Eat a Peach is a 1972 double album by the American rock band, The Allman Brothers Band, containing a mixture of live and studio recordings. Following their artistic and commercial success with the release of the live album At Fillmore East in 1971, the band entered the studio for their third album.

Sadly, on October 29, 1971, the band’s leader and founder Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident in the band’s hometown of Macon, Georgia, making Eat a Peach the last album to feature the guitarist himself.

The album was released on February 12, 1972, in the United States by Capricorn Records with producer Tom Dowd. It was the band’s fourth album since their inception in 1969.

Eat a Peach contains studio recordings from September to December 1971 at Criteria Studios in Miami, both with and without Duane Allman, and live recordings from the band’s famous 1971 shows at the Fillmore East. The album contains the extended half-hour “Mountain Jam”, which was long enough to occupy two full sides of the original double LP. Notable features of the album include singer Gregg Allman’s rendition of his brother’s favorite song, “Melissa”, as well as Dickey Betts’ “Blue Sky”, which became a radio classic.

The album’s cover art was created by David Powell and J. F. Holmes at Wonder Graphics Studios, and depicts the band’s name on a truck carrying a giant peach, and a large mural of mushrooms and fairies on the inside cover. The album’s title was derived from a quote by Duane Allman: “You can’t help the revolution, ’cause there’s only evolution… Every time I’m in Georgia, I eat a peach for peace”.

Upon its release, Eat a Peach was an immediate commercial success, peaking at number four on the Billboard Top 200 Pop Albums chart. The album later went platinum and remains the band’s best-selling album.

Much of the music on Eat a Peach, recorded after Duane’s death, dealt directly with the tragedy. “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” was written by Gregg Allman for Duane’s brother shortly after his death. The song was composed on a 110-year-old Steinway piano in Criteria Studios’ Studio D. The piece was composed while Duane was still alive, but the lyrics are about his death, as well as veterans returning from the Vietnam War. “Les Brers in A Minor” is an instrumental piece written by Dickey Betts, and its title means “lesser brothers” in paraphrased French.

Gregg Allman recorded “Melissa” primarily as a tribute to his brother, who loved the song, which was written in 1967 while staying at a hotel in Pensacola, Florida, and was one of the first to survive after dozens of composition attempts.

“One Way Out”, a track I choose, was recorded on June 27, 1971, at the band’s last concert at the Fillmore East, which closed afterwards.

Tracklist

A1. Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More 3:40
A2. Les Brers In A Minor 9:03
A3. Melissa 3:54

B1. Mountain Jam 33:38

C1. One Way Out 4:58
C2. Trouble No More 3:43
C3. Stand Back 3:24
C4. Blue Sky 5:09
C5. Little Martha 2:07

D1. Mountain Jam (continued) 15:06