Trading Introspection
for Flat-Out Noise,
Bob Mould cranks up the volume on his new album
By Chris Mundy,
Rolling Stone, October 18, 1990, page 33

For his first solo album, Bob Mould sequestered himself on his Minnesota farm, abandoned the sonic explosion of Hüsker Dü and came away with his subtle, meticulously crafted Workbook. Now, after a of touring Mould has moved in New York and his new environment seems to be rubbing off "This album's pretty unholy loud," Mould says, sitting in the studios of the Power Station, where he recorded his follow-up, Black Sheets of Rain. 'There's acoustic guitar here and there, but people who listened to 'Sunspots' or 'Heartbreak a Stranger' - there ain't shit near that now."

The one constant for Mould is his lineup. He's once again backed by Golden Palominos drummer and mastermind Anton Fier and Pete Ubu bassist Tony Maimone. But despite the muscular thrust of the rhythm section, it's Mould's guitar that assails the listener on the opening tide track, setting a disquieting tone for the entire album. "This record's a whole lot more immediate," says Mould. "The last one was me dealing with a lot of demons and establishing myself as this person that can progress. But this is not about the introspective Bob Mould or reflecting on an era past. This is just about playing music again. I have no time to be hung up about this stuff"

While many of its lyrics deal with Mould's move from Midwestern isolation to the perpetual motion of New York City, the album lacks the emotional sweeps that were incorporated musically on Workbook. Recorded live in the studio, often on the first take, the new songs in-stead showcase Mould's strong sense of pop craft, blanketed by the incessant onslaught of guitar-simulated violence and white noise Songs like "Hear Me Calling" and "Our of Your Lie" reverberate with the same sense of emotional urgency that drove Hüsker Dü's Warehouse: Songs and Stories. 'This record will probably have a lot of mistakes on it, but I don't care," says Mould. "On the last one, all the vocals were exactly on top of each other, and every note was just right This one, I'm like 'If it feels right, I don't give a shit' Stuff is just burning the shit out of the tape all the time."

Mould is pleased that the momentum of his first post-Husker tour led straight to the studio - and not to another period of solitary reflection. "I think I took things too seriously during that period right after Hüsker Dü, having to make that first statement," he says. "Sitting up on that farm for a year, second-guessing everything I was doing - I don't know if that was the best thing for my mental health."

And if the velocity of New York has now been injected into his work, Mould is happy to have the boost "The last record was so thought out - every hair in place,~' he says. "I don't want to do that again. It's nice to let people know I have the other side, but right now it's not that quiet. If people want to come and see me play and make a lot of noise and carry on for two hours, that's what it's about now:'

At least for the time being. "You have to move forward," says Mould. "It's real simple. This is just like the 'Fuck you if you thought you had me pegged again' record."