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Taxman or Street Fighting Man? Warren Haynes tells you (© Steve C. Mitchell/epa/Corbis)

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Clearly, Warren Haynes has a problem choosing between bands. The revered guitarist not only leads his own group, Gov't Mule, but since 1989 he's been a member of The Allman Brothers Band. And if that weren't enough, he's plays with The Dead (remaining members of The Grateful Dead) whenever they're in action.

So when MusicRadar asked the three-band picker to name his favorite, The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, Haynes gave the kind of answer one might expect from a musician whose influences are as disparate as they are numerous.

Before he tackled that burning question, however, we put to him a few questions from MusicRadar readers. Haynes was more than happy to hold forth.

Erictheweary notices some reggae influences on your new Gov't Mule album, By A Thread, and wants to know if you're going to explore the genre again in the future.

"The song Steppin' Lightly has some reggae in what (rhythm guitarist) Danny Louis is playing, and the song Frozen Fear has a little bit. But it's nothing something we think about in a conscious way. I think there's been a bit of a reggae vibe on a few songs on all our albums, but it's never been overt.

"I am a big reggae fan, however, and always enjoyed it when bands like The Stones or The Clash incorporated it into their music. They always did it in a cool way, and they kind of made a statement in doing so. With Gov't Mule, we approach it on more of a song-by-song basis."

Timothy asks the question, Have you ever had the temptation to just scrap your setlist and simply roll with the vibe on stage?

[laughs] "Well, we already play without a net at any given show. The setlist is largely drawn up around the different guitars I play on stage - I use so many different tunings, and it would be a nightmare for my guitar tech, Brian Farmer, if I sprung a bunch of surprises on him.

"We do get away from our setlist quite a bit, though. I love the concept that Timothy is thinking about, but I also think there's a certain spontaneity to writing up a set an hour before you have to go on and seeing if it'll fly."

Aaron asks, Who would you consider to be the biggest influences on your playing? Also, can you cite any specific techniques you've picked up from watching and listening to them?

"Whoo, boy...This could take a while. You know, there have been so many people who have been huge influences. I would say the first three, speaking chronologically, would be Eric Clapton, Jimmy Hendrix and Johnny Winter."

Next page: The Beatles or The Stones?

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