release date: Jan. 1985
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: Hüsker Dü, Spot (aka Glen Lockett)
label: SST Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "New Day Rising" - 3. "I Apologize" - 4. "Folk Lore" - 6. "Celebrated Summer" - 8. "Terms of Psychic Warfare" - 11. "Books About UFO's"
3rd full studio album by Hüsker Dü. The album may not be as daring experimental as Zen Arcade (1984) but it's the first album where I hear what is unmistakeably Bob Mould harmonies - just listen to "I Apologize". The band is the same trio of Mould, Hart and Norton, only this time Mould has written eight out of fifteen and is co-writer on another four tracks. Three of the tracks are written solely by Grant Hart. Compared to the 84 double album this clearly takes a firm direction of punk rock and alt. rock glued together by power pop. The fact that Mould has established himself as the musical composer of the band is a highly infectious point of discussion. Hart and Mould were both lead vocalists as well as writers, but unlike the broader musical output on Zen Arcade this reflects Mould's dominant role within the band - something that ultimately led to arguments and may even have been a primary conflict leading to the future split.
However, so far, this is the band's best effort, although, the production sucks, being poor and murky.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 5 / 5 stars ]
