Husker Du : Classic or Dud, Search and Destroy.

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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 (nineteen 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)

They could at least have given Greg one of these weird credits like "Yoko: Wind" to beef up his instruments line.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Thursday, 1 November 2007 17:42 (seventeen years ago)

Oops, wrong thread.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Thursday, 1 November 2007 17:42 (seventeen years ago)

four years pass...

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

― Fiendish Doctor Wu! (kingfish), Friday, 29 June 2012 05:58 (thirteen years ago)

Would love to see a copy of the insert from Land Speed record. It had a list of bands that people should check out. It has always stuck in my head that there was a band listed called the Maggot Brains listed which had me wondering about the array of influences on original US punk bands, though it could have just sounded like a good name and only have distant connection to the Funkadelic lp.

I love the band just as they're heading into the psychedelic stuff so Zen Arcade & New Day Rising and the live in London dvd which has me as a skinny 17 year old thrashing about. Probably also Metal Circus though I haven't heard it in ages. & definitely live sets from late 83- around 86.

― Stevolende, Friday, 29 June 2012 10:13 (thirteen years ago)

I also love the Bob Mould '89 tour stuff that was recorded with Tony Maimone and Anton Fier as a rhythm section. Think there may have been a 2nd guitarist for some of that too.
Not sure what exactly is in circulation but do really like it.

The one time I saw Sugar I was so bored I started reading the book that was in my pocket.

― Stevolende, Friday, 29 June 2012 10:34 (thirteen years ago)

There's a how to buy the Huskers in the new Brian Jones cover Mojo as I discovered minutes after my last posting. Thought there must be an edition due so looked it up and lo and behold.

― Stevolende, Friday, 29 June 2012 10:40 (thirteen years ago)

with money?

― contenderizer, Friday, 29 June 2012 15:35 (thirteen years ago)

one year passes...

New day rising

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 2 August 2013 14:42 (eleven years ago)

there was an ancient thread specifically for that:

Okay, so I guess Robert Palmer used to cover Husker Du's "New Day Rising" in concert! Does anyone have an mp3 of this??

― trippin' on brostep beats (NickB), Friday, 2 August 2013 14:53 (eleven years ago)

That was way back when it was merely a rumour though

― trippin' on brostep beats (NickB), Friday, 2 August 2013 14:53 (eleven years ago)

Re: "I Will never forget you" - talk about feeling something intensely!

― More Than a Century With the Polaris Emblem (calstars), Friday, 2 August 2013 14:53 (eleven years ago)

Ah, thank you Nick, hold on here...

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 2 August 2013 14:56 (eleven years ago)

one year passes...

On Amtrak train now stopping in Redwing, MN. Wondering if maybe Greg Norton will be visible out the window.

― before you die you see the rink (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 26 August 2014 14:35 (ten years ago)

http://cdn.mos.totalfilm.com/images/t/there-will-be-blood-03-645-75.jpg

― pplains, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 18:26 (ten years ago)

No such luck. Some Mennonites got on in La Crosse though! Not sure if they are the carriage or black bumper brand.

― before you die you see the rink (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 26 August 2014 18:38 (ten years ago)

one month passes...

http://factmag-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/plectrumrecords2-500x350.jpg

^ rfi: what huskers vinyl is that on the wall of this record store?

― john wahey (NickB), Friday, 24 October 2014 11:51 (ten years ago)

that is the bootleg of their 1985 show at first avenue, just as they were working on Candy Apple Grey, and it's pretty amazing tbh. my favourite version of Green Eyes, for sure.
http://www.discogs.com/H%C3%BCsker-D%C3%BC-Live-At-The-First-Avenue-Club/release/2168534

― NYC if you didn't know was taken over by skeleton hipsters in the past (stevie), Friday, 24 October 2014 12:34 (ten years ago)

thanks stevie - nice set!

You're So Square

ha, is grant singing that one?

― john wahey (NickB), Friday, 24 October 2014 12:43 (ten years ago)

He is! Actually, Bob and Grant share vocals but Grant's dominant on here, and it turns into a terrifying Wit & Wisdom in the middle.

― NYC if you didn't know was taken over by skeleton hipsters in the past (stevie), Friday, 24 October 2014 13:05 (ten years ago)

in fact here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elo29fSasCE

― NYC if you didn't know was taken over by skeleton hipsters in the past (stevie), Friday, 24 October 2014 13:05 (ten years ago)

I've got one of these bootlegs where they've got "Celebrated Summer" on the track listing as "Sons of Bitches".

― pplains, Friday, 24 October 2014 13:34 (ten years ago)

hahahahaha what?

― NYC if you didn't know was taken over by skeleton hipsters in the past (stevie), Friday, 24 October 2014 13:43 (ten years ago)

"let's go die" is still one of the best song titles ever

― Pentenema Karten, Friday, 24 October 2014 18:55 (ten years ago)

Skipping 379 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

yeah I had never heard of that either, can someone summarize?

― sleeve, Tuesday, 1 July 2025 21:23 (five days ago)

Grant Hart’s childhood home in South Saint Paul burned down. He had inherited it (I think) but in any event it was still in the family and had a lot of memorabilia. Fortunately Grant had donated some of his archive to the Minnesota Historical Society shortly before.

― The "W" and Odie Trail (Boring, Maryland), Tuesday, 1 July 2025 21:29 (five days ago)

Want the shirt!

― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Wednesday, 2 July 2025 05:15 (four days ago)

My guess is they are doing a run based on advanced orders, but it would be hilarious if ILX bought them out and the only people with shirts were ILXors.

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 2 July 2025 12:34 (four days ago)

No chance. All my HD loving friends already knew about it before ilx (except me)

― Toshirō Nofune (The Seventh ILXorai), Wednesday, 2 July 2025 13:39 (four days ago)

Knew about, but did they order it?! Now is our chance to corner the market!

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 2 July 2025 13:42 (four days ago)

xp one of Grant's cats survived that fire by taking shelter in a guitar case, which is a pretty great silver lining

― henry s, Wednesday, 2 July 2025 13:51 (four days ago)

Oh they sure did
xp

Weirdly I don't recall seeing it mentioned in the SST group.

― Toshirō Nofune (The Seventh ILXorai), Wednesday, 2 July 2025 14:06 (four days ago)

I was at the Montreal show listed on that shirt. in the basement of Berri church. very tempted.

― bryan, Wednesday, 2 July 2025 14:20 (four days ago)

Ordered my shirt!

― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Friday, 4 July 2025 20:27 (two days ago)

They were not sold out of smalls lol

― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Friday, 4 July 2025 20:27 (two days ago)

Yeah I expect that most of us vintage HD fanz, even meee, have expanded a bit.

― dow, Friday, 4 July 2025 20:49 (two days ago)

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