WHERE IT ALL BEGINS

acutely cruel that Duane Allman lost his life not only at such a young age — 24 — but also just as the Allman Brothers Band were achieving recognition after many years in the wilderness., their 1971 live album. The era was ripe for the Allmans and their breakthrough. The dawn of the 1970s marked the start of the live album era, as improvements in sound reinforcement gave rock groups the audio power necessary to be heard in large venues. The MC5, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Band of Gypsys and Grand Funk Railroad were among the first acts to release live records, but it was the Allman Brothers who turned the format into an art form.