Archive: Arts & Entertainment

In what is likely the second to last of the reviews of past releases that went largely unnoticed by the general public, but which were masterpieces of distinction (I’m moving on to new releases soon), this month’s treat is the 1993 studio solo album by Warren Haynes – Tales of Ordinary Madness – his very first solo offering.

Many know Warren Haynes – he is actually quite famous.  He has won Grammy’s, is in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and was ranked as one of the top 25 guitar players of all time by Rolling Stone.  There is a “Warren Haynes Day” (December 18) in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, the site of the famed Christmas Jam sessions that raise money for Habitat for Humanity.

These live shows feature local musicians and a who’s who of famous musicians, including the Blues Travelers, Jackson Browne, Johnny Winter, Phil Lesh, Bruce Hornsby, Little Feat, Living Colour, Hot Tuna, Branford Marsalis, John Paul Jones, Taj Mahal, Drivin’ N Cryin’, Dave Matthews, and dozens more equally famous and skilled artists and musicians. Gibson Guitars even has a Warren Haynes signature limited edition release built on the ‘58 Les Paul model, a guitar favored by Haynes and made famous by Duane Allman.  The ‘58 was prized for a tonal quality not achieved on the more popular ‘59 model (made popular by players like Eric Clapton).

Musically, Haynes is best known for his work with Gov’t Mule, the Allman Brothers Band, David Allan Coe, the Grateful Dead, the Nighthawks, and the Dave Matthews Band.  He is a remarkable lyricist and a stellar songwriter, but his true genius is his work on electric and acoustic guitar – most particularly, using that skill to fuse unique licks and textured progressions into the songwriting art. He uses many guitar techniques and customized equipment to produce a custom tone – as tone matters – and shows an impressive array of string skills like call and response, string bending, vibrato, slide guitar, and favors open acoustic tunings in G and E scales.

His musical influences are quite varied, but include Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Smokey Robinson, Johnny Winter, Albert King, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Led Zeppelin, and, of course, Duane Allman.  Though, in fairness, many other blues artists exerted strong influences upon Haynes’ music.  Haynes’ work is legend, and trying to list all he has done, and the remarkable musicians he has played with, toured with, or even just sat in with for a jam session, would be near impossible. I note the key players in the Allman Brothers on this list, including Dickey Betts and Derek Trucks - but most importantly for this review – Chuck Leavell.

Chuck Leavell produced Tales of Ordinary Madness, and the signature influences of Leavell’s work infuses this release with a rich and textured mid-southern rock style fused with blues and soul. This release cleanly foreshadowed the driving blues based fusion jam band that would underlie much of the Mule’s later work, being very much characterized by powerful and dynamic live performances.  The music is reminiscent of other bands with this characteristic, notably Widespread Panic and Little Feat, though the chops and stylings are heavier and more steeped in the blues.  You can literally hear this potential in the songs that make up Tales.

Thus, while there are a plethora of Haynes fans out there, relatively few know this release.  The LP opens with “Fire in the Kitchen” – a lyrically charged blues-based rock jam featuring a syncopated dance between solid guitar licks over a backdrop of keyboards showing classic Leavell production influences.  Next follows a song called “Kiss Tomorrow Good-Bye” – a more chord driven production with some sweet slide guitar work.  “Movers and Shakers” follows and slows things down a notch, but stays in the blues groove and adds some jazz and soul influences.  “I’ll Be the One” next follows and it is a ballad of sorts, with soaring major chord progressions that almost seem gospel influenced. The critically acclaimed “Blue Radio” follows - it is a tune you just need to hear.  It has heavy soul influences, deep lyrics, and classic Haynes’ vocal textures.

Overall it is a medium tempo composition that is best defined by the use of quiet open bars that highlight the staccato background rhythms of the percussion, bass, and keyboards; all of which is overridden by smoky guitar sounds and a mix of solo vocals and choral backups (of course, also mixing in classic keyboard and guitar solos for even more texture). “Invisible” is a soul influenced tune that kicks the tempo back up a notch and features some interesting guitar solos that, when you listen to the interplay of percussion, seem jazz influenced (again, likely the Leavell production influence at work – it reminds me a bit of the late 70s work of Billy Preston).

“Sister Justice” kicks it back up a notch and again features the smoky textured interplay of the guitars and keyboards that punctuate much of this release.  The next tune, “Angel City,” softens up the tempo and flavor quite a bit, and seems a bit of a lullaby that has the acoustic influences of the Allman Brothers at its root.  “Tattoos and Cigarettes” is next and lands us squarely back in a slow driving southern-influenced blues rock genre. Staying in this genre, “Power and the Glory” next follows and kicks up a good jam, but the opening bars are heavily reminiscent of a blend of Little Feat, Robert Palmer, and Sea Level, even including some nice saxophone licks.  This release finishes up with “Broken Promised Land” – a slow melodic ballad just full of heart.

So, many of you have Gov’t Mule, Allman Brothers, and other music and releases that Haynes wrote, performed upon, or contributed to – now it is time graduate to the real thing.  This release fused the mid-south rock-blues sound with soul and foreshadowed the work and stylings that typify the following decade of work by Gov’t Mule – still one of my all-time favorite bands.

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