Gov't Mule - Stoned Side Of The Mule - Vol.1 & 2 (2015) [24bit FLAC]

Few bands have a reputation for making music as consistently honest, organic, and daring as Gov’t Mule. But in curveball mode, and for the first time in its 20-year career, Gov’t Mule has delved into its vaults for Stoned Side Of The Mule (Vol 1 & 2).

After last December’s Dark Side of the Mule, January’s Sco-Mule, and Dub Side of the Mule (released April 6th) the fourth and last release in this series will be called Stoned Side Of The Mule. It will be a limited-run, vinyl-only release of highlights from its fabled Halloween 2009 performance at the Tower Theater outside of Philadelphia. The show featured a long and varied set of impassioned, expertly executed Rolling Stones covers as only the Mule can deliver, with special guests Jackie Greene (Phil Lesh & Friends, Black Crowes, Trigger Hippy) and saxophonist Steve Elson (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Radiohead, David Bowie). The 2-LP with the Mule ripping through impassioned Rolling Stone covers is newly-edited and mastered.

On this release we have 13 tracks taken from the vast back catalogue of the greatest rock n roll band of all time, the Rolling Stones. The Mule cover such great tracks like Under My Thumb, Paint In Black, Wild Horses, Play With Fire, and Brown Sugar with ease, adding their own magic, yet staying faithful to the original. No more so than on the heart wrenching ‘Angie’, it is as near as damn it note perfect with chilling vocals from Mule leader Warren Haynes. This will give you goose bumps. Elsewhere “Ventilator Blues.” is just sublime, the interplay between the harmonica and saxophone is stunning, and playing off this is a great guitar riff that fits perfectly.

A rousing version of the classic Brown Sugar brings the house down on what was surely a momentous night of great music played by a great band.