Mudhoney - March to Fuzz (52 tracks) +Album Reviews

Trinkets and Baubles are Yours!

Matthew McGowan | Seattle | 01/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Long-overdue, "March to Fuzz" picks up where my beloved Mudhoney mix tapes leave off... Loud, raucous, sneering, Mudhoney were THE band, this decade's purest non-derivative incarnation of the great Pacific Northwest sound pioneered by the Sonics, Wailers and Wipers. The only real problem with this set is the exclusion of "You're Gone" and "You Make Me Die," the former long one of my favorite Mudhoney b-sides. Also notable is the cleaner, more surf-flavored version of the title track, not the fuzz-drenched rendition I'd grown to love. Alas! Either way, this is a must-have collection."

Yesterday's Hits Today

Matthew McGowan | 05/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When Matt, Mark, Dan and Steve first got together to make music in Seattle in 1988, little could they have suspected the band they were to call Mudhoney would exist into the next millennium and one day even boast this, the ultimate mark of longevity, a Greatest Hits and Rarities album. March To Fuzz, the band's new release on Sub Pop records, includes 52 tracks tracing Mudhoney's evolution from MC5 and Stooges influenced fuzz to the more mature and blues influenced punk of their later albums. Of the many bands that emerged from the Northwest's grunge explosion, Mudhoney may be the most under appreciated and least commercially successful, but they are also one of the few who survived with their integrity intact and who continue to produce high quality rock and roll. The first 22 tracks of the aptly titled March to Fuzz are culled from Mudhoney's six LPs, ranging from Superfuzz Bigmuff plus Early Singles in 1988 and their 1989 self-titled album to the critically acclaimed Tomorrow Hit Today of 1999. Here you will find the early Sub Pop anthem "Touch Me I'm Sick" and Mudhoney at their poppiest with "Good Enough" from the 1991 LP Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge. Also represented are tracks like "Blinding Sun" and "Into Your Schtik," selections from the Piece of Cake and My Brother the Cow years with major label Reprise records. While the first part of the album covers the songs that established Mudhoney, the remaining 30 tracks are a treasure trove of hard to find B-sides and rarities, making March to Fuzz a must even for those who have all the band's previous records. Indeed, how else are you going to hear "Run Shithead Run" without purchasing the otherwise unremarkable soundtrack to Joe Pesci's "With Honors?" The extensive track list can also serve as a primer on early new wave and punk rock, with excellent covers of bands ranging from Spacemen 3 and Elvis Costello to Black Flag and the Angry Samoans among others. The good stuff doesn't end with what's on the CD either. The cover features artwork from unofficial Mudhoney artist Ed Fotheringham, a former bandmate of both vocalist Mark Arm and guitarist Steve Turner. The liner notes also include an amusing commentary on each song from Arm and Turner, explaining the sometimes hazy reasoning behind song titles and other interesting tidbits. Now that bass player and legendary party man Matt Lukins has left the band, Mudhoney's future is uncertain, making this the perfect time to invest in a flawless collection of one of the most influential and unacknowledged bands in rock and roll history. After all, don't you deserve it?"

A Brilliant Collection of Rock Tunes

Dokter Pogo | New Orleans | 02/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As annoying as it was, the whole "grunge" movement brought forth some really good bands that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. Without the whole country smelling like teen spirit, my local record store probably would have never ordered Superfuzz Bigmuff, my first Mudhoney album. In 'N' Out Of Grace, Touch Me I'm Sick, and When I Think (all of which are included on March To Fuzz) were instant favorites. I bought March To Fuzz last year, and in my opinion, Mudhoney's music withstands the inevitable test of time. Today, they are no longer a "grunge" band, just a damn good rock group. The guitars are noisier than a monster truck competition, and Mark Arm's screeching yelp cuts through the mess like a rusty knife. These guys know how to arrange a song, too...just listen to the breakdown in the middle of In 'N' Out Of Grace...when those guitars rev back up over the pounding drums and bass, all hell breaks loose until Mark comes back in and shreds his vocal cords with the final verse. It sends chills up my spine every time I hear it. I wish I had enough space here to review each song, but since I don't, you'll just have to trust me on this and go buy this double album. The rarities and b-sides disc is as awe-inspiring as the first disc...the only thing that could make it better would have been a third disc with nothing but live songs...but I'm probably asking for too much. Go out and buy this cd, and march to some serious fuzz."

Superb, for new and old fans alike

Daniel Maltzman | Arlington, MA, USA | 10/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After the demise of legendary Seattle band Green River, a schism saw the emergence of three now classic bands. Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, and Bruce Fairweather went on to form Mother Love Bone and then (minus Fairweather) Pearl Jam. Green River's vocalist, Mark Arm, along with sometimes Green River guitarist Steve Turner, formed Mudhoney with bassist Matt Lurkin and drummer Dan Peters.

Mudhoney was pure, unadulterated grunge, in its truest sense. In fact, Mark Arm is the one who coined the term "grunge." In describing the band's sound, he said it was "Pure grunge, pure, s@&t." The band took its cue from such pioneers as Black Flag and Iggy and the Stooges. Distorted, muddy guitars, strong riffs, feedback, and intense drumming were all trademarks of the bands sound. While Mudhoney employed many of the same themes as their peers; bleakness, despair, and nihilism, it was done somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

Mudhoney, along with such bands as Thin Lizzy and Motte the Hoople, remains one of rock's great also-rans. Although they received media coverage and critical praise, they never broke through the way the "big four" (Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains) did. It's a shame to, because they were such a cool band.

While Mudhoney never enjoyed mass popularity, they still maintained a loyal following and critical praise. Over the course of ten years, from the late 80s to the late 90s, the band released half a dozen excellent albums, as well as EPs and a compilation of early singles.

"March to Fuzz...Best of and Rarities" is split, as the title states, between their best known singles and rarities. The first disc collects songs from all their studio albums and EPs. The songs are not in chronological order, but it doesn't really matter. While the band's albums never sounded redundant, they really had the same sound/vibe. Therefore, the songs not being in chronological order does not make the compilation lack cohesion. The "best of "disc is thoroughly enjoyable, from start to finish.

The second disc, made up of rarities, while not quite as strong as the first disc, is also a great listen. It contains a lot of gems that are just as good as anything from the studio albums, such as "Overblown" from the "Singles" (1992) soundtrack. Many of these songs, however, are more loose, and not necessarily contenders for being released as singles, i.e., "You stupid A!*@ole." It's still a terrific listen.

This collection is good for casual fans, novices, and hard-core fans alike. It's a great introduction to the band's best work. It has many of their best songs, and has tons of hard-to-find material that should satisfy the dire hards. The cardboard packaging is really cool, with a lot of photos and liner notes.

Mudhoney were like an Iggy and the Stooges for the late 80s/90s, it's a shame that more people didn't appreciate how great they were.

I should note that while this collection serves as the band's epitaph, they reformed in 2001 for "Since we've become Translucent."

"

Poor Mudhoney, Poor mudhoney, Pour Mudhoney Another Drink...

Dreamin' | Rock City, USA | 06/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mudhoney was always talented. Mudhoney always wrote good records. Unfortunately for Mudhoney they lived in this indie-rock world where it was cool to be Lo-fi. So while Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Candlebox (who would have ever thought?) walked into studios and recorded great records that in turn sold MILLIONS of CD?s, Mudhoney was content to stay in the garage and turn into Seattle?s version of The Replacements. Mudhoney is a great band with zero business sense and the weight of all things indie-rock resting firmly on their drunken shoulders. They story gets better; they eventually made it to a major label and still made the same sounding garage band records (on none other than reprise records, the Replacements major label). Eventually trends end and a scene dies, history is written and I?m not sure if Mudhoney is happy being the footnote as the band that didn?t become Pearl Jam. The biggest crime of it all is that Mudhoney wrote good songs that die under bad production. So sad? it shouldn?t have turned out this way."

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