Gov't Mule Heavy Load Blues (3-LP Set, 180g Vinyl - Deluxe Edition)

(Fantasy Records) 20 tracks, 180g vinyl deluxe edition with eight additional studio and live tracks!

Renowned quartet Gov't Mule - led by GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, guitar legend and producer Warren Haynes - has announced its debut blues album Heavy Load Blues, out November 12 via Fantasy Records. The album features a balanced mix of Haynes' original compositions and revered cover versions originally made famous by Howlin' Wolf, Elmore James, Junior Wells, Ann Peebles, Bobby "Blue" Bland and even Tom Waits and the Animals.

Although technically a studio album, Heavy Load Blues was recorded live at The Power Station New England studio on analog tape, using vintage guitars, amps and other equipment to capture an authentic sound. The 13-track album was produced by Haynes along with engineer and co-producer John Paterno (Michael Landau, Robbie Williams, The Steve Gadd Band).

One of the many standout tracks is the Junior Wells standard "Snatch It Back and Hold It," which allowed the band to freely cover a classic by inserting an impromptu jam called "Hold It Back" in the middle of a soulful, rousing rendition that had a decidedly funky groove. Although some tunes might sound familiar to blues fans, the band - Haynes, Matt Abts [drums], Danny Louis [keyboards, guitar and backing vocals] and Jorgen Carlsson [bass] - often put their own stamp on them. "I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody's Home," originally recorded by Ann Peebles, is one of the few songs on the album that the band has previously performed live. In their version, Haynes' nimble guitar riffs are played over a solid foundation of organ and rhythm, resulting in a kind of funky finesse. For the Howlin' Wolf song "I Asked Her For Water, She Gave Me Gasoline," Gov't Mule, known for shifting parameters while mixing a variety of genres - rock, R&B, jam, funk, jazz and practically everything in between - opted for a heavy, fast-paced, funky version that's a far cry from the original.