Mudlark is American guitarist Leo Kottke's fourth album, his first on a major label (Capitol) and his first to feature other musicians. It reached #168 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts.
History
Recording started in Los Angeles and later moved to Nashville. Four of the cuts were recorded at Cinderella Sound, Wayne Moss' garage studio in Nashville. The song "Room 8" is titled after a neighborhood cat named Room 8 who wandered into a classroom in 1952 at Elysian Heights Elementary School in Echo Park, California and lived at the school each winter, leaving in the summer.
It was re-issued by BGO Records (CD101) in 1990 and by One Way Records in 1995.
Reception
Writing for AllMusic, music critic Jim Esch wrote of the album, "A landmark early album, Mudlark increased Kottke's visibility and helped establish his reputation as a homegrown American original."
Track listing
All songs by Leo Kottke except as noted.
Side one
- "Cripple Creek" <small>âÂÂ
</small> <small>(Traditional; arranged by Leo Kottke)</small> â 1:59
- "Eight Miles High" <small>(Gene Clark, Roger McGuinn, David Crosby)</small> â 3:35
- "June Bug" â 2:15
- "The Ice Miner" â 2:00
- "Bumblebee" <small>âÂÂ
</small> â 3:40
- "Stealing" â 1:38
- "Monkey Lust" <small>(Kottke, Kim Fowley)</small> â 1:49
Side two
- "Poor Boy" <small>(Bukka White, John Fahey)</small> â 2:06
- "Lullaby" â 3:20
- "Machine #2" <small>âÂÂ
</small> â 3:01
- "Hear the Wind Howl" â 2:59
- "Bourée" <small>(J. S. Bach)</small> â 1:26
- "Room 8" â 2:59
- "Standing in My Shoes" <small>âÂÂ
</small> <small>(Leo Kottke, Denny Bruce)</small> â 3:11
Personnel
- Leo KottkeâÂÂ6 & 12-string acoustic guitar, bottleneck National steel guitar, vocals
- Roy EstradaâÂÂbass <small>(on track 2)</small>
- Paul âÂÂFast Footâ LagosâÂÂdrums <small>(on tracks 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 11)</small>
- Larry TaylorâÂÂbass <small>(on tracks 3, 7, and 9)</small>
- Kenneth ButtreyâÂÂdrums, percussion, cowbell <small>(on tracks 1, 5, 10, and 14)</small>
- John HarrisâÂÂpiano <small>(on tracks 1, 5, and 14)</small>
- Juke Box Phantom (actually Kim Fowley)âÂÂguest vocalist extraordinaire <small>(on track 7)</small>
- Pat SmithâÂÂbass <small>(on track 11)</small>
- Jeffrey KaplanâÂÂpiano <small>(on tracks 8 and 11)</small>
- Wayne MossâÂÂbass <small>(on tracks 1, 5, 8, 10, and 14)</small>
Production notes
References
External links