Thursday 29 November 2007

MUDHONEY – SUCK YOU DRY (REPRISE)


MUDHONEY – SUCK YOU DRY (REPRISE)

This is a fucking blistering track which was probably the first Mudhoney song that “normal people” heard in real time (in other words the first single released by the band after grunge went postal).

It opens with a tambourine rattle which in a few split seconds builds beautiful anticipation before a particularly farty grunge guitar from Steve Turner begins unloading a major gallop as Mark Arm calls out the audience offering up the opportunity for them to lose their shit.

In many ways this is the perfect (and the best) Mudhoney track as everyone is playing to their fullest potential at a pace seldom achieved by the band. Then just two and half minutes later it is gone, far from having outstayed its welcome.

Other than seeing the video on 120 Minutes one Sunday night, my most vivid memory of this track was when I played it on the train to a girl called Claire that I fancied back in 1993. She made comment “its pretty obvious what that song is about” in reference to repeated reference to sucking. Yikes, it hadn’t even occurred to me.

From here the release comes accompanied by further bolts of energy in the form of “Deception Pass”, “Over The Top” and “Underide”. “Over The Top” is particularly notable for being a Motorhead cover that Mudhoney completely make their own. “Underide” is an equally curious ride that feels like the soundtrack to drunken confessional telephone conversation made on a mobile while behind the wheel of a car. This is reckless stuff.

Thesaurus moment: charge.

Mudhoney
Reprise

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