Superfuzz Bigmuff (Deluxe Edition)

Mudhoney’s debut single “Touch Me I’m Sick” and its follow-up Superfuzz BigMuff EP defined an era of late-80s-early ‘90s Seattle grunge, with its sludgy guitars, roughshod rhythms and singer Mark Arm’s emphatic whelps and screams. Other bands from the region went on to greater success — Nirvana, Soundgarden — but none represented the scene’s spirit more effectively; Mudhoney schooled every band that heard them. The band’s playful vibe channeled genuine rage; their cover of the Texas punk group the Dicks’ “Hate the Police” is a most forceful anti-authority anthem. This deluxe edition collects the early singles, the original EP, various compilation tracks, several early demos, live recordings from Berlin, and a 1988 radio program in Santa Barbara. It captures them at their spontaneous and magical best with an energy and un-jaded enthusiasm that only true believers can channel. The live version of “If I Think” expresses the perfect dynamic, lying low for the verses and exploding for the chorus with unrelenting force. Even at this early stage with tunes like “In n’ Out of Grace,” “Need,” and “You Got It (Keep It Outta My Face)” they already had a deep catalog to draw from.