The leaders of
Gov't Mule,
Warren Haynes and
Allen Woody, should be well known to
Allman Brothers fans for their stint in Southern rock's most famous native sons. In 1989
Haynes became the second replacement for
Duane Allman, providing a good foil for
Gregg Allman and
Dickey Betts on guitar and vocals;
Woody filled out the
Allman sound on bass. Five years after their debut, the duo joined drummer
Matt Abts in the side project
Gov't Mule, a band in which
the Allman Brothers' influence is apparent but complicated with the psychedelic, bluesy power trio feel of
Cream.
Gov't Mule debuted in 1995 with a self-titled album on Capricorn Records, followed by the stellar concert date
Live at Roseland Ballroom. The studio follow-up,
Dose, appeared in early 1998; another concert set,
Live...with a Little Help from Our Friends, followed a year later, with the complete show later appearing as a four-disc limited-edition set. A new studio effort,
Life Before Insanity, appeared in early 2000. A vital member of the band was lost, however, on August 26, 2000, when
Woody was found dead in a hotel room in New York City. The band had been preparing to record their next album, and after a time,
Gov't Mule finally decided to carry on with the project, this time with guest bassists ranging from
Flea to
Bootsy Collins. The two-volume
Deep End series for ATO Records resulted.
Phish bassist
Mike Gordon also got involved in the project, filming the recording of the albums for a planned documentary. In mid-September 2001, the group hit the road for a six-week tour in support of
Deep End, Vol. 1;
Oteil Burbridge filled in as bassist for most of the dates.
The second volume of
Live...with a Little Help from Our Friends appeared in 2002 and the
Deepest End: Live in Concert CD and DVD in 2003. One year later saw the release of
Déjà Voodoo,
Gov't Mule's first studio effort since
Woody's death. It featured his official replacement, bassist
Andy Hess, as well as new keyboardist
Danny Louis. The same lineup released
High & Mighty in 2006. The two-volume
Benefit Concert series followed in 2007. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide