Album Description 2008 release includes bonus CD. In August 2007, the original members of Mudcrutch reunited and recorded an album for release in 2008. Mudcrutch contains 14 old and new tracks. "We would play and then we would just talk about the old days," says Tom Leadon, who left the band in 1972. Mudcrutch was a rock band from Gainesville, Florida best known for being the forerunner of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Tom Petty's first band, The Sundowners changed their name to The Epics, and around 1970, The Epics became Mudcrutch. Much like The Beatles at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, Mudcrutch served as the house band at Dub's Diner in their hometown of Gainesville, Florida.
Customer Reviews:
The perfect audiophile experience for Petty fansJune 27, 2008 4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Revisitng his past revitalized Tom Petty's songwriting muscle. While he's released a number of strong albums over the last couple of years reuniting with his original band Mudcrutch (which featured Mike Campbell and Ben Tench--the only members that joined Petty's Heartbreakers when Shelter indicated they were only interested in him)inspired him to write a strong batch of songs for the first "offical" recording by his previous band. For those fans who haven't heard anything from the album there's a stronger country-rock feel to this (more like The Byrds around "Untitled" period)than previous Petty outings of the rest past.
All the material is top notch and those who buy the audiophile vinyl edition also get an audiophile CD (in a cardboard sleeve)to listen to in the car or wherever. It's a nice plus (something that was also done with the last Crowded House album although I believe that was a regular CD edition). The CD here sounds superior to the regular release which sounds compressed and, as is typical of the times, loud but not necessarily in a GOOD way. The mix IS a bit murky on a couple of tracks but it sounds like that was intentional otherwise this is a terrific sounding vinyl/CD experience.
The album is a two record set with each record housed in a audiophile sleeve and the packaging features a nice gatefold sleeve. There aren't any lyrics. The mastering by Chris Bellman is top notch throughout.
Leadon contributes "Queen of the Go Go Girl's" a loopy song that was originally written back in the day and performed by Mudcrutch. Tench contributes the tune he sings while Campbell co-wrotes "Bootleg Flyer".Petty is ably supported by Tom Leadon (former Eagle Bernie Leadon's brother) on harmony vocals and Ben Tench on lead vocal on the track "This is a Good Street". Petty returns to bass for the first time since leaving Mudcrutch.
The band also does a killer version of The Byrds tune "Lover of the Bayou" (appropriate considering how influential The Byrds were on Petty particularly McGuinn).
