Allman Brothers - 1972 [1986] "Eat A Peach"

Eat a Peach is the third studio album by American rock band the Allman Brothers Band. Produced by Tom Dowd, the album was released on February 12, 1972, in the United States by Capricorn Records. Following their artistic and commercial breakthrough with the release of the live album At Fillmore East (1971), the Allman Brothers Band got to work on their third studio album. Many in the band were struggling, however, with heroin addictions, and checked into rehab to confront these problems. Shortly after leaving rehab, group leader and founder Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident in the band's home of Macon, Georgia, making it the final album to feature the guitarist.

Eat a Peach was a mix of studio recordings—both with and without Duane Allman—and recordings from the band's famed 1971 Fillmore East performances. The album contains the extended half-hour-long "Mountain Jam," which was long enough to take up two full sides of the original double-LP. Other highlights include vocalist Gregg Allman's performance of his brother's favorite song, "Melissa," plus Dickey Betts' "Blue Sky", which went on to become a classic rock radio staple.

The album artwork was created by W. David Powell and J. F. Holmes at Wonder Graphics, and depicts the band's name on a peach truck, in addition to a large gatefold mural of mushrooms and fairies. The album's title came from a quote by Duane Allman: "You can't help the revolution, because there's just evolution ... Every time I'm in Georgia, I eat a peach for peace ... the two-legged Georgia variety."

Issued as a double album in February 1972, Eat a Peach was an immediate success and peaked at number four on Billboard's Top 200 Pop Albums chart. The album was later certified platinum and remains a top seller in the band's discography.

A tribute to the dearly departed Duane, Eat a Peach rambles through two albums, running through a side of new songs, recorded post-Duane, spending a full album on live cuts from the Fillmore East sessions, then offering a round of studio tracks Duane completed before his death. On the first side, they do suggest the mellowness of the Dickey Betts-led Brothers and Sisters, particularly on the lovely "Melissa," and this stands in direct contrast with the monumental live cuts that dominate the album. They're at the best on the punchier covers of "One Way Out" and "Trouble No More," both proof of the group's exceptional talents as a roadhouse blues-rock band, but Duane does get his needed showcase on "Mountain Jam," a sprawling 33-minute jam that may feature a lot of great playing, but is certainly a little hard for anyone outside of diehards to sit through. Apart from that cut, the record showcases the Allmans at their peak, and it's hard not to feel sad as the acoustic guitars of "Little Martha" conclude the record, since this tribute isn't just heartfelt, it offers proof of Duane Allman's immense talents and contribution to the band

 Track listing:

1     Ain't Wastin' Time No More     3:37
2     Les Brers In A Minor     9:00
3     Melissa     3:52
4     Mountain Jam     33:40
5     One Way Out     4:57
6     Trouble No More     3:43
7     Stand Back     3:20
8     Blue Sky     5:08
9     Little Martha     2:07

Personnel:

    Duane Allman – slide guitar, lead guitar, acoustic guitar on all tracks except "Ain't Wastin' Time No More", "Les Brers in A Minor" and "Melissa"
    Dickey Betts – lead guitar, lead vocals on "Blue Sky"
    Gregg Allman – lead vocals, Hammond organ, piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, acoustic guitar
    Berry Oakley – bass guitar
    Jai Johanny Johanson – drums, congas
    Butch Trucks – drums, percussion, timpani, gong, vibes, tambourine