Bob Mould

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Bob Mould's first solo album in six years (following the demise of Sugar) is unremittingly dark, direct, and brilliant. Entirely self-written, -performed, and -produced, the 11-song collection opens with Mould bellowing that he's "sick of myself, sick of everything I am" and ends with: "If I couldn't hold you I'd end it all." That last song is called "Roll Over and Die," if that helps provide a sense of the situation. In between, Mould rails with brutal bluntness about his personal and creative strife. Someone he "expected to grow old with" has broken his heart, and he's utterly grief-stricken. No matter how many times Mould insists he's "as useless as can be," and that what he creates is "bullshit," the urgency of such cathartic music argues to the contrary. --Steven Stolder --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From the Label
We asked Bob Mould to talk a little about his new album...

"I have a preoccupation with words and sounds that some might say borders on the obsessive. This is nothing new to me. When I was five years old, my only way of coping with the world was to hide myself in a room and listen to mid-60's pop singles. I was obsessive to the point of being able to memorize every bit of label copy. I kept the AM radio tucked under the pillow at night, listening to stations from exotic and faraway places.... read more --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Bob Mould

Average customer rating:

Amazing
I saw Bob Last Night........
One of my favorites
Utterly Amazing
Holy Cow!

Workbook
Bob Mould
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Black Sheets of Rain
Copper Blue
Beaster
Bob Mould
File Under: Easy Listening

ASIN: B000000WGS
Release Date: 1992-06-29

Tracks:

Sunspots
Wishing Well
Heartbreak A Stranger
See A Little Light
Poison Years
Sinners And Their Repentances
Brasilia Crossed With Trenton
Compositions For The Young And Old
Lonely Afternoon
Dreaming, I Am
Whichever Way The Wind Blows

Amazon.com essential recording

"All those things I've done before," Bob Mould sings, dismissing Hüsker Dü, the band he toiled with for most of the '80s, "it doesn't matter anymore." That's partially true--Hüsker were always much more brutal than "See a Little Light," the wistful, catchy pop song on Mould's 1989 solo debut. But even Mould's most introspective previous songs didn't have quite the scab-opening quality of "Lonely Afternoon" and "Wishing Well." Though Mould's guitar and Anton Fier's drums made Workbook seem heavy at the time, today it doesn't have quite the punch of Hüsker Dü or his beefed-up trio recordings with Sugar. --Steve Knopper

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.......2007-03-22

Bob Mould is one of the most amazing song writers rock and roll has to offer. This album stands out as both his departure from acclaimed rock trio Husker Du and a spectacular beginning to a semi-solo career. Few artists give us the raw emotion, honesty and brutality that we see through Bob's eyes. This album still gives me chills everytime I listen to it. Thanks and don't retire yet you f**ker.

I saw Bob Last Night...............2006-01-28

Workbook is an awesome mainly accoustic album.

I've now seen him in Husker Du, Sugar and last night solo. Just him and an electric guitar. He is one of the Greatest songwriters of our time. 'New Day Rising' has and probably always will be my favourite album ever.

One of my favorites.......2004-11-08

When I first heard this album, it was back in 1990-somesuch, and I was a young lad just getting started in the world. A buddy of mine played it for me, and I was hooked.

I can't say I've ever heard any artist similar to Bob Mould. Since I tend to judge music on how it makes me feel more than anything esle, I'll just tell you that Mould takes me along with him from the first note, and very few artists have that effect on me. Each time I listen to this album, the first notes of Wishing Well take me back to my younger days. And that, my friends, makes me happy.

Utterly Amazing.......2004-09-23

i have been a fan of Sugar for quite a while, and always enjoyed classic Husker Du, but was rather late in terms of discovering Bob Mould's solo efforts. regardless, since i got this CD about two years ago, not a week goes by without listening to it. it is simply an amazing effort put forth by Mould, and to think that it came out in 1989/1990 blows me away. how many years i missed listening to this gem of a release!!! every track is fantastic...the melodies are superb, the lyrics are thought provoking, and Mould's vocals sound better than ever. there is not one weak track....the guitars are angry, the melodies are catchy, the words will leave impressions in your mind long after you're done listening....
yo Bob, thanks for a collection of music that i will never tire of and for a collection of music that has gotten me through some tough times.

Holy Cow!.......2004-09-09

This is simply one of the best albums to come out of the 1980's. Through it in and listen to it from start to finish. You will never be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

Confusion, despair, & a more direct harder rock
Some great songs, but some editing needed
Goes On & On
His best work
Pretty Intense isn't the word for "Black Sheets"

Black Sheets of Rain
Bob Mould
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Workbook
Bob Mould
The Last Dog & Pony Show
Beaster
Copper Blue

ASIN: B000000WHI
Release Date: 1992-06-29

Tracks:

Black Sheets Of Rain
Stand Guard
It's Too Late
One Good Reason
Stop Your Crying
Hanging Tree
The Last Night
Hear Me Calling
Out of Your Life
Disappointed
Sacrifice/Let There Be Peace

Customer Reviews:

Confusion, despair, & a more direct harder rock.......2007-06-23

Until "The Last Night," track 7, this is a competent but not stellar album. The first six tracks churn along, with angst and anger as expected, but they sonically do not make much of a distinctive impression on me, compared to the Sugar "Copper Blue," the later Bob Mould solo LPs such as the underrated "The Last Dog & Pony Show," or Husker Du's "Warehouse." Merely placing "Black Sheets" in this esteemed category of great Bob Mould records, however, shows what a high level of craft he can achieve at his driven best. "Black Sheets," however, leaves behind the pretty good and enters the inspired as his voice hits the tender mix of longing colored by the tincture of regret in the well-constructed narrative of "The Last Night." This song is told from the perspective of a lover who knows that his encounter will be the final one of the relationship he plans to break off the next day. Here the CD is redeemed.

The next three songs kick in smartly. Mould loosens up and finds what listeners to "Workbook" or later Huskers will recognize: the combination of wistful nostalgia and fierce pain. Not easy to carry off, and this master shows how it's done fifteen years before emo rules the charts of whatever passes for alternative rock these days. The last song, "Sacrifice/ Let There Be Peace," returns to the more angry snarl of the earlier, first six tracks, but winds the album down smartly in its spiral guitar figure. The best of the more Richard Thompson like, guitar-based but more folksy & acoustic, debut solo record, "Workbook," and this second one, curiously, were issued by WB as a separate CD, "Poison Years."

Some great songs, but some editing needed.......2006-06-11

"Black Sheets of Rain" is a frustrating listen to those who enjoy the more concise songs on most Husker Du, Sugar, and Bob Mould albums. About half of the tracks, including "Too Late" and "Disappointed" are catchy, emotive, and interesting. Others, including the title track, begin with a promising sound but just drone on and on without variety. Get this at a good price and enjoy the tracks under five minutes long. Skip the ones over five minutes because Bob Mould just does not seem to thrive in a longer format. The end result is a half-great album.

Goes On & On.......2005-08-27

Bob Mould is a great musician and songwriter. This is just one of his lower points in my opinion. The songs rock, but they tend to go on and on....especially the title track. This isn't bad by all means. It just gets repetitive. Workbook and almost of all Bob's other works are Better...even "Modulate" which is quite good after a few listens. The last song "Sacrifice-Let There Be Peace" is foreshadowing of Sugar's haunting and rocking Beaster. Fans of Beaster will like the last track a lot. It is a great closer.

"Black Sheets of Rain" is my least favorite song it clocks into seven minutes. I like the solos, but it just goes too long.

"It's Too Late" is one catchy song. I love the riff and the chorus. One great song! It reminds me of a really old GbV song on Sandbox.

"One Good Reason" is actually a pretty good song, but it drags on again.

"The Last Night" is a good acoustic Bob song about the end of the relationship or something. And the next two songs "Hear Me Calling" and "Out of Your Life" follow the same lines of that song and turn out alright as favorable Bob pop songs.

His best work.......2005-08-21

Bob Mould's "Black Sheets Of Rain" is one of the best recordings I've ever heard. From beginning to end, every song is powerful and moving in its own way. The stuff Bob does now is okay, not bad, I still dig it. But Black Sheets, Workbook(1989) and Copper Blue (with Sugar, 1992) are just amazing recordings.

Pretty Intense isn't the word for "Black Sheets".......2003-11-27

To listen to "Black Sheets of Rain" you need a good set of ears. Then, you have to crank your stereo up to high volume. Anything less, and you won't get it.

I would imagine that this CD is probably a high point in Bob Mould's career. This is powerful stuff. A great songwriter and technically proficient guitarist, Mould's lryics are sometimes apocalyptical and thought-provoking:

So don't send me invitations to your big parade
Place of residence unknown
In my eyes there is no confidence
There is no calm before the storm

I agree: Anton Fier's drumming really makes "Sacrafice (Let There Be Peace)" take on a life of its own - because it's not straight 4/4 time - The rythm really drives.

Tracks:

Circles
(Shine Your) Light Love Hope
Paralyzed
I Am Vision, I Am Sound
Underneath Days
Always Tomorrow
Days Of Rain
Best Thing
High Fidelity
Missing You
Gauze Of Friendship
Beating Heart The Prize

Amazon.com

Loudly hailed as the former Minnesotan's return to rock form since 2002's flawed but interesting electronic outing Modulate, Body of Song, is a surprisingly enjoyable record that mixes and matches swaths of sound from the last twenty years of the burly dude's career. As a solo artist, his songs tend to be anthemettes loaded with deep personal feelings and sung in that trademark roller coaster caterwaul that defined his two rock bands, Hüsker Dü and Sugar. More than anything, Bob Mould has always made honest records that ask the listener to ditch past expectations. There are some great, rousing songs on here; "Circles" and "Missing You" will please any rocker in need of sheets of loud guitars. Unfortunately, the two most `clubby' tracks on here, "(Shine Your) Light Love Hope" and "I Am Vision, I Am Sound," rely on very dated dance-pop sounds such as vocoder'd vocals and cheesy programming. The album's most interesting songs are those that truly mix the electronic and rock elements; the slowly percolating, highly textured "Always Tomorrow"and the rousing single "Paralyzed." More like these next time, please. -Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews:

Perhaps Bob's best album.......2007-03-12

This is really good stuff. I usually do not prefer rock music that includes electronic synthesizers, but they are used so skillfully here that they actually enhance the songs. And of course there always guitars. Very catchy stuff if you like pop-punk, but not juvenile stuff like Offspring and Green Day.
One nice thing about this record is that the vocals are not buried under all the guitar sounds like they are in some songs on the other records.

MOULD IS MAGIC!!.......2006-08-18

Bob Mould is one of the most talented singer songwriter/Guitarists EVER! He really pours out his every essence of his soul. You can hear his heart in every song!
'Body Of Song' is a mind blowing album. The production makes me sweat! It is so clear and pristine, yet there is so much going on underneath...swirling, moving about. This album has him cranking up his GUITARS nice and loud. To me there is nothing better than Bob cranking up his Stratocaster or Flying V! His adulation with electronica accents this album instead of over saturating it!
Good Job Mr. Mould
Love ya man!

Bill Tolles

18 years and counting since . . ........2006-01-12

. . . "A Music Fan" has pulled his head out. If you didn't like at least some of Sugar's Copper Blue, you gotta be braindead. yeah, yeah, husker du, the golden years, blah blah blah. get over it, move on, develop some new musical interests. i'm gonna see bob live in february and i'm sure i'll 'like it' just fine!

Best Album of 2005.......2005-12-27

This is a true return to form for Bob Mould. The opening track is a classic and the songs from top to bottom glisten with a freshness I haven't heard out of Mr. Mould since Warehouse Songs and Stories.

While there are some techno excursions to be found here, they certainly don't dominate as the flourishes of electric guitar blow in an out of these tunes like never before.

Hopefully, this is a form Bob will continue to create in.

Bob returned, and there was much rejoicing........2005-09-14

After 2002's Modulate, Bob seemed to have given up recording in favor of being a club DJ in Washington DC. Thankfully, he was also working on Body of Song for those of us living in other parts of the world. This record is nothing less than typical, high-caliber Bob Mould work: the lyrics ring with truth and palpable emotion, the songs are catchy yet deep and involving, and it all sounds fresh and immediate. Why are Bob's records so good? The answer must be that he pours his soul into the effort; what else would result in albums that shine with such obvious integrity? Actually, I bet it just boils down to hard work and dedication. Whatever the secret is, this record is another testament of the genius of Bob Mould.

As for the production, it tends to integrate the electronica of Modulate with the trademark wall of guitars very effectively. It's as if the Sugar track Feeling Better from Beaster was a starting point that evolved into a more dynamic creation, or that Body of Song has taken the best elements out of The Last Dog & Pony Show and Modulate in order to become a record that surpasses its parentage. There are tracks here, for example, that would turn New Order green with envy, but at the same time, devoted fans of the Sugar records will find much here that recalls that era of Bob's career. The backbone remains the same as ever, but the body has grown stronger via the new muscles that have been developed here. Come to think of it, although I first thought of Feeling Better, Hoover Dam from Sugar's amazing Copper Blue album has that prevalent synthesizer throughout; those songs really do seem like a toe-in-the-water of sorts to me when thought of in the context of Body of Song. I suppose that my main point is that this record is a logical progression from that time, and that the results are equally as successful.

Although the purist in me holds Black Sheets of Rain up high on its own untouchable pedestal, the realist in me readily accepts Body of Song for what it is: a damn fine album. Earlier, I called this record typical of Bob Mould, and that is probably one of the highest compliments that I could offer. I also should note that out of all the new music that I've listened to in the past year or two (trust me: it's a lot), this is easily up there in the top ten percent, such as Sonic Youth's Sonic Nurse, Green Day's American Idiot, Death Cab for Cutie's Transatlanticism, Gorillaz's Demon Days, and the White Stripes' Elephant. If you are new to Bob Mould and any of those records are close to your heart, then buy Body of Song: it's great new work from a great artist.

Average customer rating:

Solid post-Sugar songs from Bob Mould
enduring
Not very interesting
Highly underrated
Bob Mould shoots and scores...big

Bob Mould
Bob Mould
Manufacturer: Rykodisc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Last Dog & Pony Show
Black Sheets of Rain
Workbook
Beaster
Copper Blue

ASIN: B0000009Q7
Release Date: 1996-04-30

Tracks:

Anymore Time Between
I Hate Alternative Rock
Fort Knox, King Solomon
Next Time That You Leave
Egoverride
Thumbtack
Hair Stew
Deep Karma Canyon
Art Crisis
Roll Over And Die

Amazon.com

Bob Mould's first solo album in six years (following the demise of Sugar) is unremittingly dark, direct, and brilliant. Entirely self-written, -performed, and -produced, the 11-song collection opens with Mould bellowing that he's "sick of myself, sick of everything I am" and ends with: "If I couldn't hold you I'd end it all." That last song is called "Roll Over and Die," if that helps provide a sense of the situation. In between, Mould rails with brutal bluntness about his personal and creative strife. Someone he "expected to grow old with" has broken his heart, and he's utterly grief-stricken. No matter how many times Mould insists he's "as useless as can be," and that what he creates is "bullshit," the urgency of such cathartic music argues to the contrary. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Solid post-Sugar songs from Bob Mould.......2007-05-09

"Anymore Time Between" opens Bob Mould's "Hubcap" album on a down-tuned, downbeat note. Mould's voice sounds forlorn, and his lyrics are hopeless and downcast. None of these musical characteristics are exactly foreign elements from Mould, and to the guy's credit, he spices up the song as it moves along with driving chords and a faster pace. The following tune, "I Hate Alternative Rock," pretty much speaks for itself in terms of subject matter, and it's where the album gets interesting. This song could have come from Sugar just four years earlier -- that's how cool it is. "Alternative Rock" is a blast of sugar-powered rock and roll that ranks up there with Mould's most supreme work: killer riffs all over the place that come off as frantic; strained, double-tracked vocals (how Mould sounds best) buried in the heavy, wall-of-sound mix; and pissed-off lyrics about the state of the music industry to boot. "Fort Knox, King Solomon" is mellower, much more breezy, and also sugar-powered pop rock. On it, Mould strums his trademark bright-sounding acoustic guitar to drive the song along, and it's good to hear lyrics from him that stray from personal problems with lovers, personal demons and low self-esteem. The carefree "For Knox" sounds as if it's about bank robbers who attempted a big score but failed miserably. (My interpretation is probably dead wrong but I'm sticking to it.)

Most of this album is indeed a venting of personal frustrations by Mould, as solid tunes like "Next Time That You Leave," "Hair Stew" and "Roll Over and Die" will attest to. The good this is, "Bob Mould" is heavy on electric guitar and is pretty tuneful throughout, just like past Sugar albums. "Hair Stew" comes across as downright eerie (you might want to avoid it), but "Deep Karma Canyon" and especially "Art Crisis" pick things back up in a huge way to wind down the CD. For the record, "Art Crisis" is one of the best songs on the album. A portion of the driving guitar on that song is reminiscent of Sugar's "Mind is an Island" from the band's swan-song CD entitled Besides.

One could argue that there's a bit of a one-dimensional feel to this album, perhaps because Mould so singlehandedly created it, and that makes for songs that are a tad less exciting than what Sugar was doing earlier on in the 1990s (see Copper Blue). Still, "Bob Mould" is worthy, and anytime this artist plugs in his guitar, it's usually cause to open up your ears and listen.

enduring.......2007-02-01

I've probably listened to this album at least once a month since it came out 12 years ago & never tire of it -- Huskers, Sugar, Modulate, Body of Song etc. come and go but this just sticks. One of the eight CDs I brought with me when spending 2 years in rural Africa.

Not very interesting.......2005-08-22

Even Mould himself, in the interview that appears on the bonus disc accompanying The Last Dog And Pony Show, admits that this album is a little stiff. And indeed, it is. But I'm not sure I would have liked whiny tracks like "Art Crisis" or "I Hate Alternative Rock" even if the arrangements had been more limber.

"Egoverride" is a pretty good single, and "Deep Karma Canyon" hums along nicely. Plus, the cover art is pretty nifty. But it's by no means an essential part of Mould's oeuvre.

Highly underrated.......2004-05-30

Okay: of Bob's five solo albums to date, I'm going to go out on a limb and declare this to be the finest (with full awareness that I will most likely be set upon by a thousand deeply offended "Workbook" fans). There just isn't any filler on this one. My favorites are the tracks that another reviewer has accurately described as the "slow burn" numbers: "Anymore Time Between," "Next Time That You Leave," and "Roll Over And Die" (which closes the album on every bit as harrowing a note as "Explode And Make Up" did on Bob's previous effort, aka Sugar's swan song). There's plenty of other great stuff here, though. Check out "Eg0verride," in which Bob playfully pulls off a lyrically self-deprecating, seemingly electric-guitar-drenched melodic tour de force which actually doesn't feature his signature instrument at all. (Yep: it's all keyboards, fed through what must have been a rat's nest of effects.) Check out the metaphor-driven, acoustic relationship epitaph "Thumbtack" and decide for yourself whether you believe Bob that he wrote it on the fly and recorded it in a single take. Check out "Hair Stew" -- with its big sign reading, "Hi, I'm this album's Experimental Track" -- and keep checking it out until you're convinced that it's a little bit brilliant in its melodic and emotional dissonance. (At the very least, you will end up granting me that it's significantly less annoying than "Megamanic" from the followup album.) And if you still miss that iconic Sugar sound, you've got the blistering "I Hate Alternative Rock," the coulda-shoulda-been-a-single "Deep Karma Canyon," and "Art Crisis" (which loses points in my book only because it's musically and lyrically redundant with "IHAR").

One final note: some have criticized this album for being entirely self-recorded and self-produced on Bob's part, with particular criticism reserved for the electronic drums. As a drummer, I can honestly say that they don't bug me; in fact, I find them considerably less annoying than some of Grant Hart's work with Husker Du. ;)

Bob Mould shoots and scores...big.......2004-05-08

Even if Bob Mould's eponymous album (hubcap) was recorded without a band, this is still a very inspired and driving album that shows you that no matter how limited you are in resources, you can still pack a punch.

All of this CD is Bob Mould: the instruments, the production, the programming, everything. And while that may translate to indulgence when it comes to certain singer/songwriters, Mould does not overstep his bounds. His focus remains sharp from beginning to end, thanks to the fact that this CD comes off the heals of Mould's last band. In fact, most of the hubcap album comes off sounding like the lost but perfect Sugar album that was left inside of Bob.

And while the punk roots are intact with I Hate Alternative Rock and Egoverride, the former Husker Du frontman shows a more somber side with the naked-sounding Thumbtack and the creepy, slow-burn of Hair Stew. The song with most impact is Next Time That You Leave; a harrowing, sparse guitar line trades the spotlight with a bombastic chorus as Mould sings "you are not the person/I expect to grow old with."

Tracks:

New #1
Moving Trucks
Taking Everything
First Drag Of The Day
Classifieds
Who Was Around?
Skintrade
Vaporub
Sweet Serene
Megamanic
Reflecting Pool
Along The Way

Tracks:

Interview

Amazon.com

He may have decided to go off into that good night, but he isn't going gently. Bob Mould, who raged with Hüsker Dü, arguably one of the bands that defined the sound of alternative music, declared this to be his last electric album and tour. What next: a rocking chair? Doubtful. Despite his quieter moments with Hüsker Dü, his symphonic excesses with his solo records, and his flirtation with power pop with Sugar, at heart Mould is a punk rocker, his signature the throaty roar he muscles out of his guitar. The Last Dog and Pony Show captures this mighty artist at the peak of his power on songs such as the rumbling "Moving Trucks" and the massive "First Drag of the Day." So why the sendoff? Perhaps we're offered a hint on the absolutely terrible electronica cut "Megamaniac" that sounds completely out of place amid the guitar fury. Not a misstep, perhaps, but a warning. --Tod Nelson

Customer Reviews:

So good, rock & roll scholars should study this..........2006-12-22

Jeezuz. this is a GREAT album. I should not have been suprised, he is such a rockn'roll treasure (but at my age, I have to headbang in private.)
Bob Mould is a GREAT rocker, he does everything right, period. Don't make room for any wannabees, Bob, you keep on with your bad self..I want to hear you doing this when you are seventy! c

great music from a great musician........2006-06-02

i love this album, but not as good as bob's latest, body of soul. i got it at emusic. only cost me about 2.50 for all 12 cuts.

Hopefully it Isn't the Last of His Kind.......2004-07-20

Supposedly this is the last rocking electric buzzsaw guitar styling Mould release...which is sad, "If it ain't broken...why fix it". So far he hasn't made a traditional Mould album since this album(well a live album from this tour). So, this may be the last true Mould album. It's admirable that the guy is as good as his word. But in a way it's sad there will never be a decent Bob Mould album for us rockers to enjoy. Don't get me wrong, I like his acoustic stuff but the dance stuff on "Modulate"(which I haven't heard yet) isn't my cup of tea.

Well this record turned out pretty awesome...about as good as the last "hebcap" album, except less depressing and more uprising. A good thing about this is the absence of a drum machine and the attendence of a real drummer. Standout cuts are"New#1" "Moving Truck", "Classifieds", "Skintrade", and "Reflecting Pool". The track "Megamanic" is good for laughs.

Enjoyed to the fullest!!!.......2003-10-03

Bob Mould is a songwriting genius. This album has a certain vibe to it. It really starts to grow on you.

Not a career highpoint, but a respectable finale.......2003-09-03

From his work in alternative rock innovators Husker Du, through the more radio-friendly Sugar, and four solo albums, Bob Mould has touched on the best of punk, folk, power-pop and modern rock, influencing countless artists in the process. Dave Grohl is one of his most famous fans, and its hard to imagine the Foos without Husker Du having existed. This 1998 album was his last fully-electric one before a long hiatus, recently ended with soem electronic dabblings.

Its a respectable but unspectacular signoff. It starts quite well with New #1, a strangely addictive acoustic number which lacks a chorus in the traditional sense, but packs some punch as it builds. Taking Everything is the highpoint, an obvious single with a catchy refrain.

Skintrade also stands out, as does Classifieds, with its cynical analysis of looking for a partner in classified columns. Like all Bob's songs about relationships, the lyrics aren't gender-specific, due undoubtedly to Bob being perhaps punk's first openly gay star. There is a more sensitive string-laden Along the Way to close, but less impressive are by-the-numbers tracks like Moving Trucks and Vaporub.