1981: The reggae version of this song- done completely in reggae- with some hilarious "jamaican mon" vocals from Bobby. Obviously, the song stills retains the reggae solo vamp found on the "Them or Us" version, but being that the whole song is done in this style, the transition is not as jarring. Again, we get the standard deviation in Frank's solo.
1982: Essentially performed as on "Them or Us", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Again, we get a horrible reggae vamp for the guitar solo, which definitely ruins the flow of the song, but does not seem to effect the intensity of Frank's solos.
1984: Essentially played as on "Does Humor Belong in Music?", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and with the absence of Dweezil, obviously. The blues riff used in the solo section is from "Mannish Boy". "For Duane" from "Guitar" is a "Whippin Post" extract.
1988: Essentially performed as on DHBIM, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and in Dweezil's occasional guest solo.
The mournful lyrics for "Whipping Post" were fueled by Greg Allman's experiences with a manipulative girlfriend. The song, initially rejected by all other band members, eventually appeared on the Allman Brothers Band self-titled debut album (1969, Capricorn), what might be the best debut album ever delivered by an American blues band: a bold, powerful, hard-edged, soulful essay in electric blues with a native Southern ambience.
"Whipping Post" ends a solid album with a truly exceptional track. One of their signature songs and a perennial concert closer, "Whipping Post" has a great Gregg Allman vocal, and the tension builds beautifully until its exciting guitar climax.
The album attracted good reviews and a cult following with its mix of assured dual lead guitars by Duane Allman (1946-1971, arguably the greatest slide guitar player ever) and Dickey Betts, soulful singing (with a gritty blues growl, here and there) and atmospheric keyboard playing by Gregg Allman, and a rhythm section that was nearly as busy as the lead instruments, between Berry Oakley's rock-hard bass and the dual drumming of Butch Trucks and Jai Johnny Johanson.
For the first half of the 1970s, the Allman Brothers Band was the most influential rock group in America, redefining rock music and its boundaries. The band's mix of blues, country, jazz, and even classical influences, and their powerful, extended onstage jamming altered the standards of concert performance—other groups were known for their onstage jamming, but when the Allman Brothers stretched a song out for 30 or 40 minutes, at their best they were exciting, never self-indulgent.
In March of 1971, the band played a series of shows at the Fillmore East that were recorded for posterity and subsequently transformed into their third album, "At Fillmore East" (long regarded as one of rock music's greatest live albums, it remains one of the greatest guitar albums ever); this double LP, issued in July of 1971, became an instant classic, rivaling the previous blues-rock touchstone cut at the Fillmore, Cream's "Wheels of Fire". "Whipping Post", clocking in at almost 23 minutes, is expanded to incorporate vast guitar jams. "The Fillmore Concerts" (1992, Polydor) expands the set list from 7 to 12 songs, and previously edited tracks are restored to their intended lengths.
"I've been run down and I've been lied to. And I don't know why, I let that mean woman make me a fool. She took all my money, wrecks my new car. Now she's with one of my good time buddies, they're drinkin in some cross-town bar. Sometimes I feel like I been tied to the whippin post. Good Lord, I feel like I'm dyin. My friends tell me, that I've been such a fool. But I had to stand by and take it baby, all for lovin you. Drown myself in sorrow as I look at what you've done. But nothing seemed to change, the bad times stayed the same, and I can't run. Sometimes I feel like I been tied to the whippin post. Good Lord, I feel like I'm dyin."
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