Pedro in Hittin' the Note Articles / Posted by Rowland on Jun 28, 2003 - 09:46 PM Back Where It All Begins Dickey Betts & Great Southern Eagle Rock Entertainment by Joe Knap From the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 1995, Dickey Betts has performed - both with the Allman Brothers and on his own - at a variety of Rock Hall events. Dickey and the Brothers played at the inaugural concert and at the American Music Masters tribute to Robert Johnson in 1998. Dickey became the first Hall of Fame inductee to actually perform in the building itself, playing an acoustic set accompanied by Warren Haynes and Allen Woody in April 1996. Now, backed by Great Southern, Dickey is the first Hall of Famer to release a concert DVD recorded at the Rock Hall. Appropriately titled Back Where It All Begins, the DVD/CD includes the well-known Allman Brothers song that Betts wrote and acknowledges Dickey's reverence for the Rock Hall and the emotions he experiences as an inductee. Filmed on September 29, 2004, the 152-minute DVD and 60-minute CD reflect Dickey's and the band's abilities to overcome adversity. That late September day begins with Dickey being inter'viewed on local radio and at the Rock Hall. We arrived early for the concert, and were treated to a multi-song sound check, clearly audible from just outside the building. Walking across the plaza to his bus following the sound check, Dickey shouts to the gathering crowd, "We're gonna have some fun tonight!" We settle into our seats, and the show opens with "Statesboro Blues:' one of the few Allman Brothers-related songs on the Great Southern setlist that Dickey did not write. Vocalist Mike Kach shines, and he gives the band the flexibility to do such songs as "No One to Run With:' and "Come On in My Kitchen." He also contributes some nice keyboard work that adds a sound reminiscent of what Johnny Neel brought to Dickey's band in the late '80s. Following "Statesboro:' Dickey looks up, tips his hat to Jerry Garcia, and launches into the "Franklin's Tower" introduction to "Blue Sky:' which includes a keyboard run by Mike and guitar solos from "Dangerous" Dan Toler and Dickey. The first set seems short, maybe an hour or so, but Dickey assures the crowd that the band will be back to play for a couple more hours. The second set kicks off with a strong "Back Where It All Begins:' but, midway through the song, Dan Toler - who was ill that evening - leaves the stage, prompting Dickey to abort the song. Dan returns, and the band gets through the second attempt without interruption. There are other delays during the performance, but they are not apparent on the DVD. At one point, Dickey solos on a blues tune written, he says, on the bus in the hotel parking lot that afternoon. Unfortunately, "Cleveland Blues" does not make the final editing cut. However, the DVD presents the full-length "Change My Way of Living" followed by the only non-Allman Brothers-related song, "Get Away:' with Mike on vocals. "Ramblin' Man:' "Back Where It All Begins:' "Come On in My Kitchen" and "Seven Turns" all showcase Dickey's guitar work as well as the abilities of his band. Two Juilliard graduates, Pedro Arevalo on bass and Frankie Lombardion drums, contribute strong rhythms along the way. Foreshadowing a future line-up change for Great Southern, Dickey brings out his son, Duane, for "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." Duane will take the guitar solo following Mike's organ break. Of course, Dan and Dickey also contribute runs to fill out the song, and Pedro plays a post-drums bass solo that earns him an affectionate hug from Dickey. After "No One to Run With" the band digs into the finale, a strong version of "Jessica." The momentum is there until, unfortunately, Dickey breaks a string near the end of the song. At this point in the concert, while giving Dan some recovery time, Dickey announces that they will do a few songs again, much to the delight of the crowd. Unfortunately, Dan is unable to answer the bell for this final round, and the announcement is made that the evening is over. It makes for a strange ending: true to Dickey's word, the band has played for almost three hours, yet there is a feeling that we have missed the potential for something special. Truth be told, some of us in attendance wonder how the DVD will turn out. Thanks to careful editing, toward the end of "Jessica," viewers see only Dan glancing in Dickey's direction, but the next shot of Dickey can't hide the fact that he has switched guitars. The alert audience will then hear some static and see Dickey shake his head in subtle frustration. While the DVD successfully and understandably omits Dan's serious stomach issues, there are hints to the challenges of the evening in the packaging. The supplemental section of the DVD includes the sound check video of "Blue Sky" and "Southbound." These same sound check versions are found on the bonus CD, along with a sound check "Liz Reed." The "live" versions of"Doiia Maria" and "Jessica" from the concert follow. Although a little redundant, it is convenient to have a CD ready to pop into the car stereo, and the supplemental material on the DVD adds a nice touch. Two filmed interviews, one from the Cleveland Public Radio broadcast and the other at the Rock Hall, are included. Combined, they give viewers a chance to watch Dickey discuss everything from his earliest musical experiences up to the formation of the Allman Brothers Band. He explains how the band came together, analyzes his relationships with Duane Allman and Berry Oakley, and explains the inspirations for "Jessica," "Liz Reed:' "Ramblin' Man:' and "No One to Run With:' For the long-time fan, Dickey covers generally familiar territory, but most will enjoy hearing Dickey tell these stories. In the final clip, Dickey talks about how honored he and the Allman Brothers Band are to have been voted into the Hall of Fame. While the Grammy nominations are nice, Dickey considers the Gram my Awards balloting a "popularity contest," but the Hall of Fame induction is very special. Overall, this DVD will probably reinforce whatever feelings we have for Dickey Betts at this point. Certainly those who want to hear familiar versions of classic ABB songs will be rewarded, for this release provides what many fans crave: Dickey Betts play ing beloved Allman Brothers songs in his distinctive way. Fans who have deep emotional connections to Dickey's music and those who fill the venues to see Dickey & Great Southern will want this DVD/CD. This article is from Pedro Arévalo   http://www.pedroarevalo.com/ The URL for this story is:   http://www.pedroarevalo.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3