Rock
Fantasy Records
Release Date – June 16th 2023
Line Up:
Warren Haynes – Vocals/Guitar
Jorgen Carlssen – Bass
Matt Abts – Drums
Danny Louis – Keyboards
Tracklist:
1 – Same As It Ever Was
2 – Shake Our Way Out (Featuring Billy Gibbons)
3 – Made My Peace
4 – Peace I Need
5 – Your Only Friend
6 – Dreaming Out Loud (Featuring Ivan Neville and Ruthie Foster)
7 – Head Full Of Thunder
8 – The River Only Flows One Way
9 – After The Storm
10 – Just Across The River (Featuring Celisse)
11 – Long Tome Coming
12- Long Gone
Hooray! A new one from Gov’t Mule! Talk about happiness. Formed in 1995 by members of The Allman Brothers Band as a side project they decided they would like to see where it would take them. Nearly 30 years later they’re still going strong and working just as hard as ever.
You know what you’re going get with a Mule record – or do you? Here they open with a dreamy west coast roller ‘Same As It Ever Was’ full of warm retro sounds and the smoky soulful voice of Warren Haynes. Billy Gibbons pops up on the bluesy jam ‘Shake Our Way Out’ then we get some slower blues/soul with ‘Made My Peace’, a nine-minute stroll through blues, soul, jazz, and 60’s pop all in one lovely pot before ‘Peace I Need’ brings some real groove where the whole band lock into Matt Abts swinging rhythm. ‘Your Only Friend’ is one of those gentle introspective slow rollers that Warren Haynes writes, telling the truth about old friends and lovers. Haynes has a phone book too. On the funky ‘Dreaming Out Loud’ he has Ivan Neville and Ruthie Foster helping on vocals and just get the fills from Danny Louis and Jorgen Carlssen – fabulous. Things get southern on ‘Head Full Of Thunder’ then Billy Bob Thornton lends his well-worn voice on ‘The River Only Flows One Way’ before we get proggy with ‘After The Storm’. ‘Just Across The River’ is some easy reggae/rock featuring Celisse (no, me neither) before some more stax soul with ‘Long Time Coming’. The final cut ‘Long Gone’ eases back on another beautiful southern-influenced bluesy roller.
Gov’t Mule has been a constant in my life for over 23 years now. I first picked up on them in 2000 when their album of that year ‘Life Before Insanity’ helped me greatly through a divorce, so I have a lot of affection for the band. When they play, I just close my eyes and let the music take me away. Warren Haynes has a beautiful touch and feel plus his voice is underrated. Another superb release from a world-class band.
Written by: Smudge
Ratings: 9/10
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