Review Summary: Full of attitude, fuzzy guitars, and at times brilliant lyrics, Mudhoney's earliest tracks are released in this all-in-one bundle that is Superfuzz Bigmuff
Since this marks the first sound's created by Mudhoney, I'll give you guys a little background info:
In 1988, Mudhoney formed from the ashes of Seattle band Green River. After future Pearl Jam players Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard left the group, original members Mark Arm (Vocalist/Rythmn guitar) and Steve Turner (Lead guitar) joined forces with former Melvins bassist Matt Lukin and Dan Peters on the drums. On that year they released
Superfuzz Bigmuff. Two years later Mudhoney re-released it with some of the band's early singles. That re-release is the topic at hand.
So I'll get right to it. Even though Mudhoney does draw from bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth, they are punk masters in their own right. When you look at the cover of
Superfuzz Bigmuff and listen to their tracks, they seem to have a peculiar sound to them. As if these guys could be your neighborhood rock group that would be really fun to watch live with the exception that they're record-label worthy, and aren't your everyday local band.
Mudhoney really rests on Arm's rough vocal delivery and Tuners distorted fuzz-heavy riffs. They go together well and are essentially the bread and butter on
Superfuzz Bigmuff. On the album's best tracks, Mudhoney's progressive basslines and snare pounding drum rolls fill in quite nice. You could say the total package is presented on
If I think . In sync with the guitar, Arm delievers long drawn out lyrics in the verses. Then after a snazzy drum roll, the song explodes into a powerful chorus. The track's outro also features a neat guitar solo too.
The verdict on
Bigmuff's lyrics are somewhat of a conundrum. While brilliant, they can be silly at times. The lyrics on
The Rose are the exceptional standout. Arm sings about the predicament of love, how it can be seen in different lights. At the climax he whispers "Attack". That is the best bit on the CD. On the other hand, you also get "mouth full of dirt" and "a hand full of charms". There's also some talks of getting loaded [smileface]. For those of you who already like Mudhoney, this is what makes them epic in a way. After all, asking Jesus to "take me to a higher place" could very well be one of the coolest lines ever sung (
In 'n' Out of Grace).
Superfuzz Bigmuff has two cover songs on it. The Dick's
Hate the Police and more notably Sonic Youth's
Halloween. I still don't know what the lyrics have to do with Halloween, but they are strangely tantalizing. Props to Sonic Youth.. Mudhoney's cover doesn't stray too far from the original besides an added guitar solo toward the end.
Touch Me I'm Sick,
Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More, and
You Got It are some of the more mediocre yet more catchy tunes found on here. I'm not gonna downplay
Touch Me I'm sick to the point I would with Nirvana's
Smells Like Teen Spirit, but the song isn't one of the highlights in the album. Although it does demonstrate Mudhoney's raw energy, it's structure is overly simple and short. I still wouldn't call it a low point on this album however. That falls on
Twenty-four,
Burn It Clean and
No One Has. The guitar and lyrics never seem to get anywhere on these tracks. The absolute lowest point is filler-track
Chain that Door, but also it's quickest. Yes, quicker than
Touch Me I'm Sick. Thankfully.
The album ends on a high note with
Mudride. Along with
Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More's main riff, this track has one of better riffs on the album. Simple, slow and sweet. The fuzz-work lays on real nice with drawn out chords. "You've seen better days, Before you saw me" is one of the more memorable lyrics here.
If you like Mudhoney, you'll enjoy
Super Bigmuff. It has some of their best tracks on here. I also recommend
Bigmuff to anyone who has heard of or listened to any of the bands listed in the 'recommended by reviewer' box on the right. If you plan on downloading, I suggest you get them from the 'Deluxe Version'. These tracks listed are remastered on that version and they did an great job on them. They really bring out the big muff well. It's clean and crisp. And now that I think about it,
The Rose is only found on that version. So check that out. Thanks for reading the review.
Recommended Tracks- If I Think, The Rose, In 'n' Out of Grace, Halloween
