Mudcrutch

Mudcrutch After thirty-something years this formerly obscure Gainesville, Florida band that includes Tom Petty (bass guitar and vocals), Mike Campbell (lead guitar) and Benmont Tench (keyboards and vocals) from TPATH, plus original MUDCRUTCH members Tom Leadon (guitar and vocals) and Randall Marsh (drums) has finally released it's first album. If you are looking for a hard core, strictly rock'n'roll album typical of early TPATH records, it's time to move on. If, however, you enjoy hearing a tight rock'n'roll band venture into country, R&B, and traditional folk music intermingled with rock'n'roll, read on. "MUDCRUTCH" explores swamp, stomp, twang, and Southern psychedelic elements intermixed with rock'n'roll throughout its 14 tracks. Early influences on the band are represented by several of the capably-performed covers that are included: "Six Days on The Road" previously done by the Flying Burrito Brothers and others, and "Lover of the Bayou" by Roger McGuinn and the Byrds. The frogs audible at the beginning of "Lover of the Bayou" performed gratis and are not credited in the liner notes. Tom Leadon reprised the only original MUDCRUTCH song on the album "Queen of the Go-Go Girls", which has a country sound and recounts numerous gigs played by the band during the early 1970s at Dubs, a topless bar and steakhouse in Gainesville. The band's rendition of an old Applachian folk song "Shady Grove" is beautifully done with Petty and Leadon sharing lead vocals and harmony. They are familiar enough with each other from the early days such that their phrasing and harmonies sound as if they have been singing together for much longer than is actually the case. Playing bass appears to free up Petty to do some of the most interesting vocals that he has shared with us in years. The arrangement, guitar work and keyboards on another old traditional song "June Apple" are all right on. New original songs including "Scare Easy", "The Wrong Thing To Do", and "Bootleg Flier" are enjoyable and reminiscent of earlier TPATH songs. Another new song "House of Stone" reflects Tom's appreciation of good country music played by a capable band (versus "country music" played by bad rock bands with a fiddle)."Orphan of the Storm" is another new song with a country sound that is noteworthy. The distinctive beat and great bass work of "Topanga Cowgirl" has made it one of my favorite tracks on the album. The album also features a nice lead vocal done by Benmont Tench on an upbeat rock song that he wrote for the album "This Is a Good Street". Additionally, Benmont's fantastic keyboard work throughout makes a significant contribution to every track. The epic "Crystal River" may not survive being cut for radio play because of its length, but it alone is worth the price of the album. After multiple plays, I come away convinced that there is not a single weak track on the album. The best endorsement for buying this album may be Mike Campbell's comment that it is his favorite of all of the albums that he has contributed to. This from a musician that may well be the best lead guitarist working today. The entire album was done in ten days at Petty's home studio in Malibu without a single overdub on any of the fourteen tracks. "There are no ornaments," Campbell says of the music. "We performed without headphones in the studio, all live takes, playing in a circle." The members of MUDCRUTCH really enjoyed making this music and it clearly shows.

In the early `70s a young band from Gainesville loaded up the van, drove to southern California, got signed, and cut a single that went nowhere. The record company liked the singer though, a skinny bass player, so the band reformulated around him and was rechristened Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The rest, as they say... Recently Petty got the old band together--- moving back to bass, bringing along Heartbreakers Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell, and enlisting original drummer Randall Marsh and singer-guitarist Tom Leadon, and the result is this record. It is a joy, the best one Petty has made in years. Mudcrutch is almost a time capsule, harkening back to that place and time when the Gram Parsons Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, and Eagles were inventing Country Rock in the late `60s and early `70s (they cover both the Byrds and the Burritos, and Leadon's brother was an Eagle.) When the first Petty record came out in '76, the jangle of "American Girl" did indeed have critics making Byrds comparisons (and McGuinn covering the song soon after didn't hurt.) Mudcrutch is far more solidly encamped in country rock than the Heartbreakers were, kind of like an alternate universe without the New Wave flavor. In concert at the Fillmore they were loose and easy, the whole band clearly having a blast, playing the whole record plus 2 Dylan covers and encoring with three classic 50s rockers. And Tom Leadon was the happiest guy west of the Mississippi. Petty does most, but not all of the singing; Campbell is his usual spot-on perfect self, and he and Leadon manage to rekindle the twin-guitar sound that they surely honed playing dives and topless bars in the early `70s (hence "Queen of the Go-Go Girls.) Tench lays down his honky tonk boogie woogie throughout the record. There is precedent for this sound in the Heartbreakers early work; songs like "Magnolia" or "What Are You Doing in My Life" could fit easily into the Mudcrutch oeuvre and both point toward this alternate universe, and the Heartbreakers have covered "The Image of Me," also covered by the Burritos, on the Playback box. In concert, Mudcrutch played "Crystal River" as the second-to-last song of the set. ("This is a song about a river that runs through Florida," said Petty, "and occasionally my mind.") It is a long simmering percolation, a sort of power ballad that feels like it is about to turn into "White Bird" at almost every turn. Petty's bass anchors the groove, while Campbell embarks on some divine exploratory guitar work with Leadon. I've seen others compare this song to the Allman Brothers, but to me the touchstone is Neil Young's "Down by the River." At nine minutes it is the set piece of the record. The triumph here is simple--- a record that sounds like fun, that you want to put on at your next summer barbeque, that manages to sound straight out of 1974 without sounding retro. It is one of the best records of the year, and I wouldn't object too strenuously at all to Mudcrutch II. Put in the CD Changer on shuffle with: Desparado, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, The Gilded Palace of Sin, You're Gonna Get It

Tom Petty tiene esa xtraña cualida de crear canciones redondas un disco tras otro. Tras Mudcrutch se esconden él y el nucleo duro de sus heartbreakers para ofrecernos 14 temas de bella factura

En 2007, Tom Petty délaisse ses Heartbreakers pour reformer son groupe de jeunesse, Mudcrutch. Mais ses vieux compagnons Benmont Tench et Mike Campbell sont de l'aventure et le résultat est fantastique. Entre traditionnels (Shady grove qui fait immanquablement penser à la bande à Roger McGuinn, on sait la complicité qui unissait les 2 artistes et l'influence que McGuinn a pu avoir sur Petty, ne serait-ce que dans son jeu de guitare...), superbes ballades et rocks pêchus (Six days on the road dans lequel on est ici en plein univers des Eagles, c'est l'impression que j'ai eu immédiatement, The wrong thing to do aussi), Petty se fait (et nous fait) plaisir! Il y a même un hommage aux Byrds, Lover of the bayou, un véritable bonheur. Tous les morceaux ne sont pas au même niveau d'excellence mais qu'importe: dans n'importe quelle configuration, Petty était un immense artiste qui nous manque: encore une preuve avec cet album!

It has to be said from the start that there isn't a bad track on this album and anyone buying it is going to be getting some music of the highest order. I could end my review there, but this album has so much to offer, from the amazing album opener 'Shady Grove' to 'Scare Easy', addictive 'Lover of the Bayou' and more besides, this album delivers great music in spades. Some tracks have a real country-rock feel to them and I found them quite reminiscent of the Eagles (which is no bad thing) and others have that distinctive Tom Petty sound, but tweaked and altered by this bands own playing style. It is wonderful, as ever, to hear Tom singing in his own unique way and Mike Campbell's playing is as excellent as ever (ably complimented by Tom Leadon), as is all the musicianship on this album. One minor gripe, and it is very minor, is the terrible digipak format and lack of any booklet. You do get some photos and the usual album credits, but that's about it. Considering how good this CD is it is very difficult to lose many marks for this. This is one to turn up loud, feel that grin spread on your face and enjoy every second. Simply superb! Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.

Tolle Scheibe, Tom Petty sei Dank!!!

時は70年代前半。あのトム・ペティがハートブレイカーズとしてデビューする前、共に活動していたバンド、それがこのマッドクラッチ。30年の歳月を経て、ついにデビューアルバムが完成した！ メンバーはトム・ペティ（なんとベース！）の他に、後のハートブレイカー、マイク・キャンベルとベンモント・テンチ。そして元イーグルスのＢ・リードンの弟、トム・リードンにドラムのランデル・マーシュ。誰がこのバンドのイニシアティブを握るかで、2人のトムが揉めたため空中分解したんだが、時の流れとともに、デビュー30周年を総括した時、自身のルーツをこのバンドに見出したのか、落とし前をつけたかったのか、ペティはバンドのリユニオンを選択した。 収められたのは、カバーも含めた新録14曲。カントリータッチな楽曲が多い印象だが、いつもながらの、良質な王道アメリカンロックがズラリ。例えるなら、｢Highway Companion｣風の曲を、バンドメンバーでスタジオライブかなんかで一発録りしたらしく（実際わずか10日間とのこと！）、ザラッとした肌触りだが、ハートブレイカーズとも、ペティのソロ作とも違った、ラフでルーズな感じが、これはこれでいい。 ボーカル（＆ソングライティング）は（9）がトム・リードン、（1）を2人のトムが分け合い、（7）は何とベンモント（！）、残りはペティが担当。そう、思いっきりペティが主導権を握ってるんだが（笑）、ハートブレイカーズ以外の2人も、意外と言ったら失礼か、彼らに喰らい付きながら、己を主張しているのが効を奏しているね。 現在、ショートツアーの真最中。セットリストではこのアルバム＋カバー曲で、ハートブレイカーズの曲はやっていないらしい。その心意気や良し！