30 Years of Gov't Mule
Celebrating the debut of a hard rock powerhouse
A couple of the bands I was in back in the day covered a couple of Gov’t Mule songs, if for no one else’s enjoyment but ours (they never really went over in rural NC clubs that wanted to hear “Sweet Home Alabama” or “Mustang Sally” or “Brown-Eyed Girl” over and over). “Rockin’ Horse” was a favorite; so many twists and dynamics, and I never tired of singing it, even if its ending was followed by the view of an empty dancefloor and the sound of crickets from the room, save for the distant clink or two of beer bottles being gathered by the undertipped staff.
The power trio of Warren Haynes, Allen Woody, and Matt Abts was my main musical diet for a stretch in the mid to late ‘90s. They were like a long-lost relic from the glory days of 1970s hard rock trapped in the angsty, beflanneled ‘90s. Their first three albums are seared into my soul, and I’ve stuck with them for the 30 years since: through the tragic loss of Woody, the addition of Danny Louis, through the Andy Hess years, the Jorgen Carlsson era, and now their current lineup with bassist Kevin Scott.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut, below you'll find my piece for Albumism, followed by the most recent interview I did with Haynes about his latest solo project, A Million Voices Whisper (where he also discusses the Allmans and hints at some big plans for the Mule’s anniversary later this year), and a couple of other reviews I filed for their last few albums.
Thanks for reading!
For Albumism: Gov’t Mule’s Eponymous Debut Album ‘Gov’t Mule’ Turns 30 | Album Anniversary
For No Depression: Warren Haynes Talks New Solo Album, Gov’t Mule’s 30th, and the Allman Brothers’ Final Show
For No Depression: Gov’t Mule Honors Influences With Their Own Twist
For PopMatters: Gov’t Mule’s Heavy Load Blues Will Lighten Your Burden
Related:
For Albumism: The Allman Brothers Band’s ‘Seven Turns’ Turns 30 | Anniversary Retrospective
For The Mixtape:
30 Years Back to Where it All Begins
Where It All Begins completed a trilogy of fantastic return-to-form albums that showcased the talents of not only the ABB foundation of Allman, Betts, Jaimoe, and Trucks but also the mighty string se…
I really love Gov’t Mule. Warren Haynes has a fabulous voice and is a great guitarist and songwriter to boot. I love the ABB too but haven’t heard the albums you mention above. I stopped in the early 70s. I did see the ABB in the UK at Knebworth in 1974/75. John Peel was the announcer and when they came he said words to the effect that the music had to stop by a certain time. One of the band then said “there’s no curfew on boogie”. And, there wasn’t…..
this band ABBsolutely destroyed me multiple times in the (relatively) brief time Allen Woody was in lineup. The loudest group I ever heard live.