Mudcrutch 2 is the second album by a band called Mudcrutch. In case you didn’t know, Mudcrutch is the band where Tom Petty was noticed for the first time, but the band fell apart in 1975, before they even got the chance to capitalize the local fame they have grown in Florida. In 2007, the unexpected reunion occurred, and the following year they released their debut album. Eight years later, we got the second one.
Music that Mudcrutch offers is not much different from Tom Petty’s work with Heartbreakers, which does not come as a surprise considering that the other half of the Mudcrutch are two key members of Heartbreaks – piano player Benmont Tench and guitarist Mike Campbell. The main difference between the bands is that Mudcrutch sound more relaxed and more humble than Heartbreakers.
Although the name of the band and the graphic solution for the artwork intimate that all members are equal, Tom Petty is a dominant figure here. Mudcrutch 2 is conceptualized in a way that Petty is the author and the lead vocal of the seven songs, while the four other members have contributed one song each. Not only does Petty dominating in quantity, but he is also far more experienced when it comes to creating substantial songs.
Trailer, Dreams of Flying and Beautiful Blue is his tour de force. Trailer je radiophonic country-rock song about the American myth that does not exist anymore. It is the America of trailer-romances, the Lynyrd Skynyrd America. Due to the effect of time, Petty’s voice sounds like Dylan’s here. In Forgive It All, the resemblance with Dylan reaches its apogee.
Dreams of Flying is a solid middle-tempo rock song with fat layers of strident guitars, which could easily find its place on any Heartbreaker’s album. My favorite is Beautiful Blue – a six minute long runic ballade.
Beautiful World by Randy Marsh serves as a lull. The Other Sound Of The Mountain by Rom Headon samples banjo. Victim of Circumstance by Mike Campbell is a mediocre old-school rock n roll, while Welcome To Hell by Benmont Tench is a boogie-woogie track abundant with puns.
I must have made it clear by now that If it wasn’t for Tom Petty, Mudcrutch 2 would not sound as good as it does now.
