Grant Hart "The Argument" (2013)

The Argument

release date: Jul. 23, 2013

format: digital (20 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,83]

producer: Grant Hart & Mike Wisti

label: Domino - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Morningstar" - 4. "If We Have the Will" - 5. "I Will Never See My Home" - 7. "Sin" - 8. "Letting Me Out" - 9. "Is the Sky the Limit?" (acoustic live) - 11. "So Far from Heaven" - 12. "Shine, Shine, Shine" - 15. "Glorious" - 20. "For Those Too High Aspiring"

4th and final studio album by Grant Hart released 3½ years following Hot Wax (Oct. 2009) is his first album on a label with some credibility. In recent years, Hart has become a more stable performer, he has fought for musical rights of his former solo releases as well as the music released with Nova Mob - these albums have subsequently been reissued in 2014 on Hart's own label Con D'Or Records. It also seems he has come out in better conditions - on the credit list of the album he addresses: "very special thanks to my friends and familiars who pulled me from smoldering ruins and helped build my New Pandemonium".

The album is of conceptual dimensions being based on John Milton's "Paradise Lost" (1667) and inspired by his friendship with author William S. Burroughs. All music is written and composed by Hart except the lyrics on track #1 by Milton. The Argument was released as a double vinyl album and consists of 20 tracks with a total running time of more than 74 minutes. Nearly all music is played entirely by Hart, who is simply credited 'instruments'.

It's mostly melodic alt. rock and indie rock with the usual bonds to psychedelic rock (tracks #9, #13, #15, #16, #20), oldies / standards (track #17), baroque pop (tracks #2, #4 - 7, #10, #11, #12), rock & roll (tracks #8, #16, #19) and experimental rock (tracks #1, #3, #6, #14, #18). Yes, it's a big mix but it never feels forced or out of context and generally sounds like one coherent whole. Hart plays and sings with strong vitality and he narrates with his blessed sense for melody and song structure without losing focus on the existential themes. Needles say, the album was met by critical acclaim.

Alas, the album was to be Hart's final. He appeared to be back from a life in the shadows - marked by many years with drug addiction and the effects of living with Hepatitis C for more than 25 years. He had gained the ownership rights of his many songs over the years, founded a label and appeared more focused than ever before. In his last years, he was plagued by treatments and hospitalisations. Grant Hart died Sep. 13, 2017 of complications from liver cancer and Hepatitis C.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, 👍Pitchfork 8.0 / 10, Consequence of Sound 3,5 / 5 stars ]

[ Grant Hart tribute ]

[ Grant Hart remembered in local news ]

Grant Hart "Hot Wax" (2009)

Hot Wax

release date: Oct. 6, 2009

format: digital

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: uncredited [rec. by Howard Bilerman; Mark Wisti]

label: Con D'Or Records / MVD Audio - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "You're the Reflection of the Moon on the Water" - 2. "Barbara" - 3. "Charles Hollis Jones" - 4. "Schoolbuses Are for Children" - 6. "California Zephyr" (acoustic live) - 7. "Sailor Jack" - 9. "My Regrets"

3rd studio album by Grant Hart follows ten years after the album Good News for Modern Man and is released via the independent label MVD Audio. Another 10 years! Well, you really cannot blame Hart for being busy releasing new material, however, he has recently founded his own record label Con D'Or and with assistance from MVD Audio, he has managed to release nine new compositions. It's no secret that Hart already back in the mid-80s found consolation in drug abuse, and unlike former band associate Bob Mould who took to rehabilation, Hart seems to have rejected just that. His '99 album was well-received by the media but as most of his releases post-Hüsker Dü the album didn't succeed commercially.

He initiated these recordings in a collaboration work with members of post-rock collective Godspeed You! Black Emperor (the band was inactive from 2003-2010), but apparently, Hart didn't feel he benefited from the work and almost halfway through he turned to MVD Audio head Mark Wisti who then helped finishing the album. The early tracks appear to be the ones recorded by Bilerman (tracks #1, #2, #4, #9). Much in concordance with his two previous solos, Hart plays most instruments on his own except from occasional string sections.

Stylewise, this is difficult to narrow in, although there are traits from a post rock influence on tracks #2 and #9, but it mainly comes out as modern pop / rock or indie rock with references to traditional 1960s music of folk rock, psychedelic rock and baroque pop reminding the world about Jefferson Airplane and Scott Walker.

Grant Hart is one of America's big secrets. Those who know of him, praise his music and his few albums, and as with his previous releases Hot Wax contains truly fine music without reaching the same level as he demonstrates on his '99-album.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Grant Hart "Good News for Modern Man" (1999)

Good News for Modern Man

release date: Nov. 30, 1999

format: cd

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]

producer: Grant Hart & Brent Sigmeth

label: Pachyderm Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Think It Over Now" (4 / 5) - 3. "Run Run Run to the Centre Pompidou" - 4. "You Don't Have to Tell Me Now" (4 / 5) - 6. "A Letter From Anne Marie" - 7. "In a Cold House" - 8. "Seka Knows" - 11. "Little Nemo"

[ full album ]

2nd full-length studio album by Grant Hart follows more than five years after the final album by Nova Mob and ten full years since his first solo album Intolerance. And just like his solo debut, he has here written and composed all music as well as being the only performer playing all instruments, doing all vocals except for the lead guitar on track #8 by Mato Nanji (from the band Indigenous). The album was originally released on the small independent Minnesota label Pachyderm and only issued in the US and via Rough Trade in Germany, but in 2014 the album was reissued on Hart's own label Con D'Or Records as most of all his older albums.

This new updated version of Grant Hart doesn't carry a lot of the alt. rock style he showcased in Hüsker Dü, the folk rock-simili as introspective solo artist on his first solo, nor the more electrifying power pop of his band Nova Mob from 1991-94. Instead, it's a quite original blend of pop / rock with influences from a rock tradition with strong roots in 1960s psychedelic rock. The production sound has improved considerably compared to his previous albums, and it's quite a wonder how this one-man army is able to make such a distinct sounding album only based on his own material.

Hart isn't and never was afraid of blending styles and the album is rich of various stylistic impressions without losing coherency. He also possess a distinct and lively vocal, which glues it all nicely together. Some tracks sound as if they were covers of classic psychedelic rock songs by e.g. Jefferson Airplane ("Seka Knows"), experimental rock by e.g. Captain Beefheart ("Let Rosemary Rock Him, Laura-Louise") but they are all strictly originals of 1999 in a fine production.

So what's not to like? I don't know! And I frankly do not understand how Hart maintained status as a cult figure. His former band associate of Hüsker Dü, Bob Mould was recognised from early on as an important musician and songwriter of the 90s, and he was honoured as one of the forefathers of the grunge rock-movement. Grant Hart somehow stayed in the shadows where only few people knew of his importance. This is not even his first acclaimed album - and it was met by positive reviews, but Grant simply didn't make the big break in the business of music, but with this and other albums he will be remembered.

In total, Grant Hart released four solo studio albums and one live album after the disbandment of Hüsker Dü from 1989 to 2013. Of all five, this very album is from my perspective his best ever and therefore highly recommended.

[ 👍allmusic.com 4 / 5, Pitchfork 7,7 / 10 stars ]

Grant Hart "Ecce Homo" (1995)

Ecce Homo (live)

release date: Nov. 13, 1995

format: digital

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Mark Minkler

label: World Service - nationality: USA

Acoustic live album by Grant Hart is the recording of a solo concert held Oct. 13, 1994 at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle shortly after the disbandment of Nova Mob following a tour succeeding the band's eponymous album (released May '94).

Ecce Homo (the title referencing the perception of the flagellation of Jesus in Western Christianity) is with Hart at the centre of torment, once more left on his own - left with a presumed bitter taste - and it suitably only features Hart on vocal and acoustic guitar on 14 compositions. He performs his own songs written for Hüsker Dü, Nova Mob and for his solo releases, and despite only adding his strumming of the guitar, the performance well-documents his charismatic vocal and evident songwriter skills. From another perspective, the album is of course quite narrow with no traces of obvious post-production in the making, and it's the simple recording of a completely stripped-down-to-the-bone performance, which is what it is. It's no hi-fi state-of-the-art experience, and you need to address the story of Hüsker Dü, Nova Mob and Grant Hart, who has without doubt gone down in American music history as one its greats. And for that alone, Ecce Homo serves as a fine document.

[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Nova Mob "Nova Mob" (1994)

Nova Mob

release date: May 1994

format: cd (US issue)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]

producer: Nova Mob & Chopper Black

label: Restless Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Old Empire" (4 / 5) (video) - 2. "Shoot Your Way to Freedom" - 3. "Puzzles" - 5. "Little Miss Information" - 7. "I Won't Be There Anymore" - 8. "Please Don't Ask" - 9. "The Sins of Their Sons" - 10. "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" - *12. "Not Talking About"

*Bonus track on US issue

[ full album ]

2nd and final studio album by Nova Mob following more than three years after The Last Days of Pompeii (Feb. 1991). Since the debut, the line-up has changed a few times ending up with just two members from the initial line-up: primary songwriter, guitarist and lead vocalist Grant Hart and bassist Tom Merkl. They are here joined by new guitarist Chris Hesler and new drummer Steve Sutherland now making the band a quartet.

After the album release also bassist Merkl left and was subsequently replaced by Marc Retish, and with this line-up Nova Mob embarked on a European tour before disbanding by the end of the Summer of '94 after which Hart continued as a solo artist.

The style and music this time sounds like a mix of the debut album and the music by Hart's former band Hüsker Dü - at least when compared to their last three albums. This means the tempo has slightly been turned up and there's a bolder use of distorted guitars, which bonds with the playing style of Bob Mould. The standard international issue comes with eleven tracks, whereas the US release is expanded with two bonus tracks. Hart is credited all lyrics and music except two compositions on which he is co-writer with Merkl and Hesler respectively (tracks #7 and #11).

Strangely, the album received mixed reviews commenting (see allmusic.com review) that the songs and the songwriting suffers from being a mere Hüsker Dü rip-off. Grant Hart wrote and composed half of the music in that band, and if anything it only bonds more closely with the music of his former band, and then there're some very fine new songs on this. The production sound was kind of poor on the debut, and here there's an improvement as it demonstrates more dynamics, but on the other hand it's still not all that impressive. The drums sound flat and one-dimensional and the album simply seems short of layers, which makes the single instruments battle too much in having the most power. Perhaps there's a desire to come close to the sound of live recordings - but as far as the songwriting goes and after the disbandment of Hüsker Dü, this is not only the best by Nova Mob, it's also the (so far) best by Grant Hart.

I like it, it's gooood..

[ 👎allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Nova Mob "The Last Days of Pompeii" (1991)

The Last Days of Pompeii [debut]

release date: Feb. 22, 1991

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,65]

producer: Nova Mob & Dave Kent

label: Rough Trade Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Introduction" - 3. "Getaway (Gateway) In Time" - 7. "Where You Gonna Land (Next Time You Fall Off of Your Mountain)?" - 8. "Over My Head" (live) - 9. "Admiral of the Sea" - 11. "Lavender and Grey" - 12. "The Last Days of Pompeii / Benediction"

Studio album debut by American band Nova Mob founded by Grant Hart in late '89 after an acclaimed solo album Intolerance (1989), which came after the disbandment of Hüsker Dü. Here, Grant is credited as guitarist and vocalist as well as composer of all twelve tracks, and Nova Mob is here in its first line-up with Hart, bassist Tom Merkl and drummer Michael Crego.

Musically, the band plays much in the same garage rock mix of alt. rock with bonds to folk rock and traditional r&b that is heard on Hart's debut. The production sound has improved slightly but still reveals a shallow and slightly thin sound as if [perhaps intentionally] recorded live in the studio. However, it still provides us with some strong songs by Hart, although, there's also left room for a few fillers. It nevertheless still feels much like a coherent whole, and it's clearly above mediocre but I do find his solo album as well as the band's successor Nova Mob (1994) bettering this.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Grant Hart "Intolerance" (1989)

Intolerance [debut]

release date: Dec. 12, 1989

format: vinyl / cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]

producer: Grant Hart

label: SST Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "All of My Senses" (video) - 2. "Now That You Know Me" - 4. "The Main" - 5. "Twenty-Five Forty-One" (4 / 5) - 7. "You're the Victim" - 9. "She Can See the Angels Coming"

Studio album debut by Grant (Vernon) Hart following the disbandment of Hüsker Dü (1988) released on SST Records. The album is released six months following former band mate Bob Mould's solo debut, but Hart actually released the three-track ep 2541 already in Oct. '88, and most of the recordings for this album were already finished at an earlier stage, but due to financial difficulties, the label were initially only able to release the ep. Actually, Hart had first signed with Rough Trade for the album release, but when they closed its US division he returned to the first label of his former band only to find that they also experienced an economic detour.

In the band Hüsker Dü, Hart was drummer, vocalist and songwriter, and on this he also proves his worth as multi-instrumentalist as he's the only musician credited on the album. In their band, Bob Mould easily drew people's attention to him - together with bassist Greg Norton they represented the two faces upfront, and after the split, Mould managed to sign with a major label, while Hart stayed more in the shadow of his former band mate, which is an unfair position as he literally wrote half of the band's songs and you could add: the more challenging and complex ones.

Anyway - and all speculations about internal conflicts that split the band aside - Intolerance is Hart's solo debut and it contains ten tracks all written, composed, performed and produced by Hart on his own. Stylistically, it's primarily alt. rock incorporating folk rock with a certain influence from a singer / songwriter vault with bonds to traditional r&b. Hart is undoubtedly a gifted songwriter and also knows his instruments. Sometimes there're strong bonds to the music by his former band on the more aggressive and uptempo tracks, at other times it echoes older traditions and Grant himself at times reminds us of the singing style of Eric Burdon (of The Animals) ("All of My Senses") or Van Morrison ("You're the Victim").

The album was generally met by positive reviews, although, the promotion part certainly suffered from being released on a minor label. The song "2541" has been covered by many artists over the years, and a fine version is included on Robert Forster's covers album I Had a New York Girlfriend (1994). The album production lacks dynamics and sounds s bit dated, also for a late 80's album, but the songs are there, and Hart more than anything demonstrates his songwriter talent. I concede to the conclusion made by Stewart Mason of Allmusic.com when he says: "It didn't get the press attention of Bob Mould's much slicker Workbook, out around the same time, but Intolerance is probably the better album".

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Hüsker Dü "Warehouse: Songs and Stories" (1987)

Warehouse: Songs and Stories
release date: Jan. 19, 1987
format: cd (1992 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,22]
producer: Bob Mould & Grant Hart
label: Warner Bros. - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "These Important Years" - 2. "Charity, Chastity, Prudence, and Hope" - 3. "Standing in the Rain" - 5. "Ice Cold Ice" (4,5 / 5) (live 2012) - 7. "Could You Be the One?" (4 / 5) (live) - 9. "Friend, You've Got to Fall" (4 / 5) - 10. "Visionary" - 11. "She Floated Away" - 12. "Bed of Nails" - 14. "It's Not Peculiar" (4,5 / 5) - 16. "No Reservations" (5 / 5) - 17. "Turn It Around" ( 4 / 5) - 18. "She's a Woman (And Now He Is a Man)" (live) - 19. "Up in the Air" (5 / 5) [ cover by Heidi Berry ]

6th and final studio album by Hüsker Dü follows only 10 months after Candy Apple Grey (Mar. '86) and was originally released as a double vinyl album produced by Bob Mould and Grant Hart who practically divide the writing credits between them - 11-9 in Mould's favor on the total of 20 tracks, but with a more equal share by the two than earlier (according to Grant, Mould made sure there he maintained a 55/45 % advantage in the numbers of songs represented by the two). Prior to the recording sessions Hart was both diagnosed Hepatitis C and HIV-positive - the latter diagnosis proving incorrect after the band split in '87.

The style is not far from what is found on Candy Apple Grey. Perhaps this is less folk rock-inspired and focusing more on alt. rock and power pop with some links to the near past of punk rock. The album has always been my favourite by the band, and to me, this also shows Mould as the more harmony-founded and Hart as the more complex songwriter of the band. Tensions between Mould and Hart had long led to increased tension - some suggest that Mould could no longer accept Hart's drug addiction - others that Hart proved to be Mould's equal and challenged Mould's role as leader. Fact is, the band dissolved at some point during its '87-tour, while Hart was undergoing methadone-treatment. The album received wide-spead acclaim and it's the only Hüsker Dü album enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". Three singles were issued to promote the album: Track #7 and track #18, followed by track #5.

After the split, bassist Greg Norton stopped as a musician and concentrated on a life running a restaurant business for the next two decades after which he returned to music in 2006 in the band The Gang Font. The two songwriters continued their individual careers in music. Grant Hart released his solo debut album Intolerance (1989) and then founded and continued in the band Nova Mob for two album releases before again returning to a solo career. Bob Mould released two solo albums Workbook (1989) and Black Sheets of Rain (1990) before forming the trio Sugar for three album releases after which he also returned to a solo career.

[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, 👎Rolling Stone 3 / 5, 👍Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

1987 Favourite releases: 1. The Smiths Strangeways, Here We Come - 2. U2 The Joshua Tree - 3. Hüsker Dü Warehouse: Songs and Stories

Hüsker Dü "Candy Apple Grey" (1986)

Candy Apple Grey
release date: Mar. 1986
format: cd (1992 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]
producer: Bob Mould, Grant Hart
label: Warner Bros. - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" (4 / 5) - 3. "I Don't Know for Sure" (4,5 / 5) - 4. "Sorry Somehow" (4 / 5) - 5. "Too far Down" - 6. "Hardly Getting Over It" - 7. "Dead Set on Destruction" - 8. "Eiffel Tower High" - 10. "All This I've Done for You"

5th studio album by Hüsker Dü follows the recipe of Flip Your Wig with Bob Mould and Grant Hart as producers and for the first time now they approach an equal share in the writing credits with 6 - 4 in Mould's favour. The album is the band's first on a major label, and with this they demonstrate the conflict between Mould and Hart as the songs appear as individual representations rather than the end result of their combined forces. For the first time in the band's history Hart really challenges Mould as the band's most prominent songwriter - an issue of debate, which may have led to the band's dimise only 1½ years later. On the predecessor, Mould manifested as a songwriter with an ear for melody structure and Hart locked on making something contrary, whereas Hart here proves his worth on the same arena.
The style has evolved slightly to a broader profile with clear folk rock references, especially heard on the Hart compositions (tracks #2, #4, #7, #9), but with its energetic power pop alt. rock, or college rock, it's also a clear reference to artists of the later grunge rock movement.
With Candy Apple Grey and via their new label they reach a larger crowd and they succeed in holding on to their characteristic sound while producing their best-sounding album to date. So once again, the band moves some steps up the ladder and simply launches its so far best album.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, 👍Rolling Stone, Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

Hüsker Dü "Flip Your Wig" (1985)

Flip Your Wig
release date: Sep. 1985
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,65]
producer: Bob Mould, Grant Hart
label: SST Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Flip Your Wig" - 3. "Makes No Sense at All" (promo-video) - 4. "Hate Paper Doll" - 5. "Green Eyes" - 6. "Divide and Conquer" - 11. "Private Plane"

4th full studio album by Hüsker Dü released only eight months after New Day Rising introduces the two dominant forces in the band, Bob Mould and Grant Hart as album producers. The album contains 15 tracks of which Mould is credited as songwriter of 9 and Hart of the remaining 5.
With the two vocalists and songwriters as producer-duo, the sound has now improved. Stylistically, the album continues a style of primarily alt. rock and power pop with links to punk rock, or simply: post-hardcore, although, the punk rock element seems further and further away, and what remains is basically one of the finest examples of sources to the initial grunge movement in the early 1990s. For the first time around, Mould and Hart almost share the writing credits - Mould is credited nine, Hart five of the fourteen tracks - not as partners, and not even as co-writers, but more as individual contributors. Hart delivers folk rock and singer / songwriter political and more experimental and introspective material, whereas Mould here outbeats Hart on strong harmony structures, energy and choruses with catchy tunes.
Without being great, this is clearly the band's so far best album, imho.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Hüsker Dü "New Day Rising" (1985)

New Day Rising
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 ]

Hüsker Dü "Zen Arcade" (1984)

Zen Arcade
release date: Jul. 1984
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: Hüsker Dü, Spot (aka Glen Lockett)
label: SST Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Something I Learned Today" - 3. "Never Talking to You Again" - 8. "Beyond the Threshold" - 11. "The Biggest Lie" - 15. "Somewhere" - 17. "Pink Turns to Blue" - 20. "Whatever" - 22. "Turn on the News"

2nd studio album by Hüsker Dü continues where Everything Falls Apart (1983) ended, although, there's a clear introduction to something pointing to a stylistic change away from the British hardcore punk sound and to what should later be referred to as alt. rock. After the studio debut the band released the 7 track ep Metal Circus in '83, which was more as its predecessor. Despite clearly punk rock-fused on Zen Arcade, the speed has slowed down and the tracks consists of something one may describe as post hardcore. The track lengths may not reveal the general impression of compositions that have been slowed down - and some are definitely not without high energy - but the overall focus is somewhere else than just hurling away at maximum speed. There are elements of art punk and noise rock, more evidently than on the predecessor, but there are also tracks of acoustic folk rock and neo-psychedelia. The original issue was a double vinyl album with a total of 23 tracks. Where Bob Mould took responsibility of the songs on the debut, this one still has his signature on 18 of the tracks (12 exclusively written by Mould alone) - this offers more space for songs written entirely by drummer, vocalist and pianist, Grant Hart and / or all three together. Hart is credited four tracks without Mould or Norton (the latter being cowriter on four).
I never fell for the style on this - not back in the 80s - nor when I rediscovered the band's early stuff in the 90s, but I have to admit that it's quite original - and dated, Yes! But with a very sharp and highly original style that is anything but 'just' noise. It's dark, angry and sinister but there are multiple layers to sink into. I can't really say that it's bettering the debut, as it in a way restarts the mission of the band, pointing to many paths to walk after this, but having grunge rock nearly a decade further up the road, this is at least a source it all leads back to.
Note: track #23 has a running time close to 14 min, which exceeds the remaining tracks (except 1) by more than 11 min.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Hüsker Dü "Everything Falls Apart" (1983)

Everything Falls Apart [debut]
release date: Jan. 1983
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Hüsker Dü and Spot (aka Glen Locket)
label: Reflex Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "From the Gut" - 2. "Blah, Blah, Blah" - 5. "Afraid of Being Wrong" - 6. "Sunshine Superman" - 8. "Everything Falls Apart" - 12. "Gravity"

Studio debut album by the American trio Hüsker Dü released after the first full-length release, the live album Land Speed Record released exactly one year earlier. The band was formed in Minneapolis in Mar. '79 and consists of Bob Mould on guitar and vocals, Greg Norton on bass and backing vocals, and with Grant Hart on drums and vocals. This is American hard-core punk, which only had a little in common with the early stages of what became known as punk rock, meaning 1976-77. Hüsker Dü is one of a few dominant bands of the genre when speaking of the American version of hardcore punk, which included Black Flag, Bad Brains, D.O.A., Circle Jerks, and Dead Kennedys. The UK scene included bands like The Exploited, Charged G.B.H., Subhumans, Crass, Anti-Nowhere League, One-Way System, and UK Subs, but the two scenes were not identical. The American scene was a primary source and link to noise rock, which more or less evolved at the same time, and that may be heard on this album. I recall being interested in the British scene, which had more evident roots in traditional punk rock with some focus on harmonies, chorus-lines, political subjects, and with the addition of intensified energy. A few bands with Crass as the extreme forerunners were on the edge of punk making highly political music with bonds to experimental art rock and rock satire, which was labelled anarcho-punk - and this only really happened in the UK, whereas the American artists more or less concentrated their energy in playing with speed, high-voltage energy and anger as driving forces - rebelling with either nihilism or what resembled 1960s anti-war protest-songs engagement, and not seldom as a huge (strange) mix of founding inspiration.
Everything Falls Apart is however, also one of a few albums that closes the gap between American and British hardcore punk. Listening to Subhumans, The Exploited and One-Way System this has an equal expression of harmony structures and short-lived tunes build on guitar-chords and wry statements.
I rejected this as too much noise for my liking. My first experience with the band was Zen Arcade from 1984, and that didn't do much for me like the band's last releases, which failed to my appeal. At the time, I thought, this was just a matter of playing fast, running wild with energy, and with too little diversion. Today, I actually enjoy some of the tracks from this. It has it's moments and moreover: it's quite evident how the band became a source to other styles and genres, including grunge, but also how close this was to noise rock and American alternative rock, which helped giving birth to bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Red Hot Chili Pepper - all of these seem unthinkable without Hüsker Dü in this incarnation.
"From the Gut" is a great, simple, but original starter, which points to music by Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers. "Blah, Blah, Blah" and perhaps even more "Bricklayer" are fine examples of music bonding with chanting chorus lines from the UK scene, experimental 'art rock' by Frank Zappa, Dead Kennedys, and Nirvana at the same time. The production sound is... of course on the low side of things but that's how it is with the genre. "Punch Drunk" (30 secs of distilled raw energy) could easily have thought made by Crass, The Exploited, Charged G.B.H. of the British scene, or by Dead Kennedys. Most songs are written by Bob Mould and one track "Sunshine Superman" is a cover of a track by Donovan, however, here highly transformed. The original album issue has a total playing time of just above 19 minutes making it a rather short long-player. In '93 the album was reissued as Everything Falls Apart and More on cd with seven bonus tracks including the band's first two singles.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]