times, the Middle Eastern influence that Betts puts out there alongside Allman’s work on keyboard creates such a unique air for lack of better wording. The ghost notes and accents from Jaime and Trucks, and the duo’s polyrhythmic patterns are so powerful because of the focus that they exhibit from each musician.
On a separate note, the band’s performance of ‘Syracuse Jam,’ which was special to the concert (being performed at Syracuse University after all), shows its own enjoyable performance from the band. The bluesy instrumental jam between Betts and Oakley is so fun and light while Trucks adds so much of his own fun flare to the mix. Oakley’s steady bass line is the perfect complement to Betts’ performance on guitar. Allman’s eventual addition to the mix on the B3 Hammond organ adds just enough of a touch, too. The whole displays the five-piece in such a positive light even on the heels of the tragedy it had faced not too much prior to the concert. It is an encouraging thing that further shows the importance of the set list here and the band’s performance thereof.
Speaking of the tragedy the band faced prior to the recording, that tragedy in question was the untimely death of then front man Duane Allman in October 1971. Jeff Chard, former Syracuse University concert coordinator who had coordinated this concert, makes note of Allman’s passing in the liner notes he composed for the recording. For those who maybe are less familiar with the band’s history, Duane Allman passed in October 1971 as a result of injuries he sustained in a motorcycle crash. He was only 24 years old. His death came only five months ahead of this concert, so even then it could not have been easy for the band to have pressed on but press on it did and this concert recording shows how it did just that. Getting back to Chard’s notes, he points out in his writings, the indoor concert was additionally unique because the floor inside was in fact dirt, not other material. He writes of this aspect, “Dirt floors are great for track and field events, but not so much for rock concert crowd dashes. When the crowd poured in from all sides, they raised a cloud of dust that stayed in the air well past the end of the show.” That description, while brief, is so illustrative. It really helps to immerse audiences even more into the concert since it is presented here as an audio-only offering. It makes it so easy to see the situation in one’s own mind, making for all the more enjoyment. According to Chard, the floor was dirt because the field house was an indoor track and field facility. That in itself is sure to generate its own share of discussion among audiences on how commonplace this was at athletic facilities at that time.
Chard also makes note of each member of the band’s performance as part of his remembrance, which helps to set the stage (no pun intended) even more. He also notes that the recording was made possible in part because the band even agreed to make the recording at the time, which is what made this archived offering possible. Between this brief revelation, the discussion on the concert itself and how it came to be, and the other brief comments made by Chard, the whole makes Chard’s overall notes their own point of engagement and entertainment. When the positive of his notes is considered along with the impact of the band’s performance, the show’s set list and the intriguing audio, the whole makes Manley Field House: Syracuse University – April 7, 1972 a presentation an interesting start to 2024’s field of new live recordings.
Manley Field House: Syracuse University – April 7, 1972, the forthcoming new live recording from The Allman Brothers, is an interesting new offering from the band. Its interest comes in part through its audio, which is presented on separate channels. For some, that imbalance will prove uncomfortable. For others though, it will prove positive for its historical aspect. The concert’s set list and the band’s performance thereof add to the interest. The set list is a representation of the band’s catalog to that point while the band’s performance thereof generates full engagement and entertainment. The liner notes that accompany the recording are brief but give plenty of background. The whole of these elements makes Manley Field House: Syracuse University – April 7, 1972 overall, a presentation that while not perfect is still worth hearing at least once.
Manley Field House: Syracuse University – April 7, 1972 is scheduled for release Jan. 12 through The Allman Brothers Band Recording Company. More information on the recording is available along with all of the latest Allman Brothers Band news at:
Website: https://allmanbrothersband.com
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