Husker Du's
albums
perfect, but 90% of it was. A band that truly evolved, moved against any trend at all, and had two
great songwriters that however different, always sounded great together. They really have no peers
and no obvious influences, so you have to look close to see the influence of some Byrds and
Ramones there. Even if they had that at the beginning, starting with Zen Arcade the band moved in a
direction that is un-classifiable with words. In the span of four years, they truly became "the best band
on the planet", and could do no wrong there. Grant Hart was the pop song creator, and his songs
were always melodic and catchy, and about real/made up stories. Bob Mould, who became one of the
most important songwriters/guitarists of all time, created a unique style of songwriting that is his and
only his, and would be followed after this band with a new band, Sugar, and a great solo career. Can't
think of much else to say, except I'll get thier first record and review it someday, promise!
Greg Norton - Bass
Grant Hart - Drums
Best Albums: Zen Arcade; Warehouse Songs & Stories
Biggest Influences: The Ramones, The Clash, The Byrds
1984
Zen Arcade - 9/8
Zen Arcade was the second Husker Du studio album, and their real turning point. I was not around to
appreciate how big of an "underground impact" this album had, all I can do is relate it to today. I can hear
echoes of "Something I Learned Today" and "Pink Turns to Blue" in all of the radio 90's music. People like
Nirvana, Green Day, and Peal Jam HAD to have heard Husker Du, I mean they sound so much like them
really. This album is very ambitious, the textures it uses in songs like "hare krishna" and "masochism
world" that no one has ever used before or ever since. Bob Mould and Grant Hart's songwriting is also
equal in style and quantity, never before have they sounded like they are trying to write the same album
before! These two songwriters were very different, but they somehow blended together they're styles like
no other band ever has.
Mould sings and wrote the songs "Something I Learned Today", "Whatever" and "Chartered Trip",
and each are intense folk ballads played fast, so viewed as "punk" songs. Each little touch on these songs
are what make it special, like when the echoes kick in on the second verse of "Chartered Trips" or when
Hart joins him in singing the chorus to "Something I Learned Today". Hart's "Never Talking to You Again"
is a breath of fresh air after the first two songs, and really adds to the flow of this album by showing the
listener, that this is something DIFFERENT. Other such Hart compositions are "Masochism World", with its
delayed verse and powerful delivery, and "Pink Turns to Blue", a stunning pop song (?) amidst all of this
fast tempo played bash fest.
The band here sounds very hard here, they are definitely at their most intense; this might not be the
best place to start for novices of the band. Also, it takes a while to absorb these songs (I am talking
YEARS in some cases), and all the little in between songs such as "Dreams Reoccurring" and its
counterpart, the closing jam "Reoccurring Dreams", which is very surreal in a good way. These facts do
not hurt the album however, because that is what Zen Arcade is; Husker Du's intense, ambitious, double
album that sounds totally unique, timeless, and is a masterpiece, and also marks a beginning for one of
Rock n' Roll's greatest bands. - Trevor e.y.
1.something I learned today- 4
2.broken home, broken heart- 4
3.never talking to you again- 4
4.charted trip- 4
5.dreams reoccurring- gf
6.indecision time- 4
7.hare krishna- 2
8.beyond the threshold- 4
9.pride- 3
10.ill never forget you- 4
11.the biggest lie- 4
12.what’s going on- 4
13.masochism world- 4
14.standing by the sea- 4
15.somewhere- 4
16.one step at a time- gf
17.pink turns to blue- 4
18.newest industry- 4
19.monday will never be the same- gf
20.whatever- 4*
21.the tooth fairy and the princess- 4
22.turn on the news- 4
23.reocurring dreams- 3
1985
New Day Rising - 7/8
Husker Du's third album is as intense as Zen Arcade, but it sounds lazier. It opens with the chantey
"New Day Rising" which may be the Husker's theme song to some, but really it is kind of repetitive and
dumb sounding to me. Somehow, the band does make the song worth listening to, and this album has
plenty of the band's best songs on it. Two thirds of the album is simply outstanding! "Perfect Example",
"terms of psychic warfare" (what a bass line!), "If i Told You" and my personal favorite, "Powerline", are
such unique sounding compositions that it is hard to describe them with words. "Perfect Example" makes a
perfect example, when Mould intentionally sings his lyrics in a mumble to emphasize sounds over
language. Songs usually listed among the best are "Girl Who Lived on Heaven Hill", "Celebrated Summer"
and "I Apologize", and yes they are also great, though not my personal favorites.
The other third of the album is kind of repetitive, and it is mostly Bob Mould. Songs like "59 times the
pain" and the closers "Plans I Make" and "Whatch'a Drinkin'" (which renounces Bob's alcoholic habits) are
the only three on here i don't LIKE, because they actually kind of drag, and that is not good for a band like
Husker Du, who usually makes their point and gets on with it. I am being VERY harsh on this rating, but
this is usually considered the band's best album, and it is really good, but not the prime example of a good
Husker Du album. Despite speculation, Husker Du can make an album sound rocking and pleasant at the
same time like no one else can. To sum up, New Day Rising is not their best, while still a great album.
Yeah, this is actually one of those bands where I would rather listen to their bad songs any day then some
artists' best. - Trevor e.y.
1.new day rising- 3
2.girl who lived on heaven hill- 4
3.i apologize- 4
4.folk lore- 4
5.if I told you- 4
6.celebrated summer- 4
7.perfect example- 4
8.terms of psychic warfare- 4*
9.59 times the pain- 2
10.powerline- 4*
11.books about ufo’s- 4
12.i don’t know what your talking about- 4
13.how to skin a cat- 4
14.whatcha drinkin’- 2
15.plans I make- 2
1985
Flip Your Wig - 8/8
Ahh, Flip Your Wig. This probably Husker Du's most pleasant album. They never made a record with
more atmosphere. Some of the songs on here sound like pop music, but made over in a way only Husker
Du can. Some of the songs: "Divide and Conquer", "Games", and "Keep Hanging On" can be called weak
because they have the same problem as some of the longer songs on New Day Rising, but really they are
all pretty great here and it is shorter at 13 actual songs, which helps. Husker Du have improved any minor
problems they had on their last album to make another masterpiece. From the lovely "Green Eyes" and
"Flexable Flyer" to the drenching "Find Me" and "Makes No Sense at All", the album is full of keepers. Flip
Your Wig also flows better than any other Husker Du album, and it is very different than Zen Arcade in
sound, whether that is because of different producers or whatever. In two years Husker Du made better
albums than any other band ever has in that short amount of time (except Love), and no, not any of those
three should not have been combined to make things more consistent, each are amazingly consistent
works. Flip Your Wig is Husker Du's third album in a row that is completely a masterpiece, and completely
unique hard rock. - Trevor e.y.
1.flip your wig- 4
2.every everything- 4
3.makes no sense at all- 4
4.hate paper doll- 4
5.green eyes- 4*
6.divide and conquer- 3
7.games- 3
8.find me- 4
9.the baby song- gf
10.flexable flyer- 4
11.private plane- 4
12.keep hanging on- 2
13.the wit and the wisdom- 4
14.don’t know yet- 4
1986
Candy Apple Grey - 7/8
Open re-listening to this, the first Husker Du album I ever bought, I have concluded that Bob Mould is
probably the most diverse songwriter ever, along with Pete Townsend. Both Mould and Townsend have
strived to create songs different than those you might hear, but they are all also good. Instead of trying to
make great rock in roll songs on this album, like Grant Hart does, Mould’s songs are more difficult to listen
too and like. This makes Hart’s contributions sound better, which they are not necessarily. Back in the day
of Zen Arcade, most of Mould’s songs sounded unique AND great, but here they are just…challenging
with conflicting results, while Hart’s songs are beautiful, but semi-predictable.
I sound like I don't like the album, I do! "Don't Want to Know If You are Lonely" should have been a hit
single, and "Sorry Somehow" is probably Hart's best song ever. Mould invented a genre of style with his
blistering, overlooked "Eiffel Tower High" (listen to that structure of building to a chorus then repeating it
over and over again), and the two acoustic songs of his in the middle show great diversity. Candy Apple
Grey is still a great and worth getting by any means, not more than one bad song on here, but some are
more difficult than other Husker songs, just realize that. If someone could consider this their favorite
Husker album, I wouldn't argue, though that also goes for any other of their last five. Worth a listen for
anyone interested in music, seriously. - Trevor e.y.
1.crystal- 4
2.don’t want to know if you are lonley- 4
3.i don’t know for sure- 2
4.sorry somehow- 4
5.too far down- 3
6.hardly getting over it- 4
7.dead set on destruction- 3
8.eiffel tower high- 4
9.no promise I have made- 4
10.all this iv’e done for you- 3
1987
Warehouse: Songs and Stories - 9/8
My love of pop music makes me believe that this album is not only Husker Du's best album, it is the
best extensive collection of songs on an album that anyone can buy. A double album that holds twenty
songs on it, everyone of them outstanding and everyone of them different. The thing on here is Grant Hart
and Bob Mould have each fully developed their own sound now, but they have always blended together in
odd ways, which kind of makes this album sound like a greatest hits. But it is not a greatest hits, it is just
one of the best albums ever made! It is hard to understand the singers' words, but anyone who gets this
album should at least once just sit an listen to the album while reading the lyrics in the book all the way
through. There are very good points made on here, whether they be about being young, breaking up,
finding that special person, being famous, or just plain dealing with the oddness of life. The music is also
top notch, with plenty of tricks in structure and melody, and plenty of studio tricks for those types of
people. To describe any of these songs would actually be wrong, this is an album collector's dream come
true. If you have to get just one Husker Du album, get this one, because it is the band's final summation of
life and it really defines what the band is about, and what life is all about for that matter.
- Trevor e.y.
1.these important years- 4
2.charity, chastity, prudence and hope- 4
3.standing in the rain- 4
4.back from somewhere- 4
5.ice cold ice- 3
6.you’re a soldier- 4
7.could you be the one- 4
8.too much spice- 3
9.friend, you’ve got to fall- 4
10.visionary- 4
11.she floated away- 4
12.bed of nails- 3
13.tell you why tomorrow- 4
14.it’s not peculiar- 4*
15.actual condition- 4
16.no reservations- 4
17.turn it around- 4
18.she’s a woman (and now he’s a man)- 4
19.up in the air- 4
20.you can live at home- 4
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