Is "FUEL" by Sugar worth $1?

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I ask because the Dollar store at my nearby mall is selling several copies for that price. I've heard only their first record which I thought was great at first but sorta lost steam over time. What should i do?

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 21:54 (twenty-one years ago)

it is worth a dollar, but is not as good as their first album (or EP).

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 21:55 (twenty-one years ago)

its only a dollar. i hope you won't die of hunger if you spend it.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 22:24 (twenty-one years ago)

FU:EL (gotta recognize that colon!) is stronger than Copper Blue on a song-by-song basis, but CB is a more cohesive album - FU:EL acts like a singles collection. I think I actually prefer FU:EL to other Sugar offerings, much in the same semi-contrarian way that I prefer Everything Falls Apart to any of the canonical Husker Du albums. And might I say that David Barbe's contribution ("Company Man") is A-OK in a sub-Ox way. And dig Mr. Mould ripping off / gaining inspiration from a Loveless song for "Your Favorite Thing"!

For a buck, it's worth giving a spin or two.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 22:38 (twenty-one years ago)

i always thought FUEL's biggest problem was that it lacked the punch that the previous releases had in spades, rather than the songs not being up to scratch..

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 22:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I guess the album was aptly titled, then. (winky)

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 22:46 (twenty-one years ago)

"Gee Angel" is actually my favorite single Sugar song, although I don't think FU:EL is even half as good as Copper Blue.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 22:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah... it's only a $1.

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 22:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Also has "Granny Cool" allegedly about Grant Hart. While I wasn't a fan of the overall sound of the record, it is absolutely chockers full of good tunes.
For $1 you can't go wrong..

― Gas Coin, Tuesday, 20 January 2004 23:15 (twenty-one years ago)

you can also get the "beaster" EP for a buck, a much better buy.

― notfazed (notfazed), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:05 (twenty-one years ago)

get 'em both, it's only a buck. beaster alone is worth two, and "Gee angel" and "explode and make up" are some of mould's best ever songs.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:07 (twenty-one years ago)

"Gift," "Your Favorite Thing," "Explode And Make Up," "Gee Angel" & "Believe What You're Saying" would all be worth a buck on a damn cassingle if not available otherwise.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:15 (twenty-one years ago)

though yeah, Copper Blue & Besides are superior overall.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, for $1 get it. If you don't like it, hey, it's only $1.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 03:33 (twenty-one years ago)

i do believe we have a concensus

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 03:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Its got "Gee Angel" on it = I'm sold.

― Matt (Matt), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 03:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Almost anything is worth $1 on CD, certainly a Sugar album. You can always toss the CD and use the blank case to replace a broken one.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 04:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Fuck yeah its worth it. The production sounds dated, hell it sounded dated the day it came out, maybe it was just crap from the start. Either way the album is worth much more then a dollar. Even the rising loonie dollar. Hell even the old 1.35 Us dollar to the loonie, even if the loonie was still another 15 years or so in the making.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 04:21 (twenty-one years ago)

To piggyback Mark's point - if it's in an old school light green Rykodisc case, then it's your DUTY to buy a copy. (If the teeth in said case are still intact, then you have made out like a bandit & should celebrate in a bandit-like fashion.)

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 05:26 (twenty-one years ago)

celebration like a bandit = drinking lots of moonshine, playing cards and fucking old west-style whores?

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 05:29 (twenty-one years ago)

thanks all (well, ALMOST all) for your answers. i'm gonna buy it, and once i've had a chance to listen, i'll my thoughts.

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 12:59 (twenty-one years ago)

definitely worth a dollar (am listening to it again now) though i'd argue the only true standouts are 'explode & make up' and 'favourite thing'...

the weakest release in a stong catalogue; still think it would be improved if they'd opened with a Suhar-ed cover of 'this gift' by Mudhoney, as opposed to their own 'gift'...

― stevie (stevie), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 16:04 (twenty-one years ago)

if I see it cheap I'll get it.

'beaster' is incredible.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

"Gee Angel" alone is worth that dollar.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 16:20 (twenty-one years ago)

'beaster' is incredible.

I actually think that's the best thing Mould ever did.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 16:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Big Bob-fan here, must weight in...

This is an underrated album. "Gift", "Your Favorite Thing", "Gee Angel" and "Explode And Make Up" are indredible songs. The other six tunes range from nearly-as-good to just-"OK", but, still... the production is astounding, I can't believe anyone would dislike it. It's like the warmth-of-vinyl thing meets Bob's usual guitar sound... with that MBV undercurrent... doing big pop songs... with an acoustic second side... it's cool!

The other Sugar records had just as many flaws. Perhaps 'Copper Blue' has more great songs--only a few are lukewarm--but it's pretty close. I've had these for the better part of a decade and over the years this has become the one I grab for some reason...

― John 2, Thursday, 22 January 2004 02:51 (twenty-one years ago)

five years pass...

This album would be worth $1 even it just consisted of "Gift" 10 times. Hell, it might even be worth $10 in that case. But with "Gift" and "Explode and Make Up", def. worth $10. I don't think I've listened to anything between those two songs on the album since 1994, but maybe I ought to.

The live version of "Explode and Make Up" that came on the bonus second disk of Besides is even better, though: it's one of those performances I can't listen to with anyone else around b/c I lose it every time. The same is true for that show's version of "The Slim", which didn't really move me on Copper Blue. The live version is astounding. I wish they'd sounded this good to me when I saw them live on the FUEL tour, but the assault that night was just wearying.

― Euler, Sunday, 27 December 2009 07:33 (fifteen years ago)

I concur with your assessment, very underrated record coming in the wake of it's excellent predecessors. I'm not sure I agree with you re: the live versions - when I saw them they just played straight through each song in a perfunctory way. Fast as hell, yes, but without the soul that the studio versions have. Exception: the live version of "JC Auto".

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Sunday, 27 December 2009 13:38 (fifteen years ago)

four years pass...

glad it made the Rolling Stone list – such a great album

― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 17 April 2014 19:03 (eleven years ago)

You can always toss the CD and use the blank case to replace a broken one.

― Mark (MarkR)

i had completely forgotten this

― balls, Thursday, 17 April 2014 22:28 (eleven years ago)

was a letdown after Copper Blue and Beaster, but still has some decent tunes. Besides with bonus live disc worth checking out too.

― nitro-burning funny car (Moodles), Thursday, 17 April 2014 22:47 (eleven years ago)

This is someway short of a great album IMO. Gift, Your Favourite Thing (one of his best ever), Gee Angel, Believe What You're Saying and Explode are great.

But the Barbe track, Panama City Motel, What You Want It To Be (such generic Mould), Granny Cool are average.

― Master of Treacle, Thursday, 17 April 2014 23:16 (eleven years ago)

GIFT is the best

― Euler, Thursday, 17 April 2014 23:26 (eleven years ago)

& as I said above, the live version of "The Slim" on the Besides bonus live disk is as great as "Gift", and now it's available as the second disk of the FU:EL reissue. his screams...song is something else.

― Euler, Thursday, 17 April 2014 23:34 (eleven years ago)

This is someway short of a great album IMO. Gift, Your Favourite Thing (one of his best ever), Gee Angel, Believe What You're Saying and Explode are great.

But the Barbe track, Panama City Motel, What You Want It To Be (such generic Mould), Granny Cool are average.

― Master of Treacle,

that's about right -- I skip those.

― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 17 April 2014 23:43 (eleven years ago)

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