The time is the 1970’s, imagine getting four guys to produce music, what type of music would it be? Could it be old fashioned Rock n Roll? Or maybe the sparkly glittery Glam Rock? Maybe some Blues? Or even Soul? What about pure Vocal Harmonies? Or a little bit Country? Maybe even an Elvis impersonation? How about taking all of them, sticking them in a blender and the end result is a band called Mud. They dressed in their own style of glittery rock n roll outfits, on stage they played as if they were really enjoying their music and the whole part of entertaining. They only had a short (ish) career starting from their hits of the early 1970’s through to when the band broke up in 1980.
Silly fact one - The name of the band “Mud” came about because they wanted a name with few letters because they knew that when billboards were put up the bands name would be in larger letters and therefore would stand out more.
Silly fact two - Their first TV appearance was when they appeared on the Basil Brush Show.
Here is what the album has, I have added a few lyrics to try and help you get a feel for this CD, as well as my thoughts on some of the tracks and the odd bit of information that hopefully will help you understand that this band where about fun and enjoying the music that they played.
Dyna Mite - Here is the opening track, a real rock n roll number, sung at a fast pace, it is all about a real party girl, this is an infectious song that gets loads of people in an upbeat
mood, this made it to a UK No. 4, incidentally this track was originally written for a band called Sweet, they turned it down. “She’s got the whole town lighting up dynamite, Nobody quite knows what to do wrong or right, But they all know dyna is dynamite, and they're right”
Tiger Feet - A UK No.1 hit, now a timeless classic, again it is a real fast rock n roll track, probably the track that made this band, rockers dance to this hands in jeans pockets or thumbs tucked into their belts swinging their arms and shoulders from side to side. “That's right, that's right, that's right, that's right I really love your tiger light that's neat, that's neat, that's neat, that's neat I really love your tiger feet”
Cat Crept In - This just failed to make No1 topping the UK chart at No.2 Another in a long line of Rock n Roll toe tapping tracks, at first you might not see much meaning to the lyrics, but listen a couple of times and you will get where they are coming from “The cat crept in and crept out again so I open the door for that high-heeled paw I said the cat crept in ooh and crept out again”
Secrets That You Keep - Reaching a UK No.3, this is slower than a lot of the tracks on this album, it has more of a sombre mood to this and I could quite easily imagine this being sung by Elvis “I’m losing sleep over the secrets that you keep (oh baby) I’m losing sleep over the secrets that you keep I lie awake at nights not knowing where you are”
Oh Boy - This track has no music, just the band singing the Buddy Holly classic, it made the UK No.1 and just shows that these guys could really sing. Whenever I think of the way they performed this track I honestly think if it was released today it could make the charts again, although slower than Mr Holly’s it is equally as good. “All my love, all my kissing you don't know what you've been a missing oh boy”
Blue Moon - A Classic timeless Rock n Roll meets the blues, played at the same tempo as the original, it shows that Mud were not just a one paced band, and listening to this, you can see that the band enjoyed themselves. “Blue moon, you saw me standing alone without a dream in my heart without a love of my own”
Hippy, Hippy Shake - Back to a fast paced cover version of a Rock n Roll classic “For goodness sake. I’ve got the hippy, hippy shake. Yeah I got the shakes, I’ve got the hippy, hippy shake”
Tallahassee Lassie - A moderate to fast paced Rock n Roll track, this track I have never liked, no particular reason, just not one of the best songs in the world for me, maybe it’s the lyrics that do nothing for me “Well she’s romping to the drag cha, cha like her mom drove me to the shag drops the bunny hop”
Living Doll - Yep even the Britain’s answer to Elvis gets a track on this album, Mr Cliff Richard’s track sung with a touch of Elvis, I like this and I feel it is sung with humour and as a tribute to both the artistes. “Take look at her hair, it’s real you don’t believe what I say just feel. Gonna lock her up in a trunk, so no big hunk can steal her away from me”
Diana - Mud goes Rock n Roll Ballad, yet another cover version, well presented one of the slower tracks on the album with a haunting melody. “Oh my darling oh my lover tell me that there is no other”
End of the World - Yep a cover version, the lyrics are very sad telling the story of a man who has lost his love, a bluesy rock track “Why does the sun go on shining? Why does the sea rush to shore? Don’t know it's the end of the world ’cos you don't love me anymore?”
One Night - If you did not know any better you would think that it is Elvis singing this, obviously a tribute to Elvis and the end of the track gives it away that Les Gray had fun doing this. Highest UK chart position No.32 “One night with you, is what I’m now praying for. The things that we two could plan, would make my dreams come true”
Crazy - UK No. 12 Written for Mud by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman also known as Chinnichap, this was the first single for Chinnichap, it was recorded by session musicians and Mud sang the Vocals later, This is one of a few tracks that do nothing for me. “Crazy, crazy, you amaze me crazy lady, rearrange me crazy baby, I’m so in love with you right now”
Hypnosis - This was the follow up from Crazy again Chinnichap, although the words had meaning, it still did not hit that note with me (or a lot of others as it only reached No.16 in the UK chart) “Your hypnotic when you touch your hypnosis is too much, and you burn me with your hypnotistic fire”
Moonshine Sally - This reached the dizzy heights of No.10 in the UK charts, this is quite a hard track to describe, and Rockabilly would probably be the best word I could use to describe It., as far as I am aware this was the final single written by Chinnichap for Mud. “Sweet little moonshine sally I got your picture on my wall you live in tukalo valley beside the fire waterfall and ev'ry night I hear you call from beneath the waterfall”
Rocket - UK No.6 Back to the fast and frantic energy of other songs on this album, it is full of energy and enthusiasm and that shines through in this performance. “You know your time will come I'll give you three, two, one. Now rocket”
I find this is a great CD for those wanting to know more of what the music of the 70’s had to offer and this has more than a few nostalgic tracks. One downside for me is it does not have what I would consider to be Mud’s greatest hit “Lonely This Christmas” which was the UK Christmas No1 in 1974. The other slightly disappointing feature for what is “Greatest Hits Album” is the amount of cover versions of Rock n Roll songs.
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Great review, you have a unique way of reviewing Music. Keep it going. David
bandcamp 24.07.2007 13:58
Excellent, excellent review! I'll admit I'm not really a Tiger Feet fan, but this sounds like something I'll need to investigate further. Wonder if my mum's got it... hmmm...
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