| Artist | Gov't Mule |
|---|---|
| Cover | Gov't Mule - Life Before Insanity.jpg |
| Released | February 15, 2000 |
| Recorded | Muscle Shoals Studios, Sheffield, AL and Water Music, Hoboken, NJ |
| Genre | Blues rock[1] |
| Length | 73:50 |
| Label | Capricorn |
| Producer | Michael Barbiero |
| Prev year | 1999 |
| Next year | 2001 |
Life Before Insanity is the third studio album by Gov't Mule.[2] The album was released on February 15, 2000, by Capricorn Records.
The album peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Heatseekers Album Chart.[3]
Production
The album was produced by Michael Barbiero.[4] Unlike the band's first two albums, Life Before Insanity utilized both overdubbing and multiple guest musicians.[5] It was the last album recorded with founding member Allen Woody, who died in August 2000.[6]
Critical reception
The Austin Chronicle wrote that "having Ben Harper cameo with Haynes on 'Lay Your Burden Down' is a guitarist's dream, but while the song rolls along, it never takes off—never reaches the pairing's potential."[7] The Washington Post thought that the album "recalls the vintage blues-rock of the early Allman Brothers Band and Clapton's Cream."[1]
Track listing
All songs by Warren Haynes unless otherwise noted.
Personnel
- Warren Haynes – guitar, slide guitar, vocals
- Allen Woody – bass, mandolin on "Life Before Insanity", electric upright bass on "Tastes Like Wine", rhythm guitar on "I Think You Know What I Mean", fretless bass on "Far Away", dulcitar on "In My Life"
- Matt Abts – drums, djembe, ashika on "In My Life"
Additional personnel
- Michael Barbiero – glockenspiel on "Far Away"
- Hook Herrera – harmonica on "Bad Little Doggie" and "I Think You Know What I Mean"
- Ben Harper – vocals and lap steel on "Lay Your Burden Down"
- Johnny Neel – organ, Wurlitzer piano and background vocals
Production
- Michael Barbiero – producer, engineer, mixing
- Ray Martin – mixing, additional engineering
- Warren Haynes – mixing
- Brodie Hutcheson – mixing, additional engineering
- Dan Jurow – additional engineering
- Greg Calbi – mastering
- Mark Pagliaro – guitar, bass, mandolin, amp, tech
- Daniel Saratec – drum, percussion tech
References
- ^ "GOV'T MULE "Life Before Insanity" Capricorn". The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ "An Evening with Gov't Mule". The Stranger
- ^ "Gov't Mule". Billboard
- ^ "Studio Monitor". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. September 9, 2000. – via Google Books.
- ^ Sculley, Alan (11 Aug 2000). "POWER TRIO GOV'T MULE PACKS ITS OWN POTENT KICK". The Morning Call
- ^ "Allen Woody, Gov't Mule Bassist, Dies". MTV News. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020.
- ^ "Gov't Mule Life Before Insanity (Capricorn)". www.austinchronicle.com
External links
- Life Before Insanity (CD liner). Atlanta, GA: Capricorn. 2000. 314 546 489-2.