From 1993, it's Sugar, featuring the great Bob Mould, and "If I Can't Change Your Mind."
An utterly gorgeous song, to be sure, and it still boggles my mind that something so ecstatically Byrdsian is the work of a guy who once quit the music business to write scripts for wrestlers in the WCW.
Bob also quit writing music like this to delve into Electronica. For me that is on the same level as writing for the WCW.
ReplyDeleteHe's obviously an odd guy, albeit prodigiously talented.....
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, as long as we're talking about the whole wrestling revival, Cyndi Lauper -- who I otherwise love -- has a great deal to answer for, doncha think?
I always thought of this song and Mould at this stage as America's answer to Andy Partridge.
ReplyDeleteNot in XTC's league of course, but reminiscent doncha think?
CB:
ReplyDeleteI think that's very astute, actually...
Although unlike Andy, Bob has something akin to the opposite of stage fright. I've heard a few live recordings of Bob doing his solo thing, and to my ears, he tends to kind of over-sing everything. "Believe What You're Saying" on the next Sugar record seemed like an attempt to revisit this high-flying Byrdsian moment, and while it's good, it doesn't soar like this one. Good call, Steve!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Bob Mould --
ReplyDeletedoes anybody have a copy of Beat the Retreat, the early 90s Richard Thompson tribute album that Bob is on (a great Husker Du-ish version of "Turning of the Tide")?
It's out of print, alas....
i have it, steve. what a ripping cover. for me, it's the standout on the collection. I'd be more than happy to send it to you.
ReplyDeleteIt's the standout for me too, Dave, and I love the original.
ReplyDeleteCan you burn the whole CD? I'll burn you something cool in return...
David beat me to that one, but if you check your gmail account, Steve, you'll find something else of interest. (It might have come from Yousendit.com.)
ReplyDeleteI saw Mould once as we were a Richard Thompson show at Maxwell's in Hoboken. I nodded hello; he smiled, looked back at the stage where RT had just finished, looked down at his hands, shook his head ruefully and just stared chuckling.
I had totally forgotten this one. Perfect.
ReplyDeleteTrey
I'll dig it up, sir!
ReplyDelete