I’ve only had the pleasure of seeing Govt. Mule in concert the once and it was akin to a religious experience for a music/ guitar geek like me.
 Their live shows are traditionally known to be long and legendary, but their New Year’s  Eve shows are known to be off the hook.

 So when I heard they were releasing  a new triple CD of the original power trio (guitarist/ singer Warren Haynes, bassist Allen Woody and drummer Matt Abts along with an assortment of guests)  “Mulennium” show ( Jan. 31, 1999 in Atlanta), with original bassist Allen Woody,” I had to have it.
The first CD is pure vintage Mule, with long standing concert staples, including a different version of “Bad Little Doggie,” “Lay Your Burden Down” a scorching version of “Blind Man in The Dark”  and a laid back jam on “Life Before Insanity,” and several others which are regular features of numerous Govt. Mule recordings.

But Mule covers are  just as legendary, so there is a fine selection of them.
 On the first CD there is a sizzling tortured version of  King Crimson’s “21st Schizoid Man” and lead singer/ guitarist Warren Haynes gets to show off his inner Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (simultaneously) on a long version of “Dazed and Confused. He also tackles something from the Who’s “Tommy,”  which is titled “We’re not Gonna Take It,” but is really something completely different as Haynes puts his own indelible mark on it.

Guest stars are a familiar feature of Govt. Mule live concerts. On this one, they have the Black Crowes’ Audley Freed, Robert Kearnes, Johnny Mosier, Mark Van Allen and most importantly legendary bluesman Little Milton as Haynes produced his CD “Welcome to Little Milton.”
So the second CD is worth the price of the package alone because it features Little Milton playing straight up blues with Haynes through several tracks including an outstanding version of “When The Blues Comes Knocking,” the hilarious break up song “My Dog and Me,” a cool song called “Lump on Your Stump,”  an 11 minute version of  “I Can’t Quit You Baby,” plus blues standard “Blues is All Right.”
 The blues is definitely all right when played like this.

CD: Forbidden Fruit
Band: The Necessities
Genre: folk/pop
Record Label: Ghostwood Records

Sean Ashby has played some of Canada’s biggest names  in music, Sarah McLachlan being the biggest. He has also played with Ginger, with former members of the Grapes of Wrath  and even added  a bit of classical music to industrial act Delerium.
 But his second solo CD, “24 Hours of Daylight” sounds like none of the above.
 Yet Ashby exhibits a variety of styles or Grapes of Wrath style pop on “Shoulder Wide,” to  more spaghetti western music like “Leone Western.”
He has  a hauntingly beautiful fingerpicked piece called “Centre Line, ” which sounds like some of Jay Semko’s work for TV shows like Due South. For the complete counterpoint to that, he has a fuzzed out, slide guitar powered rocker “Barbwire Valentine.”

The upbeat Grapes of Wrathish rocker, “Something About you,” is a highlight as is “Sweet Tuesday” which almost has a contemporary country pop flavour.
 
 THen he turns things down a couple notches with another slower number, the very soulful “3 Sides,” which has some spooky slide guitar.
He gets to show off his beautiful acoustic guitar picking chops on the title track, the very beautiful “24 Hours of Daylight,” which features  chiming harmonics and  plenty  of tender fingerpicking.
The CD is all over the place musically, which makes it difficult to categorize, but it shows off the many facets of Sean Ashby’s playing. He has a strong tenor voice which shines throughout.

CD: 24 Hours of Daylight
Artist: Sean Ashby
Genre: roots/pop
Record Company: Black Sparrow Records