Mudhoney Articles

Rolling Stone

20 August '02

Since We've Become Translucent

It's laughable now to think Mudhoney were once on the same label as Eric Clapton and Enya. But such was the feeding frenzy created by grunge that even its most willful underachievers were handed huge record deals without question. After 1998's less-than-spectacular Tomorrow Hit Today and its three major label predecessors failed to make any sales ripples, however, the Northwestern quartet was released back to its true spiritual home at Sub Pop. The pressure is off on Since We've Become Translucent and the band's glee is palpable. Mudhoney show no regret over making lumber of its career. Songs like the jubilant "Where The Flavor Is" and thebone crunching "Our Time Is Now" see the band reverting back to its Stooges-aping late-Eighties heyday, while Wayne Kramer drops by to add authenticity to the grizzly MC5 homage "Inside Job." This is the kind of record the Hives have been dying to make. Over a decade after discovering the portal through which Nirvana and Pearl Jam would become megastars, Mudhoney inexplicably finds itself back at the height of fashion. And the only thing assured is that they sincerely don't give a toss.

- Aidin Vaziri