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Produced by Rob Cavallo and engineered by Doug McKean , the A-list musicians include Cavallo on

guitar along with Tim Pierce. On bass was Chris Chaney, on keyboards was Jamie Muhoberac, on
drums was Dorian Crozier, and Matt Laug played drums on Stairway To Heaven. Outstanding
orchestral arrangements were by David Campbell

The album is released on February 25, 2022 and is without a doubt worth every penny.

Ian K. McKenzie

Gov’t Mule—Heavy Load—Fantasy Records

Despite having a ‘blues’ label, The Mule have never dropped a
full blues album. Warren Haynes has promised and now
delivered. He and the rest of the band, Matt Abts, Danny Louis
and Jorgen Carlsson, have delivered with a vengeance. But, the

band wants to make I clear that this is not a straightforward
Mule album. Haynes says: “Although in some way it was,
anything goes, we wanted to stay true to the spirit of the blues
in a traditional sense. It’s not a blues/rock record – it's a blues
record. We wanted it sonically to sound different from a normal
Gov’t Mule record.” And it does.

Despite being labelled a studio album, Heavy Load Blues was in fact recorded live at The Power
Station New England on analogue tape with the help of numerous vintage guitars and amps to
capture a genuine blues tone.

There are a couple of originals including the title track, ‘Heavy Load’, an acoustic guitar and slide
piece from Mr Haynes and covers include the music of Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, Junior Wells,
Ann Peebles, and Bobby “Blue” Bland, and of blues-influenced stars Tom Waits and the Animals.
Check out Wolf’s “I Asked Her For Water, She Gave Me Gasoline” which is transformed into a

heavy funk number, which despite its divergence from the original, I am pretty sure Chester would
approve.

All in all, especially if you get the deluxe edition that has eight bonus tracks in addition to the
thirteen on the standard version, this is an outstanding album and a seriously good way to start
2022.

Ian K McKenzie

Ruzz Guitar’s Blues Revue—Live! Against The Grain—RG
Records

I really don’t understand why this young man is so little known
around the world. Still in his twenties Mr Guitar (really
Evans) is making serious waves in the world of biggish blues
bands with driving horn sections.

This album, made live in a period of the lifting of the

restrictive conditions experienced by musicians everywhere as