Mudvayne By The People, For The People CD

Released in 2007, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE consists primarily of live tracks and rare demos selected by Mudvayne's dedicated internet-savvy following. Standouts of PEOPLE include a pummeling concert rendition of the Los Angeles-based heavy-rock act's breakthrough single, "Dig," and a spare demo version of the eerie "Falling Into Sleep." Rounding out this stopgap release are two new tunes--the dynamic "Dull Boy," which spotlights Chad Gray's tormented vocals and Greg Tribbett's searing guitar lines, and a metallic cover of the Police's "King of Pain."

As the title By the People, for the People implies, the track listing of this comp was left up to Mudvayne's people, so to speak. The band's faithful fans voted on their favorite songs, via mudvayne.com, submitted and selected the artwork for the album, and left the group to pick their favorite unreleased versions of the songs -- live versions, rarities, demo versions, or other. With a new original song "Dull Boy," an acoustic version of "Forget to Remember," a new cover of the Police's "King of Pain" (that's about as good as you might expect), eight demos, and a few live songs, this is the type of for-fans-only CD that should bring great excitement to Mudvayne collectors and very little to others. If you are, in fact, a fan of the band, there is still one shortcoming to the disc. Every other track on is a ten- to 30-second explanation of the upcoming track, provided by vocalist Chad Gray. This is frustrating as it breaks up the continuity with "behind the music" factoids that never manage to be very insightful. For example, before "Death Blooms (Demo)" is played, you learn that it was originally recorded at Signal Sound Source in Chicago, March through April of 1999, and was one of the first songs to create a buzz about Mudvayne. While a description of how the songs were created could be interesting (albeit, disruptive to someone only wanting to hear music), the facts provided here are short enough to fit neatly in the liner notes. That said, the sound quality is great, and hardcore fans will enjoy the opportunity to hear some alternate songs from their favorite nu-metal band that sometimes dress up like scary aliens. [A 'clean' edition of the album was issued in 2007 as well.] ~ Jason Lymangrover

Amp - Amended Produc

Audio Mixers: Dave Fortman ; Chris Theis.

Recording information: Avatar Studios, New York, NY; Balance Production Studios, Mandeville, LA; Betasound Studios, Emonton, Canada; Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA; Mercy Sound, New York, NY; Piety Studios, New Orleans, LA; Seahawk Stadium, Seattle, WA; Seedy Underbelly Studios, Minneapolis, MN; Signal Sound Source, Chicago, IL; The Ranch, Santa Cruz, CA; Usana Amphitheatre, Salt Lake City, UT.

Mudvayne: Greg Tribbett (vocals, guitars); Chad Gray (vocals); Ryan Martinie (bass guitar); Matt McDonough.

Personnel: Greg Tribbett (guitar); Matt McDonough (drums).