Gov't Mule's live New Year's Eve shows are the high point of the year for fans: they usually last for four hours-plus and include loads of guests who help to create some inspiring musical moments. Two early
Mule live releases were also recorded on NYE --
Live at Roseland Ballroom (1995) and Live with a Little Help from Our Friends, recorded at Atlanta's Roxy in 1998. The triple-disc
Mulennium was recorded December 31, 1999, also at the Roxy, but has remained in the can until now. In its way, it is the definitive document of the original
Gov't Mule power trio: guitarist/vocalist
Warren Haynes, bassist
Allen Woody (this was his last NYE show with the band, he died eight months later), and drummer
Matt Abts. Disc one begins with a cheesy intro by an unnamed announcer who cops directly from Brother JC Crawford's off the
MC5's debut Kick Out the Jams. This is literally the only thing here that feels wrong. Disc one covers the concert up to midnight. It includes seven
Mule originals, among them are truly burning versions of "Bad Little Doggie," "Life Before Insanity," and "Blind Man in the Dark." But this is a preliminary: after midnight comes the first surprise: a stellar -- and fitting -- cover of
King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man," followed by the
Who's "We're Not Gonna Take It," and
Led Zep's "Dazed and Confused." Disc two begins with a six-song blues set with legend
Little Milton on vocals; highlights here are "When the Blue Comes Knockin'," "I Can't Quit You Baby," and "It Hurts Me Too." Before the disc closes, newly minted
Black Crowes' guitarist
Audley Freed joins the band on-stage for a cover of
Alice Cooper's "Is It My Body" and
Jimi Hendrix's "The Power of Soul."
Freed remains for much of the rest of the show. Guitarist Johnny Mosier and pedal steel boss Mark Van Allen (the latter two members of
Blueground Undergrass) join
Mule and
Freed on the encores. The final disc in the package is highlighted by killer readings of the
Beatles' "Helter Skelter,"
the Black Crowes' "Sometimes Salvation," and
Humble Pie's "Thirty Days in the Hole" (that morphs into "I Don't Need No Doctor"). Guitarist Johnny Mosier and pedal steel player Mark Van Allen (the latter two, members of
Blueground Undergrass) join
Mule and
Freed on the encores:
Tony Joe White's "Out Of the Rain,"
Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" and
Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man." Ultimately,
Mulennium is a truly special
Gov't Mule gig. Though it was never meant to be released, the remixed sound is full and present, and showcases the original band at its raw, hot, improvisationally spontaneous best. ~ Thom Jurek