Having bought a Hüsker Dü record and been underwhelmed, I was wary of the praise heaped on Bob Mould's solo album. But then I came across this promotional copy, a bargain price again, and decided to take a risk.
The risk didn't pay off, and I never much cared for the album at the time. Twenty something years later, I can see the appeal — particularly of the guitar playing, if you like that sort of thing — but it still doesn't resonate with me.
At the risk of Mould fans putting a bounty on my head, there are parts of Poison Year that sound to me like they would almost fit on The Police's Synchronicity, and other parts that might even be Asia.
A few years later, Mould's next band, Sugar, got similarly good notices, including from John Peel, but I steered clear. My favourite Mould performance is with The 6ths.
MusicBrainz entry for this album
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