Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. XLIX--The Allman Brothers Band: Melissa

Two of the best things about writing Friday Night Jukebox are 1) the smile I get from listening to old favorites (which reminds me of my Dad because he used to do the same thing), and 2) learning new things about bands and songs that I didn't know before.

Needless to say, a big smile this week and a few new tidbits, too.  Like that the Allman Brothers Band once opened for the Velvet Underground--great bands, both, but what an unlikely pairing.  I didn't know that "Melissa" was virtuoso guitarist Duane Allman's favorite song that his brother Greg wrote, or that his guitar playing did not appear on the song.  Or that, despite being considered the fathers of Southern Rock, the band eschewed the term, feeling it pigeonholed them because their music was a lot more than just one genre.  I didn't know they'd had a mini-Renaissance in the early 90s and toured regularly until just last year.

Formed in 1969 by, surprisingly enough, the brothers Duane and Greg Allman (among others), the band had a great run until the late 70s despite losing band members Duane Allman and Berry Oakley within a year of each other in motorcycle accidents and suffering a myriad of drug problems (at one point four members of the band were in rehab at the same time).  They're known for being one of the few bands to feature two lead guitarists and two drummers.  Lots of infighting and continuing substance abuse issues caused them to breakup and reunite numerous times through the years, but in the end they're in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, made Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Artists of All-Time, and are widely considered as one the greatest live bands in the history of rock and roll (their album, Live at the Fillmore East, is considered by many to be the best live album ever).

Released on their Eat a Peach LP, "Melissa" showcases the much underrated vocals of Greg Allman (one of the great practitioners of blue eyed soul, along with Darryl Hall and Van Morrison) as it tells the story of a man who longs to travel the world but keeps returning home to his "sweet Melissa."  Duane and Greg Allman were heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and soul singles at the time and it's not hard to see their influence on Greg's singing.   The vocals are almost seamless--there are pauses and interjections but each word flows into the next as easily as minutes flow into hours.  And ever in the background--other than the acoustic intro--is a guitar line that is as plaintive and in love with Melissa as the gypsy whose name one knows.  Every now and again rock and soul merge to create a moment of magic, and "Melissa" is one such moment.

Kind of interesting factoid:  I learned to strum the guitar in 4/4 time by playing the acoustic intro to "Melissa" countless thousands of times....

Sometimes, it's the simplicity of the lyrics:  "...mmmhmmmm...."

Enjoy:

Peace,
emaycee