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,
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
Allen Woody
because they are, after all,
. 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
, to
Abts
' freight train drumming and
Woody
's thunder driven bass. On any given night,
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
Jimmy Herring
Randall Bramblett
, newly appointed
Allman Brothers
' bandmember,
Derek Trucks
Yonrico Scott
, the drummer from the
Derek Trucks Band
. Talk about a stage full of talent. The set kicks off with a pair of
originals,
"Thorazine Shuffle"
"Dolhineus,"
before counting down the New Year clock and launching into an unexpected but amazing rendition of
Black Sabbath
"War Pigs."
Next comes a guitar rocking take on
Steve Marriott
"30 Days in the Hole"
followed by
Paul Rogers
'
"Mr. Big,"
featuring
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
Trucks
, in addition to
, to perform the
-penned
favorite,
"Soulshine."
Disc one closes with a hard rocking
"Mule,"
again on organ, and incorporating a segment of
Van Morrison
"I've Been Working."
Dave Mason
"Sad and Deep as You"
is given the
treatment to begin disc two, with
's and
Bramblett
's sax enhancing the sound just that much more, and
Herring
sit in on
"Devil Likes It Slow."
Next comes yet another surprise for 1999, a dramatic reading of
Neil Young
"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
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