I'll kickoff what I hope to be a weekly music review of some sort with an album that is not only one of my favorites, but is also one of Erin's least favorites -- Zen Arcade by Hüsker Dü. I bought Zen Arcade at some point during high school, and I can remember listening to it a few times, but not really getting it. After not really listening to it much, I pulled it out again during college and immediately fell in love. This album is the bridge between hardcore and punk in the early 80's and what became "alternative rock" in the early 90's. It's played ridiculously fast and loud, ala hardcore, but there are actual meaningful lyrics and melodies underneath the noise. I've read that it was recorded by basically standing up and playing each song, as a band, in one take, and it shows. The drum sound has been described as "hitting muffin tins with chicken bones" which is also pretty accurate. But underneath the bleak sound quality is one of those albums built entirely on real, raw emotion. Bob Mould, now in his mid 40's, means every vocal chord shredding word, and it's the striking honesty of the whole thing that makes Zen Arcade work. For anyone who has written off "heavier" sounding music because it just sounds like inane screaming, Zen Arcade is one of those rare albums where a band showed that you could actually bend the rules and create something powerful, melodic, and loud.
Listen:
"Something I Learned Today"
"Broken Home, Broken Heart"
"Pride"
Hüsker Dü website
Amazon.com link
Allmusic Guide link
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