Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Workbook

 
Album Review: Workbook

  • Artist: Bob Mould
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1989 04
  • Total Time: 52:11
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Arriving after years of sonic bombast in Hüsker Dü, the reflective, acoustic nature of Bob Mould's first solo album, Workbook, was a bold statement of renewal. Like all of Mould's work, it's an intensely introspective record, finding him purging demons left over from the dissolution of Hüsker Dü. Instead of relying on raging guitars, Mould explores a wide variety of styles, from pure pop ("See a Little Light") to reflective folk laced with cellos. It's an astonishing array of styles, and the songs are among Mould's finest. For many observers, the record established him as a major songwriter, but it also established a way for underground post-punk artists to mature -- echoes of Workbook could be heard throughout the '90s, from R.E.M.'s elegiac Automatic for the People to Nirvana's use of cellos on In Utero and Unplugged. But Workbook remains a stunning work of individuality, marrying a distinctive body of songs with an original musical vision. Occasionally, the production is a little too pristine, but the power of the songs cannot be diminished. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Sunspots Bob Mould Bob Mould (2:04)
Wishing Well (Lyrics) Bob Mould Bob Mould (5:13)
Heartbreak a Stranger (Lyrics) Bob Mould Bob Mould (5:52)
See a Little Light (Lyrics) Bob Mould Bob Mould (3:32)
Poison Years (Lyrics) Bob Mould Bob Mould (5:24)
Sinners and Their Repentances (Lyrics) Bob Mould Bob Mould (4:05)
Brasilia Crossed With Trenton (Lyrics) Bob Mould Bob Mould (6:39)
Compositions for the Young and Old (Lyrics) Bob Mould Bob Mould (4:39)
Lonely Afternoon (Lyrics) Bob Mould Bob Mould (4:29)
Dreaming, I Am (Lyrics) Bob Mould Bob Mould (4:16)
Whichever Way the Wind Blows (Lyrics) Bob Mould Bob Mould (6:26)

Credits

Bob Mould (Guitar), Bob Mould (Mandolin), Bob Mould (Percussion), Bob Mould (Composer), Bob Mould (Keyboards), Bob Mould (Vocals), Bob Mould (Producer), Bob Mould (Main Performer), Anton Fier (Drums), Steve Haigler (Percussion), Tony Maimone (Bass), Jane Scarpantoni (Cello)
Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
Wikipedia: Workbook (album)
Top
Workbook
Studio album by Bob Mould
Released April 1989
Recorded ?
Genre Rock
Length 52:11
Label Virgin
Producer Bob Mould
Professional reviews
Bob Mould chronology

Workbook
(1989)
Black Sheets of Rain
(1990)

Workbook is the title of Bob Mould's first solo album after leaving Hüsker Dü. The album is primarily acoustic and has a strong folk influence - very different from much of his group's heavier music. The single "See a Little Light" was a hit on the US Modern Rock chart. Drummer Anton Fier and bassist Tony Maimone, of Pere Ubu fame, served as Mould's rhythm section.

In the liner notes of the Hüsker Dü live album titled The Living End, critic David Fricke noted that Mould had an embryonic version of "Compositions for the Young and Old" in the waning days of that band.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Bob Mould

  1. "Sunspots"
  2. "Wishing Well"
  3. "Heartbreak a Stranger"
  4. "See a Little Light"
  5. "Poison Years"
  6. "Sinners and Their Repentances"
  7. "Brasilia Crossed with Trenton"
  8. "Compositions for the Young and Old"
  9. "Lonely Afternoon"
  10. "Dreaming, I Am"
  11. "Whichever Way the Wind Blows"

Personnel

Bob Mould - vocals, guitar, mandolin, keyboards, percussion


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Workbook (album)" Read more