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Mudcrutch | 
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| Artist: Mudcrutch
Label: Warner Bros.
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $6.95
You Save: $12.03 (63%)
New (59) Used (16) from $6.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  82 reviews
Sales Rank: 284
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 455868
UPC: 093624987338
EAN: 0093624987338
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Shady Grove | | • | Scare Easy | | • | Orphan Of The Storm | | • | Six Days On The Road | | • | Crystal River | | • | Oh Maria | | • | This Is A Good Street | | • | The Wrong Thing To Do | | • | Queen Of The Go-Go Girls | | • | June Apple | | • | Lover Of The Bayou | | • | Topanga Cowgirl | | • | Bootleg Flyer | | • | House Of Stone |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
"I just finished a record with Mudcrutch, my old band before the Heartbreakers. I am over the moon about it. I couldn't have hoped for it to be as good as it came out." In summer 2007, Tom Petty reunited Mudcrutch, consisting of himself, Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, original bandmember Tom Leadon, and Randall Marsh, who joined when Mudcrutch first went to Los Angeles in search of a record deal in the early 70s. Now, more than 30 years later, Mudcrutch finally has its debut album. With new Petty songs and a handful of covers, the self-titled disc is both classic rock and a rock classic.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 77 more reviews...
 Classic Country Rock, and the Bass Player Looks Familiar May 5, 2008
34 out of 35 found this review helpful
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
A Great Time Is Had By All... April 29, 2008
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
What I enjoy the most with "Mudcrutch". Is that it feels and certainly sounds as though everyone is having a great time. The music is loose and filled with groove and tasty instinctive playing by Tom Leadon (Bernie Leadon's brother. ie; see The Eagles) and Mike Campbell. While Benmont Tench, Randall Marsh and Tom Petty all lock into a very solid backing rhythm and beat. That sounds as though it is felt. Not just played by numbers. Good musicians playing good music.
There is an optimism in Tom Petty's lyrics throughout. A bar-band feel. But, also a sentiment, a yearning. He is a great, great songwriter.
It is simply a tasty record. There is a freedom to Tom Petty's tone and very satisfied vocal delivery. He just sounds like he is happy and hanging out with some old friends.
I have listened to it repeatedly and I enjoy it more and more as the songs gain familiarity. The Byrds, "Lover Of The Bayou" is great! Benmont takes a lead vocal spot on one of his own tunes, " This Is A Good Street". It is one of my favorites on the record. He has a really cool voice. Tom Leadon also contributed an original in, "Queen Of The Go-Go Girls". His voice is alot like his brother's. Which is good thing.
"Crystal River" is a new classic! It's an emotionally melodic taste of his true southern spirit, like nothing I have heard TP tap into before. With a graceful, Grateful Dead/American Beauty-ish type of flow.
Plus, "Orphan Of The Storm". This tune is like the long lost CCR tune. Randall Marsh swings with a really sweet driven groove and flow. "Shady Grove" is a traditional bluegrass number that is spun off here with exactly the type of back-porchy type of feeling it was first conceived on a long, long time ago somewhere far away. But, not too far from Gainesville Florida where these guys first found their way.
So far, one of my favorite records of the past 5 years. I repeat, 5 YEARS! And one I have been really excited about hearing upon release. Dig in. I love it!
This may well be the best CD of the year May 16, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Last year, for me, it was Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's collaboration. This year, it might just be "Mudcrutch." Someone will have to work hard to come up with something better.
Rock and roll isn't dead as long as Tom Petty's around. He's back on the bass and it's like he's come home. Hard to believe this group hasn't played together for many years--it's like they just came home. To me, it also sounds like they're having fun playing.
Best of the CD: "Shady Grove", "Scare Easy," and "Topanga Cowgirl." I also like "Orphan of the Storm" their tribute to Katrina. That's after my first couple of passes. I suspect this CD isn't going to leave my changer anytime soon. I'd put "Mudcrutch" up with the Traveling Wilburys collections anytime.
One final plus: Mudcrutch has given us 14 songs with a running time of 56.7 minutes. I'm happy to see that since a couple of the CDs I've bought recently have been only 10 songs, which seems rather brief to me.
Rebecca Kyle, May 2008
The Most Recent Rock Classic! July 22, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Having been a long time follower of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, I was excited about the release of this album, mainly for nostalgic reasons. And then something curious happened... the day before the release, I lost the excitement. You see, I'm among the few Petty fans that feel his latter work blows away his more commercially aimed music of the seventies and eighties. That's right, I'll take Echo over Damn the Torpedos. There. I said it.
To me, Petty's lyrics have improved with time, and the quality of production has been much more interesting in the past 10-15 years. Because I hold this opinion, I began to fear Mudcrutch would be a throwback to his seventies style of music. But much to the contrary, Mudcrutch DOES NOT sound like mudcrutch from the seventies, but rather like a band of sometimes rowdy, sometimes bluesy, experienced rockers from the swamps of Florida. And that they are.
Bootleg Flyer and Lover of the Bayou seep and bleed with raunchy southern stomp and swagger, while Crystal River is a luscious, delightful trip on a lazy summer day. Ledon and Cambell play off each other like they've been doing this together for years. The album is full of unexpected gems like Ledon's "Queen of the go-go girls" and Tench's "This is a good street". Perhaps most impressive is the bands hoppy rendition of June Apple, delivered with an Allman-esqe style held up by the delightful shuffle of Marsh's Snare. All five musicians shine on this album, but none more than Petty whose sneering vocal on "Scare Easy" is filled with more attitude than anything he's done since "Honey Bee".
I bought the album worried I might be disappointed. Now, as I listen to it for the 100,000th time, I'm worried they won't make another one. This is album of the year for me, and I hope and pray they release another. It would also be really nice to see them play here in Georgia...
Great Musicians Having Fun Making Great Music May 4, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
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.
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