Wrestling with greatness

by Milia Rosenberg

Columbus-After his last album, songwriter Bob Mould, singer with the legendary punk band Hüsker Dü and later with alternative rockers Sugar, took up a new profession; scriptwriting. For professional wrestlers.

Mould went to work for Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling. There is something wonderfully queer about an openly gay yet introspective musician directing the scene for 350-pound, musclebound grapplers.

This creative range does not just describe Mould's career path; it defines his music. On April 7, he performed at Promo West Pavilion as part of the "Carnival of Light and Sound" tour. Displaying remarkable versatility, he moved from electronica to ballads to indie rock with

ease.

For almost two hours, Mould pounded out new material from his album Modulate and mined his extensive catalogue of punk and acoustic gems. He played before a crowd of about 1,000 fans.

Looking fit and trim in a black T-shirt and jeans, Mould opened with "180 Rain," the first cut from Modulate. Behind him sat two large video screens, which ran a continuous montage of images and stock footage, matching the lyrics and themes of each song.

During the first tune, when Mould asked “Are you happy now?” a leatherman action figure, spinning on a toy turntable, appeared with HAPPY splayed across its chest.

Mould's camp sensibility also emerged during the second song, "The Receipt." Images of New York harbor dissolved into a shot of a green highway sign that read "Meat Market, Exit 4." The double entendre was not lost on this fan.

Drawing upon sharp and subtle imagery, the song “Lost Zoloft” became a powerful critique of the beauty industry and its effects on lesbians and gays. The screens showed a young woman putting on makeup and smiling brightly, followed quickly by the same girl with a black eye, looking despondent.

Soon, a parallel image appeared of a tanned gay man peeling latex off of his face. The subsequent image showed the man being seduced by his double, now marked by a gloomy expression.

Although Mould has not lost his critical eye, he performed with joy and agility. His voice sounded sharp on the Hüsker Dü classic "Hardly Getting Over It," and when he broke out "Brasilia Crossed With Trenton," he soloed, extended the ending, and strummed beautifully.

Mixing old and new, he played "Celebrated Summer," pounded workmanlike through the new tunes "Slay/Sway" and "Sound On Sound," and sung his heart out on the Sugar track "Your Favorite Thing."

Mould appeared pleased with the audience, and he rewarded them with four encores. Crooning the break on "Too Far Down," he belted out "Ooo-eee." When he followed with "If I Can't Change Your Mind," the crowd went absolutely wild.

He rounded out the show with the seminal "Makes No Sense at All,"

and he played a soaring version of "Man on the Moon."

Mould's time away from recording was well-spent for a man who has been rocking for over twenty years, he has not lost a step.

April 19, 2002

MILLA ROSENBERG

Mould returns and re-tools

Modulate

by Bob Mould

Granary Music

Reviewed by Milla Rosenberg

Bob Mould has never sounded happier.

Reflecting his creative work and time spent in New York City, the new album Modulate, released on his own label, Granary Music, combines electronica, synth-pop, and new wave with Mould's raw, legendary guitar power.

This is best expressed in the brief “Hornery," with the wash of metallic guitar recorded in what sounds like a steel mill. The piece segues into "Come on Strong," a bubbly tune about an overeager guy who needs to tone down his pick-up move (“Back off, it's all wrong"). Mould's voice sounds gentle and melodic, as he asks, “Do you realize how fragile life is?”

BotYould modulate

On "Trade," a mid-tempo track, Mould mixes melancholy and hopeful. "Today's the first day of the rest of your life/Today's the last day for the weak," Mould sings to a lover, sounding protective yet carefree.

Although the album is filled with upbeat tunes and vocals, Mould's razor wit and political insight still comes through. On "Lost Zoloft," over videogame blips and haunting tones, he croons about "gay panic" and the perils of cruising in the city: "You think you know the animal until you strike a nerve/ A latent homosex becomes so violent when provoked and now obscured." Fans of earlier Mould material will love the new single, "Sound on Sound." A brilliant, rocking track, Mould writes about a married couple and the conventionality that has drained the passion from their relationship. Cleverly, Mould examines his own role as observer at the song's conclusion: "I frame the picture neatly, you appear to wear the crown/You're so great to have around."

And "Slay/Sway" rocks out, a powerful, expansive anthem that recounts Mould's experience growing up and witnessing an assault on a young teen boy.

This year brings two more Mould records: the just released Long Playing Grooves, which continues to experiment with ambient music, and Body of Song, which is more like his classic solo album, Workbook... Modulate is an exciting departure for Mould-bridging several genres, he has never sounded more at home.

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

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