Formed back in 1994 as an offshoot of the (then) members of the Allman Brothers, Warren Haynes and Allen Woody, they wanted to get back to basics with a good old fashioned three piece in the vein of Free. This is the first album they did, and in my mind this was the best, as after it they would expand their sound and scope of the material they would cover.
The album opens with Warren just singing alone on the track Grinning In Your Face, and the tone he has to his voice is just beautiful. This leads into Mother Earth – a blues based tune heavy on guitar and groove – and that voice! Rocking Horse is up next and has that off funky groove mixed with a good dose of Southern attitude. The production is awesome and super clear – showing the beauty of a three piece with that uncluttered sound. Monkey Hill doth follow with the fuzz vocal and the first glimpse of Warren’s slide playing. Temporary Saint is a slow tune with the guitar dripping in reverb and chorus – and again, that amazing voice. As you would expect there is always room a for a solo and they deliver in every tune. Trane is next up and probably was the blueprint for the whole band. It’s very loose and it feels as though they were just jammin’ and they pressed record and let it go.
The band’s own theme song is up next, Mule, and is a freaking awesome tune with a killer riff, groove, melody, and chorus – the whole nine yards. Worth the price of admission alone kiddies! The acoustic flavoured, Dolphineus, is next and does remind you of Zeppelin with a southern feel. This leads into the even more Zeppelin sounding intro of Painted Silver Light. I mentioned Free further up the page, and their cover of Mr. Big is just outstanding – not many singers could pull that off, let alone the guitar. Allen Woody’s bass is amazing on this track. Left Coast Groovies is the penultimate track, and again there is that off groove funk underlying the whole tune and a riff that turns up in the middle of the song. Jeez! Save the best till last??? Well yes, but the whole album is amazing. World Of Difference is just epic. Clocking in at 10.15, it is the perfect end to the album. A stunning vocal and guitar tour de force.
Yet another album that belongs in the everyone should own one folder.
10/10 from The Grooveman.
