For some bands a covers album is just a fun, carefree thing to do. But for other bands, like Puddle of Mudd for example, it’s a result of having never changed their sound throughout their career. In this case they have left themselves nowhere to go musically because they refuse to break out of their angst-y Nickelback-ish brand of hick-rock.
Cover albums are only interesting if the band puts their own original take on the songs. In this situation it is just slightly heavier versions of the originals with Puddle of Mudd’s lead singer Wes Scantlin’s annoying nasally growl on all of them. Not to mention the fact that some pretty big names are taken on here, the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and AC/DC, to name a few. With any measure of skill in impersonation, basically anyone could sing like Scantlin. It’s the post-grunge sound we’ve heard a million times over with the likes of Creed, Fuel, Nickelback… this list goes on.
If there were a highlight track it would be Elton John’s "Rocket Man" and that is only because it is such a good song to begin with. It is marginally interesting to hear more of a hard rock take on the song, but still, it’s Puddle of Mudd we’re talking about here.
Basically what listeners are left with on Re:(Disc)Overed (as if the name weren’t enough to give away what they are in for…) is a semi-entertaining re-imagining of some old classics, but what it means for Puddle of Mudd is a last ditch effort at what little relevance they had to begin with back in the early 2000s with their debut album Come Clean. Nothing makes this band original, nothing makes them stand out in the endless rabble of rock acts that are out there these days, and this offering is just a shot in their own foot and a nail in their coffin.
MP3 Stream: "Rocket Man"
