15. Bob Mould - The Last Dog And Pony Show (1998)

1998's The Last Dog And Pony Show was Mould's ostensible farewell to his punk-rock past and guitar-hero persona. Demoralized by the whims and indignities of the music industry, Mould had decided (prematurely, it turns out) that he was finished. The premise is intriguing but ultimately too much of this material comes across as defeated rather than valedictory. On songs like opener "New #1" and "First Drag Of The Day" Mould's approach feels perfunctory, as if not the work of the artist himself, but instead a highly lifelike simulation. It's not a bad album, but one that ultimately seems a little bloodless.