I Am Fuel You Are Friends has posted a Husker Du show from July 1981 at the Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco. You can download it, you lucky dog [found via east-lake.net]. Sure this has nothing to do with Paul Westerberg or The Replacements, but it’s like one-degree of separation so it counts, right?
Download Husker Du show from July 1981
They sure were energetic.
I’ll add Husker Du to my list of overrated indie darlings, which includes the Pixies on first and Liz Phair on second (Son Volt is a perennial benchwarmer)
Jim, what do you like?
I don’t like much…I’m a rotten bastard way over yonder in minor key.
I can answer that…I don’t know jim at all but i think it is a safe assumption to say he likes westerberg and all westerberg related products
Jake is indeed correct…in fact, I’d like all questions to me henceforth to go to Jake…smart cat…got that, Blasty? Just mind your footing Jake, ’cause Blasty’s posts go over like a fart in the elevator…
People can continue to send their questions to me through MWT pm or YouTube messenger. That seems to be the popular route.
But, of course, Jimdracula would rather have someone that admits to not knowing her at all to answer questions.
Never had the pleasure of corresponding with ye before El Blasto…would you like my brother’s new IP address?How ’bout my pops? Sisters?…They shop at Duetta too.
Jim: Do you personally dislike Husker Du? I guess what I’m asking is, is your opinion of them based on any amount of personal listening experience? I imagine one of your musician friends (or perhaps one of your writer friends) once declared them uncool… and you simply and sheepishly bought into it.
All I know is I know what I like…& Husker Du never really fit the music bill…of course many folks & music critics do like them…& there is nothing I can do about it…lol
I do love the qoute on the Husker link-
“I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there’s something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It’s the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part….”
True dat Mr. Hornby, true dat.
That is a great quote Jay. I’ve heard it said before and agree 100% that PW expresses the words that we wish we could say and evokes emotions in us like no other — IMO as good as any drug out there. I guess that is why I became a fan of PW before I became a fan of The Replacements. I know this probably sounds like sentimental hogwash (to quote Mr. Potter (Henry, not Harry)) — I guess that’s why the Hornby quote is spot on.
I’ve not heard much Husker Du (other than this boot and a few YT videos — I did really like Mould’s “See a Little Light” though when it was on the radio). This boot kind of reminded me of when I heard early boots of the Mats in the Sorry Ma era before hearing the album. At the time it seemed that one song sort of blended right into the next one. But after listening to the CD over the years I’ve grown to love the album for what it is. It doesn’t get played as much as the others but when I’m in the right mood it does the job just as well.
Like the Mats, Husker Du started out fast and loud, and this early boot is a perfect example. By the time they released their final record(Warehouse: Songs and Stories) in ’87 , they had become more melodic and “poppy”.
Bob Mould and Grant Hart switched off singing and songwriting duties. Mould’s songs tended to be more manic and brash, while Hart had more of a “pop” sound. Nothing shows the juxtaposition better than Candy Apple Grey, which starts out with Mould’s screaming, distortion-heavy “Crystal”, followed by Hart’s semi-hard driving “Don’t Want To Know If You Are Lonely”.
If you don’t like this early stuff, check out something from their final years.
Ya, New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig are my faves.
Angry yet melodic.
And Zen. Gotta get some Zen…Chartered Trips is their Answering Machine IMO.
Chartered Trips is a great song, although it doesn’t seem to get much respect. One of my favorites.
Celebrated Summer is their Left Of The Dial.
Cool, thanks for the information and suggestions guys. I’m going to check them out.