Speaking of Wanee… “Rockin’ Horse” Memories

It was 2007. I had attended exactly one music festival, back in 1969. I’d gotten the music bug again in 1993 when a friend turned me on to Phish and Widespread Panic. And I saw those bands — and others — a number of times. I’d seen Gov’t Mule six times and the Derek Trucks Band a couple.

Somehow, though, I kept ignoring the Allman Brothers Band. I had seen them before. In March of 1971 (right before the Fillmore East shows). Several friends had proselytized for years that I should check out the Brothers. Even though I knew that Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks were in the band, I ignored that sage advice.

Finally, after an important life change, we decided to head to Langerado in March of 2007 and had such a great time that we decided to try the Wanee Music Festival (its third iteration), Gov’t Mule the main attraction for us. I was interested to see The Allman Brothers Band, certainly, but not really excited.

That changed, several weeks before the start of Wanee, while at school (where I taught high school math), listening to music on the computer during my conference period. I stumbled across a song called “Rockin’ Horse” from the Brothers’ 2003 album Hittin’ the Note.

I was floored. Stunned. Blown away. And embarrassed.

Embarrassed that I’d failed to recognize the overwhelming power of this band. After the fact, I discovered I had heard Gov’t Mule play this song penned by Haynes, Gregg Allman, Allen Woody, and Jack Pearson several times. And of course it’s on the first Mule album (1995).

Mule had a riveting set on the afternoon of April 13, 2007, before the Brothers took the stage for the evening’s main event. When ABB did take the stage, they were getting tuned and warmed up, and the world was wonderfully spacey at that particular moment. Suddenly, Oteil Burbridge wasn’t warming up any more. And I was totally, completely blown away as he led the Brothers with that bass intro to “Les Brers in A Minor.”

And later, after a stunning “Desdemona” with Ron Holloway on tenor saxophone and “Every Hungry Woman” with Yonrico Scott, they blew out a spectacular “Rockin’ Horse.”

Here is one from The Beacon 2003:

This tight Mule version, which begins at 5:35, also demonstrates why many regard Allen Woody as the greatest. I certainly do. This is from 1994, just a year into the band’s quarter-century career:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPQoyWsmP88

It continues to be one of my favorite songs.

“My guardian angel wears a hard hat,”
Said the boy with the microphone
“Else, I wouldn’t be standing here today
Ever since I was a young a boy
I couldn’t leave well enough alone
Always trouble standing in my way

Up, down, anywhere but in the middle
Off the wagon, under the wheel again
All or nothing – never could do just a little
Never could leave it alone

Got to ride that rocking horse

Hard living be the death of me
Lead me to an early grave
To die in the saddle must be my destiny
But to ride this rocking horse I must be crazed

Good clean fun is just my imagination
Down and dirty that’s the way the game is played
This hard life has caused me aggravation
Never could leave it alone

Got to ride that rocking horse

Can’t leave it alone
Got to ride that rocking horse

 

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