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Showing reviews 41-45 of 80
 A Reunion Who's Time Has Come....And Maybe, Just Maybe...Passed July 22, 2008
Jef Fazekas (Newport Beach, California United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Years ago, on a trip down to the Deep South, an elderly Southern gentleman commented to my grandmother that "The South never forgets." That remark came back to me as I was listening to MUDCRUTCH, the debut effort from Tom Petty's pre-Heartbreakers band. Was Petty remembering (and, perhaps, yearning) for his earlier, pre-stardom days when he put this project together? And if so, is it really wise to try and recapture the past? MUDCRUTCH, a mixed bag of hits and misses, only partially succeeds in answering these questions. Things kick off with the infectious twang of "Shady Grove." Petty and co-lead guitarist Tom Leadon share an easy-going lead vocal, while the band provides an arrangement that is spirited and crisp. A great way to start things off! Ditto "Scare Easy", a classic Petty song that could easily have fit on any Heartbreakers album between '79-'92. From the tight instrumentation to the snarling lead vocal, this is a Petty gem from top to bottom. Toss in great lyrics ("I got a soul that ain't never been blessed/Yeah, I'm a shadow at the back of the hall/Yeah, I got a sin I ain't never confessed") and you have a true winner! "Orphan Of The Storm" lopes along nicely enough, but upon repeated listens there's an almost fake feeling to the track, like the band's trying to force a square musical peg into a round musical hole. Much more relaxed and enjoyable is "Six Days On The Road." This is a jam, pure and simple, but it never seems forced or over the top. It's also on this cut that the true star of MUDCRUTCH first emerges...keyboard player Benmont Tench. In all his years as a Heartbreaker, Tench has never been looser or more on fire, providing runs and fills that both dazzle and enhance. Sadly, things come to crashing halt with the bloated, overlong "Crystal River." The days of nine minute arena jams are SO long gone, and what could have been a gentle four-to-five minute ballad gets blown into something yawn-inducing (Once again, though, Tench shines). The disc's only real misstep. There's a sweet story/song to "Oh Maria", a cut that would have fit nicely on Petty's last solo disc, 2006's atmospheric HIGHWAY COMPANION. His plaintive lead vocal wraps around the lyrics ("Oh Maria/Whiskey and rye/Walking up the stairs/With a man twice your size") in a way that is equal parts heart-breaking and resigned. Lovely. And then there's "This Is A Good Street", with lead vocal by Mr. Tench. Funky, edgy and fun, this tale of lost love could have gone on for at least two more minutes as far as I'm concerned...it's that cool! Tench has had his songs covered by the likes of Stevie Nicks, Rosanne Cash and Lone Justice, and "This Is A Good Street" shows why....he's an incredibly gifted, albeit underrated, songwriter. There's a snakey vibe to "The Wrong Thing To Do" that is just captivating. The instrumentation is gutsy, without being overpowering, while Petty's lead vocal is equal parts mysterious and dangerous (I love how he drags out the word "care" in the chorus!). Toss in some killer lyrics ("Well, she was blonde and tall/She was twenty-three/Born into the world to get the best of me/And she never paid back/Half what she stole/SHe wanted my money/So I gave her my soul") and you have one of MUDCRUTCH's best cuts. The same can't be said about "Queen Of The Go-Go Girls." In the tradition of Ringo, Keith, Dave Davies and Jane Weidlin, Tom Leadon steps in for a lead vocal that is, at it's best, weak, at it's worst...well, you get the picture. "June Apple" is a slice of Southern rock, and while an instrumental is a nice way to break things up, this one seems dated and out of place. Much like "Crystal River", it almost feels as if the genre's time has come...and gone. It's at this point that MUDCRUTCH really starts to get bogged down. "Lover Of The Bayou" is nice enough, with some great guitar work from Leadon and Mike Campbell, and gorgeous underlying keyboard runs courtesy of Tench, but by song's end this really seems to be nothing more than an outtake from HIGHWAY COMPANION. "Topanga Cowgirl" has a nice bounce to it, with spirited instrumentation and a tight arrangement, but the song is so light as to be inconsequential. It almost seems like a studio jam that made it onto the disc to meet a certain time/length requirement. The same can be said about "Bootleg Flyer." There's a lot of energy here, but there's also a "been there, done that" feel as well, which is something you don't ever expect from Tom Petty. Once again, great playing, but a less than stellar song. Things end on a stronger note with "House Of Stone." This country shuffle boasts understated (but sharp) instrumentation, an easy-going lead vocal and great lyrics ("Got a brand new suit/I got two pair of pants/Easy on the eyes/And I love to dance/I could dance right now/If you give me the chance"). So....my Five Final Thoughts on Mudcrutch and MUDCRUTCH...1) It may just be time for Benmont Tench to record that long-threatened solo album (BENMONT'S REVENGE, anyone?!?)..2) Who knew Tom Petty was such a great bassist??..3) Would this album have gotten made if it wasn't Petty's old band? I'm not so sure...4) Would I automatically buy another album from the band? Ummmmm....probably. And....5) Are there some things the South...and old rockers!...should forget? Nah, that's part of both their charms!! (As with all my reviews, I'm docking the disc half a star for not including the lyrics).
 Under Cover Petty August 8, 2008
Michael Roberts (Picayune, MS USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Not a bad song on the CD, from foot stomping to belly rubbing songs. If you're a Petty fan you'll love this one with his original gang.
MUDCRUTCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! April 30, 2008
Gretsch (Anywhere, USA)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
How can I describe the sheer brilliance and inspiration that this music holds? This is my favorite album of the past 10 yrs and it only gets better with every listen. The songs are timeless and the performances are pure, live and of the moment. Tom Petty once again shows that his gut instinct is razor sharp. Bringing back his original band from Florida was not something he had to do. He did it for the love of the music and his old friends. I saw them 3 times on their current Tour and it's a slam dunk every time. Mike Campbell is in top form, Benmont Tench is on fire, Tom Petty is a killer Bass Player, Randall Marsh is a wonderful drummer and Tom Leadon is a great singer and guitarist. Lets hope they make another record before another 33 years goes by!!
Mudcrutch is just great!! May 8, 2008
Martin S. Ertz (Jackson Hole WY)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Tom Petty has struck again by getting back to his true roots as he brings back his Mudcrutch line up to make the Country flavoured album I think that Tom Petty has always wanted to make. Classic status has to go to songs like "Orphan in the Storm", "I Know It's Wrong" and This is a Good Street, Queen of the Go-Go Dancers.
How cool is it when someone after 30 years of success and brings back guys he played with in the beginnings of his career so those guys can perform and make a little bank.
The best part of this Albun is that it's NOT a Heartbreakes album or a Tom Petty solo project. It has a sound all it's own that is right on.
Petty fans will love it, and I think Country music fans will like it too!! Add it to your collection you won't be dissapointed.
After Ten Years, Tom Petty Finally Makes A Great CD May 14, 2008
The Footpath Cowboy (Kingston, NY United States)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Ten years after his last great, or even good, CD, ECHO, Tom Petty has finally made another masterpiece by reuniting his pre-Heartbreakers band, Mudcrutch. If this band had succeeded in the beginning, Petty's music would have been the link between West Coast country-rock and Southern boogie-rock. It's nice to see a rock superstar go back to his roots, and moreover, Petty's advocacy of sanctions against Indonesia in retaliation for that country's trumped-up 2005 drug-smuggling conviction of a young Australian tourist makes MUDCRUTCH an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.
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