Livin' In The 80s: 80s Hardcore On Bandcamp

Hüsker Dü Savage Young Dü Numero Group The second Hüsker release on Bandcamp is a lot to unpack, so I’ll keep it short and tell yoou that if you love this band even just a little, but prefer the early stuff, you must go buy this right now. I bought the physical copy because it’s just a meaty, beautiful package of early pics, informative liner notes and three discs of the early material, including the ‘In A Free Land’ and ‘Statues’ singles, the   ‘Everything Falls Apart’ 12” and most interestingly, an alternative version of ‘Land Speed Record’, their seminal live album, which has most of the same songs on a different date during the same period, but are a little more clear perhaps? Also has various other session and live tracks. An amazing document! Link:  https://huskerdu.bandcamp.com/album/savage-young-d

Hüsker Dü Extra Circus Numero Group What can be said about the Hüskers? I’m not gonna try, but I am going to review one of the two releases they have up for sale, Extra Circus, which is clearly a set of extra tracks from the Metal Circus sessions that didn’t make the cut. You get five tracks from the session, the first two of which (‘Heavy Handed’ and ‘You Think I’m Scared’) rip out of the gate, and remind one of the more hardcore periods of the band, circa ‘Land Speed’ record perhaps. Track three, ‘Won’t Change’ anticipates ‘Zen Arcade’ sonically, with it’s morose melodacism. Track 4, ‘Is Today The Day” could have easily nestled in with the ‘Everything Falls Apart’ album. Finally, track 5 is an early version of ‘Zen Arcade’s’ ‘Standing By The Sea’ which, while not as polished as the final album version is still one of those Hüsker tracks that make you want to bawl your eyes out with a sense of loss that you didn’t even experience, but takes you to that place anyway. Magnificent docume...