Mud - Mudrock II (Lp) (1975) - €10,00

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Mud Rock, Vol. 2 was cut precisely in the same mould as its predecessor, a “live in the studio”-style party knees up, with the band powering through a string of favorite oldies, catchy classics, and of course, a hit 45 or two, and probably not breaking a sweat throughout. 

A primo singles band, Mud really weren’t stretched on LP until a change of labels in 1976 finally allowed them to start making records that spoke for their own musical tastes and abilities; by comparison, Mud Rock, Vol. 2, despite some red hot fun performances, is simply the sound of a band on cruise control.

There are some magnificent moments here, however. All summer sun and swaying palm trees, the Hawaiian guitar-powered “Hula Love” is irresistibly corny, while “Let’s Have a Party” and “One Night” are balls-out rockers that prove just how far ahead of the revivalist pack Mud could have been, had their producers only permitted them to take that step. 

An oddly lugubrious “Living Doll” is more a showcase for its producers than its players, but the hits “Oh Boy” and “The Secrets That You Keep” bring Mud back into brilliant focus, and no matter how functional this album is, there’s no doubting its entertainment value.

Mud's run of Chinnichap written and produced singles on Mickie Most's RAK label is one of guilty teenage pleasures which comes I guess with growing up as glam rock hit the UK charts in the early 70's, but left to their own devices for their own albums they beat a hasty retreat and entrenched themselves with covers of old 50's and 60's hits.

To be fair this album is a slight improvement on its predecessor, as it avoids the crudely combined medleys of that earlier set and sees them knock off proficient, but no more than that, versions of old rockers like "Tallahassee Lassie" and "Tobacco Road", although I didn't like their ossifying number 1 hit take on "Oh Boy".

The one Chinnichap original "The Secrets That You Keep", a neat early 60's post-army Presley meets Ricky Nelson number does start things off nicely enough, but they also unfortunately see fit to repeat the irritating studio-party formula and the unnecessary forced fakery of the comedy announcer sketch from "Mudrock".

To be fair, the group were probably onto something in the way they plundered yesteryear as groups like Showaddywaddy, Darts and weirdest of all Status Quo adapted the formula to considerable commercial success in later years, but here this just sounds hastily thrown together with the whiff of working men's clubs about it.

Side A

A1.  The Secrets That You Keep - 3:07

A2.  Living Doll - 2:55

A3.  One Night - 2:53

A4.  Tallahassee Lassie - 3:16

A5.  Let’s Have A Party - 1:40

Side B

B1.  Tobacco Road - 3:20

B2.  Oh Boy - 2:50

B3.  I Love How You Love Me - 3:03

B4.  Hula Love - 4:00

B5.  Diana - 3:56

Companies, etc.

• Recorded At – Audio International Studios
• Manufactured By – EMI-Bovema Holland
• Produced For – Chinnichap
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – RAK Records Ltd.
• Lacquer Cut At – Bovema / EMI Studios – 25405
• Lacquer Cut At – Bovema / EMI Studios – 25406

Credits

• Engineer – Pete "They Only Pay Me Six Pounds A Week" Coleman
• Lacquer Cut By – P
• Mastered By [Cut The Album] – Chris "Baby-face" Blair
• Photography By – Gered (I'd Like To Live In Los Angeles Too) Mankowitz
• Producer – Flash Chapman, Nicky "If That Ain't A Number One I've Never Heard A Hit" Chinn
• Tape Op – Phil "Hedgehog" Colman
• Tape Op [Assistant] – Peter Alfonse De Silver

Notes

Release: 1975

Format:  LP, Vinyl

Genre:  Glamrock

Label:  RAK Records

Catalog#  5C 062-96485

Vinyl:  Goed (VG)

Cover: Goed (VG)

Prijs: €10,00