The Last Dog & Pony Show
He may have decided to go off into that good night, but he isn't going gently. Bob Mould, who raged with Hüsker Dü, arguably one of the bands that defined the sound of alternative music, declared this to be his last electric album and tour. What next: a rocking chair? Doubtful. Despite his quieter moments with Hüsker Dü, his symphonic excesses with his solo records, and his flirtation with power pop with Sugar, at heart Mould is a punk rocker, his signature the throaty roar he muscles out of his guitar.The Last Dog and Pony Showcaptures this mighty artist at the peak of his power on songs such as the rumbling "Moving Trucks" and the massive "First Drag of the Day." So why the sendoff? Perhaps we're offered a hint on the absolutely terrible electronica cut "Megamaniac" that sounds completely out of place amid the guitar fury. Not a misstep, perhaps, but a warning.--Tod Nelson