Mudhoney – Real Low Vibe – The Reprise Recordings 1992-1998 – album review

 Mudhoney – Real Low Vibe – The Reprise Recordings 1992-1998

Cherry Red

4 CD

Out Now

Cherry Red recently released a four CD set of the major label albums released by the brilliant Mudhoney, ‘Having emerged in 1989 and become a mainstay of the American alternative scene, Mudhoney moved from Sub Pop to Reprise Records and produced three outstanding albums during the 1990s. Whilst not achieving the household name status enjoyed by a handful of their contemporaries, the band maintained a strong following, and the admiration of their peers’ Fighting Boredom have been listening, this is what we thought.

When I was a kid I djed the ‘alternative’ discos in Coventry in the UK. The first Mudhoney track I heard was by Sonic Youth covering Mudhoney’s seminal track ‘Touch Me I’m Sick’. I then bought Superfuzz Bigmuff and they were my band for a little while. I’m not sure when they became grunge and I’m not sure why they weren’t the band that broke. I had no money on Nirvana, I tolerated Bleach. Tad were the next best band that sounded anything like Mudhoney.

People loved Mudhoney, still do, only not as many of them. I saw them again a couple of years ago and they were still goofing around, playing all the songs we knew and being brilliant all over again.

I suppose if you want an objective review of this new CD collection you will need to go over to Pitchfork or Classic Rock. This is what I think, and I’m very straightforward.

I’m assuming here that as one of my friends or acquaintances you already own a copy of Mudhoney’s first record, the aforementioned Superfuzz Bigmuff and love it. If you don’t, go and buy it now, play it at least five times at a volume that will bring the neighbours to the door. Then read this. This is what happened after. This is Mudhoney’s major label albums and to be frank. They never released a mediocre one. They just stuck to what they knew. 

They have always managed to sound like the guitars, fast or slow, are sparking, arcing electricity between monitors and stacks, and just about to just give up. You imagine they have a truckload of ancient pedals in a truck that follows them from one city to another. The bass and drums are so solid you could build on them and still manage to just about detach your retina as they play. But the thing I loved above all else was the punk rock snarl of the vocal. That sneer, that half smile that bred so much music over the decades is right here, spread across these CDs. Music too hard core for the grunge flannel shirts, too garage for the hard core punks and too metal for the punk purists. They were kind of out on their own, misfits and losers blasting out this incredible, massive sound. 

I’d go through the songs on this collection but to be honest, if you like Mudhoney, even just a tiny bit, then invest in it. It’ll keep the singer in beer and food for a while as he works in the Sub Pop warehouse for his day job. Plus, if they make some money from this lot, then they may well give us some more music, which is pretty much what I want anyway.

The complete tracklist for the collection is

DISC ONE:
PIECE OF CAKE

1. UNTITLED
2. NO END IN SIGHT
3. MAKE IT NOW
4. WHEN IN ROME
5. UNTITLED
6. SUCK YOU DRY
7. BLINDING SUN
8. THIRTEENTH FLOOR OPENING
9. YOUTH BODY EXPRESSION EXPLOSION
10. I’M SPUN
11. UNTITLED
12. TAKE ME THERE
13. LIVING WRECK
14. LET ME LET YOU DOWN
15. UNTITLED
16. RITZVILLE
17. ACETONE
BONUS TRACKS
18. KING SANDBOX
19. BABY O BABY
20. IN THE BLOOD
21. NO SONG III
22. BETWEEN ME & YOU KID
23. SIX TWO ONE
24. MAKE IT NOW AGAIN
25. DECEPTION PASS
26. UNDERIDE

DISC TWO:
MY BROTHER THE COW

1. JUDGEMENT, RAGE, RETRIBUTION AND THYME
2. GENERATION SPOKESMODEL
3. WHAT MOVES THE HEART?
4. TODAY, IS A GOOD DAY
5. INTO YER SHTIK
6. IN MY FINEST SUIT
7. F.D.K. (FEARLESS DOCTOR KILLERS)
8. ORANGE BALL-PEEN HAMMER
9. CRANKCASE BLUES
10. EXECUTION STYLE
11. DISSOLVE
12. 1995

BONUS TRACKS
13. MUDHONEY FUNKY BUTT
14. WEST SEATTLE HARDCORE
15. SISSY BAR
16. CARJACK ’94
17. SAILOR
18. SMALL ANIMALS
19. NOT GOIN’ DOWN THAT ROAD AGAIN
20. RUN SHITHEAD RUN
21. HOLDEN
22. TONIGHT I THINK I’M GONNA GO DOWNTOWN
23. WELCOME TO DAWN OVERTURE, PARTS III & IV OF XVII (GOODBYE MO, HELLO LENNY!)
24. PLEASE DON’T FORGET ABOUT US
25. TRADEMARK OF QUALITY (EDITOR’S NOTE: REMEMBER THE GOOD OL’ DAYS?)

DISC THREE:
TOMORROW HIT TODAY

1. A THOUSAND FORMS OF MIND
2. I HAVE TO LAUGH
3. OBLIVION
4. TRY TO BE KIND
5. POISONED WATER
6. REAL LOW VIBE
7. THIS IS THE LIFE
8. NIGHT OF THE HUNTED
9. MOVE WITH THE WIND
10. GHOST
11. I WILL FIGHT NO MORE FOREVER
12. BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE UNDERDOG

BONUS TRACKS
13. GHOST (EDIT)
14. YOU GIVE ME THE CREEPS
15. BRAND NEW FACE
16. DRINKING FOR TWO
17. BUTTERFLY STROKE
18. EDITIONS OF YOU
19. REAL LOW VIBE (DEMO)
20. POISONED WATER POISONS THE MIND

DISC FOUR:
ON TOUR NOW *
(LIVE IN SEATTLE, 1993)

1. SUCK YOU DRY
2. MAKE IT NOW
3. FASHION FORECAST
4. DEAD LOVE
5. NO END IN SIGHT
6. YOU GOT IT
7. STUPID ASSHOLE
8. THE MONEY WILL ROLL RIGHT IN

BONUS TRACKS
9. WHAT MOVES THE HEART (LIVE)
10. JUDGEMENT, RAGE, RETRIBUTION AND THYME (LIVE)
11. GHOST (LIVE AT JUPITER STUDIOS)

* “ON TOUR NOW” PREVIOUSLY A PROMOTIONAL RELEASE ONLY

Mudhoney’s website is mudhoneyonline.com. They are on Facebook and Tweet as @mudhoney

All words by Adrian Bloxham

Adrian Bloxham

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