Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

[***THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE 2-CD 2003 "DELUXE EDITION"*** THIS REVIEW IS NOT ABOUT THE 2014 SETS!!! I have no idea why Amazon is showing this review on a versions of AFE that I did not submit it for. Again this review is ONLY about the 2003 "Deluxe Edition" version! (The 2014 sets are AWESOME and FLAWLESS!) -DLM 7/30/14] _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ You've probably noticed that there are at least two other versions of the ABB March 1971 gigs at the Fillmore East. So how is this one different? First, be aware that there are NO previously unreleased tracks (including the fact that there are no alternate versions, taken from different shows). This version contains the entire original AT FILLMORE EAST album from July 1971 (still available in a one-disc edition). Specifically, I mean these are the EXACT same performances (and mix, I believe) featured on the original. Of course, this new set adds the extra Fillmore material that was later released on EAT A PEACH, DUANE ALLMAN AN ANTHOLOGY 1 & 2, and the DREAMS box set. Again, these are all the exact same versions of these songs. At first glance, the new "Deluxe Edition" looks similar to 1992's THE FILLMORE CONCERTS, with the notable addition of "Midnight Rider," taken from ANTHOLOGY 2. However, THE FILLMORE CONCERTS contains several alternate versions of songs, and is completely remixed (controversial among fans, but provides an interesting comparison). These alternate versions are not available elsewhere, though this may be an issue only for fanatics like myself. THE FILLMORE CONCERTS also had the benefit of original producer Tom Dowd, who recently died. I have a few problems with the new "Deluxe Edition." First, the edits are shoddy. In some places, attempts are made to mix the songs together without the fade-outs between songs. In other places, the fade-outs are intact. I can't figure out this inconsistency. It seems like laziness to me, as if they just crammed together the existing mixes of the songs. Additionally, Dave Thompson's essay doesn't offer any new information, and seems rather short and lightweight. It's hard to not see the "Deluxe Edition" as some sort of cash-cow for the record company. What are the pros? The photographs are fantastic. The prints of the front and back album cover are the best I have seen. Again, most of these photos can be seen elsewhere, but the prints are excellent. Aside from the price, I like that this gives an ABB neophyte the opportunity to hear all the songs together. After all, the performances left of the original LP are some of the finest of their career. This new "Deluxe Version" of AT FILLMORE EAST is great for new fans and will be my recommendation when asked which Allman Brothers album to purchase first. For hardcore fans who have this material already, I think you will be let down overall. Those fans should pick up THE FILLMORE CONCERTS for a fresher perspective on these recordings. With five Fillmore shows on tape in the vaults, what the record company should have done was release each show, fully intact, perhaps in a box set. That would truly be a deluxe edition, but it would require much more work than was put into THIS set. So it gets knocked down to four stars for that reason.