Published on Feb 16, 1998
Few groups pale in comparison to Husker Du when it comes to
creative bursts. Within a year, the band released two albums. One,
a lush, double album dealing with two muses of teenaged boys:video
games and suicide. The other album was a shorter, poppier album
that re-affirmed what “Alternative Press” labeled the band:the
Beach Boys of the alternative world.
The double album was
Zen Arcade. And the short, poppy album is, of course,
New Day Rising. The trio’s energy reached ‘critical mass’ on
the latter album. Guitarist/songwriter Bob Mould and
drummer/songwriter Grant Hart feverishly tried to out-do each other
in greatness. Mould would go for the abrasive, prickly route with
“I apologize” and the lonesome “Celebrated Summer” while Hart
delivered some irresistable pop, such as “The Girl Who Lives On
Heaven Hill” and “Books About UFOs”.
Hart turned out to be the romantic of the group. In “Girl”, Hart
sings, “I’d trade big mountains and rooms full of gold/for just one
look at the beauty of this woman’s soul”. Sometimes, you have to go
over the top to get the emotional reaction needed from the audience
(see “Titanic”). And Hart was not hesitant to leave his emotions
bare.
As impressive as the lyrics are to each song, even the basic
New Day Rising, the sonic attack was der furer of the Husker
arsenel. Mould’s traditional buzzsaw attack made each song buzz
like a live wire. Norton’s bass gets a workout in “I apologize” and
the jarring “59 Times the Pain”.
Although
Zen Arcade didn’t make squat for cash, the band achieved in
getting lauded by most critics. Still headlining clubs, not venues,
Husker Du was in a more prosperous position when they recorded
New Day Rising and it appears that they’re enjoying their
taste of success. It’s a noticably happier album than
Zen Arcade, but it’s still a rather black canvas that the
band works from.
Take “Celebrated Summer”, arguably the best Husker Du song
written. Starting off as a straightforeward punk song about
idleness in the summer, the electricity all of a sudden shuts off
an Mould switches to acoustic. “Then the sun disintegrates between
a wall of clouds/I summer where I winter at/where no one is allowed
there.” Then the tune picks up again after that lyric floors you.
It was their “Good Vibrations” moment.
Throw in two eclectic pieces, “How to Skin a Cat” and “Plans I
Make” and you’ve got a damn near flawless album. Unfortunately,
New Day Rising represented one of the last times that Hart
and Mould could iron out their creative differences. In subsequent
albums, a lot of times Hart and Mould sounded like they were
recording two different albums. Not to say
Warehouse: Songs And Stories or
Candy Apple Grey were bunk releases, it’s just that
New Day Rising was so unified. A dirty masterpiece well
worth seeking out. If you don’t have it, click on the Music
Boulevard icon now before Smash Mouth sucks up your $15.