REVIEW: Mudhoney, March to Fuzz (SubPop)
- Scott Hudson
Prior to the breakout success of Nirvana's 1991 debut album Nevermind, mainstream music was dominated by '80s hair bands and guitar gods. Music fans, by-and-large, were oblivious to the "underground" grunge movement emanating from Seattle that was about to turn the music industry upside down.
At the forefront of the fledgling grunge movement was Mother Love Bone and Mudhoney, bands made up of former members of Green River. Ironically, neither would be represented when grunge went mainstream. Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden would be the torch bearers of the new genre.
To those who may not know, grunge's geneological roots can be traced back to Mudhoney. Mudhoney not only defined grunge, but it was the success of their first single, "Touch Me I'm Sick" and the subsequent release of their EP, Superfuzz Bigmuff that generated the early interest in the so-called "Seattle Sound."
Even though mainstream success eluded them, they still garnered a strong underground fan base. It was that loyal following that kept the band afloat during the '90s.
The band's split from their label, Reprise, and bassist Matt Lukin's retirement makes this the perfect opportunity for the release of their compilation album, March To Fuzz.
March To Fuzz is a 2-disc, 52 song compilation that damn near covers about everything they've released in the past 11 years.
The first disc covers the band's early hits ("Suck You Dry," "Hate The Police," "Touch Me I'm Sick," "Here Comes Sickness" and "You Got It"). It also includes Mark Arm's response to Simon & Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair," with "Judgement, Rage, Retribution and Thyme."
While the second disc carts its share great originals ("Run Shithead Run," Overblown" and "Ounce Of Deception"), its true value is the inclusion of classic B-sides, rare outtakes, compilation tracks and priceless covers such as Elvis Costello ("Pump It Up"), Motorhead ("Over The Top"), The Damned ("Stab Your Back") and Spaceman 3 ("Revolution").
If it's a sonic blitzkreig you're after, then look no further than March To Fuzz, because no one serves up Armageddon quite like the "grandfathers of grunge," Mudhoney.
