Under a Billion Suns

Under a Billion Suns is the seventh studio album by American rock band Mudhoney, released in the United States in March 7th, 2006.[8] The album further departed from grunge and a continued a more commercial direction that began with their previous album Since We've Become Translucent. Of note is the unusual amount of saxophones and trumpets featured on the album. A few of the songs also feature female backing vocals. It was recorded with three producers: Phil Ek, Johnny Sangster and Tucker Martine.[9]

Under a Billion Suns
Studio album by
Mudhoney
Released7 March 2006
GenreAlternative rock
Length43:50
LabelSub Pop
ProducerPhil Ek
Johnny Sangster
Tucker Martine
Mudhoney chronology
Since We've Become Translucent
(2002)		 Under a Billion Suns
(2006)		 The Lucky Ones
(2008)
Singles from Under a Billion Suns
  1. "It Is Us"
    Released: May 7, 2006
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Alternative Press
Drowned in Sound8/10[2]
Entertainment WeeklyB[3]
Pitchfork Media6.1/10[4]
PopMatters[5]
Punknews.org[6]
Slant[7]

The first few hundred copies pre-ordered from Sub Pop were autographed by the band, and came with a bonus CD featuring demos and remixes. The song "Empty Shells" was featured on the "NHL 2K7" video game.

Writing and recording

The album includes backing vocals from Christy McWilson and Amy Allison on "Let's Drop In" and "I Saw the Light". Before the album was released co-founder of Sub Pop records Jonathan Poneman said that the album is more political than typical Mudhoney albums, while vocalist Mark Arm said "That may be a little exaggerated. There are four songs where those things are touched on. It's more kind of mocking than the stark, black or white approach." The song "Hard on for War" was written around the time of the U.S.'s 2003 invasion of Iraq. "On the Move," and "I Saw the Light" have been appearing in Mudhoney's recent live shows, Arm says the band wasn't particularly looking to fine-tune the material before it hit the studio.[10]

When asked to rank the band's albums in 2018, guitarist Steve Turner ranked Under a Billion Suns as his least favorite Mudhoney album. He stated that "This sounds bad, but I think we were overambitious and there were maybe too many people involved."[11]

Track listing

All songs are composed by Mudhoney.

  1. "Where Is the Future?" - 5:38
  2. "It Is Us" - 3:28
  3. "I Saw the Light" - 2:23
  4. "Endless Yesterday" - 4:02
  5. "Empty Shells" - 2:38
  6. "Hard-On for War" - 3:57
  7. "A Brief Celebration of Indifference" - 2:06
  8. "Let's Drop In" - 4:40
  9. "On the Move" - 4:46
  10. "In Search Of..." - 5:02
  11. "Blindspots" - 5:37

Bonus Disc

  1. "Where Is the Future? (Remix)" - 8:01
  2. "Hard-On for War (Rough Mix)" - 4:03
  3. "Dig Those Trenches (Unreleased)" - 3:27
  4. "On the Move (Johnny Sangster Version)" - 4:50
  5. "It Is Us (Rough Mix)" - 3:31
  6. "Blindspots (Rough Mix)" - 4:53

References
  1. "Under a Billion Suns - Mudhoney". AllMusic.
  2. "Drowned in Sound Review: Under a Billion Suns". Archived from the original on 2017-10-14. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  3. "Under a Billion Suns Review". Entertainment Weekly. 6 March 2006.
  4. Pitchfork Media Review: Under a Billion Suns
  5. "Mudhoney: Under a Billion Suns". PopMatters.
  6. "Mudhoney - Under a Billion Suns". Punknews.org.
  7. "Mudhoney: Under A Billion Suns". Slant. Archived from the original on 2007-08-08.
  8. Mudhoney - Under a Billion Suns Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 2023-10-17
  9. "Sub Pop Records: Under a Billion Suns". Archived from the original on 2008-05-19. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
  10. Billboard Mudhoney's 'Sun' Rising In March
  11. "Steve Turner Ranks the Band's 10 Albums". Retrieved September 17, 2023.
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