Album review: BOB MOULD – Reissues
Edsel Records [Release date 25.05.15]
Ex-Hüsker Dü guitarist Bob Mould’s debut solo album Workbook 25 (1989) and the follow up Black Sheets Of Rain (1990) get the ’25th anniversary’ treatment courtesy of Edsel Records.
Workbook gets a bonus track (‘All Those People Know’, a single B-side) plus a second CD containing a complete 1989 performance recorded two weeks after the album release, while Black Sheets Of Rain has long been unavailable on CD.
I have to confess to knowing little of Bob Mould, Hüsker Dü, or his subsequent band Sugar. But the general wisdom seems to be that he’s something of a Neil Young character – equally at home with acoustic or grunge and, in Workbook, laying the template for R.E.M.’s Automatic For The People (1992) and Nirvana’s In Utero (1993).
After Hüsker Dü split in 1988, and having quit the drink and drugs, Mould signed with Virgin and came up with the unexpected – an album the antithesis of his trademark wall-of-noise guitar sound – an album of thoughtful, atmospheric material featuring clean guitar lines and cellos. It reached # 127 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the single “See a Little Light” fared reasonably well.
It wasn’t a move to last long though, Black Sheets of Rain returning to his denser and more tormented sound that paved the way for the grunge generation of Nirvana, Soundgarden, and the like.
Personally, I’ve never been a fan of grunge, but it has to be said that both albums have stood the test of time remarkably well, the re-mastered Workbook, in particular sounding fresh and invigorated 25 years down the line.
Think R.E.M. meets Dave Grohl and you’re not going to be very wide of the mark. It’s easy, with hindsight, to see the influence these records have had and for those with a liking for the genre they’re well worth exploring. Workbook 25 **** / Black Sheets Of Rain ***
Review by Pete Whalley
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
Next session: Sunday 19 January
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024
In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections
Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections