Husker Did

[www.salon.com]

Thanks for the link, Erik. Oddly enough, last night I had dinner with my college buddy Dan, who:

1. I went to the very first Sugar show with at The 40 Watt in 1992;
2. Could challenge Patrick Smith as the world's biggest Husker Du fan;
3. Moved to Alaska a couple of years ago, so we don't see as much of each other as we once did.

I asked him if he'd read Mould's autobiography/memoir/whatever you want to call it, figuring we could compare notes. He sheepishly admitted to not having read it, but having a pretty good idea of what all was in it. I told him that his take was probably accurate, although I was fairly surprised he hadn't read it. I was thinking about the exchange on my drive home (while listening to Ted Leo's Hearts of Oak, which has nothing to do with anything, but seems somehow appropriate with the benefit of, uh, 11 hours hindsight), and it occurred to me how invested Dan had been in Husker Du, Mould, Sugar, Hart and Nova Mob over the years...is there something he could gain from reading about the music he'd carried as a talisman for so long? Probably not.

Anyway, enough psycho-babble. My favorite line from Smith's piece: "Green Day once covered 'Don’t Want to Know if You Are Lonely.' Enough said?"

I still think a lot of the criticism of Mould's book says more about the writers' Husker Du fandom than it does about the book itself. While I too was often uncomfortable with his rancor toward his ex-bandmates (many times I said aloud, "Bob, let it go," much to the amusement/irritation of people on the bus), I felt like I really understood why he feels the way he does.

Ultimately, though, it's not a book about the Huskers - it's about Mould and his personal journey. (Which Smith acknowledges, though he then seems to ignore his own advice.) So many of these folks apparently think his career post-Du isn't worthy of notice, let alone comment, and want his book to just cover the Husker years. And that's unfair.

I feel the Mould book gave me tremendous insight into the artist and his music, inside and outside of Husker Du.

As for the Earles book, I enjoyed it, but agree with Smith here. It's not likely to encourage neophytes to check the band out, and it doesn't give the hardcore for whom it's intended enough new insight. It's more of a timeline than anything else, which is still useful, especially when it comes to the band's early years. But it's not setting any new standards for rock bios, that's for sure.

One of the things I've found interesting about the 33-1/3 series is how much I prefer the volumes that combine a background history of the circumstances under which the album was recorded with a healthy dose of quotes from the parties involved at the time of the recording and after the fact. Things begin to plod when the author is using the book as a forum to validate his/her critical assessments, promote an agenda or, worst of all, put a fresh, new spin on the premise of the series, with the exception of Joe Pernice's take on Meat is Murder, which pretty much did all of the above but still worked for me. Go figure.

You know, I've never delved into the 33 1/3 series. Not sure why - it's been endorsed by so many folks on this board that I should. Maybe I should ask for some volumes for Christmas.

Bizarre.

Quote

For one thing, Earles is harshly critical of the production and mix qualities of the “New Day Rising” album. “Hot, trebly, and very dense,” he writes. “Avoid the compact disc version for this very reason.” No offense, but that’s a bit like advising somebody to visit Egypt but to skip the pyramids.

Earles is right, Smith is wrong. The mix is very hot (which is part of what made it trebly) and the original vinyl sounds much better than the CD. Plus the analogy doesn't work; nobody is saying "skip the pyramids", more like "the original pyramids are better than the ones in Las Vegas".

Why is noise-pop disrespectful?
To whom does it show a lack of respect?

Quote

what does “modern rock” mean

GIYF.

Quote

There is some pretentious garbage on “Candy Apple Grey,” but “Crystal” is a kickass song

180 degrees wrong.

Quote

“Ice Cold Ice” and “You’re a Soldier,” courtesy of Mould and Hart, respectively, stand as the worst Hüsker Dü songs ever recorded.

?!?

Quote

“Warehouse” also wins a prize for one of the ugliest album covers of all time.

I suggest he actually look at a few hundred album covers from the 60s and 70s (such as that Orleans one, maybe the one from Big Black, etc.).

Quote

That wouldn’t be the point. This is what I mean about not understanding his own legacy.

That IS the point. To Bob, that's what it would be. Smith is saying that Mould is only allowed to feel the ways fans feel but it doesn't work that way. Reunions are great for the fans but did Zep's reunion show change their legacy? Pixies? MBVs? As a fan, sure, and it's great if it leads to good material but, for most retired bands, the time/atmosphere when they can hole up together has evaporated. The odds are tarnish, and context-dependant contention.
Bob: I exorcised my past with this book and now it's behind me.
Smith: Book/shmook we're willing to buy tix. You're a button.

Quote

This theoretical reunion wouldn’t be for the people who never saw the band.

So you suggest a ticket application with a sit-down quiz and an age limit?

Quote

simple commodity; it’s a part of you that you’ve given to your audience. And you can’t take it back.

= Fuck you, Bob. You're a button. Shut the fuck up and play.

Quote

I find it very frustrating that Hüsker Dü never developed the same posthumous cachet that other bands of their era did. Like the Replacements, for example, or Sonic Youth.

I'm with him on the Mats but SY's biggest selling titles are 20 years removed from the Hüsker's and, he might have checked this small fact: they didn't break up in the 80s.

Quote

These guys just didn’t look or carry themselves like musicians

As opposed to what, stadium acts?

Quote

But it has hurt them, I think, in the long run.

because if Norton had worn a Nudie the records would be selling better today?
WTF?

-------
Hilarious how everytime a great band is mentioned on a site like Salon, idiots come along and comment "I've never heard of this band so therefore they suck". Sorta like saying
"I've been to the multiplex every Friday night since '05 and I've never even heard of La Dolce Vita."
I always wonder why somebody would bother to log in just to profess their profound ignorance on a subject.



Post Edited (12-19-11 20:39)

> I always wonder why somebody would bother to log in just to profess their profound ignorance
> on a subject.

Because they're profoundly stupid as well.

Thoughts on the book (written for another forum, forgive me for stating obvious background):

As a long-time fan of Bob Mould and his various bands (Hüsker Dü, Sugar) and solo work, I was familiar enough with his work not to be surprised by large parts of the narrative arc, but some things really jarred me — and put my knowledge of his music in a broader context. I never knew Hüsker Dü when they were around, but it's harsh to read Mould's withering criticisms of talented bandmates (including Grant Hart, who wrote some truly indelible songs) years after the band's acrimonious breakup. Despite Hüsker Dü's towering reputation, though, Mould often seems to downplay the band's work, particularly the albums, which he repeatedly describes as written too quickly and recorded at a punishing pace. The amphetamine-fueled touring surely didn't help.

After the band's breakup, Mould did two solo records, each remarkable in their ways: one baroque, acoustic, and cello-heavy, and one fierce and electric, each memorable. Sugar, whose Copper Blue turns out to have been the surprising commercial highlight, is a band I never saw live, but whose songs I've internalized over the years. What I hadn't realized was how huge Sugar was, in the context of Mould's prior and later recordings. For instance, the Warner Brothers albums Hüsker Dü recorded later in their history were far outsold by Sugar's records on Rykodisc, a rare case of the indie outperforming the majors where it counted.

The writing, with Michael Azerrad, is thoughtful and incisive, sometimes self-deprecating. Mould shows some unpleasant warts on his own character: cheated on, and cheating on, long-time boyfriends, indulging in too much alcohol and drugs, neglecting important relationships. He doesn't for a moment apologize about his harsh feelings for old Hüsker Dü-mates, though. What surprises me most is that Mould portrays his current dance-electronic work, including the popular Blowout dance parties he does with Richard Morel at the 930 Club in DC, as equal in artistic and personal relevance to the guitar records he's done. I get that he values his current work and his current fanbase, and I'm glad he finds it rewarding, but on a simple level of artistic value, I don't know it lives up to the Hüsker Dü/Sugar/solo albums. Of course I'm speaking as a guitar-rock-listener, not a clubgoer, but I've got the Loudbomb record (anagram for BobMould) and have heard his other stuff, and I'm just not persuaded.