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shineoftheever
> Teenager of the Year <
Canada
4307 Posts |
 Posted - 05/08/2009 : 20:00:21
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adding it to the list.
anybody got it yet, have you heard it?
The waxworks were an immensely eloquent dissertation on the wonderful ordinariness of mankind. |
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shineoftheever
> Teenager of the Year <
Canada
4307 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2009 : 15:07:52
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ugh. a few good songs. i hope this is a grower. apart from loudbomb (not my cuppa), this is his weakest output, IMO. maybe i need to listen to it between two other recordings....
The waxworks were an immensely eloquent dissertation on the wonderful ordinariness of mankind. |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2009 : 07:10:13
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Times Online.
From The Sunday Times
May 10, 2009
Bob Mould: Life and Times
Stewart Lee
(4 out of 5 stars)
After dissolving Hüsker Dü, American hardcore’s loudest, fastest and most transcendent trio, Bob Mould made two rather self-conscious solo albums, and staked a claim in the grunge gold rush with Sugar, eventually quitting music to write scripts for professional wrestlers. But Mould’s back on form, and his strongest set this century deploys a taut restraint to combine folksy, songwriterly reflection and euphoric punk noise, threading 30 years of shreds into a hermetic whole. The title track spins a minutely observed single moment in a collapsing relationship over a gradually swelling guitar part, setting the tone for an album that’s mature but never mellow.
Anti 270142 |
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Llamadance
> Teenager of the Year <
United Kingdom
2543 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2009 : 08:42:27
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I thought it was pretty poor as well - I couldn't get into District Line and this sounds worse. Nothing edgy, nothing different, just mediocre Bob by numbers.
Easy Easy Easy!! MicknPhil Marathon Lads Sign this petition |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
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The Maharal
= Cult of Ray =
996 Posts |
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The Maharal
= Cult of Ray =
996 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 07:54:29
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And from the other thread:
quote:
Originally posted by shineoftheever
very nice. scan and post a pic. would love to see what non copper-blue songs he played. man, i hope h ebrings this to the west coast of NA...
http://tinypic.com/r/2z4bpmd/6
A great evening. :)
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Llamadance
> Teenager of the Year <
United Kingdom
2543 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 09:45:47
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You can hear the whole album here: http://www1.rollingstone.com/hearitnow/player/bobmould.html
Giving it a listen now.
_____________________________________________________________________________
"Some people don't have the guts for distance racing. The polite term for them is sprinters." |
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 14:44:51
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| Did anyone read his biography? |
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The Maharal
= Cult of Ray =
996 Posts |
Posted - 09/10/2012 : 04:25:44
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| Just listened to it. Some great songs (The Descent rivals his best Sugar and Husker Du songs I think) but then there's two or three that are a bit generic. Nice to see Pixies referenced. It's a shame actually Frank wasn't at the tribute concert held for Mould last year, would have been cool. |
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The Maharal
= Cult of Ray =
996 Posts |
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shineoftheever
> Teenager of the Year <
Canada
4307 Posts |
Posted - 11/03/2012 : 16:32:05
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interesting list.
I would put New Day Rising at the top and put Copper Blue second. However, Sugar's best "album" for sure is the bonus disc on the album Besides....fuck i love that. I wouldn't rank Silver Age so highly and would probably have workbook and self-titled right next to each other with black sheets of rain ahead of them both. just sayin'. Warehouse definitely need to be bumped....
The waxworks were an immensely eloquent dissertation on the wonderful ordinariness of mankind. |
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Little Black Francis
> Teenager of the Year <
3648 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2012 : 21:42:18
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Mold has a life of its own and sure does grow over time.
going VoVat on this shit |
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The Maharal
= Cult of Ray =
996 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2012 : 17:26:46
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Bob has a kickstarter campaign going for a DVD of his tribute concert. Only five days left to donate. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/921079765/bob-mould-the-disney-hall-concert-film Seems a bit vain to me but I'll probably donate a couple of euro tomorrow.
He also has an 'ask me anything' session scheduled for reddit at some point today (the 17th). Not sure when because of time differences, bloody nuisance. |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2012 : 05:30:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Little Black Francis
Mold has a life of its own and sure does grow over time.
going VoVat on this shit
that was an humorous post
 green star member since 2006. smb? |
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Arm Arm Arm
* Dog in the Sand *
1036 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2012 : 08:28:03
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| Having not listened to any solo Mould, I went to see where the Husker albums would be ranked and was surprised to see Candy Apple Grey so high on that list; I'm actually surprised Candy Apple Grey made any list; aside from a song or two, I think it's a terrible album. |
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The Maharal
= Cult of Ray =
996 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2012 : 10:36:17
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| I thought that on first listen too. Then a few more listens I upgraded it to an "alright" album. Crystal, Sorry Somehow, Hardly Getting Over It and Too Far Down are all excellent. |
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Arm Arm Arm
* Dog in the Sand *
1036 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2012 : 14:08:29
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As I was typing that, I wondered if it could be an album that grows on me. I kinda doubt it.
I binged on Husker Du years ago, and after Zen, New Day and Flip, Candy Apple Grey fell completely flat. Slower paced songs (not in and of itself a bad thing) but just too damn many mid-tempo songs. Nothing really stood out, except maybe Crystal, which I think is the first song. I just realized the title of the album perfectly fits my impression of it: candy apple GREY.
I continued on with Warehouse and it seemed just like Candy Apple except longer.
I haven't listened to Husker in years, every so often I'll be in the mood and will enjoy a run of songs off Zen or New Day Rising. Sometimes I feel like there wasn't enough space in some of their music, which I guess was their point, at least for a while. It felt like Bob had to keep singing over all the music. At times I like that, and other times I would prefer if he'd have let the music play without his voice for a bit.
Zen Arcade is my favorite album by them and even that has some parts that I skip, but it begins and finishes really strongly.
When I get a chance, I'll give a listen to your picks.
Ever heard The Living End? There's an amazing Grant Hart song on there that they never released, something like, Now That You Know Me, I thin kthat's the title.
cheers |
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Arm Arm Arm
* Dog in the Sand *
1036 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2012 : 16:45:05
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| I agree, Crystal's great. I love that part that begins at 2:49. |
Edited by - Arm Arm Arm on 12/17/2012 16:47:21 |
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The Maharal
= Cult of Ray =
996 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2012 : 17:07:40
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Yeah I can see why you might not like Candy Apple Grey. I myself consider it their weakest out of Zen Arcade, New Days Rising, Flip Your Wig and Warehouse but at the same time I don't particularly dislike any of the songs on the album. I think each of them have their merits (some way more so than others) but together they just doesn't seem to flow right. Might be down to Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely going on for slightly too long, All This I've Done For You and I Don't Know For Sure sounding a bit too similar (though the former is cool for Mould's roar) and the two melancholic acoustic songs - as good as they are - following one after the other. So yeah, I think I just like certain songs a lot individually but don't feel any enthusiasm for the album as a whole.
Warehouse on the other hand I love. I think it might be my favourite record of theirs; it's about an hour of pop perfection, or at least punk-pop perfection. Sure there's two or three songs that aren't anything special but I do think a lot of the other songs are worth bearing the extensive length. These Important Years, Could You Be The One (how I love this song), You Can Live At Home, Bed of Nails, She Floated Away, Back From Somewhere, Turn It Around, Ice Cold Ice (there's a great video of Mould, Dave Grohl and Jon Wurster playing this song on Youtube) and Up In The Air are glorious and some of my favourite songs by any band. I think Warehouse has a sound that's a lot friendlier than what's found on Zen Arcade, NDR, etc. but the intensity is still there and it's a nice showcase for how good lyrically they were becoming.
Despite all that praise I remember the first time I stuck on Warehouse. It was one of the first CDs I ever bought (along with Trompe le Monde) and I was really excited but in the end I just felt severely underwhelmed. It was flat and uninteresting. Having spent the previous weeks 'discovering' good music through Limewire I remember formulating one specific thought: "so this is what bad music is". But I must have persevered for it eventually clicked and became a favourite album. So maybe there's still hope it will grow on you too. I suggest playing it loud and maybe having the lyric sheet handy.
I never really noticed the thing about Bob feeling the need to sing all the time. But you're probably right. I know in his live shows he likes to sing "na-na-na" etc. during parts which didn't any singing in the studio versions. I think it's just cemented into his writing - I've read interviews where Grant Hart criticises him for ensuring the band had a set formula where everything had a guitar solo and where nothing deviated into new territory. It's lucky then that he excelled at the aggressive pop aesthetic, as such I don't really mind the lack of variety in the catalogue.
Yeah I've heard bits of The Living End. I can't really remember Now That You Know Me from it but the same song was released on Grant's Intolerance record! One of my favourite songs of his - I saw Grant last week and wanted to request it but in the end I was too chicken. Ah well!
I need to apologise about turning this into an essay. I don't get to talk about Husker Du that much so when I do I tend to ramble. Sorry!
(Also asked Bob some questions on reddit today - he answered four or five of mine which was nice! http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/14zzpp/iama_bob_mould/ )
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Edited by - The Maharal on 12/17/2012 17:09:22 |
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Arm Arm Arm
* Dog in the Sand *
1036 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2012 : 18:02:29
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Now That You Know Me is the highlight of the Living End. I guess Husker have a lot in common with the Ramones when it comes to a concert; let's rip through the songs, pretty much as they are on record, just faster. Not usually my thing. I almost never listen to The Living End because of that. Now that you know me was an amazing break, something new and it sounds great!
I enjoyed reading your thoughts on the band, besides one other person I haven't seen in at least 15 years, I don't know anyone else, in real life, who listens to them.
That they shifted down a gear or two from Land Speed Record (I think I listened to it once, have no desire to again) was good and there does seem to some songwriting evolution from Zen through Warehouse, or maybe it's just a shift in tempo that gives the illusion of growth in the songwriting. Then again, you mention the melancholic acoustic songs, that's quite different from Zen.
Flip Your Wig has some good songs but nothing they did matches the energy of Zen. I used to listen to them quite a bit, then sometime early in the 2000s, I just put their cd's away. |
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The Maharal
= Cult of Ray =
996 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2012 : 18:41:42
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I'll have to look up the Living End version again in the morning. The Intolerance cut has a nice Bob Dylan harmonica vibe to it, very fun.
Yeah I don't know anyone who listens to Husker Du that much besides the two or three friends I've introduced their music to, but their interest in the band would be minimal compared to mine.
I haven't listened to Zen Arcade the whole way through in some time. I remember being blown away by it upon first listen. Some amazing songs on it: Something I Learned Today, Somewhere, Chartered Trips, Turn on the News, What's Going On, Standing By The Sea, Whatever. I think I'm due a relisten. But yeah, I haven't really listened to the Du that consistently in recent years either. I still look back upon them very fondly though.
Have you ever listened to Bob or Grant's solo stuff? Or Sugar? Both Beaster and Copper Blue are brilliant albums. Grant has been patchy but a bit like Frank Black has a load of gems amongst the crud. He's penned some amazing lyrics in his time. I love one of the verses in She Can Hear The Angels Coming, ostensibly about the death of Husker Du's manager who flung himself off a bridge:
With tearful eyes I see him standing
On the bridge above the landing
With burdened thoughts he's had before
Compel him to commit his final chore
Then he throws himself into the air
and leaves behind his painful cares
and ends his life as one who dared
to climb the stairs that lead into the morning
I really like those on their own but it's elevated by Hart's soulful vocals. I honestly think he has one of the best voices in music. |
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vilainde
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Niue
7442 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2012 : 21:18:21
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Coincidentally I listened to Zen yesterday. Still as amazing a
Denis
Obsidiana Bijoux |
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vilainde
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Niue
7442 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2012 : 21:22:45
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I listened to Zen again yesterday. Still as amazing as ever. I have it on CD and I wonder how it sounds on vinyl. I like the fact of having 70 minutes non-stop of brilliance.
I like Candy quite a bit. It's not as good as the previous ones and it took some time to appreciate it but I think it's great. Not a popular opinion but I love No Promises I Have Made. On the other hand, Warehouse never clicked. I think I only listened to it once or twice and thought nothing stood up. I should give it another try.
Denis
Obsidiana Bijoux |
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kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
Belgium
15320 Posts |
Posted - 12/18/2012 : 01:36:54
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quote:
Originally posted by vilainde
I listened to Zen again yesterday. Still as amazing as ever. I have it on CD and I wonder how it sounds on vinyl. I like the fact of having 70 minutes non-stop of brilliance.
Denis
Obsidiana Bijoux
I bought it on cassette back in the day.
70 minutes of brilliance, indeed!
I remember sitting in a basement listening to Fields of Marigold until I passed out.
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trobrianders
> Teenager of the Year <
Papua New Guinea
3302 Posts |
Posted - 12/18/2012 : 10:18:30
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I never gave Hüsker Dü a second try. Heh, umlaut.
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Ed is the hoo hoo |
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vilainde
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Niue
7442 Posts |
Posted - 12/18/2012 : 10:25:51
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quote:
Originally posted by trobrianders
I never gave Hüsker Dü a second try.
this post is sadder than anything by Fissile.
Denis
Obsidiana Bijoux |
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kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
Belgium
15320 Posts |
Posted - 12/18/2012 : 11:24:28
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quote:
Originally posted by vilainde
quote:
Originally posted by trobrianders
I never gave Hüsker Dü a second try.
this post is sadder than anything by Fissile.
Denis
Obsidiana Bijoux
I weep with you, Denis. And we weep for tro.
I remember sitting in a basement listening to Fields of Marigold until I passed out.
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trobrianders
> Teenager of the Year <
Papua New Guinea
3302 Posts |
Posted - 12/18/2012 : 12:15:59
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To be fair the first time was in the 80s on a cassette that was sticky and would not play steady.
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Ed is the hoo hoo |
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Srisaket
= Cult of Ray =
Thailand
313 Posts |
Posted - 12/18/2012 : 16:34:06
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I've only got one Husker Du (can't do umlauts on this keyboard) and it's the crappy live album they did. It was in the bargain bin.
I'm far too tender in years to have listened to them first time around and I don't think they were ever that popular in the UK either. Should I bother now?
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The Maharal
= Cult of Ray =
996 Posts |
Posted - 12/18/2012 : 17:30:33
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| Yes. New Day Rising and Zen Arcade are visceral albums - immediate and worth it. Zen Arcade is longer and more cathartic but New Day Rising is charming in its poppiness. Warehouse is a personal favourite but you're probably best off listening to those two first. Flip Your Wig is pretty good too. |
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vilainde
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Niue
7442 Posts |
Posted - 12/18/2012 : 19:43:16
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I started with Everything Falls Apart and loved it immediately.
Denis
Obsidiana Bijoux |
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vilainde
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Niue
7442 Posts |
Posted - 12/18/2012 : 22:25:48
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Hey you know what, fuck Hüsker Dü. I'm listening to Rocket To Russia.
Denis
Obsidiana Bijoux |
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trobrianders
> Teenager of the Year <
Papua New Guinea
3302 Posts |
Posted - 12/19/2012 : 02:30:28
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quote:
Originally posted by vilainde
I started with Everything Falls Apart and loved it immediately.
Denis
Obsidiana Bijoux
Yeah it is immediately loveable but I left it a bit late. Now it sounds like idiot oblivion for nice dads with a few drinks down them. No bad thing, especially at christmas time.
Also it reminded me to play Dio, the song BM did with Kristin Hersh. I'm glad she chose to do Hüsker Dü inspired music with 50 Foot Wave. I love that sound.
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Ed is the hoo hoo |
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Arm Arm Arm
* Dog in the Sand *
1036 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2012 : 17:20:08
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What stands out from Everything is that real long song. The first time I listened to this album, maybe six years ago when I discovered it, unlistened to, in a stack of cd's, I laid on the couch, in the dark and let the album play and then, this one song just went on and on and on. I enjoyed it, that song anyway.
Have to find my copy of Zen Arcade. I really love that part towards the end of the solo in Turn On The News, where they groove for a bit and the song builds back up again. |
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The Maharal
= Cult of Ray =
996 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2012 : 05:02:09
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| Statues? I forgot about that song, it's great. There's a cool cover of Sunshine Superman too |
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Topic |
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bob mould - life and times
