Many of the
Pickin' On series seem like odd choices, destined to be ignored by all but fans of the artist who's getting picked on. The playing is always excellent, but the song choices don't always transfer well to the acoustic bluegrass world. Fortunately, the rootsy Southern rock of
Gov't Mule does make the transition well, making this one of the more enjoyable entries in the series, not just for fans of
the Mule but anyone interested in bluegrass instrumentals that take a bit of a detour from the norm. As mentioned, the players are fantastic, especially
Tom Ball on harmonica and David West on most anything stringed. The album loses a bit of momentum on slower tracks like "Beautifully Broken," but some of the more upbeat numbers smoke. In the odd niche world of acoustic bluegrass tributes,
Pickin' on Gov't Mule: A Bluegrass Tribute is a winner. ~ Sean Westergaard