Out Of The Vaults #10 - Husker Du - ZEN ARCADE

Each week or so my wife will dive into our CD cabinets (The Vaults) and randomly pull out one of the thousands of CDs. The chosen album will then be given to me and I will talk about the Cd for awhile no matter how good, bad, obscure or embarrassing the chosen disc is. Where did I buy it, when did I buy it, what was my first reaction to hearing it, do I still listen to it today etc.

Out of The Vaults #10 - Husker Du - Zen Arcade

Zen Arcade is the second album out of my "Holy Trinity" of  incredible double albums. The other two are Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation and the Minutemen’s Double Nickels On the Dime. Daydream Nation was actually the very first “Out of the Vaults” pick at the very beginning of this blog. 

Even through Zen Arcade and Double Nickels came out in 1984 and Daydream Nation in 1988, I bought them all within a few weeks of each other circa1988 or 89. All three are perfect albums, each on a whole different level them  everything else that was being released at the time. In my opinion all three of them are also the best material each band ever released.

Although guitarist Bob Mould and drummer Grant Hart wrote the songs on Zen Arcade, bassist Greg Norton has the honor of being the first member you hear on it. His bass on “Something I Learned Today” gets the ball rolling before the rest of the band kicks in. With song #2 “Broken Homes, Broken Heart” the albums narrative begins. I am not going to get too much into the story because I want you to be able to listen to it yourselves. The acoustic but no less intense “Never Talking To You Again” follows.

“Chartered Trips” picks up where “Broken Homes, Broken Heart left off”. Bob Mould's patented buzzing guitar wailing along as you can hear the urgency and desperation in his voice. “Dreams Reocurring”  is a minute and a half instrumental. Composed of backwards tape loops, piercing and swirling guitars, bass and various other instruments, the song is very reminiscent of The Byrd’s “Eight Miles High”, a song Husker Du would be covering as a single in the near future.

Song #6 “ Indecision Time” continues the intensity with guitar noises attempting to escape from all directions only to be pummeled back down into the ground.

“Hare Krishna” comes on next, bringing more buzzing guitars. Bob’s mumbling lyrics intertwined with drummer Grant Hart’s chants of “Hare Krishna” make the song perfectly convey the feeling of being confused and smothered by religion.

Following are the trio of “Beyond The Threshold”, “Pride” and “Never Forget You”. The middle one is NEVER to be listened to while working out at the gym. If you do, instant heart attack. This song is that intense. You have been warned.

At track 11 we find one of my all time favorite songs. “Biggest Lie” has an awesome heavy build up at the beginning  followed by more of Bob’s trademark guitar sound.  The song also has the best Bob Mould guitar solo ever. His solo on Husker Du’s “Could You Be The One” a couple of years later, a close second.

Track 12 “What’s Going On” has Bob and Grant shouting at each other while guitars wail . I can just picture them in the studio, each one gritting their teeth as they attempt to become louder than the other. The exchange is so intense that neither one seems to notice two minutes into the song a piano has snuck in and grabbed the solo. I always picture bassist Greg sitting there watching Bob and Grant battle it out, seeing this is his chance to shine, runs out of studio, grabs the piano and bring it back without the other guys noticing.

Pretty soon the shouting does dies done but with 30 seconds left, both Bob and Grant attempt to one up each other by starting the shouting again.  Bob emerges the victor, celebrating with a few quick guitar riffs at the very end. Feeling bad about it, he let's Grant take the lead vocals on the next song, "Masochism World".

After the slower "Standing By The Sea" and the very Who-esque "Somewhere", both with Grant on lead vocals, we find the first of two forty second piano interludes "One Step at a Time". Along with the one a few songs down, these interludes are a very good way to separate sections the story. They also allow you to take a breath and prepare for the tragic "Pink Turns To Blue" which follows. Bob takes over the lead for the two songs, separated by the second forty second interlude of "Monday Will Never Be The Same", which follow. In "Newest Industry" and especially "Whatever", Bob's voices becomes so intense and urgent to the point beyond the threshold (couldn't resist) where it sounds as if it is almost about to break.

The droning psychedelic looping sounds of the next song, the three minute "The Tooth Fairy and The Princess" is the sound of the narratives main character waking up leaving them and the listener wondering if it was all just a dream.

Closing out the the monumental album is "Turn on The News", a song which the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame named one of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". Hopefully pretty soon Husker Du, one of the most important bands in alternative music, will finally receive it's own rightful place in the Hall

The album officially ends with a fourteen minute extended "Dreams Reoccurring" called "Reoccurring Dreams". I always thought of it as the music playing while the credits for the rest of the album and story were rolling.

According to the front page of iTunes "Husker Du Classic Just Added" with Zen Arcade among them. Go over there and purchase it or listen to it on Spotify. Just please don't listen to it at the gym. You have been warned.