Hüsker Dü | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Hüsker Dü and R.E.M. were the two American post-punk bands of the 80s that changed the direction of rock & roll. R.E.M. became a superstar band; Hüsker Dü was never more than a cult favorite. Nevertheless, their albums between 1981 and 1987 proved remarkably influential; they provided the sonic blueprint for the roaring punk-pop hybrid that crossed over into the mainstream in the early 90s. Not only did they shape the sound of the music, they shaped the way independent bands made the transition to the major labels; they showed other bands that it was possible to record uncompromising music on a major label without losing any integrity or creative control. From the Replacements to Nirvana, the Pixies to Superchunk, nearly every major and minor band that appeared in the alternative underground in the late 80s and 90s owed a major debt to Hüsker Dü, whether they were aware of it or not. The bands two songwriters, guitarist Bob Mould and drummer Grant Hart, both had a knack for writing songs that essentially followed conventional pop structures, complete with memorable melodies, but were still punk songs. Hüsker Dü took the Buzzcocks pioneering punk-pop and made it harder, both musically and lyrically. Throughout their career, Hüsker Dü never lost their edge, never turned down their amplifiers, never compromised their music. While Hart and bassist Greg Norton were an unfailingly strong rhythm section, Mould would prove to be one of the most influential guitarists of the decade. With his slashing rhythms, distorted strumming, and blazing leads, he set the stage for the alternative guitar heroes of the late 80s and the 90s. Hüsker Dü formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1979. Guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould was studying at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and working at a record store, which is where he met drummer/vocalist Grant Hart and bassist Greg Norton. The three musicians had diverse tastes, but all shared a love for hardcore punk rock. Naming themselves Hüsker Dü after a 50s Danish board game (the name means "do you remember"), the trio began rehearsing in Nortons basement. In the early 80s, Hüsker Dü developed a strong local following; nearly every local band, from the Replacements to Soul Asylum, sounded like them. Both Mould and Hart wrote songs and sang lead. In 1981, they released their first single, "Statues," on the local label Reflex, which was quickly followed by their debut album, Land Speed Record, which was released on New Alliance Records. Recorded live, Land Speed Record boasted 17 songs that lasted a full 26 minutes. Later that year, they released an equally fast and hard EP, In a Free Land. In 1982, they moved backed to Reflex, where they released Everything Falls Apart, their first album recorded in a studio. By this time, Hüsker Dü had begun touring the United States relentlessly, traveling across the country in a van and playing small clubs. Along with the Minutemen, R.E.M., Black Flag, the Meat Puppets, and the Replacements, Hüsker Dü formed the core of a group of independent rock & roll bands that carved out a reputation for touring ceaselessly and getting their records played on college radio stations; they formed the core of the American rock underground in the mid-80s. Hüsker Dü concerts were a nonstop barrage; the bandmembers rarely spoke to the audience and each song segued directly into the next, without interruption. In addition to touring constantly, Hüsker Dü was recording quickly, turning out the Metal Circus EP in 1983. After Metal Circus, Hüsker Dü developed musically at a rapid pace, with Mould and Hart coming into their own as songwriters on 1984s Zen Arcade, their first album for SST Records and their critical breakthrough. Zen Arcade was a double album -- something that was completely unheard of in the underground -- that showed the band stretching out musically, writing sharper pop songs as well as lengthy abrasive instrumentals. Critics embraced the record, as did independent rock fans. At the end of 1984, they released "Eight Miles High," a cover of the Byrds song; it was only available as a single. Hüsker Dü continued to record and tour at a blindingly fast speed throughout 1984 and 1985. Mould and Hart were beginning to develop an unspoken rivalry as well as a dependency on alcohol and speed. Nevertheless, the group was at its peak in 1985, turning out two albums. The first, New Day Rising, was released in the spring and showed the band moving closer to concise pop songwriting while accentuating their fierce sonic barrage. Flip Your Wig, released late in 1985, featured their cleanest, most accessible production, without making any concessions to mainstream rock. Both albums received excellent reviews, both in fanzines and some mainstream rock publications. Following the release of Flip Your Wig, Hüsker Dü became the first of the mid-80s independent post-punk bands to sign a contract with a major label, and they closed a deal with Warner Bros. Candy Apple Grey, the bands first major-label album, appeared in 1986. During that year, tensions between Mould and Hart escalated. Mould began to clean up and Hart continued to sink further into drug and alcohol addiction. Nevertheless, they managed to write and record another double album, Warehouse: Songs and Stories. Although Warner didnt want the band to release another double record, Warehouse was released in the spring of 1987 to uniformly positive reviews. Hüsker Dü was preparing to launch a series of concerts to support Warehouse when their manager, David Savoy, committed suicide the night before the start of the tour. Hüsker played the tour anyway -- they ran through the new album in order every night, without interruption -- but Savoys suicide helped the inner-band turmoil reach a peak. Hart showed no signs of sobering up -- he was developing a heroin addiction -- while Mould was clean. Following the Warehouse tour, the band played no more concerts for the rest of the year, which caused speculation that the group was breaking up. Those rumors were confirmed during the winter of 1987-1988, when Hart was fired and the band broke up. Hart released a solo EP, 2541, on SST later that year, followed by a full-length album called Intolerance a year later. After its release, Hart shook loose his addictions and formed a new band, Nova Mob. Nova Mob released their debut album, The Last Days of Pompeii, in 1991; a self-titled second album appeared in 1994. Norton became a chef in Red Wing. Immediately after the breakup of Hüsker Dü, Mould embarked on a solo career. After releasing two solo albums -- Workbook (1989) and Black Sheets of Rain (1990) -- he formed a trio called Sugar in 1992. Between 1992 and 1994, Sugar released two albums: Copper Blue (1992) and File Under: Easy Listening (1994). Mould broke up the band in 1995 and returned to a solo career the following year. For years, the Hüsker Dü vaults remained locked. Warner released The Living End -- a live album album culled from Warehouse performances in 1987 -- in 1994, a year after Rhino put together an expanded reissue of Everything Falls Apart, but that was the only release for decades. After battling kidney cancer, Grant Hart died at age 56 in September 2017. Two months later, Numero released Savage Young Dü, a three-CD compilation of rare recordings from 1979-1993 named after an early Hüsker boot. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 13 Title: Land Speed Record Released: 1982-01 Tracks: 17 Duration: 26:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 All Tensed Up (02:00) 2 Don’t Try to Call (01:30) 3 I’m Not Interested (01:30) 4 Guns at My School (00:56) 5 Push the Button (01:52) 6 Gilligan’s Island (01:12) 7 MTC (01:17) 8 Don’t Have a Life (02:07) 9 Bricklayer (00:51) 10 Tired of Doing Things (00:58) 11 You’re Naive (00:53) 12 Strange Week (00:54) 13 Do the Bee (01:48) 14 Big Sky (00:59) 15 Ultracore (00:47) 16 Let’s Go Die (01:26) 17 Data Control (05:25) |
| Land Speed Record : Allmusic album Review : A brief live EP, Land Speed Record races through its songs without regard for melody or riffs. As a sonic blitzkrieg, its quite impressive, yet little of the record makes a lasting impression. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 13 Title: Everything Falls Apart Released: 1983-01 Tracks: 12 Duration: 19:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 From the Gut (01:41) 2 Blah, Blah, Blah (02:11) 3 Punch Drunk (00:30) 4 Bricklayer (00:33) 5 Afraid of Being Wrong (01:24) 6 Sunshine Superman (01:50) 7 Signals From Above (01:39) 8 Everything Falls Apart (02:14) 9 Wheels (02:07) 10 Target (01:42) 11 Obnoxious (00:54) 12 Gravity (02:39) |
| Everything Falls Apart : Allmusic album Review : On their first studio recording, Everything Falls Apart, Hüsker Dü demonstrate a sharper sense of purpose than on their live debut, Land Speed Record, but that doesnt necessarily make the album a breakthrough. Indeed, the trio demonstrates that its capable of powerful noise, but not songcraft -- the only song with a discernible hook is their thrashing cover of Donovans "Sunshine Superman." Still, the bands hardcore is better than many of its contemporaries because its grasp of noise is superior. Even with the inconsistent songwriting, Everything Falls Apart rages with layers of blistering guitars and scorching rhythms that are exciting in their own right. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 13 Title: Metal Circus Released: 1983-10 Tracks: 7 Duration: 18:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Real World (02:26) 2 Deadly Skies (01:48) 3 It’s Not Funny Anymore (02:10) 4 First of the Last Calls (02:50) 5 Lifeline (02:17) 6 Diane (04:39) 7 Out on a Limb (02:38) |
 | Album: 4 of 13 Title: Zen Arcade Released: 1984-07 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:09:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Something I Learned Today (01:58) 2 Broken Home, Broken Heart (02:01) 3 Never Talking to You Again (01:39) 4 Chartered Trips (03:33) 5 Dreams Reoccurring (01:40) 6 Indecision Time (02:07) 7 Hare Krsna (03:33) 8 Beyond the Threshold (01:35) 9 Pride (01:45) 10 I’ll Never Forget You (02:06) 11 The Biggest Lie (01:58) 12 What’s Going On (04:23) 13 Masochism World (02:43) 14 Standing by the Sea (03:12) 15 Somewhere (02:30) 16 One Step at a Time (00:45) 17 Pink Turns to Blue (02:39) 18 Newest Industry (03:02) 19 Monday Will Never Be the Same (01:10) 20 Whatever (03:50) 21 The Tooth Fairy and the Princess (02:43) 22 Turn on the News (04:21) 23 Reoccurring Dreams (13:47) |
| Zen Arcade : Allmusic album Review : In many ways, its impossible to overestimate the impact of Hüsker Düs Zen Arcade on the American rock underground in the 80s. Its the record that exploded the limits of hardcore and what it could achieve. Hüsker Dü broke all of the rules with Zen Arcade. First and foremost, its a sprawling concept album, even if the concept isnt immediately clear or comprehensible. More important are the individual songs. Both Bob Mould and Grant Hart abandoned the strict "fast, hard, loud" rules of hardcore punk with their songs for Zen Arcade. Without turning down the volume, Hüsker Dü try everything -- pop songs, tape experiments, acoustic songs, pianos, noisy psychedelia. Hüsker Dü willed themselves to make such a sprawling record -- as the liner notes state, the album was recorded and mixed within 85 hours and consists almost entirely of first takes. That reckless, ridiculously single-minded approach does result in some weak moments -- the sound is thin and the instrumentals drag on a bit too long -- but its also the key to the success of Zen Arcade. Hüsker Dü sound phenomenally strong and possessed, as if they could do anything. The sonic experimentation is bolstered by Mould and Harts increased sense of songcraft. Neither writer is afraid to let his pop influences show on Zen Arcade, which gives the songs -- from the unrestrained rage of "Something I Learned Today" and the bitter, acoustic "Never Talking to You Again" to the eerie "Pink Turns to Blue" and anthemic "Turn On the News" -- their weight. Its music that is informed by hardcore punk and indie rock ideals without being limited by them. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 13 Title: New Day Rising Released: 1985-01 Tracks: 15 Duration: 41:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 New Day Rising (02:34) 2 Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill (03:06) 3 I Apologize (03:37) 4 Folk Lore (01:36) 5 If I Told You (02:08) 6 Celebrated Summer (04:02) 7 Perfect Example (03:17) 8 Terms of Psychic Warfare (02:19) 9 59 Times the Pain (03:15) 10 Powerline (02:24) 11 Books About UFOs (02:49) 12 I Don’t Know What You’re Talking About (02:23) 13 How to Skin a Cat (01:52) 14 Whatcha Drinkin’ (01:33) 15 Plans I Make (04:22) |
| New Day Rising : Allmusic album Review : For New Day Rising, the follow-up to their breakthrough double-album Zen Arcade, Hüsker Dü replaced concept with conciseness, concentrating on individual songs delivered as scalding post-hardcore pop. New Day Rising is not only a more vicious and relentless record than Zen Arcade, its more melodic. Bob Mould and Grant Hart have written tightly crafted, melodic pop songs that dont compromise Hüskers volcanic, unchecked power. Mould and Harts songs owe a great deal to 60s pop, as the verses and choruses ebb and flow with immediately catchy hooks. Occasionally, the razor-thin production and waves of noise mean that it takes a little bit of effort to pick out the melodies, but more often the furious noise and melodies fuse together to create an overwhelming sonic force. Its possible to hear the rivalry between Mould and Hart on the album itself -- each song is like a game of one-upmanship, as Mould responds to "The Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill" with "Celebrated Summer." Neither songwriter slips -- both turn in songs that are catchy, clever, and alternately wracked with pain or teeming with humor. New Day Rising is a positively cathartic record and ranks as Hüsker Düs most sustained moment of pure power. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 13 Title: Flip Your Wig Released: 1985-09 Tracks: 14 Duration: 40:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Flip Your Wig (02:35) 2 Every Everything (01:58) 3 Makes No Sense at All (02:46) 4 Hate Paper Doll (01:54) 5 Green Eyes (03:02) 6 Divide and Conquer (03:46) 7 Games (04:08) 8 Find Me (04:09) 9 The Baby Song (00:46) 10 Flexible Flyer (03:02) 11 Private Plane (03:20) 12 Keep Hanging On (03:19) 13 The Wit and the Wisdom (03:42) 14 Don’t Know Yet (02:17) |
| Flip Your Wig : Allmusic album Review : Spot -- SSTs house producer who manned the boards for Zen Arcade and New Day Rising -- didnt produce Flip Your Wig, Hüsker Düs second album of 1985, and the difference is immediately noticeable. Everything on Flip Your Wig is cleaner and brighter than on its two immediate predecessors, which is appropriate, considering that Bob Mould and Grant Hart have only increased their debt to 60s pop. The hooks and melodies are on the surface, right from the kick-start call-and-response of the title track. On paper, it might sound as if Hüsker Dü have watered down their hardcore ideals, but it doesnt play that way. Flip Your Wig is pop played as punk, as if this is the only time these songs could ever be heard. Which means Harts love song "Green Eyes" and Moulds pure pop single "Makes No Sense at All" are delivered with the same rage and passion as Moulds blistering "Divide and Conquer" and Harts "Keep Hanging On," or the pair of surging, neo-psychedelic and noise-wracked instrumentals that close the album. Flip Your Wig would be a remarkable record on its own terms, but the fact that it followed New Day Rising by a matter of months and Zen Arcade by just over a year is simply astonishing. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 13 Title: Sorry Somehow Released: 1986-03 Tracks: 5 Duration: 21:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Sorry Somehow (04:25) 2 All This Ive Done for You (03:09) 3 Flexible Flyer (live) (04:04) 4 Celebrated Summer (live) (04:46) 5 Fattie (05:31) |
 | Album: 8 of 13 Title: Candy Apple Grey Released: 1986-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Crystal (03:30) 2 Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely (03:31) 3 I Don’t Know for Sure (02:30) 4 Sorry Somehow (04:29) 5 Too Far Down (04:38) 6 Hardly Getting Over It (06:06) 7 Dead Set on Destruction (03:01) 8 Eiffel Tower High (02:50) 9 No Promise Have I Made (03:41) 10 All This I’ve Done for You (03:09) |
| Candy Apple Grey : Allmusic album Review : Moving to a major label doesnt affect Hüsker Düs sound greatly -- although the production is more full-bodied than Spots razor-thin work, the Hüskers dont change their blazing attack at all. Much of Candy Apple Grey charges along on the same frenzied beat that propelled New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig, and both Bob Mould and Grant Hart are in fine form, spinning out fine punk-pop with "Sorry Somehow" and "Dont Want to Know If You Are Lonely." However, the sound is beginning to seem a bit tired, which is what makes Moulds two acoustic numbers, "Too Far Down" and "Hardly Getting Over It," so welcome. Demonstrating that punks can mature without losing their edge, Mould inverts the rules of conventional confessional singer/songwriter songs with these two haunting numbers, and in doing so, he illustrates the faults with the relatively staid post-hardcore punk that dominates the remainder of the record. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 13 Title: Warehouse: Songs and Stories Released: 1987-01 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:09:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 These Important Years (03:51) 2 Charity, Chastity, Prudence, and Hope (03:15) 3 Standing in the Rain (03:47) 4 Back From Somewhere (02:18) 5 Ice Cold Ice (04:23) 6 You’re a Soldier (03:04) 7 Could You Be the One? (02:35) 8 Too Much Spice (02:56) 9 Friend, You’ve Got to Fall (03:20) 10 Visionary (02:32) 11 She Floated Away (03:38) 12 Bed of Nails (04:48) 13 Tell You Why Tomorrow (02:53) 14 It’s Not Peculiar (04:09) 15 Actual Condition (01:52) 16 No Reservations (03:43) 17 Turn It Around (04:33) 18 She’s a Woman (and Now He Is a Man) (03:21) 19 Up in the Air (03:06) 20 You Can Live at Home (05:24) |
| Warehouse: Songs and Stories : Allmusic album Review : Its cleaner and more produced than any of their records, which is one reason why many Hüsker Dü fans have never fully embraced their second double album, Warehouse: Songs and Stories. Granted, Warehouse boasts a fuller production -- complete with multi-tracked guitars and vocal, various percussion techniques, and endless studio effects -- that would have seemed out of place a mere two years before its release. However, Flip Your Wig and Candy Apple Grey both suggested this full-fledged pop production, and its to Hüsker Düs credit that they never sound like they are selling out with Warehouse. What they do sound like is breaking up. Although there was a schism apparent between Bob Mould and Grant Hart on Candy Apple Grey, they dont even sound like they are writing for the same band on Warehouse. But the individual songs on the album are powerhouses in their own right, as both songwriters exhibit a continuing sense of experimentation -- Hart writes a sea shanty with "She Floated Away" and uses bubbling percussion on "Charity, Chastity, Prudence, and Hope," while Mould nearly arrives at power pop with "Could You Be the One?" and touches on singer/songwriter-styled folk-rock with "No Reservations." Warehouse doesnt have the single-minded sense of purpose or eccentric sprawl of Zen Arcade, but as a collection of songs, its of the first order. Furthermore, its stylish production -- which makes pop concessions without abandoning a punk ethos -- pointed the way to the kind of "alternative" rock that dominated the mainstream in the early 90s. In all, it was a fine way for one of the most important bands of the 80s to call it a day. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 13 Title: The Living End Released: 1994-04-12 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:16:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 New Day Rising (03:06) 2 Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill (03:08) 3 Standing in the Rain (03:35) 4 Back From Somewhere (02:25) 5 Ice Cold Ice (04:19) 6 Everytime (02:39) 7 Friend, You’ve Got to Fall (03:11) 8 She Floated Away (03:30) 9 From the Gut (01:33) 10 Target (01:46) 11 It’s Not Funny Anymore (02:11) 12 Hardly Getting Over It (05:54) 13 Terms of Psychic Warfare (02:01) 14 Powerline (02:27) 15 Books About UFO’s (02:25) 16 Divide and Conquer (02:56) 17 Keep Hanging On (03:23) 18 Celebrated Summer (04:36) 19 Now That You Know Me (03:31) 20 Ain’t No Water in the Well (02:47) 21 What’s Going On (03:21) 22 Data Control (05:09) 23 In a Free Land (03:35) 24 Sheena Is a Punk Rocker (03:13) |
| The Living End : Allmusic album Review : Theres no real reason to believe this was anything other than a last little cash-in on the part of Warner Bros., who had the rights to only two studio albums anyway, but whatever the motive, the end results are enjoyable indeed. Stitched together from a variety of shows on the final Hüsker Dü tour in late 1987, The Living End may not be a true representation of the bands sets, but as a collection of tracks by an about-to-crack group still firing on all fours live, its quite a treat. David Frickes polished but not revelatory liner notes do contain a number of more elucidating comments from the bandmembers themselves, with Mould capturing the sense of things best: "The music was so strong, everybody got caught up in it. It was easy to say, F*** all this other sh*t for an hour." Or in this case, an hour and a quarter of mostly previously released material, though there were two new songs -- "Now That You Know Me" and "Aint No Water in the Well" -- plus a merry rip through the Ramones classic "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker." Production and assembly by the trios live soundman, Lou Giordano, certainly helps everything sound technically good -- Hart in particular is storming down from the heights -- though there are a few instances where backing vocal mixes arent quite what they could be. Or the leads -- calling "Everytime" gutteral is almost too flattering. For the most part the song choices emphasize the quick and immediate numbers rather than those where the band showed a touch more exploratory impulses, and while its hard to fault the song choices, sometimes they blend into each other a bit too much. However, as with much of their studio material, the sheer power and passion of the band often carries all before it, and certainly the appreciative audiences dont hold back their responses. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 13 Title: Live Featuring J.C. Released: 2008-07-28 Tracks: 3 Duration: 19:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Drug Party (06:12) 2 Whats Going On? (05:28) 3 Drug Party (08:00) |
 | Album: 12 of 13 Title: Extra Circus Released: 2017-10-20 Tracks: 5 Duration: 07:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Heavy Handed (00:40) 2 You Think Im Scared (00:51) 3 Wont Change (01:54) 4 Is Today the Day? (00:48) 5 Standing by the Sea (03:17) |
 | Album: 13 of 13 Title: Savage Young Dü Released: 2017-11 Tracks: 69 Duration: 2:42:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Do You Remember? (01:57) 2 Sore Eyes (02:19) 3 Can’t See You Anymore (03:49) 4 Picture of You (02:00) 5 The Truth Hurts (03:47) 6 Do the Bee (02:42) 7 Nuclear Nightmare (03:25) 8 All I’ve Got to Lose Is You (02:32) 9 Chinese Rocks (02:05) 10 Uncle Ron (02:47) 11 Data Control (06:47) 12 Insects Rule the World (01:53) 13 You’re Too Obtuse (01:51) 14 Outside (02:57) 15 Sexual Economics (02:16) 16 What Went Wrong (02:14) 17 Statues (04:25) 18 Amusement (04:54) 19 Writer’s Cramp (02:25) 20 Let’s Go Die (01:52) 21 Walk With the Wounded (02:56) 22 Industrial Grocery Store (02:19) 1 Drug Party (04:23) 2 Call on Me (03:13) 3 Termination (05:00) 4 I’m Tired of Doing Things (01:27) 5 Stick It to Me (03:36) 6 Wheels (04:19) 7 All Tensed Up (02:01) 8 Don’t Try to Call (01:27) 9 I’m Not Interested (01:31) 10 Guns at My School (00:55) 11 Push the Button (01:48) 12 Gilligan’s Island (01:15) 13 MTC (01:41) 14 Don’t Have a Life (01:52) 15 You’re Naive (00:48) 16 Strange Week (01:02) 17 Big Sky (00:55) 18 Ultracore (00:47) 19 Let’s Go Die (01:51) 20 Won’t Say a Word (02:08) 21 Don’t Try It (02:03) 22 Private Hell (02:55) 23 Diane (04:05) 24 Sex Dolls (01:31) 1 In a Free Land (02:53) 2 What Do I Want? (01:16) 3 M.I.C. (01:06) 4 Target (In a Free Land session) (01:50) 5 Signals From Above (In a Free Land session) (01:40) 6 From the Gut (01:40) 7 Blah, Blah, Blah (02:10) 8 Punch Drunk (00:32) 9 Bricklayer (00:34) 10 Afraid of Being Wrong (01:23) 11 Sunshine Superman (01:51) 12 Signals From Above (01:38) 13 Everything Falls Apart (02:10) 14 Wheels (02:08) 15 Target (01:43) 16 Obnoxious (00:53) 17 Gravity (02:38) 18 Do You Remember? (live version) (01:20) 19 Travel in Opposite Car (01:58) 20 It’s Not Funny Anymore (02:12) 21 Real World (02:35) 22 Out on a Limb (02:57) 23 It’s Not Fair (06:19) |
| Savage Young Dü : Allmusic album Review : For years, the conventional wisdom on Hüsker Dü was that the great Minnesota punk band started out sloppy and monolithic but in time grew into one of the finest and most imaginative acts to emerge from the hardcore movement. After all, a comparison of their debut album, the muddy 1981 live document Land Speed Record, and their first EP for SST Records, 1983s Metal Circus, would suggest that their skills as performers and songwriters grew by leaps and bounds in two years. While there is a certain degree of truth to that, Numero Groups 2017 box set Savage Young Dü offers a valuable corrective to this narrative: yes, Hüsker Dü went through a remarkable evolution in their early years, but they were honestly remarkable right out of the box. Assembled with the cooperation of the band and featuring plentiful rare and unreleased recordings from the archives of superfans Paul Hilcoff and Terry Katzman, Savage Young Dü delivers the secret history of Hüsker Düs formative years, including their very first demo tape (recorded in May 1979, the same month they played their first show) and early rehearsal recordings, live tracks from their early Minneapolis performances and first national tours, soundcheck tapes where they worked out material new to their sets, and the lions share of their pre-SST releases. (SST opted not to license material for this set.) While early tracks like "Do You Remember?," "Picture of You," and "The Truth Hurts" lack the grace of their best material, they reveal this band already had a knack for songwriting that was not shared by many of its peers, and rarities such as "Insects Rule the World" and "Youre Too Obtuse" document a playful sense of humor. With their debut single, "Statues" b/w "Amusement," the psychedelic side of their personality begins to emerge, even as the tunes gain speed and muscle. While nothing from Land Speed Record makes the cut, a live set that includes most of the same material recorded just a few weeks later does appear here, and in terms of fidelity and performance its a major improvement on their debut. The "In a Free Land" single and first studio LP Everything Falls Apart find Hüsker Dü learning how to make their music work in the recording studio, and the live stuff from 1981 and 1982 is breathlessly tight, furious, and exciting. At this time, Hüsker Dü were not yet the band that would record the touchstone albums Zen Arcade and New Day Rising, but Savage Young Dü leaves no doubt that all the ingredients that made those albums great were there; they simply needed time to ferment. And even if they had collapsed before signing with SST and breaking out of the hardcore underground, these tapes are proof they were among the finest and most original groups to come from that very fertile scene. Even for longtime fans, Savage Young Dü is revelatory, charting a young bands progress as it achieved its potential for greatness. | ||