Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Mudhoney - SuperFuzz BigMuff


I've been bad and I've been worse.

So this was nothing new when it appeared but it was so thick n snotty n no bullshit it easily attracted a bandwagon. I got on for a bit...cuz it bloody rocks regardless of it being stupidly derivative, witless and all-around dopey.

Just think of all the Big Muff pedals this record sold!

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allmusic.com: Mudhoney didn't invent grunge, and Sub Pop Records had close to twenty releases under their belt when they unleashed the band's first 12" release, Superfuzz Bigmuff, in 1988. But if this wasn't the first shot fired in the battle to bring The Seattle Sound to the four corners of the world, it was the first one that well and truly hit the target. Superfuzz Bigmuff codified the first wave of grunge the way the Model T codified the first modern automobile; this is where the ingredients came together in a way that clicked with listeners, reworking the rudiments of hard rock and garage punk into a formula that made sense in the world of alternative rock. The band's snarky wit, brazenly sloppy guitar work, and songs that combined melodic hooks with Godzilla-sized riffage reinterpreted the visceral kick of metal into a format that celebrated its power while stripping it of its pomposity. And Superfuzz Bigmuff's six songs captured a great rock band as they were just starting to hit their stride; Mark Arm's vocals dripped attitude even when he was making fun of the material, Steve Turner's guitar work generated massive walls of fuzzy power, and drummer Dan Peters was Mudhoney's secret weapon: his crisp but forceful pounding giving the songs a rock-solid foundation no matter how far Turner and Arm drifted into the void of slop. Mudhoney made better and more compelling music than Superfuzz Bigmuff, but as a snapshot of the moment where grunge became a sound that meant something outside of a few dim Seattle beer joints, it's absolutely invaluable and a lot of grimy fun.


HEAR

3 comments:

Rocky said...

you got a lot o' balls, Forestroxx!

philip said...

Long time since i heard this - thanks for the chance to listen again

Unknown said...

I just got the color vinyl reissue of the original ep today.

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