Muddy Puddles

First and foremost I am a sucker for cover albums, of which there are many, especially good ones, of which there are few. I really like the different takes on older songs (classic rock). What makes a good cover album is the diversity of songs picked, the talent of the band, and how close to original recordings the band stays, and whether or not the song chosen works for the band's style. It has been my experience that most bands "respect" the originals and stick them almost note for note, where other bands totally destroy the song making it unrecognizable. There is a happy medium to be achieved, a balance in which the band is instantly recognizable to the listener, while keeping the melody and basic parts of the song intact. Tesla achieved this on their Reel to Real Vol I-II, Stryper nailed it on The Covering, and Status Quo tore it up on Riffs as well as Famous in the Last Century, and finally Brian Setzer's phenomenal tribute to Sun Records artists with Rockabilly Riot.


These guys have matured musically far beyond their first major label release. My first thought when I actually saw this album was, at first, surprise that they were still recording as a band. My second thought was "how good can this be, these are the guys that had a hit with She F***ing Hates Me". That song is the epitome of a one-hit-wonder. The debut album was not much better than the song, except for the spark of genius that is Drift & Die. The follow-up album, Life on Display, was just as forgettable as the debut, Come Clean. Imagine my surprise when, out of sheer morbid curiosity, I listened to RE:(Disc)overed and realized that Puddle of Mudd tore the cover off the ball and knocked it out of the park.

What The... These guys have talent? This is actually a very good album, and the song selection reads like a top 40 classic rock radio playlist. Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones, kicks things off. The song originally was a pretty mellow tune, but these guys give it some balls and swagger. Next up is Old Man by Neil Young. I have heard this song on the radio, but it never really caught my attention, however, with the modern production and distorted guitars backing up Wes Scantlin's voice, it takes on a whole new life. I know that this tune is a cover, but the band makes it wholly theirs in this rendition. T.N.T. by the Young brothers is an ok version of the song. I have heard worse, but this song still seems to stick out a bit on the album. They try to pump it up and I can imagine it going over really well with a crowd in the live setting, but here it seems a little too produced, and is the albums weak link. Stop Dragging My Heart Around was done originally by Tom Petty as a duet with Stevie Nicks, and the PoM guys do a pretty good job of bringing this song into the 21st century. While I am not a fan of Tom Petty, I may revisit this track as it is handled competently, Wes Scantlin also performs the song as a duet with an artist named BC Jean. Steve Miller is most famous for his song The Joker, and Puddle of Mudd stole it, recorded and made it theirs. The boys give this song a bit of a southern rock vibe that really brings it to life in a way the Steve was never able to accomplish. What follows is probably the oddest song on the list, and Wes Scantlin gives the song his whiskey soaked course bluesy vocal style and nails it. Everybody Wants You was recorded by Billy Squier, in the early 80's and Puddle of Mudd make it modern in 2011. They add riffs, swagger, dirty distortion, and the attitude that Mr. Squier never seemed to quite pull off. Rocket Man by Sir Elton John and Funk #49 by the James Gang are both well done covers, but not the strongest tracks on the album.

Ah, here we go, the tracks that the repeat button was designed for. Now we get to the Paul Rogers duo of tracks, and some Zeppelin. First up is All Right Now, as made famous by Free, and Shooting Star by Bad Co, and both sung originally by Mr. Paul Rogers. The band sticks to the originals pretty close musically, just bringing them up to speed with production and clarity and an attitude that is almost impossible to capture in the studio. I really like both original songs, and I love Paul Rogers voice, but it is Wes Scantlin's course almost nasal style of singing that really gives these songs a life that is not just relegated to the "classic rock" tag. Wes has a sound that is uniquely his, and it is not hard to see these guys tearing up a smoky bar stage, beer in hand, and playing with a feeling that is strictly for the love of rock n' roll. Guitarist Paul Phillips plays the solo in Shooting Star with a level of emotion and competence that is so often missing in most cover songs, like he tapped into the souls of the original players and stole their vibe. The band shreds on this song. Finally, the last cover is D'yer Mak'er by the mighty Zeppelin. Here again the band just tears the song up. PoM's cover is fantastic, played with such emotion, and feeling that you gotta wonder if they were in the studio with Zep when it was originally recorded.

These guys pull off a fantastic cover album, and while not one of their songs is a carbon copy of the original, each song still retains its own unique vibe and feeling among all the rest of the songs. These are the songs that have influenced many a pubescent boy to pick up the guitar  in the hopes of becoming a real rocker. Puddle of Mudd pay homage to the masters, and give a clear picture of their rock n' roll roots without the sarcasm and mockery that many artists in the post-grunge wave are known for. I am adding Puddle of Mudd to the cover-masters' list. I will have to go back and visit some of their previous catalog because somewhere between Come Clean and Re:(Disc)overed these guys grew up, focused their talent, and found their musical souls.