Remembering Elizabeth Reed Redux

I ran across an excellent YouTube video of the classic Fillmore East live version of the Allman Brother's "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed." It's actually video footage of another night overlayed on the original sound track. There is no extant footage of that live version that I know of.  I am in love with this song, having written about it at length once before: link It haunts me somehow.

Duane Allman introduces the song, snapping his fingers to mark time (you can clearly hear this in the remastered CD version). Duane was a dirty hippy but there is something very southern gentleman in his voice: "A song Dickey Betts wrote from our second album....uh, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed...ready gentlemen? 1..2..3..."

Your Move

I've seen all good people turn their heads each day
So satisfied I'm on my way

Take a straight and stronger course to the corner of your life
Make the white queen run so fast she hasn't got time to make you a wife

'Cause it's time, it's time in time with your time and its news is captured... 

...for the queen to use

Move me on to any black square, use me any time you want
Just remember that the goal is for us all to capture all we want, (move me on), yea, yea, yea, yea, yea

Don't surround yourself with yourself, move on back two squares
Send an instant karma to me, initial it with loving care
(Don't surround yourself)

'Cause it's time, it's time in time with your time and its news is captured... 

...for the queen to use 

Diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit didda
Diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit didda 

'Cause it's time, it's time in time with your time and its news is captured 

For the queen to use 

Diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit didda (all we are saying)
Diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit didd (is give peace a chance)
Diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit didda

Diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit didd

'Cause it's time, it's time in time with your time and its news is captured.

Compare & Contrast

Here's another old song by Led Zeppelin, from their 4th (1971) LP called "The Battle of Evermore":

The Queen of Light took her Bow and then she turned to go
The Prince of Peace embraced the Gloom and walked the Night alone
Oh, dance in the dark of Night, sing to the morning Light
The Dark Lord rides in force tonight, and Time will tell us all
Oh, throw down your Plow and Hoe, rest not to lock your Home
Side by side we await the Might, of the darkest of them All 

I hear the horses' Thunder down in the Valley below
I'm waiting for the Angels of Avalon, waiting for the eastern Glow
The Apples of the Valley hold the Seeds of Happiness
The Ground is rich from tender Care, repay do not forget, no, no
Dance in the dark of Night, sing to the morning Light
The Apples turn to brown and black, the Tyrant's Face is red
Oh, War is the common Cry, pick up your Swords and fly
The Sky is filled with good and bad, Mortals never know 

Oh well, the Night is long, the Beads of Time pass slow
Tired Eyes on the Sunrise, waiting for the eastern Glow
The Pain of War cannot exceed the Woe of Aftermath
The Drums will shake the castle Wall, the Ring Wraiths ride in black (ride on)
Sing as you raise your Bow, (ride on) shoot straighter than before
No Comfort has the Fire at Night that lights the Face so cold
Oh, dance in the dark of Night, sing to the morning Light
The magic Runes are writ in Gold to bring the Balance back, bring it back...

At last the Sun is shining, the Clouds of blue roll by
With Flames from the Dragon of Darkness, the Sunlight blinds his Eyes

Oh, bring it back, bring it back, bring it back, bring it back, bring it back...

The story reminds me of the older (1940) animation sequence created by Walt Disney and set to music in his masterpiece, Fantasia:

Of course the original story is much older than either work of art.

Ritmo may be too young to remember this...

...but I remember it well:

Sheer Brilliant Lunacy

Bargain was a track from Who's Next and was allegedly inspired by Pete Townshend's spiritual guru, Meher Baba; I think the lyrics work just as well substituting a woman or a true love.

I put the video up to call attention to an outstanding piece of drumming by Keith Moon which I've never heard equalled. It's the part here where he comes back to close the song. Listen to how Moon pedals a bass line with both feet! He played double bass drums and perfected bass drum triplets, evident throughout the whole album, but most conspicuously there. You can hear John Entwistle dabbling in and out, accenting Moon's shin-cramping pedalled paradiddles.

Singing Through His Fingers...

Gregg said that, early on, Duane did most of the singing. As things evolved over time, Gregg gradually took on that role. Evidently Duane knew that Gregg was going to be a singer before Gregg did himself and encouraged him in that direction. As his little brother grew more confident in his own voice, Duane continued to improve his singing through his fingers.

~Joe Bell quoted in Skydog: The Duane Allman Story by Randy Poe.

I love the metaphor singing through his fingers and it applies to many other guitarists besides Duane Allman. Listen to this climactic portion of In Memory of Elizabeth Reed. Allman finishes his 4 1/2 minute solo with a third and final ululation (technically, an ululation called a trill). Listen to how he doubles the frequency, like an ice dancer pulling in his arms to spin faster (just to mix metaphors for a moment).

Remembering Elizabeth Reed

I love the live version of In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed on The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East which first appeared forty years ago next month. That's why reading this on Wikipedia sort of angered me [Tom Dowd was the Allman Brothers' producer]:

The clearest example of Tom Dowd's approach to the project comes in the 13 minute version of "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" that is pieced together from multiple takes, one of them being the March 13th (first show) version that appeared on the original album. The band played the song three times during its Fillmore stand. 'One of them I hated,' Dowd says, 'but two of them were fantastic!' Dowd and mixer Jay Mark mixed down those two versions and proceeded to, as Dowd puts it, 'take this song apart. I came to the conclusion that in the first half of the song, up to Duane's solo, I had a better band performance and Dickey Betts' solo on the version that we had not used before. Starting with Duane's solo, though, it's the original version. Twenty-one year later, I know 'Liz Reed' as well as I know any song, certainly more than I did in that time of instant decisions. Putting the two versions together showed off the song best. Listen to it! Listen to the togetherness of Dickey, Duane, and Gregg on the theme lines, and how Butch and Jaimoe adjust to the changes up front. There's much more exciting interplay now, more like the band sounded those nights.'

Other sources confirm. Bruce Eder's Allmusic review of the 1992 volume says that 'It is also a slightly less honest release [than the original], where "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" is concerned — Dowd edited the version here together from two different performances, first and second shows, the dividing line being where Duane Allman's solo comes in.' Link

This is just so wrong on so many levels. To my ear, there is smooth continuity throughout, but I was still suspicious so I uploaded the entire song into "Sound Studio," a program that allows one to manipulate digital media. Another feature of that program is being able to "visualize" the sound. I tried to find any unnatural splice in this otherwise seemingly seamless version. I didn't find any but I did come to appreciate the structure of the song. To me it still speaks a language of perfect unity but also respectful division of talent. The song has been analyzed in detail, for example here.

Listen to this portion of the 2003 (non-Dowdified) re-release that starts at the end of Gregg Allman's solo and ends just after Duane Allman begins his solo. This part includes "the dividing line where Duane Allman's solo comes in," where splicing of two different versions is alleged to have occurred:

link

If you don't already own it, you can hear the whole song at this YouTube here while it's still up. But please buy it. That's Duane Allman's voice introducing the song. His legendary guitar solo begins promptly at the 7 min 47 sec mark and lasts more than 4 minutes. This is the sound that led Eric Clapton to stalk and attempt to lure away Duane Allman for his own. Allegedly, Clapton (along with Tom Dowd) once showed up at an Allman Brothers concert and presented themselves front and center:

Allman was soloing, eyes closed, and head to the sky while the men took their 'seats'. When he looked down and spotted Eric, he froze on the spot, bringing his solo to an abrupt ending. Duane stood dumbfounded on stage, staring down, utterly amazed to see Eric sitting on the grass in front of him. 'It scared Duane to death!' Gregg later said of this brother's peculiar reaction to Eric’s presence. link

Another version of the same story says that Dickey Betts kept playing, picking up Duane's slack but he had to turn his back after he too realized that Clapton was watching them. link  Clapton went on to invite Duane to play guitar for his cri de coeur, Layla. This must have rankled the older Betts. But Duane Allman declined to quit the band, preferring to keep the Allman Brothers intact. Later that year, Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident. Bass player Berry Oakley was killed later on too in another senseless motorcycle accident.  They're buried side-by-side like brothers.*

So who was Elizabeth Reed? According to Betts, she was a name on a headstone at a cemetery where he used to go to be alone and write music. It's so easy for me to imagine that Elizabeth Reed represented some kind of muse because I believe that every artist has some sort of muse at some point. But I think I'm wrong there. I think that Keith Richards had it right:

The early days of the magic of guitar weaving started then. You realize what you can do playing guitar with another guy, and what the two of you can do is the power of ten, and then you add other people. There's something beautifully friendly and elevating about a bunch of guys playing music together. This wonderful little world is unassailable. It's really teamwork, one guy supporting the others, and it's for one purpose, and there's no flies in the ointment, for a while. And nobody conducting, it's all up to you. It's really jazz--that's the big secret. Rock and roll ain't nothing but jazz with a hard backbeat.

~Keith Richards, Life, p. 104.

In Memory Of Elisabeth Reed was inspired by John Coltrane and Miles Davis. So please spare me the tripe about "Southern" rock being infused with racism. Just look at the Allman Brothers--I mean look hard at them in their time and place.  Again--please buy the song--those guys played their hearts out for us.
__________________
*Update 6/18/17:  Gregg Allman is buried next to brother Duane and Berry Oakley.

Special thanks to meadabawdy for tweeting links to the song: link

Dickey Betts -- along with his son, Duane -- remembers the chords: link

Here is a cool website with old photos lovingly dedicated to the band: link, including photos of the cemetery.

Here is a link to a different version of the same song from a different night/show at the same venue: link

The Best Albums of 1971

Paradoxically, as the albums get better, my lists get shorter.

Sticky Fingers ~ The Rolling Stones
L.A. Woman ~ The Doors
Led Zeppelin IV ~ Led Zeppelin
Who's Next ~ The Who  <--- My pick
At Fillmore East ~ The Allman Brothers Band

Rockin' the Fillmore ~ Humble Pie

Runners up:

The Yes Album ~ Yes

Aqualung ~ Jethro Tull

What's Going On ~ Marvin Gaye
Every Picture Tells A Story ~ Rod Stewart
Straight Up ~ Badfinger
Tupelo Honey ~ Van Morrison

Notable Singles in 1971:

American Pie ~ Don McLean
Just My Imagination ~ Temptations
Theme from "Shaft" ~ Isaac Hayes
Me and Bobby McGee ~ Janis Joplin (posthumous hit)
Bang a Gong (Get It On) ~ T. Rex
Ain't No Sunshine ~ Bill Withers
It Don't Come Easy ~ Ringo Starr
I'd Love to Change the World ~ Ten Years After
Hocus Pocus ~ Focus
I Just Want To Celebrate ~ Rare Earth

"The End" of Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison and his father on the bridge of the USS Bon Homme Richard ca. 1964

1966 was a time when sons began open revolt against their fathers. Could there be a more egregious example than Jim Morrison and his father, Admiral George "Steve" Morrison (pictured together above)?

Obviously Morrison was a talented lyricist, and together with his looks and charisma (plus three talented musicians) The Doors' success was a no-brainer in hindsight. And yet I've always thought his most interesting material was culled from his pre-fame days: things he had written well before the band gelled in 1965 and honed their act throughout 1966 [for example Indian Summer from 1966].

Morrison's father is interesting in his own right. He doesn't seem at all like the authoritarian caricature that Oliver Stone portrayed in his fawning homage (surpassed in obsequiousness only by the earlier Danny Sugerman book No One Here Gets Out Alive).  Don't get me wrong.  I still love much of The Doors' music. But as I get older, it's interesting to consider the whole spectacle in a broader context. And it's also disappointing that people still don't take Bruce Harris's message seriously, that Jim Morrison didn't want to be an idol "because he believed all idols were hollow." To Jim Morrison, the whole spectacle was a theater art project. 

My backyard neighbor is the son of retired Navy brass and visits his parents down on Coronado Island. He met Admiral Morrison once before he died in 2008: "a good guy" he told me once. According to this San Diego newspaper account, the elder Morrison still biked around the island until the end, inviting friends to "Steve's Happy Hour."

Admiral Morrison visited his son's grave in 1990 and placed an engraved plaque written in Greek which translated recites:
 
True to his own genius

I wonder if the son, were he still alive, could have eventually forgiven the father for whatever drove him apart. I wonder if the poet-son could have spared even one poetic phrase for his father.