The 500 - #488 - Husker Du - New Day Rising

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

My plan. 

• 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 488

Album Title: New Day Rising
Artist: Hüsker Dü
Released: March, 1985
My age at release: 19
How familiar am I with it: Not at all
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: I Apologize
Great Lyric:
"Now the women scream for equal rights,
And man wants to have an affair
Children learn to hate the world
No one seems to care
Now the kids play vids instead
Their heroes living on Wonder Bread" (Folk Lore)

My friend Steve and I used to joke about Hüsker Dü long before we had ever heard a note the band played. We just loved to mock bands that used unnecessary German umlauts in their name. Consequently, we would always exaggerate the names of these bands whenever we referenced them, just to make each other laugh...

Hooosker Doooo, Moootley Cruuue, Blue Oooyster Cult, Motooorhead, QueensrYYYcKKe.

I'm almost sure I made a "Husker Doo? More like... Husker Don't" joke too...we were teenagers in the 80's and easily amused.

Granted, Hüsker Dü has a good case for the use of the metal umlauts - it is pronounced Hoosker Doo and not Husker Duh. 

The joking certainly did not mean we didn't like these bands. We liked every one of them in varying degrees. Although, Hüsker Dü was certainly the one with which I was least familiar. I can remember some being played at a few events or in the cafeteria when I was in university - but I did not own a record until Bob Mould released Copper Blue with his band Sugar. That CD sent me on a journey backward to re-discover Hüsker Dü. 

I'll be honest, the earlier thrashy-punk stuff didn't really land with me at the time. As I have gotten older, I have learned to appreciate more of it and I certainly understand its importance culturally. This album is from a time when the band was starting to incorporate more melody. It is pretty easy to see a through-line from New Day Rising to Nirvana's Nevermind.

I listened to this album twice while starting to write this post and it wasn't working. I found it distracting and the dark lyrics didn't match my buoyant mood. Then, earlier this week, I put it on while at the gym. It helped me plow through a 30 minute elliptical workout and I quickly added a few songs to my "Workout Mix". It makes sense. This isn't a record for a happily married, employed fifty-three year old. This is a record I should have discovered when it was released...when I was 19, angsty, single and working a series of mind-numbingly boring jobs.

Things I learned

•  Fans thought this album was a "sell-out". Only a young person would think to use that expression (and I was equally guilty in my youth). Looking back, I know I was just fearful of change and growth.
• All three members are vocalists - I had always assumed it was just Bob Mould.
• The band's name comes from a 1950's Board Game.