Mudhoney - March to Fuzz

embarassment of riches

I will try not to descend into total hyperbole, but let's just get it said: Mark Arm has one of the best rock'n'roll voices ever. Part punk snarl, part diffident social observer, part nihilistic slur, Arm can deliver songs like "You Stupid A**hole" in ways that make you run for the volume knob -- to turn it up. It can't be loud enough.

Mudhoney has tons of great, swaggering records peppered with A-side worthy songs... and those songs are nearly all here. I could list them all, but I think the track listing is already on view up above.

As singles collections go, this one is pretty hands-down awesome. And since Mudhoney never really mattered to pop-culture consumers, the tracks are (as ably said above) selected on aesthetics. In addition, a second disc compiles a cornucopia of outtakes and B-sides, clever covers and lost diamonds. They join the short list of demi-gods that have emerged from the Pacific Northwest: The Wipers, Dead Moon, The Sonics, Hendrix et al. October 26, 2008

They're still around?

There was a point in my life around 1992 when I tried really hard to like Mudhoney. Now, that's a stupid thing to do, trying to like a band.

Anyway, a few months ago I borrow this from a friend... turns out I still don't like Mudhoney. I find most of their stuff unlistenable. There's a couple good songs, "You Got It", etc. But the covers are my favorite part. I thought that was a cool thing to do. I also think its cool how Arm and Turner give tidbits about each song on the album. Maybe they're cool guys, but I still think their band sucks. July 22, 2007

Superb, for new and old fans alike

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."


October 29, 2005

A Brilliant Collection of Rock Tunes

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. February 29, 2004

Essential Rock Album For Anyone!

If you like rock music, you'll love Mudhoney!! This CD outlines Mudhoney's whole career(up to Since We've Become Translucent) and has a rarities and B-sides CD that has some awesome covers and originals. YOU MUST BUY THIS ALBUM, IT IS WORTH IT! It has 52 songs, what more could you ask for? November 25, 2003

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