POP MUSIC REVIEW : Allman’s Too Laid-Back at Coach House

Twenty-one years ago, Gregg Allman recorded a hit album called “Laid Back.” Laid-back he remains--to a fault. On Tuesday at the Coach House here, he and his eight-piece band put on a show that wasn’t just uninspired--it was practically lifeless.

Allman, 47, played such crowd favorites as “I’m No Angel,” “Slip Away” and “Melissa,” but tempos dragged, prosaic solos went nowhere and songs meandered ad infinitum .

Through it all, Allman seemed bored, even zombie-like as he fussed around at a snail’s pace and mumbled unintelligibly between songs. While his husky, mournful vocals still are instantly recognizable, there simply was no spark nor passion to his music or his performance.

The evening was marred further by the sound mix: Allman’s vocals were all but inaudible during the first few songs, and throughout the show his acoustic guitar sounded like someone dragging a 2-by-4 over piano wires.

The Allman Brothers Band (recently elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) seems to be enjoying a creative second wind in the last few years, but it is apparent that Gregg needs his bandmates’ energy and spirit of musical adventure to carry off a show of his own. His rueful efforts Tuesday warranted nothing short of the whipping post.

* Gregg Allman plays tonight at the Palace, 1735 N. Vine St., 8:30. $24.50. (213) 462-3000. Also Saturday at the Ventura Theatre, 26 S. Chestnut Ave., Ventura, 8 p.m. ($20) and 10:30 p.m ($35). (805) 648-1888.