Praise to the most be high. Mighty High.
The recently released Mighty High, from the likes of the longstanding legends of the jam band scene, Gov't Mule, is a solid, refreshingly cool album (herb not included). It has beed drawn straight from the vein of the Easy Star All-Stars' Dub Side of the Moon and more recent Radiodread albums. This classic, dub style, dub wise LP comes as a welcome surprise for Mule fans, who know that dubbed out, reggae infused jams are a staple of thier live shows. Mule invokes the inner Rastafari, so be sure to roll your own.
download: I'm a Ram
You've got to love the 1st track, the Al Green classic, I'm a Ram, which by the way was the original recording, taken from the High and Mighty sessions. Apparently, latenight, during the 1st take of this song, lightning struck the studio (unbeknowest to the band). Upon entering the control room they were informed that the tape machine and bass amp were damaged in the process. As a result, they could not record it again, nor could they listen to what they just recorded! Pretty crazy. They took that as some sort of sign and decided to not take any more takes.
download: Rebel With a Cause
Rebel With a Cause is a special dub mix of Mule's "Unring the Bell", featuring vocals and lyrics by reggae legend Willi Williams. This is great, especially because, Willi's 1978 smash hit single, Armagideon Time, is a Mule cover waiting to happen.
download: The Shape I'm In
They also play a rich version of the Band's The Shape I'm In. Originally recorded as their contribution to The Band tribute album Endless Highway, this was a natural addition to Mighty High. The band took a completely different approach to the song, resulting in a funky, creole style, psychedelic acid jazz boogaloo jam featuring Danny Louis on trumpet. awesome.
The Rolling Stones' Play with Fire sounds like Lee Scratch Perry was doing the mixing, the production is stuffed with so much of his classic dub stylings. It was recorded at the Beacon Theatre during the "Dub Side of the Mule" show on 12/31/06. Michael Franti's freestyle vocals were taken from his guest appearances with Gov't Mule at Bonnaroo and Mountain Jam. Fire is the theme. They do a great job.
So sit back, relax and let the irie vibes take control.
No comments:
Post a Comment