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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Return we must", February 6, 2008
Bookended between two exceptional tracks ("Stupid Now" and the years' old / finally recorded "Walls in Time"), the bulk of Bob Mould's DISTRICT LINE is -- like the man himself -- honest, artful, and, for those of us who have followed his career since the beginning, subtle in its complexity.
On the heels of BODY OF SONG (arguably he's strongest collection of songs since WORKBOOK), DISTRICT LINE shows a Bob who is finally comfortable with the many aspects of himself that once seemed in conflict. Searing guitar riffs layer more organically over electronic blips and beeps. Acoustic guitar lead-ins find good company and solid grounding in Brendan Canty's drums. Even the cello returns! And keyboards fill in the empty spaces while a pop-sensibility sits side by side with some serious introspection.
Is it old ground? Certainly. But for the first time (BODY OF SONG included), Bob sounds satisfied with it all. Comfortable. Dare I say "happy"?
Some songs miss the mark in mix-down. Vocals seem lost in the otherwise rocking "Return to Dust" and "Shelter Me" throws everything but the kitchen sink into the mix. Perhaps the biggest disappointment? "Walls in Time" -- a song of such intensity and beauty that, when played live, has literally brought me to tears -- is a solid arrangement but lacks the vocal potency that Bob has shown countless times in concert (compare to some bootlegs out there and hear how these lyrics can truly move you). Still, the strength of tracks like "Silence Between Us" and the aforementioned "Stupid Now" more than makes DISTRICT LINE a keeper.
The familiar themes of lost love, missed opportunities, and the spaces between us are all there.
When, on "Again and Again," we hear "I'm OK, I've been OK, I'll stay OK," it seems we're privy to more than a lover's declaration of self-worth, but a statement of where the artist is at this time in his life. And while new listeners may find it hard to jump on the Bobwagon with this one, fans will find the journey continues for this open, honest artist that we have seen grow from an angry punk into a mature songwriter of considerable depth and talent.
Before I end, I wanted to say that I had the pleasure of meeting Bob during a DVD screening / show / signing for CIRCLE OF FRIENDS in Philly. He probably just thought I was another awkward bald fan who tried desperately to verbalize his music's importance in my life and, well, frankly, failed. And he would be right. I hope that, in some small way, my little review for amazon customers can make up for that awkward moment and maybe sell a few more CDs. It's the least I can do for a guy who has contributed to the soundtrack of many lives, like mine.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty good (really 3.5 stars), March 6, 2008
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This is a good cd. Not great, not spectacular, but good.
I know Bob Mould's considered a great influence on much of the 90s music. However, so many years later, even if he was considered groundbreaking 20 years ago, this cd isn't terribly innovative. I am not sure that the songs will grow on me and that I'll listen to them too often. The first two songs (Stupid Now and Who Needs to Dream) were, I thought, fairly forgettable. I did like Again and Again and Old Highs and Lows. I definitely liked the beginning of Return to Dust (nice guitar work), but the songs and musicianship do not sound like anything different than what I've heard a million other times from so many other musicians. At the risk of being horribly criticized by Bob Mould fans, the album reminds me of a Toad the Wet Sprocket cd. And, I actually liked them in the early 90s-- I think their first album came out about the same time as Workbook, actually. But, I just don't find this great.
As for the techno sounds of Shelter Me-- I didn't mind it. It's a driving beat that doesn't distract from the vocals. But, again, the song is just a bit above average. . . it wouldn't have been better without the electronica.
Miniature Parade is definitely a good song. Nice melody, catchy lyric, good hooks.
Walls in Time- great guitars, but the song goes nowhere.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
New Day Rising, September 20, 2008
A happier Bob Mould? He sure sounds comfortable in his current groove. Whereas his solo career has previously been marked by blatant pendulum swings between two polar opposites---indie rock and heavily-vocoded dance electronica---lately Mould has struck a cozy balance between the two. Modulate era fans will lap up "Shelter Me" while the traditionalists rally behind "Stupid Now," the hardest rocking tune on District Line outside of the blistering guitar and pond-skipping blip-blop synth duet of "The Silence Between Us." A (slightly overlong at over six minutes) acoustical outtake from Mould's Workbook closes the disc.
Even "Shelter Me" is accessible to those with an open mind. Dizzying, shimmery pad swells and android drumming sweep Mould's vocals along; any frugal plucks of guitar serve only as subtle accentuation, but the track is still far more organic, open and free-flowing than other dance club hitmongers like, say, Fatboy Slim or The Prodigy, summing up in a single track the direction which Mould seems intent upon steering his musical output.
While groovy all the same, the more "rock" moments on District Line tend toward an easy-going, midtempo head-bob the likes of "Very Temporary" and its simple vocal hook. Paired with some debatably awful lyricism for a musician of his history ("Just to please you, I'd blow my brains out, this is it/ Cut my heart out with a razor now"), it's easy to say that Mould is coasting on the waves he used to make. Given the wide appeal and success of Hüsker Dü, a band Mould consistently derides as contributing to some of the worst times of his life, it's also easy to see why. Still, "midtempo" is a word that never should have to be used to describe the musical output of someone who played guitar for the Hüskers.
District Line is a slam dunk in at least one sense: front to back, it's a great pop album which openly wields production and electronic garnish as worthwhile techniques, without allowing complete obliteration of the rock analog underneath. The edge and breakneck pace of Hüsker Dü have dulled and slowed, but Mould certainly isn't capable of writing a terrible song. He's just happier and easier-going now, and that's not necessarily a great thing if your fans happen to be agitated punks who still crave Sugar. Punks who can put down all expectations will grow comfortably old with Bob.
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