Husker Du : Classic or Dud, Search and Destroy.

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (662 of them)

Husker who?

― the pinefox, Tuesday, 13 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two months pass...

you know what, i have no friggin idea if i like warehouse or not, i mean, someone told me to buy it bc he said its a great album, one of the best of all time, i listened to it the first time, i liked it, i listened to it again i still liked it but not as much, then i told my freinds to listen to it to c what they think of it, they all gave me the same answer, all the songs sound the same, its garbage, so then i listened to it again, i hated it, im not sure if i like it or not, im confused, can u help me?

― Samantha Chin, Tuesday, 5 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Classic- Was there any other 80's band that so ably fused punk noize, psychedelia, and power pop? Mould's guitar may have overdominated the mix but given the kaleidoscopic whirl of feedback-drenched harmonies he got out of it I can forgive the resultant 'tinny' production. Hart's drumming was frantic and aggressive, and is it true Gregg Norton (rock's finest moustache?) now runs a hamburger stall in Minneapolis? We clearly need more moustaches in pop music.

― Stevo, Wednesday, 6 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two months pass...

Jesus Christ, come on. "Pink Turns To Blue", "Celebrated Summer", "Find Me", "I Will Never Forget You", "The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill" ..... Husker Du were the best band of the 80's - an American Beatles in a lot of respects. The sheer prolific amazingness of their 5 classic albums in 4 years hasn't been achieved in Rock since.

― David Gunnip, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two weeks pass...

dude, Husker Du were the best! sure the production wasn't great, but husker du made serious, angsty, loud catchy punkish poppish stuff into an *art* ... screw the buzzcocks! "zen arcade" seemed ridiculously thin and aggressive when i first got it, but one day i listened to it all the way through very loud and it was like a revelation, what a record! "new day" and "warehouse" - the aggressive and pretty sides of the same coin - are both killer also.

if you people really hate the band's production, pick up the live lp "the living end" - makes the "warehouse" stuff much less tame and actually sounds *good* (gosh...)

― jay, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

screw the buzzcocks!

BLASPHEMER.

― Ian White, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Living End is fun, especially for the versions of the very early speed-punk stuff and some good unreleased trax like "Now That You Know Me". I have to disagree a little about the sound - for example,the cavernous echo on the snare on "Ice Cold Ice" sounds terrible! Some of the other tracks sound Ok - maybe recorded in smaller halls or something.

― Dr. C, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I used to be a big Husker Du fan as a teenager. You couldn't claim to be an indie fan in the late eighties and not be a Huskers fan. Though I always liked the Replacements better, I liked Husker Du too.

Then all through the nineties I never listened to any of their records. A couple of months ago, I decided to put on New Day Rising. And I was left feeling ... well, nothing. If anything, it sounded like the Mother of All Emo Records, which would of course be a bad thing.

Funny how a decade can change one's perceptions so greatly.

― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Friday, 31 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one month passes...

No fucking contest. *****C*L*A*S*S*I*C***** Fuck. Who do you think Green Day and Nirvana learned from (listen to "Territorial Pissings" and "2000 Light Years Away")? I'm not incredibly fond of many of Hart's songs, but he has a few greats like "pink Turns to Blue" and "She Floated Away," and Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill, even if his lyrics were cheesey now and then. Productionwise, listen to the vinyl for a better representation of their sound. The CD's sound sucks. Plus, better production might have deprived us of listening to Mould try and wretch out his vocal chords to be heard over the din. Zen Arcade destroys all. No punk band was suppossed to be that good and advanced that quickly, and with such a range of emotion. As far as Mould is considered, Sugar is fucking great, as were pretty much everything he touched in Husker Du. 8 Miles High, Something I learned Today, In a Free Land all kick my ass left and right, while Could You be the One and Makes No Sense at All are the two greatest pop punk songs ever written (Ramones nonwithstanding). Search: almost everything Destroy: Nova Mob and about half of Warehouse.

― Jim B, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

three years pass...

I don't think there's a single mention of "Makes No Sense at All" on this thread which I would think is surely their best song, right? A GREAT song. What, is it too obvious to mention this one?

Anyway, I heard "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" on the radio today for the first time in a long time and it sounded like the Foo Fighters! (Except for the fact that it was much more well written, of course!)

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 8 April 2005 03:29 (twenty years ago)

I'm shocked that so many posters preferred Sugar, because I do too. "Copper Blue" got me into HD in the first place. That said, classic despite the boxy production. "Diane," all of "New Day Rising," "Flip Your Wig" up through "Private Plane," and "Candy Apple Grey" for "Sorry Somehow" and "Hardly Getting Over it."

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 8 April 2005 03:35 (twenty years ago)

I really like Zen Arcade. "Chartered Trips" just doesn't get enough love here (but the instrumentals are nice too). I think the distant smeared 'underproduction' is part of what makes it great.

I also really like reading Julio's early posts.

― the fucker that will burn you (sundar), Friday, 8 April 2005 03:50 (twenty years ago)

Metal Circus deserves way more love than it got on this thread too. Classic (production issues aside, and no audiophile I).

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Friday, 8 April 2005 04:22 (twenty years ago)

search: Metal Circus, "Pink Turns to Blue", "Eight Miles High", "Gir Who Lives On Heaven Hill", "Eiffel Tower High" (their greatest song, I think)

Woah. That is almost exactly the list I'd post, 'cept I'd add in "Books About UFOs" 'cuz it's sweet.

I don't like Zen Arcade that much as an album. I love some of the tracks on it, but I'd be way more likely to listen to New Day Rising all the way through.

― babyalive (babyalive), Friday, 8 April 2005 04:30 (twenty years ago)

Bought the 2xLP of Zen Arcade years ago having never heard of the band, and never looked back.

Fucking classic, even now. The only album that's not up to scratch is Candy Apple Grey.

"Brick on your head, 'cause you're a fuckhead" to the naysayers.

― Sasha (sgh), Friday, 8 April 2005 05:41 (twenty years ago)

"Diane"! So good! "Green Eyes"! So good! "I Will Never Forget You"! So good! "Eight Miles High"! Beyond Fucking Classic! C'mon ILM, Do the Du! it's make you want to scream really loud Aaaarrrrrrrggggghhhhh until you are hoarse, what's not to like?

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Friday, 8 April 2005 06:12 (twenty years ago)

"Diane" is ridiculously good. I was happy to play that on the air on college radio once or twice just the way I had first heard it myself on the radio!

It occurs to me now Warehouse is the one, that was the name of only album of Husker Du I had. It was about 60% enjoyable as I recall.

The singles were always good, don't get me wrong...Eight Miles High was great too. I heard their version of that before anyone else's, actually. I don't feel cheated by that at all.

― The Silent Disco of Glastonbury (Bimble...), Friday, 8 April 2005 06:22 (twenty years ago)

"If only they had turned the bass, snare and kick drum up a bit post-Zen Arcade, they would have sounded ten times better."

That was the Hated's theory, anyway...

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Friday, 8 April 2005 07:35 (twenty years ago)

can't you push the bass upfront in the mix when you remaster a record? not exactly the equivalent of turning it up or whatever but still it doesn't look like remastering will be done anytime soon.

Incidentally, listening to DNA and sirone late last year made me realize how the bass could work and what a blind spot that was for me even though those aren't exactly rock. I haven't heard 'zen arcade' in ages so i should revisit this.

(thanks sundar, that must've been one of my v first posts on ilm though for better or worse I could never use a word like 'quality' or 'integrity' again nor 'influence' or 'emotion' without explaining it)

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 8 April 2005 07:54 (twenty years ago)

It's weird to see the love for "Diane". Great music, but the wording of the lyrical content really bothers me.

― What we want? Sex with T.V. stars! What you want? Ian Riese-Moraine! (Eastern Ma, Friday, 8 April 2005 09:02 (twenty years ago)

Yes, Goddammit, where is the love for NEW DAY RISING. Spectacular from end to end, even errr... the less than spectacular parts. Title track is bliss.

― BlastsOfStatic (BlastsofStatic), Friday, 8 April 2005 11:58 (twenty years ago)

I think New Day Rising is my favorite too but I like them all so who knows. Newest Industry and Chartered Trips are my favorite songs though. I remember getting Metal Circus in high school and being totally freaked out by Diane. The production on the later records bothers me way more than on the early stuff. In fact I don't notice it at all up through New Day Rising.

― dan. (dan.), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:48 (twenty years ago)

GAH! WHY DOES THIS THREAD EVEN EXIST??? How anyone could say "dud" to Husker Du is something I simply can't fathom. Let's put it this way, the live version of "Divide and Conquer" on The Living End on its own is BETTER THAN THE ENTIRE CATALOG OF YOUR FAVORITE BAND!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

Sorry, that's three cups of coffee talkin'.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

What if my favorite band is Killing Joke?

― SmartArse, Friday, 8 April 2005 14:55 (twenty years ago)

The Living End, then Zen & Rising, broke my brain &, in essence, birthed my full-on indie wuv when I first heard them 10+ years ago (w/ Sugar serving as the womb). Then I went through a phase where I disowned Husker. Then I felt a little nostalgic (& glommed onto Everything Falls Apart, because it sounded fresh to me). Then I TOTALLY disowned them. Now, I think I'm ambivalent & nostalgically curious, tho I don't think I'll ever hear what I heard way back when now, which is to be expected, but still disappointing. Not that I really need to hear them ever again - I can probably bring up any song from those 2 records at any time in my noggin. Except for the cat skinning one (which I really like). And "59 Times The Pain" can go trip on a bear trap.

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:56 (twenty years ago)

Alex, I'll see yr "Divide & Conquer", raise you "Hardly Getting Over It", & then go all in w/ "Books About UFOs".

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:58 (twenty years ago)

Also, WTF w/ destroying "The Baby Song"!?!?!

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 8 April 2005 15:00 (twenty years ago)

Ha - thanks to thinking about "The Baby Song", I now have "Flexible Flyer" stuck in my head! Yay!

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 8 April 2005 15:04 (twenty years ago)

Every single thing the band did was great. Even the not great stuff.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Friday, 8 April 2005 15:11 (twenty years ago)

Yup, they are so far "Classic" they're off the scale. Too much to search, too few to destroy.

― bg, Friday, 8 April 2005 15:29 (twenty years ago)

Hmm. Divide & Conquer...I remember that one being really good too. *scratches head, pondering* Maybe I'm due for a Husker re-listen of some kind. It would be fun to make my own comp of them.

― The Silent Disco of Glastonbury (Bimble...), Friday, 8 April 2005 15:38 (twenty years ago)

I'm totally wearing a big eye-piercing orange New Day Rising shirt today

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Friday, 8 April 2005 15:46 (twenty years ago)

Man, I need to get Flip Your Wig again. I had it on tape, and now it's lost. With songs like "Hate Paper Doll", they're the only hardcore punk band that could have a Broadway musical based around their songs.

(Did I just say that?)

Also, Greg Norton, being the most underrated member of the band, is such a great bassist. I walk around most days with a loop of "Statues" running on repeat in my brain.

Any coincidence that this thread has been revived just after that special sometime in April when we add another hour?

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 8 April 2005 15:55 (twenty years ago)

Much of Bob Mould's post-Du career has left me cold; and much of the reason is his reluctance to SHRED! Maybe he's just a contrary bastard who refuses to play guitar solos to piss off a receptive audience for them, same as 20 years ago when his willingness/ability to play 'em no doubt offended punk-purist morons. If so, that's amusing & admirable in a way, but musically unfortunate, since we're talking about one of the most thrilling Flying V-specialists of all time. Just one all-out shred-fest per album is all I ask, save it for the very last song, just like in the old days, with his old band. The old days, when you could buy a Husker Du rec and be assured of getting, in addition to a Mould ax-travaganza, (1) a beautiful cover; (2) a weird instrumental or near-instrumental, and (3) any number of unforgettable songs, in a roughly 60-40 split between Mould and Hart songs, with Grant Hart making up for the imbalance by always contributing my own personal LP-highlight, each time, each album out. (Said band being an unquestioned CLASSIC, in case you need to ask.)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 8 April 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)

Up through Flip Your Wig, pretty much flawless (incl. the early hardcore stuff IMO)...after that, spotty, although I'm enough of a sap to be really moved by "These Important Years"...

Sugar's Copper Blue is better than the last Husker records, though, whoever said that was OTM.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 8 April 2005 17:42 (twenty years ago)

it has to be classic b/c the world would not be the same w/o Bob Mould and his guitar and his voice. he's a singularly special gay man, so any album is a classic b/c it contributes to the future. but i can't/don't listen to any husker du album b/c the lyrics are so dumb and the sounds now are too obvious dramatic angst - its like hetal metal ballads at times. classic dud?

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Friday, 8 April 2005 23:08 (twenty years ago)

Some nice tunes, though, no?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 8 April 2005 23:41 (twenty years ago)

husker du's lyrics were plainspoken, direct and often simple and child-like, and sometimes just kinda clunky and prosaic, but they weren't dumb, not most of the time anyway. at their best, whether on hart's "never talking to you again" or mould's "something i learned today," they expressed deep emotion through simple language, which is to say they were making great pop music. and, hell yeah, there some nice tunes too.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 8 April 2005 23:51 (twenty years ago)

that's a different perspective FCC. I'll have to take a fresh listen.

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Friday, 8 April 2005 23:53 (twenty years ago)

Yes!!! I've finally *got* Husker Du. New Day Rising simply for the title track and Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill. As for Sugar, Beaster is amazing, see Titled for the definition of relentless, but Copper Blue and FUEL leave me a bit cold.

― Ben Dot (1977), Saturday, 9 April 2005 17:11 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Classic.

Search: side one of New Day Rising, played in the sequence it was released

Destroy: "Reoccurring dreams", "The Baby Song", about half of Warehouse: Songs & Stories.

― Snnap Dragon (snnap dragon), Saturday, 21 May 2005 18:02 (twenty years ago)

Utmost classicness. New Day Rising, Zen Arcade, and Candy Apple Grey are my favorites, so definitely search. Warehouse is probably my least favorite, but certainly nowhere near 'destroy' status. In fact, its better than a lot of bands' best works. And, yes, The Living End is a corker.

― John Bullabaugh (John Bullabaugh), Saturday, 21 May 2005 23:02 (twenty years ago)

Damn, no mention yet of the greatest Husker Du song of all? I'm talking about "Up in the Air." Oh yes. Sweet, sweet soaring psychedelia that gives me kaleidoscope eyes and makes me bliss the fuck out. And what about the cascading, hectic euphoria of "You're a Soldier"? No love for that? Jesus, what's the matter with you people?

― Blightersrock (Da ve Segal), Sunday, 22 May 2005 08:14 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Husker Du were awesome, and Grant is a great songrwriter, but nothing compares to "Copper Blue!" Full of great songs, and I love Bob's twangy voice when it's overdubbed 50 times. I think the Warner Bros. Du albums are the best, Warehouse has to be the greatest double album of all time. She Floated Away, Ice Cold Ice, Actual Condition, It's not Peculiar, too many great tunes to mention. Anyone who hasn't heard these should download them IMMEDIATELY! I'm looking forward to Bob's new one, Body of Song. Has anyone else pre ordered a copy? Husker rules! And Paul Westerberg was nothing but a pair of pretty cheekbones :P

― Rena Navarro, Sunday, 17 July 2005 20:26 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

So here's a question that I've had for twenty years:

Why is it that on the inside of Zen Arcade it says "All songs written by whoever sings it except for "Someday" that Grant wrote"?

Didn't Grant also sing it, so it would still fall under "song written by singer" rule?

― Pleasant Plains, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 16:27 (seventeen years ago)

Ah, I see it's the only song with lyrics on the album that has two songwriters. Still, Grant Hart sang a song that he wrote.

― Pleasant Plains, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 16:31 (seventeen years ago)

ahem, Bob Mould was a writer for WCW, not WWF.

and, classic - new day rising (the song). fucking great.

― shanissey, Thursday, 1 November 2007 08:07 (seventeen years ago)

Classic. Nothing beats the first side/half of New Day Rising.

― Jazzbo, Thursday, 1 November 2007 12:25 (seventeen years ago)

Classic. Those SST records are timeless

― steampig67, Thursday, 1 November 2007 17:32 (seventeen years ago)

Skipping 562 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

don't care about shirts at all

i'm afraid you've found yourself on the wrong thread, friend

― enochroot, Tuesday, 14 October 2025 17:23 (one week ago)

So I've noticed!

― Paul Ponzi, Tuesday, 14 October 2025 17:31 (one week ago)

when is this live set released again? I will be happy with digital.

― sleeve, Tuesday, 14 October 2025 17:32 (one week ago)

and I definitely only need one shirt, lol

― sleeve, Tuesday, 14 October 2025 17:32 (one week ago)

I have 3 or 4 bootleg tshirts and now yet another official one purchased. Keep em coming I say!

― Toshirō Nofune (The Seventh ILXorai), Tuesday, 14 October 2025 20:19 (one week ago)

Think the box-set drops first or second week of November. It kicks fucking ass, as you might expect.

― meat-based daughter-based unwellness (stevie), Tuesday, 14 October 2025 20:36 (one week ago)

ah yes Nov 7th, thanks

― sleeve, Tuesday, 14 October 2025 20:37 (one week ago)

and yeah looks like all the physical formats are sold out now

― sleeve, Tuesday, 14 October 2025 20:38 (one week ago)

As much as I'm on fire to be the 50-year-old guy walking down Olive Street in my $30 Hüsker Dü reprinted t-shirt...

― pplains, Wednesday, 15 October 2025 12:46 (one week ago)

Yall are terrible! I refuse to feel bad about wearing my Dü on my sleeve.

― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Wednesday, 15 October 2025 13:49 (one week ago)

How about one for every day of the week?

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 15 October 2025 13:57 (one week ago)

T-shirt box set

― chr1sb3singer, Wednesday, 15 October 2025 13:57 (one week ago)

How about one for every day of the week?

that would be a strange week

I SAID THAT WOULD BE A STRANGE...

nevermind

― meat-based daughter-based unwellness (stevie), Wednesday, 15 October 2025 14:33 (one week ago)

monday... tuesday... wednesday.. thursday... friday... saturday... sunday... aaaaauuuuuuugh

― meat-based daughter-based unwellness (stevie), Wednesday, 15 October 2025 14:34 (one week ago)

I hate all this im too cool/old to wear band tshirts

― Toshirō Nofune (The Seventh ILXorai), Wednesday, 15 October 2025 16:32 (one week ago)

you and me both! don't want one? don't buy or wear one.
struggling with aging and feeling relevant? take it somewhere else bub

― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Wednesday, 15 October 2025 18:37 (one week ago)

...she said while wearing her v cute green "turtles have short legs" tshirt she got as a gift

― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Wednesday, 15 October 2025 18:38 (one week ago)

You win ILM today.

I need to buy more band shirts and try to keep my 18 year old from stealing them...

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 15 October 2025 18:43 (one week ago)

No band tee shaming on my part! I ordered the first one, but wish I'd have waited to see some of the other options. The only reason I don't buy more is that I already get the side-eye about bringing yet another band t-shirt into the house.

― better than ezra collective soul asylum (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 15 October 2025 18:45 (one week ago)

(which isn't to say there's an issue with owning/wearing band shirts... it's more of a "do you REALLY need another one" side-eye)

― better than ezra collective soul asylum (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 15 October 2025 18:46 (one week ago)

Answer: yes. (My dresser drawers where I keep my shirts would disagree.)

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 15 October 2025 19:05 (one week ago)

"turtles have short legs" tshirt

OMG would wear

― sleeve, Wednesday, 15 October 2025 19:17 (one week ago)

I have soooo many tshirts.

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 15 October 2025 19:18 (one week ago)

Do you have too many band t-shirts?

― sleeve, Wednesday, 15 October 2025 19:20 (one week ago)

I'm also definitely not band tee-shaming! I've just never been a memorabilia guy, and given my limited income and the fact that shirts (and posters) cost as much if not more than records and CDs, I always just chose the music. tbf, I own plenty of band t-shirts, but very few fit comfortably, and the ones that do are typically never of my favorite bands. In a moment of weakness I paid, I think, $65 for my King Crimson tour t-shirt when I saw them a few years ago, and I never wear it because 1) it doesn't look especially great on me, and 2) it cost $65 and I'm afraid of spilling something on it

― Paul Ponzi, Wednesday, 15 October 2025 19:43 (one week ago)

please sign me up for turtles have short legs tshirt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClnkH5JHaI0

― imperial frfr (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 15 October 2025 23:17 (one week ago)

Never any shame on anyone else for wearing a Dü shirt!

― pplains, Thursday, 16 October 2025 16:47 (one week ago)

Got really, really psyched to see an email from Numero Group with the subject line "Your downloads are ready", considering I haven't ordered any music from them other than this new Du set in a long time.

Unfortunately I opened to find the downloads for the Duster album I ordered from them in.... (checks notes)... September 2024. Thanks, I guess?

― better than ezra collective soul asylum (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 23 October 2025 21:17 (two days ago)

lol what

― sleeve, Thursday, 23 October 2025 21:20 (two days ago)

Is that the most recent Duster LP? I'm not crazy about their stuff but I thought that was a really good record!

― meat-based daughter-based unwellness (stevie), Thursday, 23 October 2025 21:28 (two days ago)

ha yeah i just got a similar email w/ a download for something from two years ago.

― tylerw, Thursday, 23 October 2025 21:39 (two days ago)

haha the juxtaposition between the 80's brit tv gaudiness at the start and then they rip into New Day Rising

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPXDU0DpiBM

― a (waterface), Friday, 24 October 2025 12:21 (yesterday)

Lol, I got an email that my Margo Guryan and Cosmjc American Music: Motel California downloads are available from Numero.

― spastic heritage, Friday, 24 October 2025 13:26 (yesterday)

That set got bootlegged onto a VHS that somehow made it to Rockit Records in Nashua, NH. I tried to figure out how to play the songs, but not enough guitar neck close-ups.

― bendy, Friday, 24 October 2025 15:55 (yesterday)

Is that the most recent Duster LP? I'm not crazy about their stuff but I thought that was a really good record!

Yeah, I like the record! I just...already have it and had previously gotten the codes, so I'm not sure why they'd be sent again and tease me with Husker hopes.

― better than ezra collective soul asylum (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 24 October 2025 16:12 (yesterday)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.