Written by Duane Allman, a beautiful little instrumental from the Allman Brothers' 1972 album Eat a Peach. Compared to the Allman Brothers' typical jams such as Whipping Post, it is definitely "little" -- Martha weighs in at only 2 minutes, 9 seconds. Duane Allman accompanies Dickey Betts on acoustic guitar, and Berry Oakley plays bass. The quiet, methodical theme is repeated two or three times, with slight variations each time. The bell-like sound in the middle of the song and again at the end is one of the guitars being plucked at its harmonic or resonance point, but you don't need to understand standing wave theory to appreciate the beauty of the simple, quiet piece.
This tune was also featured on Sesame Street as backgroud music during some of the whimsical sand animations that fascinated me so much as a child. If you like it, you might also enjoy Led Zeppelin's Bron-Yr-Aur and Black Mountain Side. |
