Puddle of Mudd Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
Puddle of Mudd aren't bragging with the title of their third album, Famous, nor is its title song a self-congratulatory ironic anthem like Nickelback's "Rockstar." No, Puddle of Mudd are literal, sneering at the young Hollywood celebs who are famous for being famous -- read, the holy trinity of Britney/Lindsay/Paris -- spitting out insults over a cleaned-up Nirvana riff, one that's been polished with the assistance of hard rock writer-for-hire Brian Howes, who has penned hits for Hinder and DAUGHTRY. Howes isn't the only new name here -- drummer Greg Upchurch and guitarist Paul Phillips bolted after the 2004 release of Life on Display, replaced by Ryan Yerdon and Christian Stone, respectively. On Famous, Wesley Scantlin avoids any icky, nasty emotions in favor of slick soundcraft. This results in an album that's hookier than Life on Display -- thanks in no small part to all the professional songwriters aboard, including Kara DioGuardi, who in no small irony has written with Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Puddle of Mudd were one of the many neo-grunge bands that cluttered the American rock landscape in 2001/2002, ten years after Nirvana brought the sound crashing into the mainstream with Nevermind. Nirvana and many of their grunge peers flamed out rather quickly, because they were an underground phenomenon uncomfortable in the mainstream, where there were fans that liked the sound of the bands, not the sentiments. Which means that there was an audience for bands that replicated the heavy feel, including some vague angst-ridden sentiment, but left behind the unpredictability, weirdness, and art of the first wave of grunge bands. Several post-grunge bands came close in the immediate aftermath of grunge, but nobody perfected it until Puddle of Mudd and their ilk came along ten years later. Puddle of Mudd were fortunate enough to work with Andy Wallace, the man who mixed Nevermind, and on both their 2001 debut, Come Clean, and its 2003 sequel, Life on Display, he manages to recreate elements of Nirvana's sound, but only if they were a plodding heavy metal band instead of a noisy, art-punk outfit. Which means they can occasionally sound like Alice in Chains, but where that band had deep metal roots, Puddle of Mudd's vocabulary begins and ends with grunge. What makes them different is that they're grunge for frat boys. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Puddle of Mudd's story is every struggling musician's dream come true: armed with a fake backstage pass, frontman Wes Scantlin snuck the band's demo to a Limp Bizkit security guy at a show in their native Kansas City, and less than one year later finds his group's debut album the first release on Fred Durst's new label. Thankfully, Come Clean sounds nothing like Limp Bizkit; Puddle of Mudd's aggro-rock sound is similar to every other Alice in Chains- and Tool-influenced band to come along in the past few years. The opening, "Control," milks the loud/quiet formula that Nirvana brought back to life, but adds some interesting stop-time changes during the break, while the acoustic balladry of "Drift & Die" will sound familiar, sounding like something Layne Staley could have written. ~ Bret Love, All Music Guide
