gregg allman band it's not my cross to bear

Hittin’ the Note is the best (and only) Allman Brothers album produced recently and he barely mentions it, other than to say Jaimoe came up with the title from one of Berry Oakley’s pet phrases.While My Cross to Bear is a must for Allman Brothers fans, I’d rather have heard less about the tos and fros of his travels and more about the making of some of the best music we’ll ever hear. Yet there’s scant mention of it and there’s no mention of why he never plays songs from it in his concerts. It apparently is one that Gregg’s proud of as well. Searching for Simplicity is far and away Gregg’s best solo album as well as, in my humble opinion, one of the best blues albums around. His alcohol and drug abuse, as well as that of his bandmates, made for a turbulent life.However, My Cross to Bear is more notable for what it doesn’t say. He doesn’t ‘diss’ anyone nor does he reveal any major revelations.

It’s like sitting in Gregory’s (his real friends call him Gregory, not Gregg) living room over a cup of coffee (since he’s alcohol/drug free) and listening to him ramble on about his life, his brother, his wives, bandmates, etc. So Gregg’s autobiography was a must read, regardless of the reviews, which were pretty good.My Cross to Bear is an interesting read. I’ve seen Gregg perform solo a good number of times and the Allman Brothers Band pretty much regularly at the Beacon Theater in New York. Read moreĪs some of you may know, I’m a big Allman Brothers Band fan. The book was near-great and I'm glad I picked it up after some false starts. It is a testament to his talent that he remained a performer through the early 2010's.

It made hard but compelling reading.Īll the same, the book gave me a new appreciation of his music, and the music that blossomed in the fertile days of the late 1960's and early 1970's.

The life of a touring and performing musician often does not blend well with domesticity. It was known, early on, that they were destructive. The self-destruction in their lives was, simply put, a waste. 'My Cross to Bear' is an illustration, even 'Exhibit 'A' of the Neil Young song, 'Needle (or bottle) and the Damage Done.' Many of the musicians, including Gregory (as he preferred to be called) were so intelligent and talented. A friend of mine introduced me to Gregg Allman's solo music during the summer of 1979, with the album 'Laid Back.' My favorite song of his, on that album, 'These Days' (written by Jackson Browne), is still going through my head. I started listening to the Allman Brothers in 1971, when I started listening to WNEW-FM. I wasn't sure I was going to like this book but for $1.50 it was worth the try. I purchased My Cross to Bear, by Gregg Allman at a library-sponsored used book sale about four or five years ago.

Gregg allman band it's not my cross to bear