GOV'T MULE
By A Thread
Provogue



I still sometimes wake up in a cold sweat, aghast at the horror that was the Gov't Mule remix / thingymajig / dub album that "Mighty High". A record that was so wrong, I could have wept. So I was a wee bit wary when their new album landed on my doormat. Would it be a return to their glories, or another step towards redundancy? Well, with some minor qualms, I'm plumping for the former.

The opening track, 'Broke Down On The Brazos', is a thing of wonder. Texas funk fried Blues with ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons popping in to add some greasy guitar licks. And things continue in fine fettle on tracks like 'Monday Mourning Meltdown' and 'Frozen Fear'. However, Warren Haynes seems keen to continue his quest for uninspired reggae rhythms which leech inappropriately into songs such as 'Steppin' Lightly'.

But new bass player Jorgen Carlsson seems to have slotted in seamlessly, and Haynes continues to demonstrate one of the best, if under appreciated, voices of the last two decades as he shines on tunes like the immense, Bluesy 'Railroad Boy'. Fans of his guitar picking also have plenty to salivate over, as the music ranges from Blues to classic rock to sixties psychedelia, with almost everything the band touching, turning to gold.

Minor quibbles aside, it's good to have them back.

:twisted :twisted :twisted :twisted / 4 out of 5
Buy @ Amazon