Gov't Mule Albums (12)
What The Critics Say
Let's get this out of the way: Warren Haynes is a great guitar player. Gov't Mule was formed to showcase that talent, but since the death of Allen Woody, the Mule has become more of a band again with Haynes at the focus as opposed to just a rhythm section backing him. High & Mighty is the second release to feature Danny Louis and Andy Hess alongside Haynes and longtime drummer Matt Abts, and it continues on the course they charted with Déjà Voodoo. Playing with a myriad of bass players following the death of Allen Woody almost certainly helps push Gov't Mule in some new musical directions, and this new lineup keeps adding new elements to their sound. Sure, you get plenty of great guitar riffs and bluesy soloing, but the intro to "So Weak, So Strong" almost sounds like Ali Farka Toure (the dumbek of the first verse is a nice touch, too), and "Unring the Bell" is Mule-style reggae, complete with cavernous drums and trippy dub flourishes. There was also a certain funkiness that crept in on Déjà Voodoo, well manifested here in the bonus track, "3 String George," which sounds like an alternate universe Meters. And while there's nothing really overt, it seems that songs like "Like Flies" and "Unring the Bell" flirt with the political. Louis' keyboards play a mostly supporting role, though he gets a couple nice solos ("Brand New Angel" and "Brighter Days") and trades licks with Haynes on "Endless Parade." Of course, the rhythm section is rock-solid, but the star of the show is Warren Haynes with his soulful vocals and fantastic guitar playing. You won't get flashy showboating, just tough as nails playing free of rock guitar clichés. "Brand New Angel" and "Like Flies" both have some great meaty slide work too. Even though only three of the 12 tracks are shorter than five minutes, it's only on "Endless Parade" that one gets a sense that they're really stretching out thanks to Haynes' imaginative playing. There aren't many bands out there still working this type of tough rock & roll, and Haynes' talents put Gov't Mule at the top of that list. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Gov't Mule's Déjà Voodoo is the record guitarist Warren Haynes and drummer Matt Abts have been looking to make for a long time. Since the death of Allen Woody in August 2000, after the landmark Life Before Insanity, the Mule has been making records with guest bass players, most of them jam-oriented albums in live settings. With the permanent addition of bassist Andy Hess and keyboardist Danny Louis, Gov't Mule takes a giant step forward while retaining the gritty, powerful blues-rock base that is the hallmark of the band's sound. Moving out form the power trio format is a solid thing. Haynes' songwriting is focused, anchored in the additional textures Louis' B-3 and Rhodes can provide, while losing none of its rootsy, overdriven charm. The tunes here, all 12 of them, are anchored in that gloriously greasy riffing that Haynes does better than anyone, but there is a wonderful funkiness added to the mix. There's the crunch and roll piledrive of "Bad Man Walking," opening the album with the Rhodes punching in the holes on opposite sides of the beat from the bassline. There's the squalling wah-wah blues of "Perfect Shelter," which sounds like it's coming across Stevie Wonder's version of "Superstition" and the ghost of Jimi Hendrix's "Machine Gun." On the shimmering organ glissando in "Little Toy Brain," a power ballad from rock antiquity that breathes fire, Haynes gives his best ever vocal performance on record. And so it goes. The balls-out barroom stomp of "Slackjaw Jezebel" -- with one of the most dirty-assed basslines in recent memory -- is tempered by the lonesome country-rock of the beautiful "Wine and Blood." The sheer raucous guitar wonking roar that is "Lola Leave Your Light On," one of the album's meltdown points, leaves the listener responding "Whoa..." like Keanu Reeves in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Likewise, the switchblade six-string whomp of "My Separate Reality" is a bone-crusher that's full of raw whiskey soul as well. Déjà Voodoo is the album Gov't Mule's promised to make since its inception; this is a new chapter in the life of a truly inspiring rock & roll band. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'The Deepest End: Live in Concert'
Release Date 10/7/2003
Tracks 40
Label ATO
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Given all the live documents Gov't Mule issued since the premature death of bassist Allen Woody, The Deepest End is easily the most satisfying. Recorded and filmed during the 2003 Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, the show features the most astonishing array of guest bassists yet, and so many other guests the date was like a festival unto itself. Among the bassists preset for a night of music that began at 10:10 p.m. and ended at 3:35 a.m. were Jack Casady, Les Claypool, Roger Glover, Will Lee, Jason Newsted, Rob Wasserman, Victor Wooten, George Porter, Jr., Conrad Lozano, and a half-dozen others. Other musicians participating in the festivities -- many of whom who had gigs in the Crescent City at the same time -- include David Hidalgo, Bernie Worrell, Fred Wesley, Karl Denson, Sonny Landreth, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band horns, Béla Fleck, and Ivan Neville. There are two CDs, packed to the gills with music from that evening. The mixture of covers and Gov't Mule originals is, to say the very least, captivating: from the opener "Bad Little Doggie" (given its definitive on-tape version here) and "Lay of the Sunflower" to Goin' Down" and "John the Revelator." The sound is warm and the mix very fluid, very live. The performance is completely inspired and jaw-droppingly sophisticated despite its spontaneity. There are 20 tracks over the pair of CDs, accounting for two hours and 34 minutes total playing time, and the DVD features 20 more and lasts over three hours. There are some major differences in tracks between the CDs and DVDs, making it pretty much essential for Mule fans: covers of "Wasted Time," "Sweet Leaf," "Politician," "Voodoo Chile," and a heft dose of Mule originals. All told, this and Rush's stellar In Rio triple disc are easily the live recorded events of 2003. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'Live...With a Little Help from Our Friends, Vol. 2'
Release Date 3/19/2002
Tracks 5
Label Evangeline
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With the death of bassist Allen Woody, the surviving members of Gov't Mule faced that familiar question of how to carry on. Their answer is this sprawling set, on which a cavalcade of bassists and other visitors fly through the Mule tracks, each fitting into the groove in his own way. Drummer Matt Abts is especially adept at accommodating these guests, shifting from a medium-tempo plod behind the clean-picked lines and world-weary vocals of Jack Bruce on "Fool's Moon" to a four-beat slam-out, reminiscent of "Dance to the Music," to accommodate former Sly Stone side monster Larry Graham during "Life on the Outside." And on "Same Price" he hammers fills behind Who alumnus John Entwistle with an energy that recalls Kenny Jones, if not quite Keith Moon, while Warren Haynes approximates Pete Townshend's harmony-driven style. With the band's rugged sound providing common reference, the styles of each bassist prove easy to discern. Those who play inside the groove make their presence known through stealthy insinuation, like Flea on a catlike prowl through "Down and Out in New York City." On "Tear Me Down," Bootsy Collins follows a different tack, by flitting against the band's heavy tread with nimble lines that dance in and out of wah-wah effects, thumb-slap funk, and sly interactions with former P-Funk colleague Bernie Worrell's Minimoog. Allen Woody himself makes a posthumous appearance, on a previously unreleased cover of Grand Funk Railroad's "Sin's a Good Man's Brother." Here, the band stretches into a comfortable, loose, Hendrix-like feel, as all three members jam with intuitive interaction and raw passion; no other performance here feels quite so natural. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk, All Music Guide
'Life Before Insanity'
Release Date 2/15/2000
Tracks 11
Label Volcano
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
This could very easily be the album that puts Gov't Mule over the top. They've been over the top for several years now in the eyes of their legions of fans, but commercial success has not yet been a part of their vocabulary. Sure, both guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody have enjoyed major success during their eight-year tenure as members of the South's most enduring group, the Allman Brothers Band, but those days are now behind them, and the power-trio, which also features the apt Matt Abts on drums, has headed into the trenches loaded down with full artillery. Hot on the heels of last summer's collector's edition re-release of Live with a Little Help from Our Friends -- which chronicled the band's unprecedented New Year's Eve 1998 performance in Atlanta, GA in a two-disc set released in March 1999, only to be reissued in its full-length, uncut four-disc glory later that year -- the Mule recorded what by all accounts seems to be their most creative and intelligent studio album to date. Produced by Michael Barbiero (Blues Traveler, Guns n' Roses), Life Before Insanity includes several songs that fans have been hearing in concert for well over a year, including the haunting title track and "Wandering Child," a powerful tune that has opened many Gov't Mule shows with its distinctive bassline, oddball time signature, and powerful dynamics. "No Need to Suffer" is another Warren Haynes-penned gem. It's been a regular on the Mule set list for a while, as has "Lay Your Burden Down," which sounds quite a bit different here than it did live. Both versions are great, but on the CD, Haynes shares vocals with the plenary Ben Harper, making this one a real treat. Other special guests on the album are former Allman Brothers bandmate Johnny Neel, who plays the keyboards with bucket loads of soul and finesse, and Hook Herrera, a master of the harmonica. Both "Tastes Like Wine" and "In My Life" (a Haynes original, not the Lennon-McCartney song) are highly effective ballads, and "Fallen Down" blends influences from early Traffic with Mule originality to create a song that is destined for radio, filled with magnetic hook lines, such as "Amazing grace is such a lonely place to heroes like you and me." Already receiving airplay, the first single from the album is "Bad Little Doggie," a rocker heavily reminiscent of early ZZ Top. All 11 of the tracks are good. Actually, there are 12 if you include the "hidden" track "If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day," a blues rocker on which Haynes sings through some sort of megaphone sounding device. ~ Michael B. Smith, All Music Guide
'The Benefit Concert, Vol. 2'
Release Date 1/1/2000
Tracks 21
Label Evil Teen
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Y'all know what you're gonna get here, right? Yep. Recorded at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville, NC back on December 21, 2000, it's Warren Haynes and his pals from the strange to the legendary and everywhere in between. This Benefit Concert, Vol. 2 is a double disc that features Haynes playing solo acoustic, and with two of his own bands -- the Allman Brothers and Gov't Mule -- as well as John Popper, Kevn Kinney, the Bottle Rockets, Edwin McCain, Chris Duarte, Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit, and cats like Audley Freed, Dr. Dan Matrazzo, and Dave Schools pitching in wherever needed. Haynes is a dynamite performer even when playing acoustic. When he's playing with anybody else he's simply a monster of a musician. For those who dig the jam band scene, this set and its first companion volume are among the hardcore treasures. The performances are all dynamite: check the Allmans playing "Born Under a Bad Sign," and Gregg Allman with Haynes on "Come and Go Blues," or Haynes, Kinney, Popper and McCain playing Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released," just for starters. There's some ebb and flow here, too: Duarte's and Hampton's performances are over the top, and the Bottle Rockets are just plain crazy (and delightful). The sound is pristine, without losing any of the grit and grease of the moment. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'Live...With a Little Help from Our Friends'
Release Date 3/23/1999
Tracks 12
Label Volcano
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Gov't Mule is almost single-handedly bringing back the spirit of the '60s and '70s power trios, the same kind of rock & roll magic that made Jimi Hendrix and Cream such musical icons. With this two-CD set, Gov't Mule once again breaks the rules by recording both their second release and their fourth record live in concert. But hey, that's OK for Warren Haynes, Matt Abts and Allen Woody because they are, after all, Gov't Mule. This show was recorded on New Year's Eve, 1998, at the Roxy in Atlanta, GA, and documents the band in peak form, from the power charged vocals and lead guitar of Warren Haynes, to Abts' freight train drumming and Woody's thunder driven bass. On any given night, Gov't Mule alone can rock your socks off, but on this magical evening, the band was joined by some real brothers of the road -- the Allman Brothers, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton; sideman Chuck Leavell was there, along with Parliament's Bernie Worrell, former Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford, Aquarium Rescue Unit's Jimmy Herring, Randall Bramblett, newly appointed Allman Brothers' bandmember, Derek Trucks and Yonrico Scott, the drummer from the Derek Trucks Band. Talk about a stage full of talent. The set kicks off with a pair of Gov't Mule originals, "Thorazine Shuffle" and "Dolhineus," before counting down the New Year clock and launching into an unexpected but amazing rendition of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs." Next comes a guitar rocking take on Steve Marriott's "30 Days in the Hole" followed by Paul Rogers' "Mr. Big," featuring Marc Ford on guitar, followed by the blues laced "Look Over Yonder," with some ultra fine piano work from Leavell. Haynes and the boys keep up the momentum by bringing out Worrell and Trucks, in addition to Leavell, to perform the Haynes-penned Allman Brothers favorite, "Soulshine." Disc one closes with a hard rocking "Mule," featuring Worrell again on organ, and incorporating a segment of Van Morrison's "I've Been Working." Dave Mason's "Sad and Deep as You" is given the Gov't Mule treatment to begin disc two, with Leavell's and Bramblett's sax enhancing the sound just that much more, and Herring and Worrell sit in on Haynes' "Devil Likes It Slow." Next comes yet another surprise for 1999, a dramatic reading of Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer," leading up to the closing all-star jam of "Afro Blue." "Live" clocks in at about two-and-one-half hours, so there's no doubt you are getting much more bang for your buck, but it's not the quantity of the music that is important here, it's the quality, and believe you me, you won't find more quality rock & roll and blues anywhere. [Live...With a Little Help from Our Friends was also released as a limited-edition four-disc set, including video footage.] ~ Michael B. Smith, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Gov't Mule's sound is a throwback to the '70s heyday of Southern rock, and their style is peppered with references to the best of the Allmans, with a liberal dose of early ZZ Top thrown in for good measure. Their second album shows no signs of a sophomore slump, featuring playing and songwriting every bit as strong as their debut outing. Warren Haynes' guitar work, if anything, is even more adventurous this time around, particularly effective on the opener "Blind Man in the Dark," "Thelonius Beck," and "Birth of the Mule." ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide
