Workbook - Bob Mould (1989)

Quality or nostalgia: was younger me onto something, or just on something?

After Husker Du (O_o) flamed out, Bob Mould (o_O) gathered his wits and put together a statement of purpose that would end up being one of his most enduring. A record of mostly-acoustic tunes that tamed down his guitar work but emphasised his abilities as a songwriter and producer.

His band for this outing was Golden Palominos leader Anton Fier(o_O) on drums and Pere Ubu bassist Tony Maimone (joined on some tracks by rock n roll’s first chair cello, Jane Scarpantoni).

Mould has always fascinated me as a songwriter and I never think he gets enough credit for that. The songs are often structured without traditional chourses and verses, but you don’t really notice because he’s so good at laying out a story.

so is it quality or nostalgia?

It’s a classic. It would be nice if there were a more modern remaster, but Mould doesn’t have control of the masters anymore so it’s up to the whims of Virgin Records.

Tracks I Liked

Wishing Well - A staple of his solo shows ever since, this is a fantastically constructed track that leans hard into its foreboding tone

See A Little Light - if you don’t know Mould, you’ve probably still heard this one. A plaintive and upbeat invite.

Poison Years - He’s said several times that this was him processing his feeling about Grant Hart and the Husker Du breakup

Whichever Way The Wind Blows - I suspect that his two noise-loving bandmates had figured they’d be able to deal volume and then had to stay restrained for most of the session. This might have been a sop to them, cutting loose on a noisy, blaring track. The three would also make Mould’s second solo album, Black Sheets Of Rain, which is significantly noisier, so I may be wrong.