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This
is my last review of the SST Husker Du albums. Flip
Your Wig was the last of the trio, and to some the best.
Listening to it at the moment, I'd have to agree, but
everytime I listen to New Day Rising I start to change
my mind. The pop sensibility and melodies that were
hinted at on previous efforts like NDR finally break
through and become the focal point of most of these
songs, but the sludgy production hold them back from
sounding too glossy.
"Flip
Your Wig" is a good opener, followed by an example
of the Husker's powerhouse songwriting abilities, "Every
Everything". Next comes the first standout track,
"Makes No Sense at All," the album's single.
Mould actually makes a whole-hearted attempt at singing,
and the song consists of a catchy chorus and verse arrangement.
Listening to this song shows you why some people consider
Husker Du the Beatles of the 80's.
Next
up is "Hate Paper Doll," a song crafted around
one of Greg Norton's great basslines. This song is one
of my personal favorites. Mould takes a stab at balladry
with "Green Eyes," and then follows it up
with a seductively brutal track called "Divide
and Conquer". This is another one of my favorites.
It demonstrates the band's ability to write a catchy
song that is absolutely hard-hitting (thanks in part
to Grant Hart's slamming performance). The next few
songs are relatively slower compared to D and C, but
still decent. "The Baby Song" is just fucking
weird, but it's testament to the band's neglected sense
of humor. You have to hear it to know what I'm talking
about.
The
next track is also one of my favorites, "Flexible
Flyer". Another catchy song with a great guitar
solo, it brings me back for another listen or two every
time I hear it. "Private Plane" is a bombastic
track that might remind you of slightly earlier Husker
songs, and an equally ferocious Mould yell-fest "Keep
Hanging On" follows. "The Wit and the Wisdom"
is basically just an experimental feedback-fest with
Mould going crazy all over his guitar with the rest
of the band playing the same thing over and over in
the background. The final track is actually quite soothing,
and a fitting end to a great album.
I
didn't really want to analyze the album song-by-song
like this, but I couldn't help myself. There was too
much I wanted to say about it without leaving a vague
impression on the reader. I know I make the record sound
perfect, but it's not. The production doesn't marr,
but rather.. hinders, the band's overall sound. I think
if the recording was done better, the album would've
been significantly more powerful than it already is.
This is a great intro to a great band however, and solidifies
their status as legends of 80's indie music.
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