Bob Mould Albums (7)
'District Line'
Release Date 1/1/2008
Tracks 10
Label Beggars Banquet
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What The Critics Say
It's tempting to call District Line a return to form for Bob Mould -- tempting, but not quite accurate. Mould might have started to wander into the electronic wilderness after his 1998's The Last Dog and Pony Show, a self-conscious farewell to rock & roll, but he revived his roaring guitars on 2005's Body of Song, so calling District Line a return to rock isn't right, even if its release on the maverick label Anti- suggests that this album may hearken back to his Hüsker Dü years. Quite the contrary, actually: while there are plenty of guitars and molten pop hooks, Mould has yet to shake his inexplicable fixation on vocoders, and "Shelter Me" is a straight-up disco track, elements that he picked up in the years since Sugar's disbandment. Such exploration is at the heart of Mould's restless artistic spirit, a restlessness he's possessed since Hüsker -- never forget that Zen Arcade was a concept album -- but what's striking about District Line is that Mould sounds calmer here, even relaxed. That's not to say that he sounds complacent or that the passion has drained from his music, but for the first time he's able to mesh all his disparate musical interests into one cohesive album, one that sounds diverse yet unified. For as many different styles and moods as there are here -- "Stupid Now" surges upon coiled emotions, "Who Needs to Dream" and "The Silence Between Us" recall Sugar's sweet pop, "Return to Dust" is a cavalcade of sound, "Old Highs New Lows" is the closest he's ever gotten to a full-on adult alternative ballad -- District Line never sounds showy. It's a consolidation of Mould's considerable strengths, an album that showcases his gifts as a writer and record-maker, one that touches upon almost every phase of his career, yet it's filtered through a maturity that feels vital because of its unadorned honesty. Bob Mould isn't forcing himself to make music like he did when he was in his twenties, nor is he working through a series of ideas as he did in the early 2000s; on District Line, he's pulling all these strands together, and it makes for his strongest and best album in years. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In 1998, after the release of his album The Last Dog and Pony Show, Bob Mould announced he was hanging up his electric guitar and exploring other musical avenues outside of rock & roll. More than a few fans expressed some trepidation about Mould's career choice, and that buzz became a roar after Mould released Modulate in 2002, which found him diving head first into electronic music. At least in America, the vast majority of rock fans have not been able to come to terms with the rise of electronica, and regardless of the album's virtues or flaws, few listeners were willing to look past the hard, kinetic surfaces of the music and give the songs a fair hearing. It would appear this prejudice did not escape Mould's notice, as 2005's Body of Song was widely hyped as Mould's return to rock, complete with electric guitars and a live rhythm section. But a spin of the album suggests the album isn't so much a step back to the sound he pioneered in Hüsker Dü and Sugar as an attempt to have things both ways. (The fact that Mould spins regularly at a dance club in Washington, D.C., suggests he hasn't lost interest in electronic music as a creative form.) Many of the cuts on Body of Song sound as if Mould is still thinking club music, but is filtering it through the framework of a three-piece rock band; "(Shine Your) Light Love Hope," "Always Tomorrow," and "I Am Vision, I Am Sound" are dominated by echoed textures, lockstep rhythms, and vocoder-processed vocals that wouldn't be out of place on a house track, but with a live drummer (Brendan Canty from Fugazi on most tracks, who is predictably excellent) and Mould adding a layer of guitar over the top. And while Mould frequently bellows his lyrics with an approximation of the fury of his best-known work, most of the songs on Body of Song deal with deeply problematic relationships and on paper speak more of sorrow, confusion, and misplaced hope than the rage suggested by the bitter wailing he uses to bring them across. Body of Song ultimately feels more like an attempt by Mould to please both his audience and himself than a coherent and confident effort; while it's hardly a failure, it lacks the courage of the admittedly flawed Modulate while falling short of the power of his masterpieces with Sugar and Hüsker Dü, existing in a strange middle ground that doesn't do this talented artist many favors, though there's enough emotional resonance in quieter tunes such as "High Fidelity" and "Gauze of Friendship" to remind you he still has plenty to offer when he knows where he's going. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It's possible to understand, sympathize, and agree with every one of Bob Mould's reasons for making Modulate without liking it all that much. Modulate appeared in 2002 after a long period of musical inactivity from Mould. Following 1998's The Last Dog and Pony Show, he retreated from music, spending several years writing wrestling scripts while working on his next move -- a move he telegraphed with the promotion of Last Dog and the album itself, which announced itself as the last of its kind. And it was. Although the songs on Modulate are clearly the creation of the man who penned classic tunes for Hüsker Dü and Sugar, they're deliberately dressed differently -- they're insular, one-man creations (even more so than Workbook), as that man tries to expand his art by grappling with new technologies and trends and a whole bunch of electronic instruments and computers. At times -- and these are front-loaded toward the beginning of the album -- he's more interested in what these new tools can do than using them to complete his songs, which illustrates just how determined he is to find a new way to make music. It's admirable that an artist is so determined to grow, even if it's a self-conscious affair, and it makes sense that a musician as serious and dedicated as Mould would make an album like this, but it doesn't erase the fact that Modulate is the sound of growing pains. Since Mould is an accomplished songwriter, there are some good songs here (although there are many more that miss the mark), but the defining characteristic of this album is not the songs, but the approach to the songs -- the way he layers on sequencers and vocoders as if each subsequent overdub brought him further into new sonic territory, even when his writing hasn't changed that much. He has faith that a new way of writing will change the very character of his writing, and while that may have helped him write the record (we will never know -- it's the kind of question only an artist can answer), it hasn't rejuvenated his music. The most surprising thing about Modulate is that it feels like it could have been released the same year as The Last Dog and Pony Show without anything being any different. Not that this album needed to be visionary, but Mould certainly wanted this to be a new start for his music. In the long run, it very well may prove to be that, but as an individual album in his discography, it's one of his least-satisfying efforts. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'The Last Dog and Pony Show'
Release Date 8/25/1998
Tracks 13
Label Rykodisc
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What The Critics Say
Just before The Last Dog and Pony Show hit the streets, Bob Mould announced that his supporting tour would be the last time he hit the road with a full electric band. From this point on, he would be challenging himself, finding different musical avenues to explore and leaving his trademark tower of guitars behind. Presumably, this also meant that The Last Dog and Pony Show would be the recorded farewell to this sound, and it is indeed an excellent consolidation of all of his musical quirks and signatures. The Last Dog and Pony Show is the work of a craftsman, not a nakedly emotional confessional like Workbook or Bob Mould. That's not to say the album is lightweight, since seriousness is one of Mould's signatures, but there is a sense of humor that hasn't been heard since Sugar, and he, overall, sounds more relaxed than he has in years. He's so relaxed, in fact, that he lets down his guard on the cheerfully ridiculous pseudo-rap "Megamanic," the only track on Show that offers a musical departure from Mould's past. The rest of the record is clearly a Mould album, from the rushing rockers to the impassioned acoustic ballads, but the craft in both the songwriting and the production guarantees that the music never sounds like a retread, even if it does sound familiar. And that's not a bad way to draw to a close the first part of his career, if Mould does indeed turn his back on his signature sound. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As he was promoting the last Sugar album, File Under: Easy Listening, Bob Mould hinted that he was tired of working with a band and was fascinated by the simple, four-track recordings of Sebadoh and Guided by Voices. So, it didn't come as a complete surprise when he disbanded Sugar a year after the release of FU:EL and began working on a record by himself. Bob Mould, his third solo album, was recorded entirely by Mould, but it doesn't sound like a lo-fi project -- it doesn't have the professional production of Sugar's records, but it has all their sonic detail. What has changed is the details themselves. Bob Mould may not surge on waves of loud guitars like Hüsker Dü or Sugar, but Mould is reaching into new territory, using distortion as a coloring device and exploring trancier melodies. And Mould sounds revitalized throughout the album -- although it is clear that this isn't a collection of first-takes, his obsession with making the album entirely on his own makes the music fierce and alive. Mould may be heading further into singer/songwriter territory with each album he releases, but he keeps his music away from stodginess by continually changing his approach and delving into new sonic territories. It also doesn't hurt that his increasingly bitter lyrics are gut-wrenchingly provocative and his melodies are consistently engaging. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A scalding, monolithic collection of soul-baring lyrics and primal guitars, Black Sheets of Rain is extremely powerful musically, but is also slightly monotonous. Nevertheless, the record features several inspired songs from Mould, including the catchy single "It's Too Late." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Arriving after years of sonic bombast in Hüsker Dü, the reflective, acoustic nature of Bob Mould's first solo album, Workbook, was a bold statement of renewal. Like all of Mould's work, it's an intensely introspective record, finding him purging demons left over from the dissolution of Hüsker Dü. Instead of relying on raging guitars, Mould explores a wide variety of styles, from pure pop ("See a Little Light") to reflective folk laced with cellos. It's an astonishing array of styles, and the songs are among Mould's finest. For many observers, the record established him as a major songwriter, but it also established a way for underground post-punk artists to mature -- echoes of Workbook could be heard throughout the '90s, from R.E.M.'s elegiac Automatic for the People to Nirvana's use of cellos on In Utero and Unplugged. But Workbook remains a stunning work of individuality, marrying a distinctive body of songs with an original musical vision. Occasionally, the production is a little too pristine, but the power of the songs cannot be diminished. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
