Gotta Make Polls for the Polls I Make - ILM HUSKER DU POLL RESULTS

God I love 'Games' so much.

That whole Huskers outtakes disc can be found here:

hxxp://captainsdead.com/husker-du-up-in-the-air-studio-outtakes.html

"Books About UFOs" was my #1. One of the most joyous songs I can think of. I remember how utterly out of nowhere it seemed to appear on New Day Rising--there had been definite hints of a pop sensibility before on "It's Not Funny Anymore" and parts of Zen Arcade, but nothing like that. If it's based a real girl, that was the girl for me. She sounds like the most perfect and perfectly flaky '70s kind of girl.

That "Books" clip is so good. The kid walking back and forth, the people in back who are barely paying attention...Part of me wants to say, "Don't you know who this is? Don't you know what he's playing?" But in other ways, everything seems exactly as it ought to be for "Books About UFOs." Why wasn't I there?!

People who prefer Hart to Mould: is it about lyrics? I just realized that Hart probably wrote much better lyrics.

not always

I think his songs are catchier/prettier/more affecting/moving. And as much as I like Mould's mastery of bllllaaaaaaargh!, Hart can even best him in that category on stuff like "The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill." Which I imagine will place ... high. I still love Mould's songs, of course, but it was Hart I always connected with when the band and me were in sync.

it's a testament to the band that any claim one wants to make about the qualities of one over the other can be shut down. like i might want to say grant has more annoying hollow earworms, someone could play me "it's not peculiar" or "turn it around" to differ. cuz really anything, good or bad, one was doing, the other would be damn sure to do to

o

It's Not Peculiar was my #1, btw.

I think it took til "Warehouse," honestly, for Bob to catch up to Grant in the pop department. Up until then they sort of excelled at different things. But, like, those two songs I pretty much like as much as any of the Grant stuff.

i'm done with mould on warehouse after "bed of nails"

I really like "It's Not Peculiar" and enjoy "Turn It Around". Maybe I just like Mould's voice better? I rarely even remember most Hart songs, with some exceptions.

I'm almost never this partisan about band members so it puzzles me! I could never decide between John and Paul.

can't believe i forgot about Games! massive cock-up that.

I prefer Grant Hart's songs. They're catchier, less angsty and generally more fun. But those songs aren't nearly as good without Bob Mould on guitar.

I'm listening to Warehouse as I type and this is what perfunctory-perfect formalism sounds like and, by extension, one of the few un-messy Last Albums.

anyway I prefer Mould when "Hardly Getting Over It" is on -- a slowcore iteration of the MBV-angst he mastered on Copper Blue -- but change my mind when "No Promise Have I made" is on.

Seeing some of the clips reminds me: On top of everything else, Mould and Hart were great, creative backup singers to each other. And sometimes hugely subtle but crucial, like Hart on "Games" or Mould on "Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill."

#1 obv Makes No Sense At All

#1 obv "The Baby Song"

The Baby Song is an always-skip track

Both of those #1s would be VERY disappointing!

Only possible answers: Chartered Trips or Something I Learned Today.

Or What Do I Want.

Mould & Hart - Even in the much later years, they were both contributing huge parts to each other's songs, at least in the recording. Something does my heart good when I hear rivals falling into tense breakups hold each other up like that. (Let It Be, Anodyne, Sonny & Cher Variety Hour, etc.)

omg i just got some exciting news
grant hart is going to be in my neighborhood! in january!

Selling stuff door-to-door?

I'm honestly not sure what will finish #1. I was thinking it might be "Turn on the News," so I'm glad I was way off there. My best guess at this point is a cover--not that one, the other one.

I predict "Heaven Hill."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvpRnXwL33Q

^ this one you mean? xp

Always bums me out when Grant plays some half-filled bar to disinterested patrons.

Think I can guess what about 9 of the top ten are, just not sure if we're going to get something else off Warehouse or not...

Always bums me out when Grant plays some half-filled bar to disinterested patrons.

For every crappy gig he probably plays to a good, appreciative house. He did here in Dublin last year, and he's playing here again in a couple of weeks.

not sure if we're going to get something else off Warehouse or not...

I'll be disappointed if "Ice Cold Ice" doesn't make it.

i would've voted for norton. i always thought it was funny that the straight guy was the gayest looking dude in the band

Yeah he's definitely playing at a crappy bar, but I'll be there to bring the noise. Don't worry! I'm totally gonna embarrass myself.

Totally late to the poll/didn't vote etc., but enjoying the results. Ditto to what Josh said about Grant playing small, bad venues - but some of my favorite personal recordings of his shows are small venues. I was listening to the 'Spot's Arcade' bootleg getting ready for work this a.m. and that has some tasty Zen alternate takes/diff. songs. I think I'd personally chew Spot out if I ever met him - poor, lackadaisical, noisy production on whatever he touched. No wonder we've never had proper remasters. I saw HD on my 17th birthday and it took until seeing Mould this year to have closure on hearing some of the songs I needed to hear at that age, during that show.

Had tickets to see Grant here in 2009, but things got in the way, and I had to skip it. The next day, all accounts were that it was a complete disaster. In a way, I was glad I missed it; I don't think I could've taken seeing him so far off his game.

What sorts of venues did HD play in the 80s?

In Chicago in 1986 they played Cabaret Metro (1200 capacity); in early '87 they played the Riviera (3000), and in late '87 the Vic (I wanna say 3500-4000?). Dunno where they played before '86.

Ah, cool.

EveningStar - this is a good resource for past show locations - http://www.thirdav.com/hddb.shtml
I saw them at Mandall Hall and the Vic in Chicago.

Now Grant Hart is playing no name bars on the far north side. You guys should come to the show! I won't embarrass you, just myself.

I usually don't play the fan boy game, but hey, this thread's perfect for it.

I was 15 and listening to Guns N' Roses when Husker Du broke up, and they likely never played within 100 miles of me anyway. (Black Flag did though!) So I never saw them live.

However, I have been in close contact with two members: Got a nod and a howya doin' from Bob at a Sugar show as I staked my place next to his side of the stage. Also heard him on a SXSW panel talking about how record companies work and why people like Helmet should watch themselves.

I sold a six-pack of Summit to Greg Norton. I was working the register at a long-since-demolished liquor store by the Metrodome. One of those weird moments where I look up and there's that handlebar mustache and twinkly brown eyes looking back at me. He also gave me a nod and a "all right, let's be cool about this" kind of look. I took his $6.98 and told him to have a nice day.

Never met Grant, but I do always keep an eye out for him whenever I eat at a Perkins.

That database is cool. I'm relieved to see they actually never played in Rochester, so I've got nothing to kick myself about.

Never saw Husker Du but I did go and see Grant round about the time of Intolerance. He got a decent crowd in those days, filled out the New Cross Venue in London. Anyhow, he was nice and didn't seem to mind too much when I pestered him to sign my copy of All Of My Senses.

25 Feb 95 M Minneapolis MN: 1st Ave
26 Feb 95 M Minneapolis MN: 1st Ave

I was too poor to see these shows, two acoustic solo sets from Bob. I was working for the Downtown Marriot as a valet and one of our garages was in the same building as 7th St/1st Ave (I'd frequently have to wait for the line of people on the sidewalk to part so I could pull into the garage.)

And I remember squatting down between a car bumper and the wall, hiding from any of my other valets, smoking a cigarette and listening to Bob sing "Man on the Moon" from the other side.

And also, the closest they ever played to Little Rock was Tulsa? Fuck that.

You would think I'd be clear on this, but for some reason I'm not--I may have done a phone interview with Hart and/or Mould right after Candy Apple Grey came out. I know I did a record-by-record rundown for the publication I wrote for at the time, I just can't remember whether it was to accompany an interview or whether it was a standalone.

Good Lord, Husker Du played at the Stow Hill Labour Club in Newport in 1985! The only time they came to Wales, according to that site. Admittedly at the time I would only have known two songs of theirs and the journey from where I lived to Newport would have been tough for a 16 yr old, but bloody hell... I wish! And now I live in Newport, and I've drunk at the Labour Club and I never knew!

Always bums me out when Grant plays some half-filled bar to disinterested patrons.

I've been to at least one of those, wanted to give him a hug.