Review #428: New Day Rising, Hüsker Dü
#428: New Day Rising, Hüsker Dü
Just when Beck gives me a grunge crisis of faith, Hüsker Dü rescues it.
I’m cool enough to have heard of Hüsker Dü but not so cool that I’ve listened to them. Actually I think I may have heard the title track “New Day Rising” before, on a grunge playlist or something. And before you question why an album from the Eighties is on a grunge playlist, listen to it for five minutes: this is the fuzzy, sadboy stuff that grunge is made of. You would believe it came out in 1995 instead of 1985, if I told you so.
Hüsker Dü isn’t Danish or Norwegian — they’re from Minneapolis, and named themselves after a long-forgotten memory game. Hüsker Dü outlasted their namesake — RS argues that they “became a key influence on Nirvana,” with their “emotional hardcore punk.” Much to unpack here.
I thought it might be, after I couldn’t help myself from comparing Hüsker Dü to one of my favorite emotional punk bands, Green Day. They pull all the Green Day tricks: rocker chick homages (“The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill”), the Dookie-level snark (“I Apologize,” “I Don’t Know What You’re Talking About”), and an exultant battle anthem (“Terms of Psychic Warfare”). And again, I can see why it fit right in on a grunge playlist — see the Nirvana soft-quiet thing happening on “Celebrated Summer” and the Eddie Vedder whisper on “Perfect Example.”
I’m going to be honest — I think I conflated Hüsker Dü with Rammstein. If I’d known that they were the grunge prototype, I would have collected this band back when I was sixteen like I collected other rock bands. They do all the grunge tricks — buzzsaw guitars (“Folk Lore,” “If I Told You,” “Whatcha Drinkin’”), vaguely depressing lyrics (“Powerline,” “Books About UFOs”), downright masochism (“59 Times The Pain”). There’s even the all-necessary moment of absolute chaos, “How To Skin A Cat,” though final song “Plans I Make” is the one that gives me the most anxiety.
A fun fact to close: you know how some bands have a gimmick at their live shows? Like Primus fans screaming that Primus sucks, or Cake giving out trees? Hüsker Dü played all their stuff at lightning speed out of pure spite for their audience. If I ever make it big I hope to be that much of a snot about it.
One Last Fun Fact: Guitarist Bob Mould was nearly called on to produce Nevermind, but it went to Garbage drummer Butch Vig.
Okay One More: I just saw Garbage and they were amazing.
