SST, 1985
Acquired: Love Garden, Used, 2007
Price: $6
I've always wanted to be in a band like this. Two songwriters contributing their own stuff (and probably trying to one-up the other) and somehow making a record that sounds completely fucking unified. This record is like a statement, and when I first heard it when I was something like 17 it blew my fucking mind. I was always more inclined to pop-punk, but Hüsker Dü blended that with a little bit of hardcore punk and buzzsaw guitar riffs. This is exactly the kind of music I want to make. Though Bob Mould wrote all my favorite songs on this record, in the past few years I've come to appreciate Grant Hart's work tremendously. “Terms of Psychic Warfare” is a totally overlooked jam, just as good as “Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill” (if not, it's way close). However, I can't tell you how many times I've tried to write a song like “I Apologize” (a lot of times). “Celebrated Summer” is one of the greatest summer songs of all time (later homaged by the Hold Steady in their song “Constructive Summer,” which also steals the riff from “Heaven Hill”). John Porcellino titled his excellent bildungsromans memoir Perfect Example after the song, and I'm pretty sure there's a band called 59 Times the Pain. I really don't think anyone interested in punk rock hates this record, or for that matter, this band. Hüsker Dü were one of the rare exceptions that could sign to a major without having everyone hate them (and Candy Apple Grey is a pretty stellar record).
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