#1,148: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! The connections between
Tom Petty and
Jeff Lynne are well documented. Albums such as
"Full Moon Fever",
"Into The Great Wide Open" and
"Highway Companion" as well as their collaboration in
The Traveling Wilburys mean that fans of
ELO very often also follow the career of
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, just as
Yours Truly KJS also discovered
Roy Wood,
The Move and
'Brum Beat' after finding
ELO.
Many folks who like
TP - particularly those outside of the States - are surprised to find out that before
The Heartbreakers there was
Mudcrutch, a band who ran for five years before the core trio of
TP,
Mike Campbell and
Benmont Tench formed
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. Back in 2008,
Mudcrutch reunited with original members
Tom Leadon and
Randall Marsh and delivered their self-titled debut album. Fast forwarding to 2016, their second studio album
"2" was released in May, making
#62 in the
UK Official Album Chart. Both
Mudcutch LP's made the US Top 10.
"2" is an album that has been on the radar of
elobeatlesforever (elobf) for some time and, finally, somewhat belatedly, I'm pleased to comment on it here. Eleven [11] great songs are on show - seven penned by
TP - with each of the other members contributing a song too. the result is a remarkable and classy recording that in places not only oozes classic
Petty but also the tremendous talent of his
Mudcrutch cohorts. The familiar vocals of
TP are matched my some sublime keys by the legendary
Benmont Tench alongside the effortless guitar wizardry of
Mike Campbell, not forgetting the impressive input of
Tom Leadon and
Randall Marsh. In here you will find the familiar sound and storytelling intertwined with a dab of country, a touch of Americana, some
Dylan influences and the odd rocker, all delivered in a style and clarity that grabs your aural attention from the first play onwards. Make no mistake about it,
"2" is a smashing album and an immediate candidate for
Album of the Year.
Lead single and opener
"Trailer" is superb followed by
"Dreams Of Flying" - another classic
Petty tune before the pensive, deep longing of
"Beautiful Blue". The anthemic and positive
"Beautiful World" is a joy before the almost spiritual
"I Forgive It All" arrives to add a wonderful balance to the affair.
"The Other Side Side Of The Mountain", for me, is where
The Wilburys meet Country whereas
"Hope" has a lovely psychedelic if not evangelical feel to it.
"Welcome To Hell", a rockabilly
ELOesque stomper laced with sarcasm is the next welcome surprise with
"Save Your Water" and
"Victim Of Circumstance" both very much
Dylanesque in style thereafter.
"Hungry No More" - an extended beauty much like
"Beautiful Blue" earlier - is a six minute folk tinged self-affirming piece that expands into showcase for Messrs.
Campbell and
Tench add their notable signatures.
"2" by
Mudcrutch is an album of musical contrasts and lyrical excellence presented in an articulate and truly refreshing fashion. I cannot name a fave track as all are equally good! In other words, you should go buy it! [10/10]
Find out more about
Mudcrutch via this link thus:
www.mudcrutchmusic.com
elobeatlesforever (elobf) recommends
"2" by
Mudcrutch to those enlightened folks who enjoy the music of
ELO, Jeff Lynne,
Roy Wood,
The Move,
The Idle Race,
'Brum Beat',
The Beatles and related artistes.
Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 28-July-2016