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My Brother the Cow

 
Album Review: My Brother the Cow

  • Artist: Mudhoney
  • Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: March 28, 1995
  • Total Time: 39:53
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Mudhoney didn't invent grunge, but they were one of the first bands to truly define the style, and thanks to the bizarro-world logic that has defined their career, they seemed to loose interest in the stuff once you could actually make serious money playing it, ensuring that they wouldn't have to deal with the mainstream adulation that made followers like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden into multi-platinum cash cows. By 1995, grunge's brief fling on the charts was pretty much over … just in time for Mudhoney to decide they liked the stuff again, and make the finest album of their career, My Brother the Cow. On My Brother the Cow, Mudhoney finally found a noisy middle ground where their fondness for Billy Childish and Blue Cheer could peacefully coexist, and the songs are less sludgy and more driving than their early classics, but with enough cheap stomp-box thunder to remind you of who's playing. A few years on the road had made Mudhoney a much stronger and tighter band, able to fully grasp the hard rock guitar figures they dearly loved to mock, but without falling into big rock pomp. And they came up with a dozen tunes that gave them plenty of room to sneer brilliantly (one of their greatest gifts), especially "Generation Spokesmodel," "F.D.K. (Fearless Doctor Killers)," and "Into Yer Shtik" (in which some nameless rock scene figure is advised to "blow your brains out too"). And as icing on the cake, the CD has the greatest hidden bonus track of all time. For better or worse, Mudhoney always played their game their own way, and they never played it better than on My Brother the Cow. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Judgment, Rage, Retribution and Thyme Mudhoney Mudhoney (2:34)
Generation Spokesmodel Mudhoney Mudhoney (2:32)
What Moves the Heart? Mudhoney Mudhoney (3:12)
Today Is a Good Day Mudhoney Mudhoney (3:05)
Into Yer Shtik Mudhoney Mudhoney (3:48)
In My Finest Suit Mudhoney Mudhoney (4:56)
F.D.K. [Fearless Doctor Killers] Mudhoney Mudhoney (2:16)
Orange Ball-Peen Hammer Mudhoney Mudhoney (3:20)
Crankcase Blues Mudhoney Mudhoney (3:06)
Execution Style Mudhoney Mudhoney (2:24)
Dissolve Mudhoney Mudhoney (3:16)
1995 Mudhoney Mudhoney (5:44)
woC eht rehtorB yM Mudhoney (33:42)

Credits

Mark Arm (Vocals), Dan Peters (Trap Kit), E.J. Renestair (Sax (Tenor)), Jon Wahl (Harmonica), Jack Endino (Producer), Matt Lukin (Bass), Matt Lukin (Guitar (Electric)), Mudhoney (Producer), Mark Arm (Guitar (Electric)), Dan Peters (Marimba), Howie Weinberg (Mastering), Charles Peterson (Photography), Steve Turner (Guitar (Electric)), Ed Fotheringham (Drawing), Jack Endino (Engineer)
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Wikipedia: My Brother the Cow
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My Brother the Cow
Studio album by Mudhoney
Released March 28, 1995
Recorded October 1994
Genre Grunge
Length 78:00 (including hidden track)
Label Reprise Records
Producer Mudhoney
Professional reviews
Mudhoney chronology
Piece of Cake
(1992)
My Brother the Cow
(1995)
Tomorrow Hit Today
(1998)

My Brother the Cow is the fourth album by the grunge band Mudhoney. It was released on Reprise Records on March 28, 1995 (see 1995 in music). Of note is the CD version of the album's hidden 13th track, which consists of all of the album's preceding tracks played backwards.

"My Brother The Cow" is notable for its numerous direct references to bands that influenced Mudhoney's sound. Some allusions can be found in song titles. The song "F.D.K. (Fearless Doctor Killers)", for example, is a reference to the Bad Brains song "F.V.K. (Fearless Vampire Killers)". "Orange Ball-Peen Hammer" alludes to the song "Orange Claw Hammer" by Captain Beefheart (as well as containing lyrics borrowed from Led Zeppelin). "1995" is homage to the song "1969" by The Stooges, and also includes musical references to "L.A. Blues", another Stooges song.

Reprise re-issued the album in 2003 with bonus tracks.

Track listing

  1. "Judgement, Rage, Retribution & Thyme" – 2:34
  2. "Generation Spokesmodel" – 2:33
  3. "What Moves the Heart?" – 3:12
  4. "Today, Is a Good Day" – 3:05
  5. "Into Yer Shtik" – 3:48
  6. "In My Finest Suit" – 4:57
  7. "F.D.K. (Fearless Doctor Killers)" – 2:16
  8. "Orange Ball-peen Hammer" – 3:21
  9. "Crankcase Blues" – 3:06
  10. "Execution Style" – 2:24
  11. "Dissolve" – 3:17
  12. "1995" – 5:43
  13. "woC ehT rehtorB yM" (Hidden Track) - 39:00

Re-issue Track listing

  1. "Judgement, Rage, Retribution & Thyme" – 2:34
  2. "Generation Spokesmodel" – 2:33
  3. "What Moves the Heart?" – 3:12
  4. "Today, Is a Good Day" – 3:05
  5. "Into Yer Shtik" – 3:48
  6. "In My Finest Suit" – 4:57
  7. "F.D.K. (Fearless Doctor Killers)" – 2:16
  8. "Orange Ball-peen Hammer" – 3:21
  9. "Crankcase Blues" – 3:06
  10. "Execution Style" – 2:24
  11. "Dissolve" – 3:17
  12. "1995" – 5:43
  13. "Mudhoney Funky Butt" – 1:24
  14. "West Seattle Hardcore" – 0:50
  15. "Sissy Bar" – 1:06
  16. "Carjack '94" – 1:16
  17. "Sailor" – 0:25
  18. "Small Animals" – 1:17
  19. "Not Goin' Down That Road Again" – 3:41

Album charts

Year Album Chart Position
1995 My Brother the Cow Heatseekers No. 19

 
 

 

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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