fuche_bu's Full Review: Live at Bonnaroo [Digipak] by Warren Haynes
As a long time fan of the Allman Brothers Band, I have grown to have a great appreciation for guitarist Warren Haynes. Warren got his musical start from country star David Allen Coe. That was followed by a stint with Dickie Betts solo band. By 1989, Haynes would share guitar duties with Betts in the newly revived Allman Brothers Band. That would be the beginning of a jam music legend.
Fans familiar with Warren Haynes know that this is an incredibly active performer. In addition to his ABB duties, Warren also fronts his own band Gov’t Mule and has put in stints as guitarist for Phil Lesh and Friends and The Dead. He also has a fondness for sitting in with just about any band playing. He is also gifted as a solo performer.
At the 2004 Bonnaroo Festival, Haynes was scheduled for a solo acoustic performance. Warren has a stunning range of material to draw from. He is a talented songwriter and also has a fine ear for selecting cover songs. I was at this festival and his solo set was one of the most highly anticipated sets of the festival. I was thrilled that this fine set would be released on disc. The entire set ran just under 79 minutes so it fills up a single disc nicely.
This set was played under a hot sun in the early afternoon. Warren was in fine form for this set. Everyone was wondering just how much energy he would have. He sat in with Widespread Panic the night before. He was also scheduled to play with The Dead that evening. The show opener was a surprising cover of the Radiohead song Lucky. Warren’s voice is in good form as he works his way through the song. He makes it seem perfectly natural for the song to be played in a solo acoustic format.
The set also includes many Haynes originals. I was impressed with originals like Patchwork Quilt. This is a song that doesn’t get utilized in his Gov’t Mule or ABB sets. It’s a nice song about the joys and hardships of being a musician on the road. The Real Thing is another Haynes composition that shows off his songwriting prowess. This is something close to a power ballad and it comes across that way even in an acoustic setting.
DeadHeads will be happy that this set includes two Grateful Dead standards: To Lay Me Down and Stella Blue. To Lay Me Down was often performed by the Dead when they did acoustic sets in 1980. They also sprinkled it into their first sets throughout the 80s and 90s. Warren does a nice version of the song here. His version of the Garcia/Hunter ballad Stella Blue is also delightful.
I’ll Be the One is a ballad that has appeared in the occasional Mule set. It’s a pretty song. Haynes sings the song with a lot of passion. He is also in good form on guitar here. I was equally impressed with his cover of the U2 classic One. He manages to capture the passion and conviction that one would expect from Bono. He makes the song his own while fully honoring the spirit of the original.
Other songs that are well executed are Forevermore and Tastes Like Wine. I was also happy with I’ve Got Dreams to Remember. Warren may be the best actively working guitarist going today. He shows off his skill in this pared down setting. The disc is good because it gives back some of the intimacy lost in the grand scale setting of Bonnaroo. The concert took place in a giant field with over tens of thousands of people. That’s not the ideal setting to capture a solo acoustic set but Haynes pulls it off.
There is also a nice cover of the Eagles song Wasted Time. He closes the set with his own staple Soulshine. This is a song that gets played by both Gov’t Mule and the ABB. At this show, he brings out South African vocalist Vusi Mahlasela to assist on the vocals. Vusi has an angelic voice although this rendition does drag a bit.
Warren Haynes is an extraordinary and tireless performer. His passion for all kinds of music is easy to grasp. He loves to perform in a variety of settings. He is also an extremely gifted guitarist. This is not the best performance in his career but it does provide a tasty sampling of his acoustic playing. The disc actually captures some of the nuances that were not apparent to this fan sitting a football field’s length away during the actual performance. Fans of jam bands and jam band forefathers like the Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead should probably seek this one out. It is also an essential set for Warren devotees. As one of his songs might suggest, this guy is the real thing.
1. Lucky
2. Patchwork Quilt
3. To Lay Me Down
4. Glory Road
5. The Real Thing
6. One
7. In My Life
8. I’ll Be The One
9. Fallen Down
10. Forevermore
11. Beautifully Broken
12. I’ve Got Dream to Remember
13. Tastes Like Wine
14. Wasted Time
15. Stella Blue
16. Soulshine
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