When I first heard Husker Du in the early nineties I was annoyed at inconsistencies on their albums. "Candle Apple Grey" and "Flip Your Wig" had a couple well written emotional songs but it was mostly filled with material that came off a little too bubble-gummy for me. The album "New Day Rising" had the same feeling with the usual sappy pop tunes. The exception being one of the greatest songs ever, "Celebrated Summer".Then I remembered hearing another Husker Du album that blew me away. It was "Zen Arcade". Hearing it again today for the first time in 10 years made me wonder why I had forgotten about it. Although it is considered to be hardcore punk, which can automatically be a turn-off to some people, Zen Arcade is different. The album also contains some soft ballads and a few tamer rock songs. You can really hear the originality and the future influence that this album has. Bob Mould could be one of the most underrated guitarists ever. There is so much emotion in his guitar and in his voice. It makes me clinch my teeth when I listen to him on this album. Has there, in history, ever been an angrier gay guy?
Even with a couple of drummer/singer Grant Hart's chinsy songwriting contributions to the album it remains a classic. It gets an eight out of ten just for it's influence alone.
Highlights-Chartered Trips, I'll Never Forget You, Beyond The Threshold
Low Points-Pink Turns To Blue, Turn On The News, What's Going On
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