Advanced Search >
Help Me Search

Music

All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000

Upcoming &
Recent Releases

sort by namesort by score

62 50 Cent
70 AFI
65 Air
70 Alice In Chains
53 Kris Allen
78 Amerie
79 Annie
76 Anti-Pop Consortium
86 The Antlers
75 Arctic Monkeys
68 As Tall As Lions
82 Atlas Sound
77 The Avett Brothers
67 Backstreet Boys
59 Bad Lieutenant
68 Devendra Banhart
71 Lou Barlow
88 Baroness
69 Basement Jaxx
81 David Bazan
72 Beak>
72 Brendan Benson
84 Biffy Clyro
72 The Big Pink
95 Big Star
46 Billy Talent
75 The Black Crowes
72 The Black Heart Procession
68 Blitzen Trapper
75 BLK JKS
53 Bon Jovi
76 A.A. Bondy
65 Boys Like Girls
76 Brand New
73 Tyondai Braxton
83 Brother Ali
72 Ian Brown
75 Michael Buble
77 Built To Spill
61 Colbie Caillat
78 Califone
69 Mariah Carey
81 Brandi Carlile
72 Julian Casablancas
83 Rosanne Cash
71 Castanets
65 The Cave Singers
82 Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
64 Exene Cervenka
79 Vic Chesnutt
75 Choir Of Young Believers
81 Circulatory System
67 The Clean
84 The Clientele
72 Cold Cave
85 Converge
71 Eric Copeland
76 The Cribs
79 Cymbals Eat Guitars
62 Dashboard Confessional
71 Datarock
59 Dead By Sunrise
76 Dead Man's Bones
77 Del The Funky Homosapien & Tame One
88 Destroyer
73 Do Make Say Think
63 The Dodos
77 Drive-By Truckers
67 Bob Dylan
58 Echo & The Bunnymen
61 Electric Six
44 The Entrance Band
69 Fanfarlo
71 Jay Farrar And Benjamin Gibbard
63 Felix Da Housecat
68 Fink
66 Orenda Fink
79 The Flaming Lips
66 Flight Of The Conchords
79 Florence And The Machine
67 John Fogerty
83 Fuck Buttons
71 Nelly Furtado
47 Gary Go
68 Ghostface Killah
79 Girls
69 Gossip
62 David Gray
66 David Guetta
65 Calvin Harris
79 Richard Hawley
74 Mayer Hawthorne
66 Headlights
79 HEALTH
77 Joe Henry
67 Hockey
67 Whitney Houston
80 Hudson Mohawke
68 Imogen Heap
59 Jack Ingram
79 Islands
74 Jamie T
65 Jay-Z
51 Jet
68 Daniel Johnston
76 Norah Jones
77 Karen O And The Kids
72 Toby Keith
69 Kid Cudi
75 Kid Sister
66 Kings Of Convenience
62 Sean Kingston
64 KISS
63 Mark Knopfler
73 Kris Kristofferson
68 KRS-One & Buckshot
76 La Roux
85 Miranda Lambert
72 Ledisi
71 Sondre Lerche
56 Juliette Lewis
62 Leona Lewis
82 Lightning Bolt
74 Little Dragon
44 Pixie Lott
83 Patty Loveless
73 Lyle Lovett
79 Lucero
75 Baaba Maal
77 Madness
84 Madonna
85 Manic Street Preachers
61 Maps
73 Mario
55 Massive Attack
57 Matisyahu
62 John Mayer
67 Reba McEntire
66 Tim McGraw
65 Brian McKnight
79 Mew
75 Mika
68 Amy Millan
76 Mission Of Burma
75 Molina And Johnson
80 Monsters Of Folk
66 Morrissey
85 Mount Eerie
76 The Mountain Goats
62 Múm
72 Muse
66 Willie Nelson
82 Nirvana
96 Nirvana
80 No Age
71 Noah And The Whale
75 Noisettes
79 Nudge
64 OneRepublic
47 Dolores O'Riordan
74 Os Mutantes
78 Osso
67 Alec Ounsworth
81 Owen
73 Paramore
78 Pastels And Tenniscoats
54 Sean Paul
80 Pearl Jam
69 Jemina Pearl
72 Jack Penate
65 Phish
82 Pissed Jeans
61 Pitbull
79 A Place To Bury Strangers
79 Polvo
72 Porcupine Tree
72 Port O'Brien
79 Q-Tip
79 R.E.M.
88 Raekwon
69 Rain Machine
70 Ramona Falls
75 Dizzee Rascal
74 The Raveonettes
79 Real Estate
76 Jay Reatard
81 Rodrigo Y Gabriela
66 Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
78 Russian Circles
69 Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
78 Say Anything
61 Sally Shapiro
78 Shudder To Think
70 Simian Mobile Disco
58 Simple Minds
72 Six Organs Of Admittance
80 Slayer
61 The Slits
77 Speech Debelle
58 Spiral Stairs
55 Steel Panther
75 Sufjan Stevens
52 Rod Stewart
68 Joss Stone
83 Barbra Streisand
77 A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74 Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
79 The Swell Season
80 David Sylvian
83 Taken By Trees
80 Tegan And Sara
68 The Temper Trap
78 The Dutchess & The Duke
71 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
74 Them Crooked Vultures
72 Themselves
82 They Might Be Giants
66 J Tillman
69 Times New Viking
57 Tokio Hotel
67 Trey Songz
73 Frank Turner
71 The Twilight Sad
60 Carrie Underwood
56 The Used
68 Various Artists
69 Various Artists
77 The Very Best
70 Kurt Vile
65 Vivian Girls
71 Volcano Choir
73 Rufus Wainwright
78 Wale
57 Weezer
81 White Denim
76 Why?
83 Wild Beasts
80 Wildbirds & Peacedrums
69 Robbie Williams
59 Andrew W.K.
65 Wolfmother
84 The xx
79 Yo La Tengo
83 Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
52 Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59 Zero 7

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Body Of Song

EMAILPRINTby Bob Mould

Bob Mould reviews
68
7.8 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 25 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 13 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >

Album Info

Label: Yep Roc

Release Date: 26 July 2005

Discs: 1 disc

Genre(s): Indie, Rock

Summary

The latest solo recording from former Hüsker Dü and Sugar leader Mould echoes back to those bands as well as the various stages of his solo career. His backing band includes Sugar's David Barbe and Fugazi's Brendan Canty.

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

91

Entertainment Weekly

Alternate title: Bobby--Fully Loaded. [5 Aug 2005, p.67]

84

Filter

A welcome return. [#16, p.96]

80

Blender

No new fans need apply here, but those who know and love his sound will find that this self-styled career summation, a nod back to late Husker Du with computerized updates, sprouts horns with repeat listens. [Aug 2005, p.112]

80

Delusions of Adequacy

Those who enjoy his new approach will like the album, and those who long for his old days of guitar-driven power-pop will find some highlights that prove no matter how old Mould gets, he still is one of the most brilliant musicians and lyricists ever.

Read Full Review >
80

Splendid

Body of Song is a record that plays like a book.

Read Full Review >
80

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Body Of Song finds Mould creating familiar-sounding music without simply rehashing fan favorites.

Read Full Review >
80

Under The Radar

Body of Song is the sound of an older, more mature Bob Mould. [#10, p.116]

75

Stylus Magazine

Rehashed Bob Mould still beats most of what’s out there, though, so the album has its strengths.

Read Full Review >
74

Pitchfork

For the most part, Body of Song offers the expected mix of rock tracks and balladry that one would expect from a Bob Mould solo record.

Read Full Review >
70

The Guardian

Perhaps only he could sound so at peace while exploring so many identities.

Read Full Review >
70

Billboard

[A] return... to more familiar territory.

Read Full Review >
70

New York Magazine

Marrying his sturdy rock-guitar talents to lively beats, he’s found a comfort zone.

Read Full Review >
70

PopMatters

This is a good, even very good, Bob Mould album, but it doesn't measure up to masterworks like Copper Blue and Zen Arcade.

Read Full Review >
70

All Music Guide

Body of Song ultimately feels more like an attempt by Mould to please both his audience and himself than a coherent and confident effort.

Read Full Review >
70

Mojo

The blend of Moulds old and new is highly successful. [Aug 2005, p.100]

70

Prefix Magazine

Even though not everything Mould tries on Body of Song works, there are enough gems to make the album a worthwhile destination.

Read Full Review >
68

ShakingThrough.net

Body of Song is patchwork and spotty, dappled with a handful of sparkling additions to Mould’s estimable catalog.

Read Full Review >
67

Spin

Amid the so-so modern rock is one of his most sublimely sincere songs, "(Shine Your) Light Love Hope." [Aug 2005, p.103]

60

Village Voice

Sure, the electrifying attack of Zen Arcade and New Day Rising is a distant memory. But Body of Song closes with two guitar anthems oversized enough to point back to Mould's best work in Sugar.

Read Full Review >
60

Dusted Magazine

[Mould's trademark] coupling of aggression and tuneful economy is one of the chief attributes sometimes compromised on Body of Song.

Read Full Review >
50

Alternative Press

There's some decent stuff in the second half. [Sep 2005, p.164]

50

Junkmedia

With his merely efficient playing, Mould never reaches the highs of electric ecstasy he perfected in his heyday.

Read Full Review >
40

Q Magazine

There's little that's newly inspired and, aside from the understated Always Tomorrow, nothing superior to past glories. [Aug 2005, p.132]

40

Lost At Sea

Body of Song truly falters in its inability to successfully blend two sensibilities.

Read Full Review >
40

Uncut

Much of it seems to bluster without delivering. [Aug 2005, p.87]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 13 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

dan f. gave it an8:
I love it! A very solid, strong and revealing record from Bob. The more I listen to it, the more I like it, and despite the pasage of time, he still finds a way to remain relevant to the alternative music scene. He's great! I love him!

Blow Me gave it a10:
Anyone who says this is not good needs to have their hearing checked.

Steve O gave it a9:
Not Zen Arcade, not Workbook, not Copper Blue, but is a wonderful survey of all the influences this most perceptive songwriter has at his disposal. One can go song by song and find its place in the impressive Bob catalogue. Quite literally a body of work, not a snapshot of a static moment.

Cosmo Prelog gave it an8:
Way to go Q Magazine! You have managed to snag the award from Uncut for most pointless music mag on Earth. This is a great record by a true legend of rock music. Can't wait for your next Keane cover story! Blow me Q...

TomHM gave it a7:
Not a lot of new ground, but straightforward and deliberate, with his indestructable melodic sense intact.

Barry S gave it an8:
Great playing and ethereal, other worldly production help make this a really outstanding effort for Bob. but, I'm going to have to out him on the disco beats and club mixes on several tunes. Shocking to hear from one of the best, hooky songwriters to rock the 80's and 90's so supremely. But, I'll ignore the few I don't care for too much and relish the rest! And yes, the expanded, double CD version IS worth the extra $$$. It comes in a small black box with some strange photos and stuff w/ the CD's in sleeves & all carefully wrapped in gold felt.

Jeff S gave it a5:
I enjoy his trademark melodic hooks, but it is still too much like Modulate for my tastes.

Read more user comments >

Popular on CBS sites: SEC Football | NFL | Video Game Cheats | iPhone | Video Game Reviews | Notebooks | Antivirus Software

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy (UPDATED) | Terms of Use