Body Of Song

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Drei Jahre nach seinem experimentellen Album "Modulate" konzentriert sich Bob Mould wieder aufs Wesentliche. Der ehemalige Sänger und Songschreiber von Hüsker Dü - der vielleicht einflussreichsten amerikanischen Rockband der 1980er Jahre - knüpft auf "Body Of Song" sowohl an seine ersten Soloalben als auch an seine erfolgreiche Zeit mit Sugar an. Die semiakustischen Balladen "Days Of Rain", "High Fidelity" und "Gauze Of Friendship" erinnern an die schönsten Momente seines Solodebüts "Workbook" (1989), der Rest versprüht die Intensität, die Gradlinigkeit und den Pop-Appeal, mit denen Sugar ihre größten Erfolge feierten. Zwar hat sich Mould noch nicht vollständig von der Elektronik des Vorgängers "Modulate" abgewandt, doch hält er sich diesmal mit Vocodern eher zurück. Mit dem Blick zurück nach vorn entstand "Body Of Song" mit alten Weggefährten wie Brendan Canty (Fugazi), David Barbe (Sugar), Matt Hammon (Bob Mould Band) und Amy Domingues (Garland Of Hours.


In 1998, after the release of his album The Last Dog and Pony Show, Bob Mould announced he was hanging up his electric guitar and exploring other musical avenues outside of rock & roll. More than a few fans expressed some trepidation about Mould's career choice, and that buzz became a roar after Mould released Modulate in 2002, which found him diving head first into electronic music. At least in America, the vast majority of rock fans have not been able to come to terms with the rise of electronica, and regardless of the album's virtues or flaws, few listeners were willing to look past the hard, kinetic surfaces of the music and give the songs a fair hearing. It would appear this prejudice did not escape Mould's notice, as 2005's Body of Song was widely hyped as Mould's return to rock, complete with electric guitars and a live rhythm section. But a spin of the album suggests the album isn't so much a step back to the sound he pioneered in Hüsker Dü and Sugar as an attempt to have things both ways. (The fact that Mould spins regularly at a dance club in Washington, D.C., suggests he hasn't lost interest in electronic music as a creative form.) Many of the cuts on Body of Song sound as if Mould is still thinking club music, but is filtering it through the framework of a three-piece rock band; "(Shine Your) Light Love Hope," "Always Tomorrow," and "I Am Vision, I Am Sound" are dominated by echoed textures, lockstep rhythms, and vocoder-processed vocals that wouldn't be out of place on a house track, but with a live drummer (Brendan Canty from Fugazi on most tracks, who is predictably excellent) and Mould adding a layer of guitar over the top. And while Mould frequently bellows his lyrics with an approximation of the fury of his best-known work, most of the songs on Body of Song deal with deeply problematic relationships and on paper speak more of sorrow, confusion, and misplaced hope than the rage suggested by the bitter wailing he uses to bring them across. Body of Song ultimately feels more like an attempt by Mould to please both his audience and himself than a coherent and confident effort; while it's hardly a failure, it lacks the courage of the admittedly flawed Modulate while falling short of the power of his masterpieces with Sugar and Hüsker Dü, existing in a strange middle ground that doesn't do this talented artist many favors, though there's enough emotional resonance in quieter tunes such as "High Fidelity" and "Gauze of Friendship" to remind you he still has plenty to offer when he knows where he's going.
- All Music Guide (www.allmusic.com)

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Body Of Song
MOULD, BOB
Body Of Song
CD
COOK 337
€ 15.50*
-


1. Circles
2. (Shine Your) Light Love Hope
3. Paralyzed
4. I Am Vision, I Am Sound
5. Underneath Days
6. Always Tomorrow
7. Days of Rain
8. Best Thing
9. High Fidelity
10. Missing You
11. Gauze of Friendship
12. Beating Heart the Prize