I came to Hüsker Dü via Bob Mould's solo work, first hearing his debut album Workbook a couple of years after release.
Since then, I've enjoyed Hüsker Dü enough to buy something when it's very cheap, but not enough to want to pay full price. I've no idea when I picked this one up, although I think I'd previously owned it on cassette.
One of the problems I've always had with about 50% of Hüsker Dü's songs is Grant Hart's voice. Compared to the power of Bob Mould, Hart's vocals sound thin and unconvincing, and of the twenty songs on this album (it was originally a double LP) are Hart's. And too often they tend to be plodders like Back From Somewhere and You're A Soldier. Charity, Chastity, Prudence and Hope is one of his better songs, but the delivery is limp, while Too Much Spice is brighter, and the sea-shanty like She Floated Away is cheery.
But the highlights are the Bob Mould tracks. There's just a greater sense or urgency and commitment about Mould's delivery, from the album opener, the solid These Important Years, the similar Standing In The Rain, to the far stronger songs such as Ice Cold Ice and Could You Be The One. And no one does angst like Mould on Bed Of Nails
So, while there's enough to enjoy and keep this album interesting, there's also much that's less good which prevents this being a great album.
3* - some great garage rock, but too much that's ordinary
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