Piece of Cake is the third studio album by the rock band Mudhoney, released in October 13, 1992, it was the band’s first album for Reprise Records. The album was released at the height of grunge, a genre Mudhoney had helped create.
The album peaked at No. 189 on the Billboard 200. The band supported it with a North American tour that included shows with Eugenius. “Suck You Dry” and “Blinding Sun” were released as singles.
Reprise reissued the album in 2003, bundled with the E.P. Five Dollar Bob’s Mock Cooter Stew and the b-sides from the singles. In 2020, Piece of Cake was included in the 4CD box set Real Low Vibe: Reprise Recordings 1992-1998.
Recorded at Seattle’s Egg Studios, the album was produced by Conrad Uno and the band. 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. Reprise granted Mudhoney full artistic freedom in the making of Piece of Cake.
Mudhoney reserved four of the album’s tracks for each individual band member to do what he saw fit. “Youth Body Expression Explosion” is an instrumental track. The band used an organ on many of the songs. Piece of Cake was the first Mudhoney album that bass player Matt Lukin was satisfied with.
Tracklist:
- [Untitled 1]
- No End in Sight
- Make It Now
- When in Rome
- [Untitled 2]
- Suck You Dry
- Blinding Sun
- Thirteenth Floor Opening
- Youth Body Expression Explosion
- I’m Spun
- [Untitled 3]
- Take Me There
- Living Wreck
- Let Me Let You Down
- [Untitled 4]
- Ritzville
- Acetone
Credits:
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)
Ken Stringfellow: organ
Technical
Conrad Uno: producer, engineer
Mudhoney: producer
Art Chantry: design
Ed Fotheringham: cover illustration
