Govt Mule

[patman]

Filled out an Amazon order (to get free shipping) with "Dose" by Govt Mule...never paid too much attention, although I've heard them before...

Wow. What ferocious musicianship, precision use of complex meters...I was totally amazed.

Alan Woody sure knows how to use the tone of a Gibson bass to round out the band. I will be seeking out the other early Mule albums...

[4stringer77]

Woody was a true Gibson bass ambassador. He deserves some of the credit for influencing people's attraction to vintage Gibsons as well as the newer models. It's also worth checking out some of their live output because they were capable of taking their songs to different peaks and valleys with their jamming. The Georgia bootleg box set and live at Roseland are some good ones.

[Highlander]

Saw the pair of them with the Allmans... rather good, what...

[Dave W]

Vintage Guitar mag did an interview with him in '96 where he discusses his many Gibsons, among other things. It's now online.

Allen Woody
Of Short-Scale Basses and Long, Long Songs

[4stringer77]

Thanks for sharing the article. I'm kind of surprised he thought so highly of the Epiphone EB-2s of the day, then again he said he liked the Epi NR T-birds back then which weren't anything special either.

[uwe]

Thanks for the link.

"I've got one of two Korina Thunderbirds that Gibson's Custom Shop made a few years ago, and a Candy Apple Red Thunderbird with a black pickguard that's a prototype."

I wonder if mine is the other!

[Highlander]

We'll probably never know but...

[Basshappi]

One of my favorite bands. Their early stuff when Woody was alive is their best, like early Cream, great musicianship combined with absolute balls-to-the-wall delivery.  They were what every blues rock trio should aspire to be. They are still a great band and if you get a chance to see them in concert GO!

[Dave W]

The original VG story had lots of photos. Back then it was newsprint tabloid style.

[Grog]

I remember hearing Woody & Warren playing with the Allmans for the first time. To me, this was the first time in a long time that the Allman Bro's Band sounded like the Allman Bro's Band. I read another article somewhere, (Guitar Player?), talking about Gov't Mule & Woody liking the big sound of Gibson basses in this three piece setting. They were trying to get the feel of Mountain & Cream from the Power Trio days. I ended up being a big fan of the early stuff. I saw them live twice after Woody's death. George Porter Jr was filling in one of the times. I stayed after to talk to him, showed him my license. Told him he had the same name as my dad & that several bass stores had gotten real excited when I called them, till they found out I wasn't him.