2021 – Fantasy
By Phillip Smith; Dec. 4, 2021
I’ve been a Gov’t Mule
fan since seeing them live at the 1998 HORDE Festival at Alpine
Valley in Wisconsin. Warren Haynes
is such an astonishing performer, and I consider him one of my favorites. Heavy Load Blues, the title of the new
Gov’t Mule album, is perfectly matched with the contents inside. For the first time ever, the band has made an
album comprised solely of blues, and it’s plumb terrific. This thirteen-track release is also available
as a deluxe edition which features eight additional songs, some recorded live
and some in studio.
In a bodacious fashion, this
record gets rolling with a cover of Leroy Carr’s “Blues Before Sunrise”. Joined by the sounds of pounding piano keys
and a fierce harmonica accompaniment from Hook Herrera, Haynes belts
this one out of the park. His vocals are
surely meant for the blues, and he often reminds me of the great Howlin’
Wolf. This is one of the reasons I am
really drawn to the band’s take on Wolf’s classic “I Asked For Water
(She Gave Me Gasoline)”. I love the
dirty, bass-laden, drum-crashing, organ-slathered groove which drives this one.
Their cover of Tom Waits’ “Make
it Rain”, is a stand-out as well. This
version still maintains a tiny bit of that original industrial vibe, all-while
flipping the song into a bona fide blues track.
Haynes’ guitar licks are hot and his voice is fearless on their
performance of Albert King’s “Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home”. This is one funky delicious treat indeed.
“Street Corner Talking”, the
title track of a 1971 Savoy Brown release is dusted off and shined up
for a riveting jam which only appears on the deluxe edition. Also included as a bonus track is a smoldering
performance of “Good Morning Little School Girl” by Sonny Boy Williamson I,
with Hook Herrera guesting on harp.
It’s absolutely fabulous.
Heavy Load Blues is as good as it gets for blues albums, and I would definitely
recommend the deluxe edition for anyone considering picking this one up. It’s just that good.
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