Mudhoney - Mudhoney

Re-Up - Originally Posted 4/10/08


I apologize for the lack of updates recently, but I've been feeling a little down the last few days, and just didn't feel like doing much online. I plan on uploading a few more compilations of rare 60's garage and psychedelic rock, similar to the "A Lethal Dose of Hard Psych" and "The 60's Collection of Scarcest Garage Records" compilations that I posted previously. I can't remember off the top of my head who requested this album.. but without further ado, here's Mudhoney's debut album.

With their first self-titled album, Mudhoney was trying to figure out how to make a full album work with their unique sound. It doesn't quite live up to the singles that they previously released, and if it's not a perfect listen as a whole, there are still some great songs to hear. Jack Endino's production lives up to his reputation for rough, thick recording, but he's left just enough for the songs to breathe, whether it's the audible handclaps on "This Gift" or the quirky guitar riff leading into Dan Peters' rollicking drum rolls on "You Got It." "When Tomorrow Hits" is easily the sleeper hit of the record; later memorably covered by Sonic Boom in the dying days of Spacemen 3, its slow, dreamily threatening build shows off the band's ability for subtlety amidst the volume. "Flat out Fucked" about sums up the whole ethos of the album -- careening pace, compressed feedback roar, and Mark Arm's desperate but never self-important singing resulting in neo-garage rock anti-anthems. About as good is the brilliantly titled instrumental "Magnolia Caboose Babyshit," which gives Steve Turner and Arm a chance to show off some crazy acid rock/proto-funk guitar that avoids sucking, always a pleasure. A couple of draggy numbers and others that take a good idea but almost run too much with it ("Come to Mind," well, comes to mind) keep things from fully working, but with their next album release Mudhoney would have the perfect combination down. (Year of Release: 1989)

Track List:
1. This Gift
2. Flat Out Fucked
3. Get Into Yours
4. You Got It
5. Magnolia Caboose Babyshit
6. Come To Mind
7. Here Comes Sickness
8. Running Loaded
9. The Farther I Go
10. By Her Own Hand
11. When Tomorrow Hits
12. Dead Love

Download: Mudhoney - Mudhoney
Download: 51.3MB