A thousand years from now, when the archeologists of the future are shifting though the rumble trying to trace the origins of what contributed to downfall of human society. I wonder what they may find. I think one of those factors will be one that many feel is “benign” cause. It will be the increased use of Purell and the notion that everything needs to be “sanitized” in order to protect the masses. Physically, it is probably not helping to build up people’s immune systems. The other side effect is the “mentality” that is being built behind it. Nothing points it out more that most of the music being played on the radio. I am tired of auto-tuned and music edited to a technical precision that is “sanitized” in a way not to offend but also not to be very significant either in the long run.
I like raw music. I like reverb, distortion and feedback. I do not want the singer to necessarily be pitch perfect. I want hear and feel the “passion and the pleas.”
Husker Du was a band of “melody tapered with noise”. This was the sound that would be part of the basis of the Alternative/ Grunge music of the early 90’s. Zen Arcade released in 1984 was also for its time a double album. It song structure lyrically was a story of man going through a metaphysical journey through America in a dream state. It is hard to summarize “concept albums” in real precise turns.
Husker Du was one the early American Hardcore punk bands. However, they did everything musically on this album to defy the “definitions” of being labeled in those terms.
The music that breaks out and has long term impact is always going to go to the “risk takers”.
This is the song that starts the album off. A loud and raw declaration of what is about to come.
And the instrumental that closes the album.
Would the Grunge sound every have happened without the early works of Neil Young? Especially being back by Crazy Horse.
I saw a sitcom episode where they made fun of his voice as the sound of “cat being straggled”. However, it is the imperfections that make you take notice of a person. He has that “unique” voice. He still has that passion in the voice and through the lyrics.
People need to get pass album sales charts and radio airplay. It is the worse “metric” at the moment for judging merit and endurance for an artist.
Do yourself a favor that some time to go through the archives of music.
I have a memory of time when I had a friend who owned a record store. He bought used CD’s all the time. But he refused to buy back most of the “pop music” of the time. I remember one day he got into an argument with a customer who wanted to trade in a Michael Bolton CD. He refused to buy it back and questioned why the guy even bought in the first place. But back to the used CD’s we open them up and play random selections all the time and debate their merits. The new CD’s came sealed so we could not do the same thing with them.
Real treasures need to some digging about to find.
Don’t fear getting a bit “dirty”.
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