I don’t know if live compilations of several different bands are made any more, I suspect not. But as a way to learn about new bands, they were essential. My favourite is Hotels, Motels And Road Shows released in 1978 on Capricorn. A single album, it features Stillwater, Sea Level, Dixie Dregs, The Marshall Tucker Band, Bonnie Bramlett, Grinderswitch, Elvin Bishop, Wet Willie, Dicky Betts, Gregg Allman and the Allman Brothers Band all recorded in 1971-1978 at different venues.
It’ll only cost you no more than £10 and you can’t get the tracks elsewhere. I think Grand Larceny by Sea Level is the song. An instrumental, it opens with a great piano figure and makes space for a lovely jazzy groove. They are such a brilliant band, definitely rock but in a jazz context, about 50% instrumental.
I got this in 1980 knowing only the Allmans music and it turned me on to all the others, but especially Sea Level. I still meet people who have never heard of them. I don’t know if they played in the UK. Between 1977 and 1980, the band released five studio albums. I think this was their only live material. An offshoot of the Allman’s, the band were Chuck Leavell – keyboards, lead vocals, Jimmy Nalls – guitars, vocals, Lamar Williams – bass, vocals, Jai Johanny Johanson – drums, percussion, Ed Dowling – trumpet. I don’t think they charted but all five records are excellent.
It was where I first heard the Marshall Tucker Band, Stillwater, Grinderswitch and Wet Willie. What a brilliant quartet to learn about. Dixie Dregs I knew about because ‘Take It Off The Top’ was Tommy Vance’s Friday Rock Show theme music and even all these years later, it still stirs my blood and sends a tingle up my spine. I bet those of us from that era still thinks of TV on the radio announcing the bands on the show over that Steve Morse riff. I think it is one of my life’s bookmarks.
It still amazes me Stillwater never had at least one of their two albums as a hit, same with Grinderswitch who released 7 albums in the 70s and 80s. Their Pickin' the Blues
Was used as a theme by John Peel for years.
Do you remember the OGWT ‘Macon Whoopee’ film which featured a lot of these Capricorn related bands around this time. Yeah that was what I was listening to while people tried to convince me to listen to Eater. I think it was a wise move.
Unless, like me, you now possess all these bands records, it’s such a classic and little known live album, and it isn’t that hard to find, so treat yourself.
Hotels, Motels and Road Shows...
