{"id":22427,"date":"2023-06-15T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=22427"},"modified":"2023-06-14T22:15:00","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T22:15:00","slug":"govt-mule-peace-like-a-river-fantasy-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=22427","title":{"rendered":"Gov\u2019t Mule \u2013 \u2018Peace\u2026 Like A River\u2019 (Fantasy Records)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Confession time. The nearest I\u2019d ever come to listening to renowned Grammy-nominated Southern rock jam band Gov\u2019t Mule was when I just happened upon their Rolling Stones live tribute record \u2018Stoned Side Of The Mule Vol.1 &2\u2019 a few years back. The most impressive thing about that record for me was the band didn\u2019t just perform the usual big hitters, instead they chose to play deeper cuts like \u2018Monkey Man\u2019 and \u2018Ventilator Blues\u2019 and the band\u2019s performance was truly exceptional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what am I doing here sharing my views on the band\u2019s all new twelfth studio record \u2018Peace\u2026 Like A River\u2019, and not someone else at RPM towers perhaps more au fait with their work? Well, the simple answer to this is when I first came across the lead track\/video for the record, \u2018Dreaming Out Loud\u2019, I was literally floored by it, and I just had to hear more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m getting ahead of myself here though, as if like me you\u2019ve never really heard of Gov\u2019t Mule then you\u2019re going to need some backstory to provide some context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially formed almost three decades ago as a power trio side project by then Allman Brothers\/ex-Dickey Betts\u2019 guitarist Warran Haynes, who also handles lead vocals, along with fellow Dickey Bett\u2019s band cohort Matt Abts on drums (the original line up being completed by bassist Allen Woody), the version of the band that has recorded \u2018Peace\u2026 Like A River\u2019 sees the original duo once again joined by Danny Louis on keyboards, guitar, and backing vocals, along with Jorgen Carlsson on bass guitar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trying to pigeonhole (as most people like to do) exactly what the Mule sound like though is not exactly as easy as listing the ingredients that go into making up their rather unique musical offerings. Haynes himself has stated that the record is a showcase of \u201cthe golden era of rock, soul, jazz and blues,\u201d and he\u2019s pretty much spot on with that statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Losing myself within the many twists and turns contained with the album\u2019s dozen tracks, it conjures up a crystal-clear image of the band entrenched in studio with producer John Paterno (who I seem to recall working on Elvis Costello\u2019s excellent \u2018Brutal Youth\u2019 album) shaping what strikes me as a record that really does sound completely \u201cout of time\u201d. For a perfect example of this simply give the aforementioned \u2018Dreaming Out Loud\u2019 featuring the stellar vocal talents of Ivan Neville and Ruthie Foster a listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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