For the love of rock
Vol II, Issue 13 – Blue sky (01 Aug 2017)
Name of song– Blue sky
Band- The Allman Brothers Band
Album- Eat a Peach
Writer– Dickey Betts
Release year– 1972
Similar artists– Derek & the Dominos, The Marshall Tucker Band, Grateful Dead, The Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Blue sky
Reviewers- Bikash Shrestha/Nirab Kayastha
No rock enthusiast would perhaps be able to ignore The Allman Brothers Band. They were an amazing rock band from Florida who foreshadowed the seventies southern rock, blues as well as country music scene with amazing live performances. Formed and fronted by two Allman brothers Duane and Gregg, the band was a short-lived one, with repeated reunions and repeated line-up changes, but their fame and music is definitely going to live forever. With perhaps one of the most wonderful live albums of all times to their name – “Live at Fillmore East”, the band is credited with numerous hits and unforgettable melody with maestro’s guitar masterpieces.
“Blue sky” was released in their 1972 double live/studio album “Eat a peach”. This was their fourth album, and the last one to feature Duane Allman after his untimely death in a motorcycle crash in 1971. The album was dedicated to their late band leader and is considered as one of their best albums, commercially as well as musically. The album had many noteworthy melody and guitar work, but among them, “Blue sky” would surpass all of them in its quality, melody, craftsmanship as well as subtlety.
The song is perhaps about a beautiful day. The song was penned by Dickey Betts for his girlfriend. However, he wanted to elaborate the song into broader concept and hence, did not mention the words-he/she into it and thus the song could actually be correlated to anyone, anytime, and perhaps anything – a simple short lyrics with the deep theme of love blooming all over the mother nature. No song could perhaps explore the pure love of nature further.
“Blue sky” opens up with a simple country guitar twin melody by the two guitar masters. Immediately, Dickey starts singing and you start exploring the charisma of a beautiful natural love. Actually, the song was meant to be sung by Gregg Allman. However, Gregg persuaded Dickey to sing it because it was “his” song. No doubt, Gregg’s decision was more than right. Dickey’s soothingly manly voice is actually the highlight of the song. After the short chorus of Dickey, Duane Allman starts his magical lead solo. A very long solo, but so well crafted that you would hardly notice its length. Afterwards, Dickey joins in and the combined lead goes on for a short period and then flows Bett’s equally subtle yet powerful emotional solo. Besides Don Felder and Joe Walsh twinning at the end in “Hotel California”, these two guys have truly justified how two people could play twin guitar so beautifully. And perhaps, they were much ahead, and perhaps, much above. Yes, the song being the one with Duane Allman’s last record before his death, it definitely has its own special place in the Allman Brothers fan’s heart and soul.
No doubt, an amazing love song by a rock band, “Blue sky” proves how rock can be so close to love and nature. Once you have cherished “Blue sky” in your heart, the blue sky you see is never going to be the same again!!!
Happy listening!!
Resources– Wikipedia.org, Allmusic.com
Blue sky
Walk along the river, sweet lullaby, it just keeps on flowing,
It don’t worry ’bout where it’s going, no, no.
Don’t fly, mister blue bird, I’m just walking down the road,
Early morning sunshine tell me all I need to know
[Chorus]
You’re my blue sky, you’re my sunny day.
Lord, you know it makes me high when you turn your love my way,
Turn your love my way, yeah.
Good old Sunday morning, bells are ringing everywhere.
Goin’ to Carolina, it won’t be long and I’ll be there
[Chorus]
Lyrics link-http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/allmanbrothersband/bluesky.htmlYoutube video link- https://youtu.be/p0Bqv-B2c38