Quotes from Butch Trucks

Playing live is really the art form. You're a lot freer, a lot looser. You've got people there that can give you feedback, and then you can play off of that. There's so much more energy.

Eric Clapton has earned all of our respect. He is the greatest. He opened the doors for us. Without Cream, there is no Allman Brothers.

After being away from it for so long, it's really nice to go out and have 10- or 15,000 people show up and enjoy it. It leaves you with a very good feeling.

After 'Win, Lose or Draw' we were workin' on another album that nobody's ever heard, and it's a good thing nobody heard it.

Johnny Winter doesn't know the word 'subtlety.' But it works, it works.

When you're good-looking, I think you usually don't have to work as hard.

I've gotta be the only father begging his son to leave a six-figure job to go play in a rock n' roll band!

We all knew that asking another guitar player to step into Duane Allman's shoes would not really be fair to anybody who had a conscience.

I love Lucille Ball. But you don't call that Shakespeare. It's just entertainment, you know. And if you like that, then go have a ball, have fun.

My hearing after 50 years of playing music sometimes isn't too great.

To be honest, I don't listen to much music! I've been so engrossed in it my whole life that when I drive around in my car, I'll listen to college lectures on philosophy and literature and world history, things like that, to kind of catch up on the college experience I missed.

We went on to become the No. 1 band in the country for three or four years. And that was probably the worst thing that could have happened to us.

For a long time, our only mode of travel was an Econoline van. Eleven of us, with nine sleeping in the back on two mattresses.

The trouble is that you get fans who tell you you're great no matter how big an idiot you are.

That was my first love growing up - classical orchestral music, especially Impressionism.

I'm not going to keep my mouth shut.

I look at making a record and being in a recording studio as more of a craft; You have to be so much more careful and play simpler.

Our approach is more the jazz approach, where you learn to play your instrument as well as you can, develop your craft, and then communicate with each other. That's the focus, not trying to give some message or entertain or have a good light show or whatever.

When we started, it was so intense: it was like a religion. And when you played with Duane Allman, you either gave it your all or you got out.

I've never thought too much of 'Rolling Stone.' The first thing I'd do is look at about 50 or 60 of the drummers they have ahead of me and go, 'Oh yeah, right!'

I remember somebody came in with Chicago Transit Authority, and we listened to it one time.

With the jam bands I've seen, it's about music, and it's about theory, and it's about making everyone feel better with music.

Blues Traveler is hot, and Big Head Todd, the Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - all of 'em.

The Allman Brothers 1969 to 1971... were all about... jumping off the cliff... Just taking music and being adventurous with it.