Where To Start?

The Dickens cliche is so true right now. Over the last couple of days, I've had the chance to stumble across some incredible music. The new Gov't Mule albu, "High and Mighty" is typical Mule: fast, hard-hitting rockers and heavy-handed slow songs. Nothing out of the ordinary except for some amazing Zeppelinesque riffs that one always hopes guitarist Warren Haynes will pull out. While this band doesn't leave the mulekick in the head like the original lineup, this is a mature, fuller (and better) sounding Mule that would impress anyone thinking that good power rock ended with the demise of Mountain, Cream or Duane Allman. Not to say that this music is totally derivitive; while wearing his influences on his sleeve, Warren Haynes belongs in a class all to himself. Move aside James Brown, because anyone who knows music knows that no one can hold a candle to Mr. WH and his prolific, prodigious output. Great record, with the highs surely outweighing the lows, with the best studio album since the band's second, "Dose". Maybe the best aspect of the album is the new producer who gives the songs a nice and organic feeling, something that the band's last few albums lacked.
The Black Crowes recently unearthed and polished off two lost studio albums from the peak of their career in the mid-90s. In "peaked", I mean songwriting and record releases. This band does not suffer from a lack of material, but the band's heyday, 92 to 97 is equivalent to the Grateful Dead's run from 1969 to 1974 in output. "Tall" and "Band", respectively, find the Robinson Boys and Co. in fine form. Jams are tasty and succinct, the playing's tight (even in the formative phase of the songs eventually filling "Amorica") and the vibe is there. I loved "Amorica" yet never really locked wholeheartedly to "Three Snakes", which some claim to be the band's best album. On the coattails of "Snakes" is "Band", which unfortunately was looked over and replaced with "By Your Side", the band's weakest release. Understandable move with the departure of lead guitarist Marc Ford, but in listening to the two-disc release, one wonders why the band sat on the bootlegs for so long. Maybe because the band has recently returned from the five-year hiatus. Unfortunately, this band suffers over-ironification of its music (did I just invent a word?): just as the band reunites and tours for a year tearing up reviews and venues nationwide, Marc Ford again leaves the band. Also, the Crowes have always suffered the label as "throwback", lumped with Lenny Kravitz as a bunch of unoriginal classic rock knock-offs. This band embraced its origins instead of lying and trying to hide them and here stands the most rock and roll band in rock and roll at a time when people are clamoring for more bands like the Rolling Stones and a Faces reunion is all but eminant.

Thursday marked the 15th anniversary of Miles Davis' passing. To mark the occasion, I played "Milestones", my latest find though good intentions aside, a wrong purchase. I was looking for his Quintet and picked up his first Sextet recording. The music's brilliant but I wanted something more mellow. On a very sad note, on Thursday night I also lost a colleague of mine from the high school who was shot to death by her half-sister in front of her seven-year old son. The scenario is almost cliche and therefore I refuse to go into detail, but myself and school are reeling in shock and disbelief about something so tragic to someone so contributing and nice.

Why must it take Bob Woodward to reveal to the nation just how evil George W. Bush's administration truly is?