Customer Reviews

Life and Times

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As with virtually all of Bob Mould's releases, I love some songs, I like some others and don't feel strongly for one or two. Overall, Life and Times is a solid release. Bob draws on his punk past, his dance DJ present, digs deep emotionally on wrenching songs like Bad Blood Letter, and throws some pop bones to his fans with the title track and I'm Sorry Baby.... Rolling Stone gave this a so-so review but I find a whole lot to like about Life and Times. Bob's the real deal. I have a long history with him and you (well, at least I) can tell that he pours a lot of himself into his music. That's all I need from a gifted musician. I'm psyched! Bob's got a new album out!

As an avid fan of almost everything Bob has done musically (come on, do you really listen to Modulate?), I followed most of the publicity prior to the release of this album, which Bob himself described as a return to his Workbook era, some 20 years ago. After the disappointment of District Line (which had only a few moments of brilliance and a many moments of mediocrity), I cautiously previewed the songs for Life and Times and was impressed enough to shell out my cash for this latest installment of Bob's impressive career.

This album is a big improvement over the aforementioned District Line - the electronics are less prominent in the mix (which Bob should ideally reserve for Blowoff) and the addition of Jon Wurster of Superchunk behind the kit has added to the sound. Bob seems re-energized by the simplicity of the songs and the production has been stripped down to fewer elements when held up against all his previous 00's releases. The bleeps and electronica soundscapes are no longer at the forefront as they were on District Line and Body of Song, and are almost completely replaced with passionate and honest performances which add to the strength of this superior collection of songwriting.

Life and Times is a 'give the people what they want' effort; the vast majority of Bob Mould die-hards want to hear compelling guitars and gritty vocals, not 'techno'! Any comparisons between Workbook would be unfair given the fact that Workbook is the greatest monument of his solo career thus far; if you are looking for Workbook 2, then you won't find it here. Life and Times would rate as his strongest collection of songs since his self-titled album from 1996. Key tracks include the opener 'Life and Times' (which, of all the tracks, would actually have fit perfectly on Workbook), 'The Breach', 'Spiraling Down' and the single 'I'm Sorry Baby...'. These four tracks alone warrant any fan of Bob Mould purchasing this strong album. This is not quite Workbook, but defintely in the upper half of his solid resume.

I have been listening to Bob Mould since before people told me to purchase Husker Du because I was listening to too much of Sugar.

This is Bob Mould's best and most well-rounded solo album since his
1996 solo LP "Bob Mould".

"Life and Times" is a very focused record, and has more in common with
"Modulate" and his work in the trio Sugar than his latest LPs.

If "Bob Mould," "The Last Dog and Pony Show," "District Line," "Modulate,"
and "Black Sheets of Rain" are your least favorite albums by Mould, then
you won't really find anything to like here.

However, if you particularly enjoy his electronic meanderings and his
singluarly authentic 'voice' on lead guitar, then you are in for a treat
with "Life and Times".

Although it is impossible for Mould to top his work with Sugar or
his solo masterpiece "Workbook," this is as good as he's ever sounded.

I admit I prejudged this release. I saw the Rolling Stone review and then put off purchasing. But after hearing Life and Times I had to post a positive review. C'mon people, let's get that Amazon star rating up! Life and Times is Bob Mould doing what he does best. Amazing songwriting, stunning musicianship, beautifully sequenced. Truly sounds great as an album, not a collection of songs. Rocks hard when it needs to, acoustic here and there, inventive solos, and some experimental stuff at the end. Take that Rolling Stone!

I grew up on the Huskers and Workbook and have everything since, but I have to say this is Bob's best solo record since Workbook. The tunes are insightful and packed with energy. He's more consistent on this album than any since Sugar - Copper Blue. This will not disappoint long time fans. Turn the volume way up!

Three and a half stars, actually. I am a big fan and find a lot to like here, but somehow this one, while boasting some terrific songs, lacks cohesion, a propulsion, and the dynamic pop and sparkle of his previous work.

The first eight songs, taken individually, are great. They are familiar, yet new, and exhibit all that we love about Bob Mould's work. But in the context of an album (if that is even considered anymore) the songs seem just pieces stuck together, none really taking charge and ripping your heart out. And the album just sort of disappears with the flat last two cuts.

Even the album cover seems to lack a point of view: three interesting sections of weathered, paneled wood, none really drawing your attention, and as a whole not all that challenging or dynamic. More of a survey of weathered wood, like the album, a survey of songs.

Another great record from Bob Mould, one of the best artists out there. If you're a fan of Bob, buy this, it won't disappoint. Love the title track, "Life and Times". It definitely grows on you, as his two latest albums have done with me. I didn't know what to think of District Line at first, but have come to appreciate it more and more. Life and Times is another that takes a few listens to let the music sink in and appreciate.

I'm actually a fan of Bob's harder guitar tracks from Black Sheets of Rain, yet I still enjoyed this album quite a lot. It does have some Sugar-like songs, if you're familiar with those. While not as strong as Body of Song as far as recent releases go, it's still a worthy Bob Mould album to have in the collection.

If you liked District Line, you will like Life and Times. It is not as solid as District Line, but it is cut from a similar cloth. It took me awhile to get into this CD (whereas I immediately liked Modulate and Body of Song), but it took quite a few listens to appreciate the beauty of District Line which is now my favorite Bob Mould album. The title track and "The Breach" are the best songs, but there is nothing really weak here, there is just not as many 5-star tracks on here as on District Line, but it is still a very enjoyable CD. Whereas the lyrics to District Line were powerful, the lyrics to Life and Times are more raw and revealing. It is 36 minutes long with foldout booklet with lyrics and a couple photos of a bearded, bespectacled Mould who looks like he's lost some weight and hit the gym.

"Life And Times"--Beautiful opening acoustic. Gentle beginning verses that opens up at the first chorus and then continues. Lyrically, seems very personal and vulnerable: "You're complicating things by being here / I wasn't planning on this / but somehow you're getting into my thoughts / that piece of my heart I protect."
"The Breach"--Nice, kickback track. Very pleasant and catchy from the first note. I like the tune at "I know Superman couldn't stop the rain from finding its way in." It's a hum-along-to kind of song. The little addition of keyboards is a nice touch, too.
"City Lights (Days Go By)"--The overall sound of this is like a casual drive down the Interstate. It is another catchy number.
"MM 17"--Now this is a catchy rocker. The distorted keyboard sound (I'm not sure the technical term) keeps the tempo going.
"Argos"--There is some crazy imagery in this track which goes with the frantic tempo. "Hang out by the fruit machine / right next to the bathroom / skinhead muscle polo red / cruising with a passion," "Lead me to the Sanifair / Reach into my underwear / Damrock leads to Rokin / Everyone is smoking." Are these images from DJ Mould's Blowoff parties? It is my least favorite track on the CD, but it is only 2 minutes long.

"Bad Blood Better"--I like the sombre cello opening (sounds like a cello or violin, anyway). Tough relationship song like "Again and Again" off District Line. "You deny that there's a problem / you left your handprint on my face," "used me up without permission / the taste of last night's s*x in my mouth" (yikes). The character in "Again and Again" takes action by taking his own life, this character takes less extreme action, "making my escape as quiet as I can, I'm leaving you now," but also seems to have settled for what he's got: "something tells me it ain't changing."
"Wasted World"--Another, lyrically, powerful track: "All those years of computer screen my friends died of the same disease."
"Spiraling Down"--Upbeat, memorable song.
"I'm Sorry Baby, But You Can't Stand In My Light Anymore"--What is this, a Morrisey song? He used to have long titles like that. A sad, lonely song: "you're moving back to the shadows / I can't fight you anymore," but pleasant musically.
"Lifetime"--The CD ends on a dark, plodding track with melancholy lyrics: "and the second refrain gets lost in the rain / but that's the magic and mystery...that's the lifetime we have."

Bob Mould's been many things in his 30 year career: a punk, an introspective solo artist, a grunge-pop master, and an electronica maven/DJ. However, throughout his career, his songs are always at the forefront, no matter how they're arranged, played with feeling. The man who was 33% of Husker Du, the leader of Sugar, and bold enough to make his self-titled album the third in his solo career, is back in introspective mode with this new disc.

His latest effort, Life and Times, is, in a nutshell, his singer-songwriter album. Wait, you say--didn't he do that with his solo debut Workbook? Well, yes, he did. But it's not the same. Workbook was a collection of fantastic songs that didn't fit into the Husker Du mold, and this is more of a relationship/personal album, the occasional electric guitar wall of sound notwithstanding.

The songs here are uniformly well done, with Mould's memorable lyrics, singing, and playing. "Wasted World" is a standout, as are the title track and "City Lights." The problem with this album is that there are no songs that stand out, that the listener will walk away thinking about. There are no pop nuggets like "See a Little Light" or "Gee Angel." There are no screamers (though "Spiraling Down" comes close); no slow-burn howls of anguish like "Roll Over and Die."

Mould takes the time to actually sing all of the songs on this album, and that's sometimes a bad thing. Some songs like "I'm Sorry Baby, But You Can't Stand In My Light Anymore" and "Wasted World" would benefit from a lack of vocal restraint, from Mould's trademark shouts and howls.

Don't get me wrong--I like this album a lot, and it's a very good singer-songwriter record. But in restraining his passion, Mould limits the emotional impact this could have had.

It's very good. I wish it was excellent.

Read most of the reviews...but finally decided that I liked everything Bob Mould had ever been involved with, so I was probably going to be okay with "Life and Times". It's a good purchase. I hope Bob finds his soulmate someday, would like to hear him sing about the good stuff.