Comments for Husker Du, Candy Apple Grey

**** (5 star rating system)-- the band's first major label release is one of their better albums. Pleasing to the die-hard fans, and also a good one to get people to open their ears to hard core. PRIME CUTS-- the first four songs, "Hardly Gettin Over it","Eiffel Tower High"-- j.teel

In the Uk Husker Du would not be regarded as "rock", but as the pivitol band in the US punk/hardcore movement. The word "rock" is used to describe bands such as The Rolling Stones,Queen and all those other awful pompous bands.

Whether or not _Candy Apple Grey_ (or Husker Du, for that matter) are hardcore or not is irrelevant. What matters is that this is one of the strongest sets of music that you'll ever encounter (and it's not even their best LP!). The majority of the album is rather downcast, and songs from both Bob Mould ("I Don't Know for Sure", "Too Far Down" and Grant Hart ("Don't Want to Know if You are Lonely", "Sorry Somehow", the sparse but gripping "No Promise Have I Made") make the depression resonate. However, in classic Husker style, the album ends on a more optimistic note; Bob's "All This I've Done For You" is as sure a call to arms as any in music.

"Candy Apple Grey" has some unparalleled moments ("Hardly Getting Over It" being one of them) but ultimately is a little too down for its own good. Not to say that it's not worth buying, of course; how can you argue with the ferocious "Crystal" or the brilliant "Eiffel Tower High"?

Their Warner Brothers inaugural is the biggest letdown of Hüsker Dü's career. Put simply, Bob and Grant try too hard to rekindle the diversity and experimentation that worked so well on Zen Arcade. The results are awkward caricatures like the cloying 'Hardly Getting Over It', and the acoustic atrocity 'Too Far Down.'

This LP kicks off in true Mould-rage style with the fury blast from hell named 'Crystal', tempered only by the fact that (as with all the rest of the tracks), the guitar is way too low in the mix! After that obvious start, the rest of the LP boasts a rather more varied sound than most Husker LP's. I still can't decide if its a truly great record or not, but its certainly a very good one, anyway. Themes of bitterness and broken relationships abound, and then there's Bob's private cry from the heart, the acoustic 'Too Far Down', complete with backwards-bass and isolated footsteps clicking to the beat. Grant's songs are melodically a little obvious, but the most emotionally direct. You can almost hear the guy from Warners saying 'now look guys, we can't market an album of pure hardcore, so try and be a bit more varied, OK?' Hmmmmm..... didn't quite work, but an inspired effort.

Even though this is not their last album, it's seems like it was when they made it. Almost like a grand finale. It seems like a compilation of all their great styles. "Crystal" could have been on Zen Arcade for all the intensity it posseses. Dead Set On Destruction was my all-time favorite Husker Du song at one point. Norton's catchy bass line, Grant's poppy vocals, Bob's simple, yet innovative solo, great lyrics, then it breaks right into Bob's patented "wooee-hoe" on M.E.T.H(Merry Eiffel Tower High). Then comes All This I've Done For You(should I talk to a mirror, should I talk to a wall, should I even talk at all!!) As for the slow stuff, where would I be spiritually as a person if it weren't for songs like Hardly.. and No Promise. After all don't we have good days as well as bad days. So did Husker Du. Not every song should make you happy. That's life. Husker Du is LIFE.

Some great songs , some dull ones ( Hardly getting over it,Sorry somehow)