The
Gov't Mule live archival series, which began in 2014 with
Dark Side of the Mule and continued with Sco-Mule, continues with this document from the band's 2006 New Year's Eve Beacon Theater show. This is the "standard version" (among several) of
Dub Side of the Mule from the middle of a three-set evening. It's the reggae set with the legendary
Toots Hibbert fronting the band on all but the last track. He is in excellent voice throughout, living up to his reputation as one of the greatest reggae singers of all time. For this evening,
Gov't Mule comprised original members
Warren Haynes on guitars and vocals and
Matt Abts on drums, with
Danny Louis on keyboards,
Andy Hess on bass, and percussionist Sean Pelton. They are augmented by additional guitarist
Gordie Johnson, a three-piece horn section, and Machan Taylor and
Elaine Caswell on backing vocals. The mighty heavy
Mule playing reggae isn't as odd as it might initially seem; rhythmically, they are one of the tightest bands in the business, and groove is in everything they do. There are a ton of surprises here. Some hard blues riffing transforms into rocksteady dreadwise party music as
Hibbert -- with
Johnson on co-lead vocalist -- lays out a hard-skanking read of
Al Green's "I'm a Ram." Next up is "54-46 Was My Number," the first in a series of
Toots & the Maytals classics that also include great performances of "Pressure Drop," "True Love Is Hard to Find," and "Reggae Got Soul." Also included is one of the earliest, grittiest performances of their joint reading of
Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle," as well as a lover's rock take on the Southern soulman's "I've Got Dreams to Remember."
Hibbert was deeply influenced by
Redding and expresses himself not only with requisite skill, but wrenching emotion. The band and chorus frame him with just enough weight to let him soar. The biggest surprise is a triumphant, near-ska version of
Radiohead's "Let Down" that slides in a horn riff from
Men at Work's "Who Can It Be Now." (While that might read like it's dreadful, the chart is clever.) A spirited take on the Malone/Scott R&B nugget "Turn on Your Lovelight" is a smoker, while a reggae version of
Haynes' "Soulshine," which blows away virtually every other version previously issued (even though it's without
Hibbert), closes it out. As fans might suspect, this is not one of the
Mule's standard guitar-blasting sets. There are many fine
Haynes' solos and there are a few longer jam tracks, but over half this date consists of tunes between three and six minutes in length. This is part of
Dub Side of the Mule's considerable charm: it stands out from many other
Gov't Mule live recordings because it reflects the sound of a singular rock band reveling in their collaboration with a reggae legend. ~ Thom Jurek