Hüsker Dü
Formed: 1979
Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Genre: Punk, Post Hardcore
Years Active: 1981 - 1987
Meaning of the Name: Translates from Danish as "Do you remember?". Taken from a board game. The umlauts have no real meaning and are used to imply heavy metal.
Core Members: Grant Hart, Bob Mould, Greg Norton
Way of Working: Collaborative (they would share singing and songwriting duties)
Essential Releases
Metal Circus EP (1983)
Hints at what's to come by spotlighting melody without compromising their hardcore sound.
Zen Arcade (1984)
An ambitious concept album that pushes the boundaries of punk to breaking point.
New Day
Rising (1985)
Blends melody with furious guitars.
Scraping a living through regular performances in front of an expectant crowd can be draining. The pressures are exacerbated by having a band with not one singer-songwriter, but two, as Hüsker Dü discovered during their eight volatile years. When you add heroin and fame to the mix, you have a lethal cocktail of impending doom that can be blown sky-high by one simple mistake.
Formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1979 after meeting at a Ramones concert, the trajectory of Hüsker Dü took many twists and turns, like the Mississippi River that runs through their hometown. In an act of youthful exuberance they ditched their keyboard player, before breaking the underground, going commercial, and collapsing spectacularly during a major tour.
The band is characterised by the relationship between Grant Hart and Bob Mould. Their conflicting creative outlooks were born from competition and caused friction, not only in their personal lives but in their music as well. This imbued Hüsker Dü with a unique dynamic of alternating vocalists, which created unpredictable shifts in style.
Ostensibly, Mould was the pulsating engine that grumbled on every riff, as on the dejected 'Something I Learned Today'. A song encapsulated by the line: "Stopping at a four-way sign. Someone else's rules, not mine." While Hart was the gentle, yearning melody with his head in the clouds, as heard on 'Books About UFOs', a fantastical flight of fancy about the singer's childhood obsession with aliens.
In reality, the fierce competition between the singers influenced them both, in the same way that two great sporting rivals, like Federer and Nadal, push each other to greatness. It was the supposedly upbeat Hart who wrote the sinister, serial-killer opus 'Diane'. A song so dark that the band refused to play it in later years.
While tension was a benchmark of the pair's writing process, it also yielded undeniably positive results, such as on their classic record Zen Arcade, which elevated punk into a genre to be taken seriously. The album assimilated broad influences such as folk, psychedelia, and pop; told a coherent story, and had a runtime of nearly 70 minutes in a genre known for short, impactful songs that felt like a punch.
Hüsker Dü revitalised hardcore punk and inspired a new generation of musicians to innovate. When the Pixies advertised for a bassist, they posted a notice reading: "Band seeks bassist into Hüsker Dü." Krist Novoselic, of Nirvana, stated: "What Nirvana did was nothing new, Hüsker Dü did it before us."
So, despite their flaws, it's worth remembering that life on the edge can be a thrill. During their eight-year run, Hüsker Dü produced six albums, or one every 16 months. The light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long is a wise old saying that, in the case of this trio from Minnesota, proved painstakingly accurate. If you want to learn more about these punk rock pioneers strap yourself in for a wild ride.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
85
Mental Impact
60
Originality
90
Artistry
70
Authenticity
85
Live
80
Production
55
Musicianship
75
Shouting
70
Songwriting
90
Danceability
65
Fun
30
Consistency
85
Range
80
Cool
60
Charisma
60
Commercial & Critical Success
Awards
Certifications
Charts
Critics >>>
- NME: New Day Rising - Best Albums of 1985: #9
- Pitchfork: Zen Arcade - Best Albums of the 80s (1989): #33
- Rolling Stone: Zen Arcade - Best Albums of the 80s: #32
- Spin: Zen Arcade - Best Alternative Albums (1989): #4
- The New York Times: New Day Rising - Best Albums of 1985: #3
CRITICISM
- Some fans accused Husker Du of selling out after they signed a major deal with Warner.
