Bring back Dickey!
What's is been, ten years? Sometime ago, the Allman Brothers fired singer/ guitarist Dickey Betts. When I say 'the Allman Brothers', I mean two people. The Allman Brothers are Dickey Betts and Greg Allman. Of course there are others in the band (like the fucking phenomenal Warren Haynes), but Dickey and Greg wrote and sing all the songs. In my experience (I have seen them near 20 times), the band split the singing duties about half and half. When the Allman's fired Dickey, they lost half their catalogue immediately.
Blue Sky, Seven Turns, Jessica, too many great songs to mention, are all gone from the live Allman Brothers catalogue. So, what happened to Dickey? Well, I remember when it happened, and he seemed as surprised as me. It was something like he got a fax from the band saying 'his services would no longer be needed'. The issue was this, his drinking. Dickey had a drinking problem. In fact, one year I went to see them in Buffalo (Darien Lake) and Dickey wasn't there. Greg Allman said something about him being in jail, not much else. I can kinda see why a band may need to fire someone because of substance abuse problems. It holds everybody back.
That isn't to say they Allmans suffer without him. Hittin' the Note is the best studio Allmans in 20 years. From what I understand, that album was entirely Warren Haynes' work.
I grew up watching Greg on the left, Dickey in the center, and Warren on the right. Every show started with Statesboro Blues, always. I want that back.
Thing is this > we are talking about the Allman Brothers. I mean, getting kicked out of the Allman's for drinking is like getting kicked out of Prince's band for 'being weird'. It's like Jesse Jackson telling you that you are a camera hog. It's like Sheriff Joe telling you to ease up on the prisoners. The Allmans are a drinking band, and they play drinking music. It's a fact.
Dickey is still around, doing his Allman's songs with his new band 'The Great Southern'. They are good, I have a DVD of them. They aren't great, though.
Ten years is a long time to teach someone a lesson. Please bring Dickey back!
Comments
and hittin' the note is clearly collaberative. yes, warren haynes is the floor leader of the current allman brothers lineup. dickey was the reason he (and allen woody) left the allman brothers band.
both are on tour now. go see them. if you're lucky, you may get to see a great show from dickey betts. but with this current configuration, it's a guarantee from the allman brothers. they *are* hitting all the notes...
"Every show started with Statesboro Blues, always. I want that back."
Interesting comment. Every show also had "Blue Sky" mid first set. Every show also had "Liz Reed" with a long drum "solo" followed by "No One Left To Run With" to close the second set. Like clockwork. I do miss hearing songs like "Blue Sky", "High Falls" and "Back Where it all Began" which haven't been played since Dickey's departure but I DON"T miss the same stale setlists over and over. Today's Allmans are fresh and exciting. They never play the same set twice and they knock the audience's socks off with surprises like opening shows with traditional closers and cool covers like "Dazed and Confused", "Layla", "Guilded Splinters" "Afro Blue" and the list goes on. Also, no one knows for sure but I don't think just being a drunk got Dickey kicked out. More likely being a beligerant violent drunk is what did it.
Don't get me wrong, Dickey's got a unique tone, style and attack that is currently not part of the ABB sound. Problem is, since Warren and Allen left (and maybe a bit before) Dickey has never been consistent. Just listen to anything in the last five years from the Beacon and compare that with Dickey's last ABB album (Peakin' at the Beacon). Sad to say, they're much better without him.
As mentioned earlier, their setlists are now much more open and have included in recent years High Falls, Les Brer (Dickey tunes which were rarely (if ever played when he was in the band) and many other songs from their catalog.
And while I love Statesboro Blues, I'm never disappointed not to hear it in concert because it is usually replaced by another gem.
If Dickey ever got his act together (controlled his drinking, dropped the negative attitude, improved his playing, learned to play nice with the others) I'd love to have him retrun. But if he never does, no problem -- as is, the ABB are sounding better than they have since Duane and Berry departed.
Is that so wrong?
He died in 1972, right? That is the year I was born. Of course his guitar work is sick on 'Fillmore East', and I wish we had more gems from him along the lines of 'Little Martha'. Honestly, though, to me 95% of their catalogue and prowess as a touring band comes long after the great Duane Allman's passing.
meant to say that ABB has been following the jamming style that duane pioneered all these years. and i meant to say that greg has been clean and sober for 6 or 7 years now. and dickie was booted out in 2000 or 2001, not 10 years ago.
After a few years of doing this, I can't contribute to Dickey's mess anymore and understand (things could have been handled differently) why he had to go. I saw him recently in Ridgefield, CT. and he was a mess. He was so hammered that he forgot lyrics, was playing a different song than the rest of his band at many points and shouldn't have been taking people's money.
Meanwhile, the Allman shows have been outstanding. New songs, new set lists each night, Warren is as strong a musician as you will find playing today and Derek is a treat. I think Greg must have forgotten about all of the shows Dickey carried him through while he was nodding off at the keyboard, and he should still be ashamed of himself,but even his performances have been great.
Dickey needs help and I hope he gets it
The performances slogged through with no joy or pace, he has his band signing his songs (instead of him), and the whole thing felt musically uninspired... like someone needed to make a house payment.
There is no question that Warren Haynes is simply a god, and maybe the band doesn't need Dickey back.
there, I said it.
Dickey Betts was certainly a huge influence in his own right. However, to say that they lost half of their songs when he left is just wrong. It is true that I have never heard Blue Sky played live, which is a shame, but there are other Dickey songs that I have heard quite frequently. None of us really know 100% for sure what kind of a guy Dickey Betts is, or the exact reason for why he parted ways with the band, but I can say that they are definitely a great band without him. Will he ever come back? I doubt it. 38 years later, this band is flourishing right now creatively with the current line-up as if they were just starting out. I'd be willing to bet that asking Dickey Betts, and whatever bagage comes with him, to return to the band is the last thing on Gregg's or anyone else in the band's mind.
and in case you dont respond to that. here i go begging
PLEASE just a few shows together see how it goes!!!
to be fair, though, watching Warren and Derek go toe to toe with each other right in front of me was pretty transcendant.
I love all the comments and the passion. Music is subjective. To me, that means every one of you are right when you say "you are a dipshit who doesn't know a thing'. It's true. that is what I called the site 'maybe I am wrong'.
Lastly, a reader pointed out something I hadn't noticed until he mentioned it. The setlists were very stagnant during the Dickey area. About 40% of the songs you got at every show. That did change when Dickey left. I am heartbroken I will never get to hear Statesboro Blues' or 'Whipping Post' ever again live.
thanks for stopping by, and thanks for the feedback. Even the mean stuff!