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Rating:
I love Mudhoney, it's impossible not to.
Born from the ashes of Green River, among the founding fathers of grunge, whatever that may be; masters of a rock that reeks of mud, fuzz, basement, honey, sickness, pieces of pie, and big bosom movies from the '60s. From 1988 to today, they're still around playing as they like, with commercial success far below what they deserve. After giving us important lessons in musical coherence, out-of-fashion album covers, absurd titles, and fuzz abuse, Mudhoney also show how a proper collection should be done. Truthfully, I tend to avoid compilations. Not because they are commercial operations per se: these poor souls do need to eat. The fact is that greatest hits are usually shockingly useless. Fifteen songs among the most famous of a group, usually ignoring the deserving but less catchy episodes, plus a few unpublished tracks discarded from previous albums, usually for well-justified reasons. Or bombardments of compilations one after another or, even worse, a greatest hits for a band that’s only done maybe three albums.
Mudhoney, however, are indeed grubby, and we love them for that too, but also good guys, and they like to do things right. "March to Fuzz," whose title is a program, was released in 2000 under Sub Pop. It's a double album, an excellent compendium of Mark Arm's band's career. The first disc is the true best of: a balanced selection of songs from albums released up until then, obviously not forgetting their beginnings summarized in that fabulous "Superfuzz Bigmuff plus Early Singles," an unsurpassed masterpiece of rock decay. Sure, someone will say, Mielfango's songs don't exactly shine for heterogeneity, nor are their hit singles much softer than their more rotten songs: "Touch Me I’m Sick" and the cover of "Hate the Police" by the Dicks are perhaps among their most famous songs? Precisely for this reason, a good selection of twenty-two tracks is not easy. The real gem, however, comes with the second disc, and this is indeed what justifies the purchase of "March to Fuzz": the rarities disc. Unreleased tracks and b-sides that wouldn't look out of place on any official album and a delightful collection of covers of Motörhead, Elvis Costello, Suicide, Black Flag, and the worst of '80s punk, like Angry Samoans and The Adolescents. Things done properly then: no pathetic drop in quality, no cover abuse, no uselessness. For this reason, there's no point in mentioning one song over another, here it's just a taste of mud and honey.
Alright, it's still a compilation, so of relative utility and importance. "March to Fuzz" is still an excellent summary of Mudhoney's career in the 1988-2000 era, really useful if you don't feel like listening to all their albums or if you want to savor listening gradually: after all, it consists of fifty-two (52) tracks and listening to them all in a row would be slightly confusing. However, this is also why I am personally attached to this album: listening to it in small pieces little by little accompanied me for a long time before I finally decided to listen to each album in full. The only real flaw of the collection is the absence of "When in Rome," "Magnolia Cabhoose Babyshit," and Sonic Youth's "Halloween," but you can't have everything in life.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 In 'n' Out of Grace (05:30)
"we want to be free..
we want to be free to- to do what we wanna do..
We want to be free to ride.. we want to be free
to ride our machines without being hassled by the man..
And we wanna get loaded!.. (Yeah!)"
Jesus take me to a higher place
Slidin' In 'n' out of grace
Crushed bodies and blood I crave
Slidin' In 'n' out of grace
Cry for mercy relieve my ache
Slidin' In 'n' out of grace
Steal my sleep, suck my race
Slidin' in 'n' out of grace
Oh god, How I love to hate
Slidin' in n out of grace
Save me lord, fuck the race
Slidin' in n out of grace yeah
02 Suck You Dry (02:32)
Pull yourself together
Take a stab at forever
Relax and let yourself go
Put yourself together
Take a shot at forever
Sit back, let the tears flow
No time like the present
To get ripped apart
Got this burning desire
Aiming straight for your heart
Suck dry
Suck you dry
Can't breath until
I suck you dry
Come a little closer
Before I slide over
Come on, I want you to burn
Come a little closer
Before I take you over
Come now, watch myself burn
No time like the present
To get ripped apart
Got this burning desire
Aiming straight for your heart
Suck dry
Suck you dry
Can't breath until
I suck you dry
No time like the present
To get ripped apart
Got this burning desire
Aiming straight for your heart
Suck dry
Suck you dry
Can't breath until
I suck you dry
03 I Have to Laugh (03:28)
Woke up this morning
I had a laugh
Saw you lying there
I had to laugh
Last night come clear
I had to laugh
Listening to the rain
I had to laugh
So I talked to the devil
Yeah, I had to laugh
I talked to God
Who just sat and laughed
Those boys are funny
Oh, they make me laugh
So damn funny
I nearly pissed my pants
There's no way out
I have to laugh
There ain't no way back
I have to laugh
The rain comes down harder
I have to laugh
It's getting darker
I have to laugh
Another day finished
Another day done
I'm right here next to you
Hoping tomorrow will come
I'm here right next to you
Hoping tomorrow will come
Hoping tomorrow will come
I have to laugh
I have to laugh
I have to laugh
I have to laugh
I have to laugh
I have to laugh
I have to laugh
04 Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More (03:44)
Sweet young thing ain't sweet no more
Sweet young thing ain't sweet no more
Mama found her draped over the toilet bowl
oooh
Mama said, "child, what you done?"
Mama said, "child, what you done?"
"Wake up and greet the midday sun"
Sweet young thing ain't sweet no more
Sweet young thing ain't sweet no more
Mama's little pills spilled all over the floor
oooh
oooh, ow, ow, ow
Mama can't handle her on her own
Mama can't handle her on her own
She says, "You just wait till your father gets home"
08 Into the Drink (02:07)
You're messing, baby, messing hard
Messing all the time
Messing, sugar, messing busy
You're messing in my mind
Well, I don't got what you want
And I don't care what you think
Better back off, back off, back off, baby
You'll get dumped into the drink
Into the drink
Into the drink
Into the drink
I don't need your judgment
And I don't believe your lies
I don't feel your lousy love
I got rights to exercise
But I don't got what you want
And I don't care what you think
Better back off, back off, back off, baby
You'll get dumped into the drink
Into the drink
Into the drink
Into the drink
Your useless piece of weaponry
Will never shoot me down
If I didn't do it, no one could
So waste another round
Well, I don't got what you want
And I don't care what you think
Better back off, back off, back off, baby
If you don't, into the drink
Into the drink
Into the drink
Into the drink
11 If I Think (03:36)
I forgot how to breathe
I forgot just what I need
Saw the world laid down before me
I saw everything so small
If I think I think of you
If I think I think of you
I open my eyes
Watch the sky turn blue
I felt so good I almost forgot
All about you
I forgot how to cry
I forgot that I could die
And I'm so sick of what I need
I could close my eyes and fall
If I think I think of you
If I think I think of you
I open my eyes
Watch the sky turn blue
I felt so good I almost forgot
All about you
12 Here Comes Sickness (03:40)
Heh
Here comes sickness
Walking down my street
Shaking her hips
Like she's some kinda treat
All the neighborhood dogs
Licking at her feet
Here comes sickness
Here comes sickness
Here comes sickness
Walking down my street
Yeah
Here comes sickness
Moving up my block
When she comes to my house
I hope she don't knock
All the neighborhood dogs
Sniffing at her crotch
Here comes sickness
Here comes sickness
Here comes sickness
Moving up my block
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
There goes sickness
In my daddy's car
Good riddance to the both of you
I hope you go far
All the neighborhood dogs
Should be drunk in the bar
There goes sickness
There goes sickness
There goes sickness
In my daddy's car
13 Let It Slide (02:34)
Let it slide
Let it slide
Let it slide
Let it slide
They can make it sound so nice
Everybody's got a price
Ho, ho, ho, ho
Give it away
Give it away
Give it away
Give it away
Nobody's here to stay
They own you to the grave
Ho, ho, ho, ho
Try to hide
Try to hide
Try to hide
Try to hide
Everybody's got a price
They can make it sound so nice
Ho, ho, ho, ho
Hell to pay
Hell to pay
Hell to pay
Hell to pay
They own you to the grave
Nobody's here to stay
Ho, ho, ho, ho
14 Touch Me I'm Sick (02:30)
Well I feel bad
And I've felt worse
I'm a creep yeah
I'm a jerk
Come on!
Touch Me I'm Sick!
Well I won't live long
And I'm full of rot
Gonna give you girl
Everything I've got
Touch Me I'm Sick!
Touch Me I'm Sick!
Come on baby now come with me
If you don't come
If you don't come
If you don't come
You'll die alone
Touch Me I'm Sick!
Fuck Me I'm Sick!
15 This Gift (03:34)
I've got something waiting for you, that's right
I've got something waiting for you, that's right
Sending you up the wall uptight
I've got something waiting for you, tonight
I've got this gift
(from God)
I've got this gift
(from God)
I've got this gift
(from God)
Pointing my heart at you
This gift so peal, this gift so rare
Much too much, too much for you to bear
Coming down from above
I've got this gift
(from God)
I've got this gift
(from God)
I've got this gift
(from God)
Pointing my heart at you
I've got this gift
(from God)
I've got this gift
(from God)
I've got this gift
(from God)
Pointing my heart at you
16 Good Enough (03:25)
I've made mistakes
That I'm sure I'll make again
Guess I liked them enough
The first time around
No way to fight them
No use denying
The way it grows
Uh-huh
Whatever happens
Never thought for a second
That I'd let go
Uh-huh
Everybody says
You must have lost your head
Well, one more time is good enough for me
Yeah, one more time is good enough for me
It's a hard road to your heart
And there was a time when I never thought I'd get that far
Uh-huh
Everybody says
You must have lost your head
Well, one more time is good enough for me
Yeah, one more time is good enough for me
17 Blinding Sun (03:40)
We fell asleep on the riverbank one sunny afternoon
We fell asleep on the riverbank one sunny afternoon
Woke with a rope around my neck, swear I did no wrong
Blinding Sun, beats down in my eyes
Blinding Sun, beats down in my eyes
Had my fill on the river bank, with you by my side
What have I done?
What have I done?
Can't be long to the setting of the sun
No, it can't be long now to the setting of the sun
Maybe then I'll see, maybe then I'll fight or run
Who are you, and what do you want?
Who are you, and what do you want?
Your countenance shines brighter than the midday sun
What have I done?
What have I done?
What have I done?
Just my luck if nightfall never comes
Be just my luck if nightfall never comes
Waiting with a rope around my neck for the setting of the sun
Sun, sun, why don't you set?
Said, sun, sun, why don't you set?
Try to put this all behind me, but I can't forget
What have I done?
What have I done?
What have I done?
What have I done?
Where have you gone?
What have I done?
What have I done?
20 When Tomorrow Hits (02:40)
Laying out on some early acts
Losing your way
Getting way off track
Ain't no stopping
Time from coming
When tomorrow hits
When tomorrow hits
When tomorrow hits
What's easy for you
Comes so hard
What you got
Never got me far
There's no stopping
The end from coming
When tomorrow hits
When tomorrow hits
When tomorrow hits
All right
Lookout
When tomorrow hits
It'll hit you hard
When tomorrow hits
It'll hit you hard
When tomorrow hits
It'll hit you hard
When tomorrow hits
That's the lowdown
21 Make It Now Again (04:35)
Make a hole
Make it wide
Make a hole
Make it wide
Make it now
Make it now
Make it now
Make it now
I'm so far from here
I'm so far from here
I'm so far from here
I'm so far from here right now
Make me whole
Make me right
Make me whole
Make me right
Make it now
Make it now
Make it now
Make it now
Behind these walls, locked up tight
No more darkness, no room for light
Speak to me
I'm so far from here
I'm so far from here
I'm so far from here
I'm so far from here right now
22 Hate the Police (02:07)
Mommy, mommy, mommy
Look at your son
You might have loved me
But now I got a gun
You better stay out of my way
I think I've had a bad day
I've had a bad day
I've had a bad day
Daddy, daddy, daddy
Proud of your son
Got himself a good job
Killing niggers and Mexicans
I'll tell you one thing, it's true
You can't find justice, it'll find you
It'll find you
It'll find you
People tell policemen
They've met their match
Down in them desert sands
Mudhoney won't catch
Mudhoney hates policemen, yes, it's true
You can't find justice, it'll find you
It'll find you
It'll find you
It'll find you
Mommy, mommy
Look at your son
You might have loved me
A gun
You better stay out of my way
I've had a bad day
I've had a bad day
Mommy, I've had a bad day
Mommy, I've had a bad day
Mommy
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