Berry Oakley: Why Doesn't He Get More Respect - Page 3

dougjwray · #41 03-06-2012, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nortonrider

I dig the ABB and Berry Oakley - Always have!
matter of fact.......this pic is my desktop background.

Nice photo of the 1972 band!

otherclef · #42 03-06-2012, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nortonrider

I dig the ABB and Berry Oakley - Always have!
matter of fact.......this pic is my desktop background.

Is this some kind of twisted joke???

Greg is playing a Strat... who is that on the keys??

57pbass · #43 03-06-2012, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faivy

I believe but I can see that it would be harder for younger people to "find" him.

I agree with this comment....I think ABB are no longer main stream and have an older fan base..

Berry Oakley is one of the greats..what about his replacement Lamar Williams...I very rarely see his name mentioned

dougjwray · #44 03-06-2012, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by otherclef

Is this some kind of twisted joke???

Greg is playing a Strat... who is that on the keys??

This was after Duane's death and before Berry's death.
Chuck Leavell was brought in to play electric piano, and Gregg did play some guitar (he actually played guitar before Duane did).

nortonrider · #45 03-06-2012, 08:03 PM

Gregg Allman is a very good guitar player.

Chuck Leavell has been playing keyboards with the Rolling Stones
for like the past 30 years.

Rocker949 · #46 03-06-2012, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 57pbass

I agree with this comment....I think ABB are no longer main stream and have an older fan base..

Berry Oakley is one of the greats..what about his replacement Lamar Williams...I very rarely see his name mentioned

When I first heard about the Allman Brothers, they hadn't really even become the Allman Brothers Band. They were known as the Hour Glass. Even then, though, what they were doing was great music. It's kind of a downer that the ABB aren't in the mainstream anymore, but time marches on.

Turock · #47 03-06-2012, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougjwray

Good point.
I just want to say that I think more folks need to listen to the Allmans' Fillmore East album, because if they hold the common misconception that the Allmans with Duane and Berry were merely a slightly classier Lynyrd Skynyrd or Marshall Tucker Band, they will be surprised by the very large jazz component. One of Berry's strengths was his ability to improvise counter melodies and counterpoint, and I think the collective improvisation of the band made them closer relatives to Weather Report than you might think.
I was lucky enough to see the Allmans twice with Duane and Berry, and Weather Report once with Jaco. (And I knew Jaco a bit, and saw him in other situations, including the trio with Metheny and Bob Moses.) Not that it matters, but the original Allman Brothers have always moved me immensely, while Weather Report has impressed me and entertained me, but never moved me that much.

That's a good post, especially the bolded parts..

4Mal · #48 03-06-2012, 08:38 PM

Berry, definately an influence for me and a great groove guy. One of the milestone bassists though ? Not in my book. He was not Jamerson, Dunn, Macca, Porter jr, Harvey Brooks, etc. What he was was really damned good, in a really damned good band. That he went too young goes without saying. What he could have become ? Now that is tragic. He had the potential for sure...

smither12 · #49 12-16-2012, 09:53 AM

i love berry....the album Live at Filmore Berry doesn't misplace one note, he is like a machine and he doesn't make any mistakes, holds the groove tight with the organ

dcr · #50 12-16-2012, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smither12

i love berry....the album Live at Filmore Berry doesn't misplace one note, he is like a machine and he doesn't make any mistakes, holds the groove tight with the organ

Except where he comes in about a half-count late after the solo. He catches up quite well, tho. Most of the time I play "One Way Out", I'll also come in late out of respect. Unfortunately, most of my band mates don't get it and they get hosed up while I continue to drive thru it.

One of these days, they'll listen to the record. And yes I have it on vinyl.

dcr

mcm · #51 12-16-2012, 11:41 AM

He wasn't around long enough

mcm · #52 12-16-2012, 11:45 AM

Berry and jaco are apples and oranges

gumbynotpokey · #53 12-16-2012, 11:48 AM

I think he isn't thought of much because he was a very good bass player in an incredible band, with an incredible band sound, and incredible songs, rather than an incredible bass player in an ok band, etc. Further, he was overshadowed by the guitarists and 2-drummer thing etc.

As to his bass playing, he was much better than most and always under-rated overall. If you actually listen to him you can hear jazz, a chordal approach, a bit of counter-melody or even contrapuntal stuff to a point, and of course scale stuff that is more sophisticated than most bother trying to lay down or even attempt.

All of that in the context was very good indeed and almost no one today takes notice or cares. Bass players know, but few others. Kinda like Phil Lesh in that way.

Pet Sounds · #54 12-16-2012, 11:51 AM

It's interesting how some dead rock stars become icons while others are, sadly, almost forgotten. Brian Jones comes to mind. It's probably to do with the fact that they weren't lead singers or guitar gods.

shrimpflea · #55 12-16-2012, 01:12 PM

Berry was such a great bass player in an amazing band.....I think the interplay between him and Duane were the best I've ever heard.

rapidfirerob · #56 12-17-2012, 12:48 AM

Berry was the center of the band, with everything swirling around him. His written lines were so inventive and of course his improvisation skills were ridiculous. Musicians and especially bass players have not forgotten him, and Allman Bros. fans who are not musicians as well. I play bass in an Allman Bros. tribute band. http://allmanstepbrothers.com/
I also love fusion and Weather Report have always done it for me. All four bassists that were in that band were and are amazing.

Lichtaffen · #57 12-19-2012, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcm

Berry and jaco are apples and oranges

I disagree. They were oranges and apples.

RickC · #58 12-19-2012, 09:15 AM

I'd say more like peaches and mango...

Pet Sounds · #59 12-19-2012, 03:54 PM

Love the name Allman Stepbrothers.

Road-Dog · #60 12-20-2012, 06:30 AM

For younger players listening to the ABB will give you a sense of them, but if you had been around to see them live you would understand completely what some of us older players get. In a lot of ways they were a jam band and a tune you recognize on a record, in concert would have been performed way different quite often. They had the ability to take off with a tune and flow with it. Having been in the south while they were around I saw them dozens of times and remember very well the songs being so different from concert to concert. Look up "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" for example and you can find a whole lot of different versions of it. Learning that song on the bass, get the essentials, but I found Berry playing his parts different so often when I first learned it, that I gave up on a note for note learning after a while. He was very good at adapting to the moment.