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Hüsker Dü was an influential hardcore punk trio from Minnneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, in the early 1980s, later known as an influential alternative rock band.
The name (without the umlauts) means "do you remember" in Danish and Norwegian, and comes from the memory-matching Swedish board game, Husker Du? of the 1950s. (The board game was briefly notorious in 1973, via a television ad that contained the subliminal message, "Get it". This spurred a minor wave of public fear over subliminal and corporate mind control. Minneapolis and its environs were (and are) strongly populated by Americans of Scandinavian heritage.)
History
Husker Du, the band, was formed in 1978, when guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart met in the independent record store where Hart worked. They decided to form a band and were soon gigging as a new wave ensemble, Three Guys With Skinny Ties. The name was changed in 1979, and in 1980 the music evolved into a fast, ferocious, primal sound, making them one of the original hardcore punk bands.
Hüsker Dü were a striking trio on stage, with Mould's hulking, doughy presence, armed with a Gibson Flying V guitar; the generally unkempt, long-haired Hart; and Norton, who sported a prominent handlebar mustache.
Mould and Hart were both homosexual, but both have denied persistent rumors that they were lovers. Both men, though, sometimes took lovers on tour, and their dating habits have been described as an "open secret" among the group's fans and contemporaries.
The early Hüsker Dü were a hardcore band with thrashing tempos and screamed vocals, but also with a melodic, soulful edge that became more pronounced in the band's mid-career. Husker Du broke with the anti-traditionalist ethos of most early hardcore bands: The songwriting shows an influence of blues and folk and other genres, and has a strong melodic sense. The lyrics made astute if sharp personal and social commentary, and showed personal vulnerability and sympathy for their subject matter. Their songwriting was widely admired, and their live shows often a venue for brilliant improvisational playing.
A particular strength of the group was the two powerhouse singer/songwriters, Mould and Hart. The tension between their musical styles (generally, Mould was the angrier songwriter, Hart the more melodic one), and their willingness to collaborate, made the sum of their contributions greater than their parts. Another strength was Mould's unique, resonant guitar sound, described by a critic at the time as "molten metal pouring from the speakers." Mid-period Husker Du songs are immediately recognizable via Mould's incandescent guitar tone, achieved by splitting the signal in the studio between amplified and direct tones and adding a light stereo chorus effect. Mould's technique involved playing resonant drone notes on the high strings. Although a trio, Husker Du generally sounded extremely large on record and live.
The band started releasing singles on Terry Katzman's Reflex Records in 1981. Their first two albums, Land Speed Record and Everything Falls Apart (the latter being their first studio album), attracted much critical praise. Their determined touring brought them to the attention of the Minutemen, who released their debut and the In A Free Land single on their label, New Alliance Records. This in turn lead to the band signing to Greg Ginn's SST Records.
The Metal Circus mini-album was released in 1983. The next year saw the release of, "Zen Arcade", a double album, generally regarded as the group's crowning achievement. Zen Arcade is a concept album following a boy who leaves home to face a harsh and unforgiving world. Its artistic and conceptual basis, anathema to earlier punk and reflecting progressive rock values, was in fact its strongest point. Followups New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig continued musical exploration, while tempering the speed and volume.
Although by this time the band had an international appeal, they continued to play in and support the local Twin Cities music scene. In a nod to the band's Minnesota roots, 1985's Makes No Sense At All EP featured the theme song to the Mary Tyler Moore Show, which was set in Minneapolis.
In 1986 the band signed to Warner Brothers Records. Their two albums on Warner Brothers, Candy Apple Grey and Warehouse: Songs and Stories (a double album), show the band as more mature psychologically and musically. Both albums scored a few modest hits, and appeared briefly on the low end of the Billboard charts.
By this point, however, the tension between Mould and Hart had become irresoluble, and drug problems were hurting the band. By 1988 they were no longer able to work together; Hart either quit or was ejected from the band, which promptly collapsed.
Mould and Hart have continued making music, albeit separately; this work has included solo albums and forming the successful alternative bands, Sugar and Nova Mob, respectively. Norton became a chef.
Influence
Hüsker Dü's most lasting legacy was perhaps in bridging the gap between hardcore and alternative rock. Many later musicians cite Hüsker Dü as an influence on their own work (Pixies being one notable example).
Therapy? scored a British hit with their haunting cover of Hart's "Diane", first released on Metal Circus.
The group's career is chronicled in Our Band Could Be Your Life, a study of several important American underground rock groups.
Personnel
- Bob Mould (lead vocals, guitar)
- Grant Hart (lead vocals, drums)
- Greg Norton (bass)
Discography
- Statues/Amusement 7" (Reflex)
- Land Speed Record LP (New Alliance) (live)
- In a Free Land 7" (New Alliance)
- Everything Falls Apart 12" (Reflex)
- Metal Circus 12"ep (SST)
- 8 Miles High/Masochism World 7" (SST)
- Zen Arcade 2xLP (SST)
- New Day Rising LP (SST)
- Makes No Sense at All/Love Is All Around 7" (SST)
- Flip Your Wig LP (SST)
- Candy Apple Grey LP (Warner Brothers)
- Sorry Somehow 12"ep (Warner UK)
- Don't Wanna Know if You Are Lonely 12"ep (Warner UK)
- Warehouse: Songs and Stories 2xLP (Warner Brothers)
- Could You Be the One? 12"ep(Warner UK)
- Ice Cold Ice 12"ep (Warner UK)
- The Living End LP (Warner Brothers)
External links
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