Piece of Cake (album)

Recorded at Seattle's Egg Studios, the album was produced by Conrad Uno and the band.{{cite news |title=Piquant Beat |work=The Wenatchee World |date=November 12, 1992 |page=A3}}{{cite magazine |title=Piece of Cake by Mudhoney |magazine=Billboard |date=Oct 31, 1992 |volume=104 |issue=44 |page=82}} Mudhoney spent $15,000 to record it; unlike previous albums, the band completed it at one time, instead of spending non-consecutive weeks in the studio.{{cite news |last1=Kot |first1=Greg |title=Sending up Seattle |work=Chicago Tribune |date=6 Nov 1992 |department=Friday |page=5}}{{cite news |last1=Smallwood |first1=Sue |title=The Irreverent Mudhoney |work=The Virginian-Pilot |date=April 2, 1993 |department=Preview |page=3}} Reprise granted Mudhoney full artistic freedom in the making of Piece of Cake.{{cite news |last1=Sculley |first1=Alan |title=Mudhoney of a Deal |work=Daily Press |date=2 Apr 1993 |location=Newport News |department=InRoads |page=15}}

Mudhoney reserved four of the album's tracks for each individual band member to do what he saw fit.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Andy |title=Mudhoney's 'overblown' hit |work=The Providence Journal |date=November 1, 1992 |page=E5}} "Youth Body Expression Explosion" is an instrumental track.{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Howard |title=Mudhoney, Piece of Cake |work=Miami Herald |date=January 13, 1993 |page=5E}} The band used an organ on many of the songs.{{cite news |last1=Lepage |first1=Mark |title=Mudhoney Piece of Cake |work=The Gazette |date=14 Nov 1992 |location=Montreal |page=E14}} Piece of Cake was the first Mudhoney album that bass player Matt Lukin was satisfied with.{{cite news |last1=Spanberg |first1=Erik |title=Mudhoney's artful noise rises from Seattle scene |work=The Advocate |date=March 26, 1993 |location=Baton Rouge |department=Fun |page=15}}

{{Music ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r70548|pure_url=yes}}|title=Piece of Cake - Mudhoney|website=AllMusic}}

|rev2 = Calgary Herald

|rev2score = A−{{cite news |last1=Muretich |first1=James |title=Recent Releases |work=Calgary Herald |date=1 Nov 1992 |page=C3}}

|rev3 = The Indianapolis Star

|rev3score = {{rating|3|4}}{{cite news |last1=Hall |first1=Steve |title=Mudhoney Piece of Cake |work=The Indianapolis Star |date=13 Nov 1992 |page=B5}}

|rev4 = Los Angeles Times

|rev4score = {{rating|3|4}}{{cite news |last1=Hilburn |first1=Robert |title=The Hints of '92 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=6 Dec 1992 |department=Calendar |page=57}}

|rev5 = Rolling Stone

|rev5score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine |title=Mudhoney Piece of Cake |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/mudhoney/albums/album/259328/review/5940651/piece_of_cake |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203043907/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/mudhoney/albums/album/259328/review/5940651/piece_of_cake |access-date=6 January 2023|archive-date=2007-12-03 }}

|rev6 = Toronto Sun

|rev6score = {{rating|2|5}}{{cite news |last1=Sakamoto |first1=John |title=Mudhoney Piece of Cake |newspaper=Toronto Sun |date=November 1, 1992 |page=S8}}

}}

The Toronto Star wrote that the songs "are leavened with hooks and humor, and mostly free of extraneous axework."{{cite news |last1=Howell |first1=Peter |title=Mudhoney Piece of Cake (Reprise); Alice In Chains Dirt (Columbia) |work=Toronto Star |date=31 Oct 1992 |page=G10}} The Calgary Herald determined that "it takes time to grow on you because [Mudhoney] eschews more over-the-top metal influences in favor of punkish garage-rock glory." The Toronto Sun opined that "the majority of the 13 songs sound artlessly tossed together, as though the group felt a lack of effort, in and of itself, somehow constituted a statement about signing with a big corporation."

The Washington Post concluded: "Where other Seattle bands seem to embrace going under, this one fights back ... Mudhoney is too noisy, too punchy and just plain too contrary to curl up and die."{{cite news |last1=Jenkins |first1=Mark |title=Mudhoney et al.: Making Waves in Puget Sound |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=1 Nov 1992 |page=G9}} The Indianapolis Star stated that, "in his minor-key yelp, Mark Arm frequently equates love with death ... Some listeners may be reminded of a similar album thematically, X's Under the Big Black Sun."

The Rocky Mountain News listed Piece of Cake as the sixth best album of 1992.{{cite news |last1=Mitchell |first1=Justin |title=Season's Greetings from 1992's Top Rockers |work=Rocky Mountain News |date=November 13, 1992 |department=Weekend |page=88}} Spin included the album on its list of the 20 best records of the year.{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Robert |title=Humor, 'Hypocrisy' add spice to '92's best |work=San Antonio Express-News |date=January 8, 1993 |page=12A}}

All tracks are written by Mudhoney, except where noted.

1. "[Untitled 1]" – 0:38
2. "No End in Sight" – 3:34
3. "Make It Now" – 4:25
4. "When in Rome" – 3:55
5. "[Untitled 2]" – 0:25
6. "Suck You Dry" – 2:34
7. "Blinding Sun" – 3:39
8. "Thirteenth Floor Opening" – 2:31
9. "Youth Body Expression Explosion" – 1:59
10. "I'm Spun" – 4:04
11. "[Untitled 3]" – 0:40
12. "Take Me There" – 3:32
13. "Living Wreck" – 3:30
14. "Let Me Let You Down" – 3:57
15. "[Untitled 4]" – 0:29
16. "Ritzville" – 2:38
17. "Acetone" – 4:15

18. "Over the Top" (Lemmy Kilmister, Eddie Clarke, Phil Taylor)– 2:35 *
19. "King Sandbox" – 2:43 **
20. "Baby o Baby" (Martin Rev) – 3:45 **
21. "In the Blood" – 3:08 ***
22. "No Song III" – 4:11 ***
23. "Between Me and You Kid" – 3:38 ***
24. "Six Two One" – 2:34 ***
25. "Make It Now Again" – 4:35 ***
26. "Deception Pass" – 2:54 ***/*/**
27. "Underide" – 2:07 ***/*

• * originally appeared as a B-Side to "Suck You Dry" (1992)
• ** originally appeared as a B-Side to "Blinding Sun" (1993)
• *** originally appeared on the E.P. Five Dollar Bob's Mock Cooter Stew (1993)
• Tracks 21–25 recorded August 1, 1993, at Hanszek Audio, Ballard, Washington. Produced by Kurt Bloch and Mudhoney, engineered by Kurt Bloch.
• Tracks 26 and 27 recorded at Egg Studios with Conrad Uno at the Helm, 1992.

Adapted from the album liner notes.{{cite AV media notes |title=Piece of Cake (2003 reissue)|others=Mudhoney |date=2003|publisher=Reprise Records|id=5046658772}}

;Mudhoney

• Mark Arm – vocals, guitar, organ, slide guitar, piano
• Steve Turner – guitar, key bass, harmonica, banjo, vocals
• Dan Peters – drums, marimba, vocals
• Matt Lukin – bass guitar, vocals

;Additional musicians

• Conrad Uno – backing vocals (8, 12, 13, 17)
• Emily Bishton – additional "ooohs" (14)
• The Fresh Mud Choir (Scott McCaughey, Tad Hutchison, Bob Whittaker, Steve Turner, Matt Lukin) – additional background vocals, handclaps (4, 16, 26)
• Ken Stringfellow – organ (20)

;Technical

• Conrad Uno – producer, engineer
• Mudhoney – producer
• Art Chantry – design
• Ed Fotheringham – cover illustration

{{Reflist}}

{{Mudhoney}}

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Category:Mudhoney albums

Category:1992 albums

Category:Reprise Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Conrad Uno