It's been a while, for sure -- Bob Mould - Patch the Sky (2016)

So I went on a long streak of posts quite a long time ago... and got burned out.  I didn't get burned out on music; I did get burned out on consuming it, and then spitting out content.  Half of the time I was going back and reading my own reviews to recall what I thought about albums, which was not ideal.

Therefore, I cut way back.  I went back and listened to old stuff, checked out some new stuff leisurely, and kept honing the latest and greatest of the $15 Songs CDs.

However, over the two years, two new (well, at the time, new) albums stuck with me... I played them over and over again for a good year.  

Because of that, I'm going to tell you about them.  They are from two of my favorite bands, and both are stellar additions to their catalogs.

The first is from Bob Mould (well, duh) and his 2016 album, Patch the Sky. (The other will be my next blog post.) 

As context, in 2012, Mould released Silver Age.  I wrote about it then, but here is the synopsis:  

In short, it's the most focused and consistent work Mould has done since 1993, and his best album since 1995.  It's great for longtime fans who've waited for the "next great Bob record" and for general rock fans who want something new to check out.

Now at the time, I believed I had gotten the last great Bob Mould album.  It's not like he's been producing crap all these years; he just plays at another level, and this hit that level.

Then, in 2014, he released Beauty and Ruin.  If Silver Age is a singles album, B&R is more a concept album from front to back.  And much to my shock:  I liked it as much or even better than Silver Age.  Reasons?  There were a few:  different verse structures than he typically uses, an elevated lyrical vocabulary, and nods to the past on almost every song (which I am more than happy to detail if anyone cares).  Every song points to his older work without ever repeating it.

The way he described the album was that it was created as a number of three-song "packets," moving from a brooding, dark beginning to a much shinier end.  And that works.

Song highlights from this album for me:  "Little Glass Pill," "I Don't Know You Anymore," and "The War."  But honestly, the whole album is great.

One thing that is a hallmark of Mould's albums are his fantastic opening and closing songs.  Now, "Low Season" (the opener) is my least favorite song on the album, but it serves a purpose for the "concept" part of the album to set the initial mood and tone.  As for closers, I count four in a row that easily could the final song:  "Fire in the City" (melodic poppy closer), "Tomorrow Morning" (punk closer), "Let the Beauty Be," (slower melodic, uplifting, introspective closer), and "Fix It" (pop punk closer, and the actual final song on the album).  All four are excellent songs, and any qualify under the high standard of his closing songs.  (So if you're keeping track, that's seven favorite songs on the album.)

I'd say more, but we still have to get to the album that I am actually reviewing.  Let's just call it "stellar" and move on.

In 2016, Mould announced that he had completed the third in the "trilogy" of albums with Patch the Sky.  Based on my reviews of the first two parts of the trilogy, you can imagine that I was pretty excited for this album.

Bob Mould -- "The End of Things" (live on Colbert) 

This album is as close to a "dirge" as we have seen from Mould since 1990's Black Sheets of Rain.  It's a beautiful poppy slog.  Perhaps not coincidentally, Patch the Sky hits on a lot of the same emotional themes of BSOR:  love and loss, wistfulness and sentiment.  But above all, it definitely has the biggest political slant of any album since BSOR.  

Once again, great songs abound here, but my favorites are "The End of Things," "You Say You," "Black Confetti," and (last song on the album, of course) "Monument," the latter of which is the only song on all three albums clocking in at over five minutes (5:31).  "Daddy's Favorite" also really opened up to me on the headphones listen.  But there isn't a bad one in the pack.

Bob Mould -- "You Say You" (live in London 10/12/16) 

Mould's willingness to break structure and his typical tendencies on a song like "Losing Sleep" -- and, more importantly, to pull it off successfully -- shows that he is completely on top of his game, and has created a production environment to smoothly execute an experiment like this without any clumsiness.  And, despite being such a departure from the rest of the album, the song also somehow fits easily into the musical structure of the album in a way I can't quite explain... except that it just does.  

So is it great?  It is.  In the end, Patch the Sky is a perfect compliment to the other two albums, being both in the same vein and yet completely different.  Intellectually it works too:  coherently addressing love, politics, insecurities, and religion, in a way the other ones don't quite do.

Now to the bigger question:  which is my favorite of the three?  Most of the time it's Beauty & Ruin, but some days it's Patch the Sky.  And even on occasion it still is Silver Age.  In the end... this is not a bad dilemma to have.  

Bottom line:  this is Mould's best multi-album stretch since he followed up his first two solo albums (Workbook and BSOR) with his first album and EP with Sugar (Copper Blue and Beaster).  Yes, these albums are not quite at that level, but recognize a huge compliment when I give one:  damn if this is not a return to form.  I recommend you go out and check all three yourselves.

CD Placement Rating: clearly all three belong in the Car iPod.  Just awesome.

- Snilch

2014 Reissues

I didn't pick up a ton of re-issues in 2014, but the three I did pick were of some all-time classics. We'll be using the "The Compilation Ripoff Index," which is described in further detail here. As an aside, these three albums are among my all-time favorites ever.

* Aztec Camera - High Land Hard Rain  (original album released in 1983 - 2 CDs). As indicated here, Roddy Frame's story is a cautionary tale: a brilliant debut can be a precursor of things to come, or the yoke around one's neck. I mean, the first song on his first album is "Oblivious." How can you ever top that?

Aztec Camera - "Oblivious"

If you don't know this album, don't take this the wrong way, but you are an idiot. 

The remastering on the original album is clean and unobtrusive, and worth it for any fans. I heard things I never noticed before, and it was great to listen to the album again with the higher values in production. So many standouts - "Pillar to Post," "Release," "Lost Outside the Tunnel".... The bonus disc contains 16 tracks, five of which are previously unreleased and two of which were fanclub-only tracks. It's nice to have all of these b-sides and extras in one place, and once again is totally worth getting. The 7" and 12" versions of "Walk Out to Winter" and the BBC Kid Jensen version of "Release" are worth the price of admission by themselves.
Compilation rating: Very high. High marks for the casual fan, low marks as a ripoff since it's a great album on its own. Everyone wins.

* Bob Mould - Workbook (original album released in 1989 - 2 CDs). Let's step back in time to 1989. Punk/rock underground legends Hϋsker Dϋ had broken up two years prior, and ex-bandmate Grant Hart had already released an EP. So when Mould released an album that
was primarily acoustic and had cello on it... well, let's just say the old guard was not impressed.  After 25 years, however, it's pretty clear in retrospect that the whole venture was brilliant. (It was pretty clear in the first couple of years as well, but some fans never forgave him for this album.) 

Bob Mould - "See a Little Light"

If you don't know this album, don't take this the wrong way, but you are an idiot.

In the good headphones, I'm hearing the same album I've always heard. Very solid on CD, but nothing earth-shattering moving this up a level or anything. The liner notes (which include a synopsis by Michael Azerrad, the original Rolling Stone review, and a piece by Ryan Adams) are great, and really add to the experience of revisiting the album. And it is truly a brilliant album: "See a Little Light," "Wishing Well," and "Poison Years" are worth the price of admission alone. But the album lacks a single subpar song. The worst song on the album is great.

The bonus disc, a 1989 live show from the Cabaret Metro in Chicago which has been released in dribs and drabs, sounds stunning and is worth it for long-time fans. While fans hoped for original demos, this is a surprisingly clean and ageless recording. A great add-on for anyone.

Compilation rating: High. High marks for the casual fan, low to medium marks as a ripoff since the remastering does not make the album more listenable. In any case, if you don't own it, go get it. Idiot.


* Slint - Spiderland (original album released in 1991 - 2 CDs). Originally released in 1991 and largely ignored, this is just an unbelievable exercise in tempo and volume. I don't know what it's classified as and I frankly couldn't care less. It's a mix that shouldn't work -- it's like finding out your desert property has somehow sprouted prize-winning orchids, which are sprouting on top of an unknown gold mine. It's quiet, it's loud, it's plaintive, it's fierce, it's slow, it's fast, it's spoken, it's sung -- I'm not sure where this purple unicorn sprouted from, and I'm guessing they didn't either.

Slint - "Breadcrumb Trail"

If you don't know this album, don't take this the wrong way, but you are an idiot.

The remastering is great, making the nuances of the album crystal clear.

The extra DVD is a 93 minute Lance Briggs directed documentary on the band and on the making of Spiderland. My favorite moment had to be when Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi) indignantly relates a story about the band playing "Safety - Doorknob." (Anyone who spent any time around me or my friends at college know exactly how funny this is.) It's a great documentary and definitely worth a watch by fans.

Compilation rating: High. High marks for the casual fan, low marks as a ripoff as the remastering really helps this. So go get it, idiot.

- Snilch

Twelve Songs I'm Constantly Listening to These Days

So I've been a bit busy with work these days.  Primarily I've been going back into my Portable CD case and listening to all of those albums I've reviewed but haven't had time to listen to further.  It's not like I have drafts of 11 reviews I just don't have time to get around to.  That would just be silly.

Another setback with reviews is a purely technical issue.  Simply put:  I can't get any of my reviews off the device I recorded them on, except to re-do them all by hand.  Very annoying.  If any of you have experience with this particular issue, I would really appreciate any support you could offer.  It's called the "Portable Analog Pulp Enhanced Rewriteable" device ("Paper" for short).  I can't even find an interface on this sucker for the life of me, and my penmanship is TERRIBLE.  Perfect storm.

In and around the Portable CD listening, there are a few songs that have caught my attention and grabbed hold.  Here they are (as always) in alphabetical list form:

1. The Beatings - "Other Side" (2002) -- I could not find a clip for this one.  But let me tell you, it is GOOD.  Also, I think this is NOT the Boston group The Beatings, as I could not find this song on their website.  If anyone knows more, please comment below or email me.

2. Beulah - "Sunday Under Glass" (1999).  Purty.

3. Black Breath - "Murder" (2008).  For Bubba and Scott K. mainly. Enjoy the screaming!

4. Devo - "Post-Post-Modern Man" (1990).  This one was sparked by Ben and Robyn's marital music issues.  Good times.

5. Gang of Four - "I Love a Man in Uniform" (2005).  This is the Return the Gift version, which begs the question as to why they did not record the original this way.  Awesome.

  

6. Gem - "Only a Loan" (1995).  Rawk.

7. Joy Division - "Digital" (1979).  So I'm a little late to the entire Joy Division catalog (despite Yves and Scott B. pushing me in that direction with various albums to listen to). Don't look at me like that.  

8. The Kills - "Future Starts Slow" (2011).  Once every few years, I hear a song on a television show that makes me immediately run to iTunes.  So thank you to Person of Interest for this one.  Now get rid of Shah and get on with it.

9. Lush - "Light from a Dead Star" (1994).  Haunting.

10. North Atlantic Oscillation - "One Good Reason" (2012).  This is a Bob Mould cover, and if you didn't think there was going to be at least one Bob Mould-related item in this list, you have not been paying attention.  (And for the record, Bob Mould is Bob Mould.)  

11. Andy Taylor - "When the Rain Comes Down" (1986).  Miami Vice meets Duran Duran, yo.  In 1987, I bought Andy Taylor's solo album Thunder on cassette, think that "Thunder" was the meteorlogical hit that I was into.  Wrong.  Of course, it only took me 25 years to realize this song was the soundtrack-only cut I loved at the time.  Who the hell releases two rain-related songs in two years?  Asshole.

12. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - "Under the Hedge" (2001). The song actually ends at 3:15.  But it is the best thing I have ever heard them do, and probably where I start and stop with this band.  (Sorry, Denis.)

- Snilch

On the Seventh Day... Bob Mould (Silver Age)

Fresh off his autobiography being published, Bob Mould announced that he would be touring in 2012 for the 20th anniversary of Sugar's Copper Blue by playing the album in its entirety. As an aside, he also indicated that he'd be including selections from his new album, Silver Age.

It's a typical rock move:  there are countless examples of groups where the fans stand up and scream for the classics, then sit on their hands for the new material that just can't hold its weight in comparison to past brilliance.

Copper Blue rightfully got the star billing, but in this case Silver Age is no haphazard add-on to the proceedings:  it's the best album Mould has made since Sugar.  Granted, standout tracks like "The Descent," "Fugue State," and "Keep Believing" are not quite all-time greats from Mould -- he's got a ridiculously consistent history of producing top-notch songs on every album he's ever done -- but the second tier of "Star Machine," "Silver Age," and "First Time Joy" are no slouches either; I've just named six of the ten tracks as excellent or better.  As for the rest, there are no duds here: from front to back it's very good to great.

What also makes this stand apart from, say, District Line and Life and Times is the production.  It's so nice to hear Mould back in a real studio for the first time in 14 years.  The mix makes a HUGE difference, as does the remarked less reliance on auto-tuning.  The "Splenda" lineup (get it?  as opposed to "Sugar?") of Jon Wurster (Superchunk, The Mountain Goats, Spl:t S:ngle) and longtime bandmate Jason Narducy (Verbow, Rockets Over Sweden, Spl:t S:ngle) is just rock solid.  The whole recording has a very live/spontaneous feel to it, as if Mould showed up to the studio and had them learn the songs on the spot.  (And perhaps this is exactly what happened.)

In short, it's the most focused and consistent work Mould has done since 1993, and his best album since 1995.  It's great for longtime fans who've waited for the "next great Bob record" and for general rock fans who want something new to check out.

CD Placement Rating:  Car CD Changer.


- Snilch

What You Would Have Been Listening to in 1992 If You Were at College in the Northeast and Attended One of Our Parties, Including a Mention of Every Roommate I Had at That Fine Institution of Higher Learning

I have no shame.

So let's go in order of roommates from freshman to senior year, and reminisce: 

• Jimbo:  Guns 'N Roses - "Sweet Child O' Mine."  Jimbo was a man of planning and action:  he came in with a plan to play Appetite for Destruction at least once, in is entirety, every day our freshman year.   He succeeded.  "Cause worry's a waste of my --- time."  (Per Mr. Brownstone.)

• Mac:  Ziggy Marley - "Tomorrow People."  Sean showed up at school with two music cassettes -- Ziggy Marley and 10,000 Maniacs -- and a Betamax VCR, with a Pete Townsend concert and 2/3 of Trading Places.  (We found out the latter the hard way.)  If you've never heard Mac crooning "Tomorrow Pee-pal" (Ziggy) or "Shiver in Me Bones Just Tinking About the Weathah" (10,000 Maniacs), then you've missed some serious 6'5" Milton (MA) Irish soul.

• Paco:  LL Cool J - "Mama Said Knock You Out."  Paco was into a lot of current rap and hiphop at the time, which helped make the rest of us look a lot more well rounded than our Journey, Night Ranger, and Bon Jovi music collection might imply.  He also had the audacity to buy a glass table for our dorm room, which we somehow managed not to break until we tried to move it into storage at the end of the year.  Don't call it a comeback!

• Jay:  Sinead O'Connor - "Nothing Compares 2 U."  Jay had the best stereo I had ever seen, which I got to try out prior to living with him when a party was thrown on his floor my sophomore year.  For some reason, most of the partygoers decided to hang outside the dorm; Bubba and I took the far more practical route of standing next to the keg and controlling the music.  This was the hot song at the time and sounded great blasting through Jay's stereo.  Classic night and a classic song.

• Bean:  Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Suck My Kiss."  Ben's musical tastes started freshman year with  Eric Clapton and The Grateful Dead; by senior year it had evolved into Lenny Kravitz and The Red Hot Chili Peppers.  When freshmen stole Ben's hamsters, he figured out their voicemail password and horrified their parents; I think this song was playing in the background, but that could be a total lie.  The final takeaway:  partially thanks to said freshman parental horror, the hamsters were swiftly returned, and some of you learned a valuable life lesson:  don't mess with seniors.  This still puts me right back in my dorm room senior year.

• Bubba:  Anthrax - "Bring the Noise."  This was a toss up between Anthrax, Nirvana, L.A. Guns, and the Go-Go's.  If you know Bubba, you'll realize I'm not kidding.  We used to slamdance to this tune in our dorm room.  (But it was really cool, I assure you.  Not dorky at all.)  Our part of the dorm was torn down two years later due to "irreparable structural damage.  Probably a coincidence.

• BA:  Naughty by Nature - "O.P.P."  Besides being the object of adapted lyrics like "Ain't Gonna Hurt Brad's Mommy" or "I've Had Enough of Brad's Mom," BA turned his freshman obsession with Kool Moe Dee's "Go See the Doctor" into a senior year music infatuation with Naughty by Nature.  It's timeless.  Well, sort of.  Just don't ask him to dance to it.  

• TC:  The Police - "So Lonely."  Besides bringing "Safety/Doorknob" to school, Tim introduced us to the song we played at every party we ever threw.  Did it seem odd to see 10 guys chugging at a specific spot in a song that's all about loneliness?  Probably not.  Probably not.

• Salami, er, Snilch:  Bob Mould - "It's Too Late."  If you read any of my reviews, this should not be a surprise.  One of my favorite songs ever, and the one that really sparked my interest in finding great but obscure music.  And I still love it as much today as I did when it came out 21 years ago.

• Turner House:  Seal - "Crazy."  Our MWF schedule 2nd semester senior year staggered so that the five of ended up playing this album in its entirety five times a day.  We could not figure out why everyone else who lived near us hated this album, until we figured out that this was how our schedule has magically settled.  And that was in April.  A self-described mutant, Seal provided the soundtrack for our senior year.

Appearances have been altered to protect the innocent

How does this soundtrack hold up today?  Well, our focus group of three will find out this weekend.  Early odds will be that the songs will hold up just fine.  Our tolerance, on the other hand, is likely to be another matter entirely.

- Snilch

11 Songs I'm Playing Constantly These Days

In no particular order:

1. The Weakerthans – "The Reasons"
2. Scott Bishop – "The Start (Again)"
3. The Wrens – "Rest Your Head"
4. Ride – "Time of Her Time"
5. Ride - "Furthest Sense"
6. Idlewild – "Little Discourage"
7. All – "She’s My Ex"
8. The Shiela Divine – "Like a Criminal"
9. Manic Street Preachers – "Marlon J.D."
10. Bob Mould - "Paralyzed" (yes, still)
11. The Big Sleep - "Pinkies"

- Snilch

Three Nights, Three Shows

I used to get out and watch many more shows than I do now; age, responsibility, and the economy have curtailed that in the past few years.

Inevitably, every band I want to see comes to town in the same two week span. For example, this week I had to pass on Jay Reatard, The Beatings, and Grizzly Bear because of show conflicts, and work is probably going to rule out jumping down to New York to see The Black Watch in two weeks at CMJ (I am still holding out hope, though!).

The shows I did go to see were "must-see" shows. Lots of compatriots over the three days, although Scott was the only one brave enough to hit the trifecta with me (and he threw in a fourth show Thursday -- show-off). Let's start with Wednesday.

Bob Mould, The Paradise - Wednesday, October 7
I've seen Bob ten or fifteen times since 1995; this show was the noisiest of the bunch, and that's saying something. I've complained that Bob doesn't vary his setlist enough; he responded with a show that included six songs (by my count) he hasn't performed with a band in fifteen to twenty-five years. I counted only three missteps the whole night -- one new song and both songs of the encore -- but otherwise A to A+ stuff. Overall, this was more a noise and effort tour de force than a musical one, but in the best possible way. Bob was in a great mood, gave lots of energy to the crowd, and played his butt off. Hearing "Something I Learned Today," "In a Free Land," and "Poison Years" with this band was epic. Jon Wurster of Superchunk on drums: phenomenal technically and smiling the whole set. His positive energy was palpable, much like watching Matt and Kim. Jason Narducy of Verbow on bass, backup vocals, and the e-bow for "Sinners and Their Repentances": a pro all the way, a great compliment to Bob's vocals, and a luxury to have someone of that talent in this band. The (typically lethargic) Boston crowd: as enthused as I've ever seen at one of his shows; Bob really should have come out for a second encore, the crowd was really ready to stay all night. Lots of great energy being passed back and forth. I left with my ears ringing (despite wearing plugs) and I couldn't care less.
Merch rating: I bought a CD on the way out, and would have bought more if I didn't everything already. He's still the best.

The Manic Street Preachers, The Paradise - Thursday, October 8
The Manics' first show in Boston since 1992 (they didn't make it this way in 1995, canceled last minute in 1999, and haven't come to the U.S. since) also did not disappoint. Despite James Dean Bradfield complaining of a cold and this being the last night of the tour (which, for any band, is typically a toss-up between total brilliance and utter disaster), the Manics started strong and stayed strong. I was surprised how few songs I knew; the new songs sounded great. They started with "Motorcycle Emptiness," which seemed to go on for ten minutes; they could have continued for another thirty. They were ferocious, they gave everything they had, and the crowd responded in kind. A great show.
Merch rating: The merch table was pretty empty, as these are the final pickings of the tour, but I would have bought a t-shirt or album if one had been there. I will definitely be picking up the new album and reviewing it.

Built to Spill, Middle East Downstairs - Friday, October 9
This was the first of three shows in Boston, supporting their new album (which I've seen very favorably reviewed but have not picked up yet). BTS has the potential for all-time great shows (I've seen them put on a few) and for pretty average shows (I've seen them put on a few), as well as anywhere in between; but I've never seen them put on a bad show. Until last night, that is. We actually walked out 2/3 of the way through their set, and we weren't the only ones. Something was wrong with Doug Martsch's voice -- he was slurring his words and had some weird head motions throughout the show. I was happy to see him play some more of the leads (as he should) as opposed to old shows; he was giving it his all, but the rest of the band was very flat. When Scott and I agreed we'd prefer sleep to watching any more, that was it for us.
Merch rating: Technically, the merch rating for this show should be that "I'll turn my back on them," but I've got too much of a history with this band to not give them a second chance. I will pick up the new album, but not because of this odd mis-step by a great band.

- Snilch

Bob Mould - Life and Times (2009)

It's a pretty quick turnaround for another album by Bob Mould -- after all, District Line was released just last year. Prior to that, it's three years back to Body of Song, then three years back to Modulate, then four years back to The Last Dog and Pony Show. (Of course, if you count his album under the name Loudbomb or his collaboration with Rich Morel for Blowoff, that throws this math off. So we won't count either.)

This album shares much in common with District Line, which is also a departure from the last 15 years -- each album since the breakup of Sugar in 1995 has been a bit different from the last. As you may remember, District Line confounded me for quite awhile, but I basically couldn't put it away. And it still sits in my CD Changer -- er, visor. As for Life and Times, I can sum up the pro and con views fairly quickly:

Pro - This is a very solid album.
Con - This is a very solid album.

It's that type of cogent analysis that keeps you people coming back here.

There's a fine line between endorsement and damning with faint praise. The real issue here lies in Mould's body of work. From Hüsker Dü to solo to Sugar to solo again, I count 17 studio albums and an EP in 27 years; of those, I only count two I don't go back and listen to. And those two albums STILL have three absolutely great songs each, as well as being better than most of the music that came out that year. Not bad for your two "worst outings"; in reality, there's not a bad apple in the bunch. That's going to make any future album evaluation pretty damn tough -- and that's why some fans would equate a "very solid album" with "failure."

So how does L & T stack up? All the tracks are solid -- it's consistently good front to back, and grows on you over time. The first four tracks are solid, and "Wasted World" and "Spiraling Down" anchor the back half of the album. The only thing the album is missing is a truly great track like on his previous 17 -- but maybe I'm just not hearing it yet. In any case, I'd highly recommend it as a starting point to listening to his work, or for someone who is a longtime fan. It's really... well, it's very solid.

CD Placement Rating: Where the rubber meets the road -- this goes into the Car CD Changer. I'm sticking with that term for my rating; "CD Visor" doesn't have the same ring.

Merch Rating: I always buy Mould's CD's when they come out, so that isn't fair; I'd love to see him release some b-sides on a single or two which I'd buy. (This hasn't happened since 1996, so I'm not holding my breath here.) I'll buy whatever is at the show in October in Boston; at the last show I bought a numbered and signed print by a then-unknown Shepherd Fairey. That worked out pretty well.

- Snilch

Send To Phone

Wax Ecstatic

I'm not sure if you've heard... vinyl is back.

CD shoved past vinyl in the late 80's, relegating the survival of the format to audiophiles and DJ's; now, in what might be a "Rocky"-type comeback, vinyl may now be spelling the end of CD's.

Yes, that's right. Those same large black coasters that have existed in your domicile primarily as nostalgic references to a time gone by... are now potentially pushing their commercial successors out of business. For the first time in the last 20 years, sales of vinyl are going up significantly.

How is this possible?

This is how we got here: in the past ten years, people who wanted the flexibility of music in an electronic format have turned to mp3's, which has (for quite some time) been driving CD sales downward. As the convenience that CD's has offered has been supplanted by mp3's, the audiophile vinyl-only purists (living amongst us like recessive genes) have kept the format on life support, evangelizing that a CD could never match the richer sound quality of an album.

So now we've come to the tipping point, where audio purists are becoming a larger segment of the record/CD-buying public. Don't believe me? The next time you go into Newbury Comics, look at the vinyl section. It's growing.

But the proof is in the pudding. Having owned it for six months, it seemed like the right time to finally open the wrapper on the LP version of Bob Mould's Body of Song. I was shocked at how much fuller the sound was than on CD (the song "Paralyzed" in particular). So, a few weekends back, Scott, Bubba, and I got together to take a larger listen for ourselves. Cranking the stereo (with Mrs. Snilch Report wisely taking cover at the Jersey shore), we ended up finding that the music did sound at least as good, and often better, on LP than on CD. A few notables:

• Hüsker Dü - Warehouse: Songs and Stories. (1987) I always wondered how this band went from a small label to a major, yet saw the quality of its mastering plummet. Well, here is the answer: the CD mixes were crap, the vinyl mixes were great. I've been listening to "Could You Be the One?" for 20 years now, and swear it never sounded as good as when I heard it on record. The drums sound much less tinny, the guitar much more rounded and full -- it's almost as if the album was originally "digitally sanitized" for CD. The other Hüsker albums we sampled (Metal Circus, New Day Rising) were also better than their CD counterparts, but not as strikingly better as Warehouse was.
• The Dandy Warhols - The Dandy Warhols Come Down.(1997) This was a complete shock. I've always preferred their self-titled 1995 debut as an album front-to-back, and (confession time) I even made this CD a Sell-back Pile 1 victim. On vinyl, I was finally hearing the album as it should have been presented. It has a much fuller sound and a much better bass response than its CD counterpart, which is key to the their sound. My impression now? It's a totally dynamic album, probably CD (LP?) Car Changer worthy. I'm still in shock. I'm glad Scott brought this along, as it may have been the highlight of the day for me.
• Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out. (1997) This is, IMHO, S-K's tour de force in a great catalog of albums, and yet I felt like I was listening to it again for the first time on vinyl. There was great sound separation and a clear bass sound (despite the fact that they don't use a bass, but a guitar with bass pickups). You could really hear the Rubber Soul guitar sound come through very clearly on "Turn It On." A very enjoyable listen.

And I could go on and on.... In the end, our small sample size revealed the ultimate advantages of vinyl to the ear: a richer, more rounded guitar sound; better bass separation and response; and a more "forgiving" and warmer overall sound. I think it's like watching film versus video: there is something inherent in the medium that adds to the viewing/listening experience and the overall enjoyment. I've always maintained that film "emotes" to some extent; I think vinyl does the same from a sound perspective.

So I'm sold. Dig out your turntable, hook it up to your stereo, and listen for yourself. Of course, there is one drawback: great turntables haven't been in production for a number of years... I actually only have mine as a result of Sean's leaving for Portland back in the day. And even that is having some issues; I am hoping it's simply a result of not properly grounding it and thus causing my left channel to freak out. (As opposed to being an issue with my receiver, but I'm not sure how to test that precisely.) But when I get that fixed -- it's back to the vinyl. Again.

- Snilch

Bob Mould - District Line (2008)

So I have to admit -- even as a true Bob Mould nut, I was really worried even before I heard a note of this album. Let's examine the warning signs:

1. There was no real build-up for the album;
2. none of the songs had been played live for any length of time;
3. there were no b-sides or extras for the album; and
4. Bob's comments on the album were slightly cautious.

Now I could go on (for quite some length, actually) as to why this analysis was significant, but suffice it to say that this is basically the same formula that led to what I would consider to be Bob's worst album since he left Hüsker Dü, The Last Dog and Pony Show. (In Bob's defense, this album still had three gems -- "New #1," "Moving Trucks," and "Who Was Around?" -- and overall was better than 3/4 of the music I heard that year. The man just operates on a different level than other artists.)

As a music listener, I like to assimilate, judge, and organize. I'll listen to the album, form an opinion, and then decide how that album fits into my musical life. Sometimes one listen is all it takes; other times it'll take twenty. The process differs from album to album and listening format to listening format (as detailed here).

This one took one listen. My first thought: this was the worst album Bob had ever made. No doubt. My second thought: I should play this album again.

This went on for a number of listens: this album is no good... I should play it again.

I get a phone/iPod. Get it all set up, and am ready to load up music. The first album I think to put on it? District Line. What the hell is going on?

I can't figure it out, but I'm basically in the throes of what I'd call "Subconscious Listening," where part of your brain is insisting there's gold at the end of the rainbow, but can't tell you why; the other part of your brain wishes it would hurry the fuck up and get there already.

At this point, I'm listening to the album constantly. Bob's voice, which sounds underproduced at first, is clearly an affect: there's more of a raw quality here than some of his previous efforts, which makes the songs more personal and emotional. I've now gone from one good song to four great ones: "Stupid Now," "The Silence Between Us," "Very Temporary," and "Walls in Time" (the latter of which was left off the 1989 classic Worbook). On the first listen, I swore off "Again and Again"; now I'm not only listening to it but enjoying it. My first listen also completely underestimated the lyrical depth of the album.

Three things that can't be denied: Bob Mould is a great guitar player; Bob Mould is also an excellent bass player; and Brendan Canty (of Fugazi) is a great drummer. These factors can only help.

So my overall opinion of the album? Here it is: I'm playing it constantly. I'm not going to say it's great, and I'm not going to say you'll love it, but I am playing it all the time. And I think that's as good of an endorsement any album could ever get -- that's the whole point, right?

Before we get to the ratings, I also saw the man with his band (no Brendan Canty, unfortunately) Wednesday night at The Paradise in Boston. (Thanks to Margo Saulnier for the pic.)


I've never seen a crowd go that nuts at a Bob show before (more an indictment of Boston crowds than of Bob). During the Hüsker Dü classic "Divide and Conquer" the front was starting to turn into a 1-man mosh pit. (Another Margo pic.)


I'll always have favorites that won't make into Bob's setlists (he has been making albums for 27 years now, after all), so I'll save my grousing. I hadn't heard "Can't Help You Anymore" live since I saw Sugar in 1995, and "Moving Trucks" since TLDAPS tour of 1998; I don't think "Divide and Conquer" has been played since 1987, so you have to give credit to Bob for digging deep on this setlist. He only played 3 songs off the new album, one of which ("Miniature History") was one of the only two mis-steps in the whole show (a slowed-down "Circles" was the other). (Thanks to Paul Hilcoff for the pic.)


The show was a blur of sound, fury, and lots of smiles from Bob. Great crowd energy never hurts, but these guys were on top of it all night. They started strong with "The Act We Act," "A Good Idea," and "I Hate Alternative Rock," threw in an intense "Hanging Tree" in the middle, and rode Hüsker Dü ("I Apologize," "Celebrated Summer," "Chartered Trips," "Makes No Sense at All," etc.) and Sugar tunes all the way home. (Another shot from Paul.)


It was loud, it was intense, and it was fun. The energy was unbelievable and most everyone I saw walked out with big smiles. Thanks for a great evening, Bob. (One more shot from Paul.)


The final verdict?

CD Placement rating: I'm listening to this every hour. Definitely enjoyable. It goes into the CD changer, onto the iPod, and onto both the desktop and laptop. I may burn a 2nd copy to make sure I'm covered.

Merch rating: I own almost everything the man has ever recorded. So I went to the show and bought a t-shirt, the limited edition print, and the vinyl of his last album (2005's Body of Song.) And I would have bought another t-shirt for a friend if they had larger sizes (no 2-XL). Now that's a positive merch rating.

iTunes suggestions: "Stupid Now," "The Silence Between Us," "Very Temporary," and "Walls in Time."

-Snilch