The long-awaited, full-force autobiography of American punk music hero, Bob Mould. Bob Mould stormed into America’s punk rock scene in 1979, when clubs across the country were filling with kids dressed in black leather and torn denim, packing in to see bands like the Ramones, Black Flag, and the Dead Kennedys. Hardcore punk was a riot of jackhammer rhythms, blistering tempos, and bottomless aggression. And at its center, a new band out of Minnesota called Hüsker Dü was bashing out songs and touring the country on no money, driven by the inspiration of guitarist and vocalist Bob Mould. Their music roused a generation. From the start, Mould wanted to make Hüsker Dü the greatest band in the world – faster and louder than the hardcore standard, but with melody and emotional depth. In SEE A LITTLE LIGHT, Mould finally tells the story of how the anger and passion of the early hardcore scene blended with his own formidable musicianship and irrepressible drive to produce some of the most important and influential music of the late 20th century.
eMusic Review 0
07.22.11
Bob Mould, See A Little Light: The Trail Of Rage And Melody
2011 | Label: Hachette Audio
A revealing peek inside the ecstasy and agony of an American punk rock legend
Save the occasional trip to a clothing-optional resort, the autobiography of Hüsker Dü and Sugar frontman Bob Mould is almost completely devoid of the hedonistic tales that peppered recent tomes by Keith Richards and Nikki Sixx, collectively part of the profitable “rocker tell-all” genre. Instead, in the spirit of the punk rock and alternative movements he fostered, Mould digs much deeper and gets more confessional and granular, baring all about his obsessive work habits, the slowly decaying relationships between his bandmates, and the troubled romances that wouldn’t die. By going heroically personal in every sentence, Mould even makes quitting smoking seem like a harrowing tempest of emotion.
His honesty is most affecting when he talks about his sexuality, detailing the complicated feelings when his preferences were an “open secret” in the world of ’80s punk, all the way through his life as a 39-year-old adult finally “getting a crash course in how the gay world turns.” Mould is assisted by Michael Azerrad, whose Our Band Could Be Your Life already established him as indie rock’s greatest storyteller. Together they offer not only a revealing peek inside Mould’s ecstasy and agony, but also a first-hand look at the American punk revolution, the major label alternative implosion and (thanks to Mould’s brief career writing wrestling storylines) the rise of Chris Benoit. The book’s conversational tone is amplified in the audiobook, read by Mould himself in a warm, matter-of-fact pace.
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Arcade of Zen
I am nearing the end of the audiobook after a long cross-country drive, when this kept me entertained (and awake). I like Bob Mould's slightly world-weary (and..sorry to use the word..faggy) voice, which nearly made me switch off at the start, but then I realised it fit the material perfectly. Some knowledge of Bob's body of work increases the interest, especially when he gets into the practicalities of making records, which I loved. I've starting buying the whole back catalogue again, having only really heard Zen Arcade and Beaster..and then on cassette!..and he really made some astonishing music..I felt deliciously drained at the end of Zen Arcade. There's a fair amount of stuff here on eMusic..kerching as they say. Excellent book..I'm not quite at the end..hope it's a happy ending!
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By Christopher R. Weingarten, eMusic Contributor
As the frontman of Hüsker Dü and alterna-heroes Sugar, Bob Mould often buried his plainspoken, emotionally rich lyrics behind a euphoric blur of distortion. His autobiography, See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody, peels away that layer of noise, exploring the psychic minutiae of a 30-year career via his natural affinity for fearless confessionals and conversational storytelling. With some narrative massaging from inestimable indie rock historian Michael Azerrad, See A Little Light… more »