Although Nirvana was the main Grunge rock group spearheading the movement, or at least in the public’s eyes, there were many equally great Grunge groups who made some excellent music for others to listen to. Mudhoney was another Seattle based band along with Nirvana who made some excellent tunes. Although the original version of Superfuzz Bigmuff (named after an effects pedal prominently used by the group) was merely a 20 minute plus EP release that sold poorly at the time, it is now widely acknowledged as a classic of Grunge based music. For this reason, it would be foolish to not cover it here as a result. Let’s dive in and listen to this extended album with extra tracks, and hopefully, this expanded release, although being over two hours long, should be worth hearing.

Touch Me I’m Sick begins with some guitar amplifier hum, the sound of someone burping and launches into a great guitar riff. This enters into a weird sounding Grunge tune that is actually really good. A really great piece of Pop/Rock music with some 13th Floor Elevators styled screaming, this is twisted and wonderful proto-Grunge that works extremely well. If you like weird, in a Grunge way that evokes The Velvet Underground, this should be your first point of call. A really fine and fantastic tune, this is overlooked and brilliant music that is awesome to listen to. It ends after two and a half minutes, a great song.

Sweet Young Thing Ain’t Sweet No More begins with some loose and distorted guitar parts and sounds odd and eerie. It quickly enters into a feedback heavy tune. Mudhoney does sound excellent musically here, and there are some excellent warped guitar chords, wailing vocals and a sense that something great has been made on this album. Excellent and brilliant, this makes a ton of sense if you love Grunge or any Rock styles in particular. Mudhoney’s vocalist Mark Arm is a very unique singer, and his voice matches the music present here, with his unique shrieking and screaming throughout. This is great music that is anti-beauty. There is a massive scream in the second half of this tune, followed by a return to the verses at hand. If you love Nirvana, you will definitely love this release. Fantastic, and underrated, Mudhoney definitely knows how to impress. Brilliant.

Twenty Four begins with some great guitar chords and Grungy feedback, before launching into an awesome tune with drum rolls galore, entering into a great piece of music. Again this is energetic, powerful and excellent. A great song about an alcoholic, this has some great dynamics and awesome screaming. This music is definitely amazing, and it was something that pointed ahead to the trends that were emerging in Grunge and Alternative music at the time. It deliberately slows down right at the end, before crashing apart in a load of drum rolls and noisy guitar excellence. Fantastic.

Need begins with some fairly unusually upbeat guitar and an excellent vocal from Mark Arm, quickly entering into a strange but awesome sounding tune present. This is a song about needing a lady’s love but is rather personal sounding in comparison to other musicians e.g. AC/DC or Van Halen doing such a topic. This works well, however. A wonderful listening experience. This has a quick breakdown in the second half with some great guitar riffs following it. The screaming gets more personal in the second half, and this is another fantastic song to listen to. Another excellent song, this ends with sustained Grungy chords and feedback. Excellent.

Chain That Door begins with energetic drum rolls, and dirty and melodic guitars and sounds really awesome. Mark Arm sings in a powerful and interesting way. This is a short, vicious and powerful piece of music that is interesting and is very much post-Hardcore Punk music. Less than two minutes long, this is a fantastic listening experience musically. A really excellent listening experience, with short and powerful music at hand. Great.

Mudride begins with a volume swell guitar part and sounds a lot like The Velvet Underground’s Heroin. This is slower and more melodic than previous songs, with no drums or percussion for a while. Drums eventually do enter, like a shotgun. This is a wonderful and powerful listen, and Mark Arm eventually also enters with his singing. This is an anthemic tune that sounds excellent and brilliant throughout. The chorus kicks in, and although the guitars and vocals sound out of tune, it is done deliberately so and well. The Punk-ish tom tom drumming present is magnificent, and the lyrics are semi-Psychedelic and this is a gloriously good tune that sounds powerful, aggressive and very Grungy. A wah-wah guitar solo follows, and this is played with some great emphasis here. Discordant, but extremely interesting, this proves that Mudhoney did indeed have tunes. Not at all dull nor boring throughout this five minute plus tune, this is a sensationally awesome listening experience that is great for all its ugliness musically. Nonetheless, the music here is great and still sounds as confrontational and amazing today as it did in 1988. Great stuff, it ends with some violining guitar feedback and tom-tom drumming. Excellent.

No One Has begins with gurgling bass lines with some punchy drumming and launches into another discordant tune that is incredibly catchy. Mark Arm sings wonderfully on these recordings and has some loud and awesome vocals which perfects this style of music wonderfully. The rest of the band is just as good, and this tune is legendary and fantastic. Sure, this is many years old by this point, but it still sounds as great, fresh and energetic today as any other classic album out there. This has some soul searching lyrics and some excellent singing and playing throughout. If you love music history and something loud, raw, confrontational and Grungy, this is perfect for you. The drum rolls on this song are fantastic, and the whole group plays like a whirlwind hurricane. It ends with an abrupt stop and awesome screaming. Fantastic.

If I Think begins with a drum hit, some mellow guitar riffing and nimble bass guitar playing. This launches quickly into a really excellent and mellow melodic piece of music that sounds really pretty for its Grunginess. A love song of sorts, this eventually launches into a thunderous Grunge Rock tune that sounds intense and switches between quiet and lovely melodicism and thunderously loud parts. Nonetheless, this is a really awesome and fantastic listening experience. The quiet/loud, stop/start and slow/fast changes are really unique and wonderful here, as is Mark Arm’s screaming. A great musical effort, this is a great tune, without a doubt. Some insane guitar playing is here as well, a fine and fantastic effort from Mudhoney, and a memorable tune ending with distorted and Grungy guitars. Great work.

In ‘n’ Out of Grace begins with some samples from the 1966 film Wild Angels, which Primal Scream also sampled similarly in 1991. Crashing drums and powerful music enters, getting this moving along nicely. Some excellent guitars are here, and this tune gets sounding like a tremendously anarchic and powerful piece. Singing about pleading to Jesus, Mark Arm and Mudhoney prove that the music on this album is awesome and unforgettably so with a variety of nihilistic themes present on the album. A Grunge based piece that sounds awesome and memorable, this is just as historically and musically important as early Black Sabbath or the Sex Pistols Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols album. A furious drum led solo section is here, that sounds totally wonderful and awesome and is very suspenseful. Eventually, drum rolls enter and this piece resumes nicely into a guitar led glory. This is definitely not music for Christians, despite the song title. Still, this is mindblowing and awesome music. A fine, clever and headbanging tune, this is a suspenseful and amazing listening experience musically. The song progresses nicely until falling apart in a good way at the end with a slow down, feedback laden guitars and a brilliant finish. Excellent for a five-and-a-half-minute song.

The Rose is an Amanda McBroom cover. It begins with the sounds of rushing waves at the beach, which is kind of eerie. Some down-tuned basslines enter to add eerie suspense, quickly followed by thunderous drum rolls and launches into a deep tune about heartbreak and the hope that things will be okay in the meantime. Despite the negativity in this song, it is good for what it is. Nonetheless, this is okay, but a bit morbid. There is a super dramatic breakdown in the second half, with some awesome rolling drums and this sounds extremely suspenseful. Soon enough, the climax has some thunderous drums and out-of-tune (deliberately) guitars entering into the mix. Mark Arm’s singing is deeply personal and sad here, and he proves himself to be an underrated vocalist. Great effort, it ends with hum and guitar feedback galore here.

Hate The Police is a more upbeat and popular song that is an anti-authoritarian tune about being a threat to society. This is a great and powerful tune that is Grunge in musical terms but still sounds really youthful, aggressive and fantastic throughout. A great song, obviously intending to stir up a ruckus, this is not supposed to be taken seriously at all. If you need rebellion and energy to match, this is your song. A great two minute long piece, it ends with manic screaming and drum rolls galore. Excellent.

You Got It (Keep It Outta My Face) has a strange sounding guitar riff intro, quickly launching into a great set of drum rolls and a rather more Hardcore Punk styled tune in terms of its guitar sound. Eventually, this goes on into a glorious and powerful tune with screaming galore and powerful drumming. This is exactly what music needed at the time, a band that understood that something desperately needed to change in mainstream music and who played some great heavy guitar tunes. In the second half is a decent guitar solo present that is well played and Grungy, followed by some more excellent singing by Mark Arm. This is aggressive, abrasive and glorious music for those who like Rock music, and particularly Grunge. It ends with a fade out and guitars humming away.

Burn It Clean is another short and simple number, with some odd sounding guitars and great playing throughout. Mark Arm screams wonderfully throughout, and this has some awesome rhythm and drumming present here. Again, this music is powerful, aggressive and loveable. The lyrics on this tune are somewhat vague and dirty, but the music still sounds really awesome to match. Mudhoney were obviously professionals at what they did. A great musical climax occurs in the second half, and this changes intelligently and wonderfully throughout. Another great anthem for the youth of the day, this still sounds very fantastic to this day. It ends abruptly.

Halloween is a cover of a Sonic Youth song. It begins with some piercing feedback and guitar riffing, before launching into an energetic and decent shuffle based groove on this song. The music is really cool here, and it is a musical cover that is fantastic for not being a Mudhoney original. With some introspective lyrics which are very descriptive about sexual desire, this is a brilliant listen. A really top tune, with some of the best uses of the f-word present throughout, this sounds not a million miles away from the material on Black Flag’s My War album. Excellent, artistic and brilliant, this song is a fantastic listening experience if you love dramatic music to listen to. Eventually, pounding drums and instrumentation proceed in the second half of this song, and this tune gets moving along very nicely. A chaotic guitar solo then ensues, and this sounds gloriously good. Fantastic music to listen to and enjoy, there is screaming galore here as well. This song proceeds to have a long fade out whilst guitar soloing glory is here. A great cover tune that sounds really powerful at the end.

Need – Demo is a good rendition of the song. It begins with strummed electric guitars, and melodic vocals and launches into a great demo of the original Mudhoney song. This is very much proof that Mudhoney was an accomplished band at this point. Some Grungy guitars are here, and the whole tune is really fresh, interesting and cool. A wonderful listen for Grunge based music, this works very well. There is a breakdown in the second half before the song begins again, and some excellent hollered screaming is present. Mark Arm proves himself to be a great vocalist, and he and the band play wonderfully here. Nice tune. It ends with sustained guitars.

Mudride – Demo begins with squealing feedback guitars, loose basslines and percussion to match. This immediately sounds great, in a messed up way. Soon enough, a kick drum beat emerges and this tune gets going underway. This is not a song that everyone will enjoy, and it is somewhat an acquired taste musically. Nonetheless, having said that this still sounds as good as it did back in 1988, and is proof that Seattle based Grunge music can rock hard as well. The sense of rhythm and playing here is absolutely fantastic, and the rest of the band sound just as good. Mark Arm’s melodic singing sounds really great on songs like this and he is a very underrated singer. This launches into an instrumental section, with guitar solos galore, sounding really great and awesome on this album. A fantastic tune, this does sound great, even as a demo version. The vocals return after the guitar solos, and this piece continues along as a great six minute jam. There is little doubt that Kurt Cobain and Nirvana were deeply influenced by Grunge acts such as Mudhoney. This ends with squealing feedback and kick/tom-tom drums to finish off this song. Awesome.

In ‘n’ Out of Grace – Demo is the last track on the first half of this double album. It begins with some great guitar riffs, piercing feedback and rolling drum beats. Soon enough, this tune gets going nicely and sounds really fantastic. It launches into an awesome rendition of the song that sounds almost as good as the main version here, except that extra production would have carried this a bit further. A really good listening experience, this does musical wonders for the listener. There is a really great drum and bass (pun intended) solo section that is really decent and excellent on this song before dual-tracked guitar solos enter the scene. Excellent music, really brilliant sounding through and through, with a wah-wah guitar solo that sounds great. Soon enough, the song section returns and Mark Arm screams maniacally. A really excellent version, and one that is full of surprises, this slows to a crawl here again, before concluding like a car crash. Brilliant though. The drumming at the end is superb. This is the end of side one of this double album.

No One Has – Live in Berlin 10/10/88 begins with some looped French, before the group begins to cheer on the rather non-existent crowd, quickly launching into a decent version of this song which sounds really fantastic and driven, and Mark Arm’s singing and screaming is really fantastic on this live version. This live section makes even more sense than one would expect, and the Grunge music present is fantastic. Very, very catchy and raw nihilistic music on this live section of the album. A really cool and excellent piece, there is a call-and-response between the vocals and the rest of the band. Still, this sounds really excellent. The whole band is ridiculously good, and this music sounds like quality over quantity. The drum rolls at the end are ridiculously good. Some wild crowd cheering at the end erupts, good job. Obviously, the people there weren’t prepared for how good these guys were.

Sweet Young Thing Ain’t Sweet No More – Live in Berlin 10/10/88 begins with some Grungy guitars, drum rolls and a sense we are in for a treat. This isn’t a million miles away from Nirvana’s music, and there is some excellent proto-Kurt Cobain singing on this song. A really glorious sounding tune that is a great documentation of the innocence of youth being shattered. A very out there tune, and more politically incorrect tune than you would ever hear from most musicians today. There is a fantastic scream in the second half of this song, and this tune gets really venomous. This is great music to listen to, and it is followed by some crowd cheering. “Pull down your pants if you like us!” says Mark Arm once the song is over.

Need – Live in Berlin 10/10/88 begins with some neat guitar riffing in the right channel, and some great singing in the left channel, before launching into a loud, energetic and powerful musical statement that is really fantastic. A gnarly and powerful life piece that is fantastic, this works wonderfully well. A very energetic and interesting statement from Mudhoney, this sounds super awesome for what it is. Supercharged and electric listening, this has some totally awesome playing and singing on this live number. This sounds even better live, as Mudhoney honed their performances accurately. Great song about selfishness, and there is some good cheering from the crowd to conclude.

Chain That Door – Live in Berlin 10/10/88 begins with some of the best drumming ever done, and launches into a great melodic Grunge tune that sounds awesome. This is a fantastic piece of supercharged energy that works wonders. A really fantastic listen, Mudhoney could definitely cut it live as well as in the recording studio. Fine and fantastic listening, this should be a conversion recording for those out there who want to start their own band. It ends with some loose guitars, the crowd cheering and Mark Arm chatting with a friend of the group’s, before segueing into the next song.

If I Think – Live in Berlin 10/10/88 begins with some rolling tom-tom drums, great chord progressions and a proto-Nirvana sound present. This sounds absolutely brilliant, and every Grunge fan must hear this song. A tremendous effort, it bursts into a chaotic rage and sounds menacing. Great music, this sounds so good that it demands repeat listens. A great live rendition of an already great listen, this is fantastic. This live performance is outstanding and amazing, with a great scream from Mark Arm in the second half. This promptly launches into a great guitar solo. A really excellent three-minute-long live cut that quite simply, works. The guitar solo towards the end is really insane sounding. Brilliant, it segues into the next track.

Mudride – Live in Berlin 10/10/88 begins with some crowd cheering, launching into really fantastic music that sounds dark, dirty and mean. This is a six minute long piece. After a bit, the shotgun drums enter and we are underway. This is a great and memorable live version of the classic Mudhoney song that sounds really exciting and amazing, and it delivers what it has promised. A great, interesting and thunderous musical tune, this does sound like a well made song for fans of Alternative music, particularly those who were looking for post-Hardcore Punk that paved the way for Grunge. A watery wah-wah guitar solo is present here, along with some really interesting and intricate drumming as well on this live version. A great tune indeed, this sounds amazing and top for such discordant music. It simply works and works very well. The elongated jam session in the second half is really cool and interesting listening. A super cool tune to enjoy, this does incredibly amazing, with some proto-Kurt Cobain screaming on this song by Mark Arm, without sounding as emotional as Kurt was as a singer in a negative sense. Nonetheless, this is a good listen. It ends with guitars that feedback and pounding drums, before concluding with some screaming guitar parts. Excellent. It segues into the next song.

Here Comes Sickness – Live in Berlin 10/10/88 begins with some continuation of the guitars, and powerful drumming and quickly launches into an amazing song that is about a lady of sorts. The chorus is fantastic, and this is another classic Mudhoney tune that sounds incredibly awesome, or fully sick in this way. There are some excellent and animated guitar solos present, and this is a great story that must be heard if you are straight edge. A marvellous and powerful four minute long song. It enters into a chaotic guitar solo drenched in wah-wah, then continues with some dirty riffing. This goes back into the verses and sounds really awesome and cool. There is a terrific set of screams by Mark Arm towards the end here, before concluding nicely. Some cheering from the crowd follows. Great to listen to.

Touch Me I’m Sick – Live in Berlin 10/10/88 begins with some great guitar riffing, and yelping from Mark Arm and launches into a really great live version of the song. The audio quality, likely from a tape recording, isn’t the greatest at the start, but it picks up after a while. Nonetheless, despite that issue, this is a fantastic listening experience that sounds awesome. A fine and fantastic tune by Mudhoney, this works exceedingly well. An energetic and brilliant live rendition of this tune, this song sounds amazing. It ends after two minutes, followed by clapping and cheering. Mark Arm then addresses the crowd nicely here, and the band lets the crowd know that they are nearly done, leading into the next tune, and states: “Think of your lady when you are listening to this”.

In ‘n’ Out of Grace – Live in Berlin 10/10/88 launches right into an extended piece with some very Jimi Hendrix styled guitar playing at the beginning, along with energetic drumming. This sounds really clever and excellent musically, and Mudhoney pulls off an expert delivery of this song. Excellent, lively and brilliant, the band deliver what they have got here, doing extremely well here. A joyous and uplifting tune, despite being pigeonholed in the Grunge genre, this is better than most Grunge bands at the time. Towards the middle is a thunderous drum section, rumbling bass guitar and an exciting amount of suspense present. Excellence in music here. The crowd approves of this, and you can vaguely hear them in the background cheering on this song. Some electric guitars eventually enter as this piece gets going underway into a great solo section with said guitars. A really great piece with sludgy, discordant guitars, this is a really awesome set of tunes. Excellent stuff, this is powerful and wonderful listening. A really great tune, it slows down and falls apart right at the end, with some wah-wah guitar, before concluding, along with manic screams as well. This comes to a gradual conclusion, before finally ending. Excellent, although the ending is a little longer than expected. Mudhoney thanks the crowd, who applaud nicely. Great job.

Mudride – Live at KCSB 11/16/88 begins with a radio introduction and some awesome guitar feedback, before launching into some great guitar riffing that sounds top. This is more of the same as before, but then again, it is an extended album release. The guitar riffing is fantastic, however. This eventually launches into a lo-fi recording of one of the main songs from this album. It does sound rather warped and brilliant, and it builds up into an excellent musical frenzy on this radio recording. A great song nonetheless, this is another great performance by Mudhoney. The power, energy and music cannot be denied here. This isn’t the greatest rendition of this song all the same. There is a manic wah-wah guitar solo in the second half, with some awesome screaming as well present. Great to hear, even at this point today. A wonderful listening experience. It ends with some more wailing guitars and a loud, noisy conclusion with powerful, pounding drums.

Here Comes Sickness – Live at KCSB 11/16/88 continues with some rather ordinary sounding guitar and more pounding drums, sounding very menacing. It launches into a fairly ordinary sounding rendition of the song. Someone should have tuned up their guitars before going on. In any case, this weird sounding radio broadcast of this tune doesn’t work as well as it should do. It’s okay, but not as good as the main recordings of this song. There is a barrage of drumming and wah-wah guitar present in the second half, followed by manic screaming by Mark Arm. A barrage of good noise rock is here, and this sounds brilliant, even today. It ends with some cheering and clapping, and the sound of a guitar being tuned. It segues into the next song.

No One Has – Live at KCSB 11/16/88 launches into a pummelling drum based groove, with some loud noisy guitars. Some hollered singing is present here, and this tune gets going very nicely. This isn’t the greatest Mudhoney live session but works very well regardless. An excellent and good piece of music to listen to, despite the fact that this isn’t sounding the best of it all. Some great vocals are here, however, and Mark Arm does a great job here with his vocals. A really awesome listen for what it is, although if you have sat through this entire album, you may be weary of this music by now. The manic screaming is awesome. Great music to hear anyway. It ends with some more gentle clapping and applause before segueing into the next song.

By Her Own Hand – Live at KCSB 11/16/88 begins with some awesome strummed electric guitars and quickly launches into a loud, powerful and furious tune that is really excellent to hear. Some manic screaming by Mark Arm is present and this tune comes alive very nicely. A really excellent and murky mash-up of Rock and Grunge sounds, this is a very different listen compared to the music released before it. The manic screaming that is present was obviously something that Trent Reznor took note of in his own musical career. Regardless, this is an awesome listen, even if the music here isn’t great audio-wise. It ends with a load of excellent guitar solos and concludes nicely. The radio announcer says the band will take a break before returning later on.

Touch Me I’m Sick – Live at KCSB 11/16/88 begins with some radio chatter and some loose guitars, launching into a rather humourous speech about a game that the band plays (it’s rather sexually based). The band gets straight into it shortly afterwards, going into an excellent rendition of their classic song. It does sound really great here, and Mark Arm’s performance in particular is really amazing. A clever, cool and amazing tune to hear, this is also worth your time after such a long album in general. It does sound really great, and the manic guitar solos present are wonderful. A really great sounding broadcast, proof that these guys could cut it live as well. Some clapping is at the end here before we go into the last song.

Dead Love – Live at KCSB 11/16/88 is the last piece here on this double album at nearly 15 minutes long. It launches into an upbeat, loud and punchy tune that sounds really great. This is a great live performance recorded here with pounding drums, wah-wah guitar and some impressive playing and singing throughout. This is a surreal listening experience, not in a psychedelic way, but in an impressive way. The playing, singing and instrumentation are truly marvellous. An awesome listen for such a long piece on this album, this is proof that music can break down some barriers externally. This jam is fairly extended, but it does work wonders here. There are some intelligent and well thought out beats, sounds and textures here that are simply great. Really great listening, this is not unlike The Velvet Underground’s Sister Ray in its own way. The pounding drums and white noise sounds are excellent and brilliant, in their own way. This tune does sound fantastic for what it is. Changing tempo and ways throughout, this is outstanding. It just works well on a phenomenal level. A really great and outstanding listen, even for its length, it never gets dull or tired sounding. This changes constantly throughout but still flows very nicely. A really great tune, this gets moving on nicely. Pounding Led Zeppelin styled drums are epic sounding here, and this tune lifts off in the second half, complete with some wacky wah-wah guitars. This continues on for some time, with a load of chaotic guitar sounds and a change in drumming in the second half, which is really brilliant. The music present is really brilliant, and this resumes with some vocals that, quite frankly, aren’t needed here, but still emerge. The jam section continues on well regardless and just works phenomenally. A really fantastic tune, this sounds really great for a jam piece, speeding up throughout with some intricate drumming. It eventually stops the drums, followed by some discordant guitars, which sound rather awful. These jam along for some time, sounding very awful and unnecessary. The drums eventually return for a bit, and this returns back into the action to conclude this lengthy tune. This sounds very loud and dramatic and concludes the double album very well. This album finishes here, and we wrap up with some slight applause.

This is a super long album. It is also a crown jewel classic in retrospect, containing many original and necessary listens for both older and younger Rock fans out there. A historical album with many proto-Grunge efforts, this is very much like The Velvet Underground’s debut album or the Sex Pistols Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols album, rarely listened to, but it changed Rock forever. Should you listen to this album? Give it a try, at least by hearing the original EP tracks from this album. It is a great piece of musical history and a fine audio experience overall.

Awesome listening.

9/10