Hüsker Dü, “ Savage Young Dü”
Available: Friday, Nov.10, from the amazing archival record label out of Chicago, Illinois, The Numero Group. Digital versions are available in FLAC and MP3 formats. The physical versions are carefully curated for the completionist among us and come in three compact discs and a four-LP standard black vinyl version. A limited-edition colored Vinyl version is long sold out. Also included is a 108-page or 144-page hardcover book with a linen-finished slip case, flyerography, 40 previously unpublished photographs, and a 12,000-word essay by Chicago-based music critic, author, and badass Erin Osmon. Both versions are available direct from the label and at your favorite local independent record store.
Hüsker Dü was one of the most influential bands of all time. The trio of Bob Mould (guitar, vocals), Greg Norton (bass), and Grant Hart (drums, vocals) formed the band in their hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1979 and released six studio albums, a couple live ones, a few EPs and a smattering of singles until their contentious breakup while on tour in 1987. Stylistically, the band (along with SST label mates and contemporaries, the Minutemen) challenged the notion of what punk and hardcore music was, while paving the way for what would later become underground, college, indie, and/or alternative music. Savage Young Dü is the first band-approved release in 25 years and spans their entire career, containing 69 songs remastered from the original analog tapes, 47 of which are previously unreleased.
This is an absolute must-have for fans of the band, for the newly initiated and turned-on, or for any music fan wanting a first-hand glimpse at the legacy of one of the greatest trios in American punk and rock ’n’ roll history. Also? This would make a righteous gift for the music lover in your life, the end all be all of music-related gifts, and damn near impossible to top. So there’s that.
Recommended for fans of iconic, canonized college- and punk-leaning music of the 80s and 90s and bands such as Minutemen, Descendents, The Replacements, Meat Puppets, Black Flag, Mission of Burma, or R.E.M.
Jon E. Lynch[email protected]