Whereas most great live
rock
albums are about energy,
At Fillmore East
is like a great live
jazz
session, where the pleasure comes from the musicians' interaction and playing. The great thing about that is, the original album that brought
the Allmans
so much acclaim is as notable for its clever studio editing as it is for its performances. Producer
Tom Dowd
skillfully trimmed some of the performances down to relatively concise running time (edits later restored on the double-disc set
The Fillmore Concerts
), at times condensing several performances into one track. Far from being a sacrilege, this tactic helps present
in their best light, since even if the music isn't necessarily concise (three tracks run over ten minutes, with two in the 20-minute range), it does showcase the group's terrific instrumental interplay, letting each member (but particularly guitarist
Duane
and keyboardist/vocalist
Gregg
) shine. Even after the release of the unedited concerts, this original double album remains the pinnacle of
and
Southern rock
at its most elastic, bluesy, and jazzy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine