Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Five years on from Candy Apple Grey, the roster of every major label would be heaving with angry young rock & roll powered by surging electric guitars, howling vocals and non-specific angst. This, of course, was a result of the success of Nirvana's Nevermind. However, as Nirvana themselves never shied from admitting, Nirvana's Nevermind was, in a major way, a result of Hüsker Dü, and specifically Hüsker Dü's Candy Apple Grey. It is probably the first major label grunge album; the Minneapolis trio had already racked up around half a dozen albums of superior and weirdly tuneful punk rock before Warners signed them. Candy Apple Greywasn't markedly different from any of its indie predecessors in terms of style--basically Bob Mould's buzzsaw guitar and jet-engine vocal competing to be heard over a rhythm section playing with the speed and abandon of a runaway locomotive--but the songs had never been this good before. In drummer Grant Hart's "Don't Want To Know If You're Lonely" and Mould's "Eiffel Tower High", Hüsker Dü came up with a giddying hybrid of Black Sabbath and The Byrds. Elsewhere, Mould's acoustic "Hardly Getting Over It" amounted to the beginning of his absurdly overlooked solo career. Candy Apple Grey was the sort of dazzling, unnerving record that made people want to form bands of their own. The fact that so many of these bands were formed in and around Seattle is a phenomenon as yet unexplained by science. --Andrew Mueller
Product Description
Killer 1986 major label debut! Features 'Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely','Sorry Somehow' & 'Dead Set On Destruction'.
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
They were prolific, always moving forward- the pop sensibilities becoming apparent on tracks like 'Makes No Sense at All', 'Games' & 'Books About UFO's' are in excelis here.
Bob Mould was becoming the dominant songwriter on 'Candy Apple Grey'- their first album for Warners (where both REM and The Replacements would follow). As everyone should know- there would be no Nirvana or Pixies without the Du.
Opener 'Crystal' picks up where 'Flip Your Wig's 'Divide & Conquer' left off. It's another redhotred track that takes us to Grant Hart's 'Don't Want to Know if You're Lonely'. While Hart was contributing less songs- the quality is almost as high as Mould's. 'Don't Want...' is a cruel heartbreaker and a key Husker Du song...'I Don't Know for Sure' is another guitar-pop song, which Mould would perfect on 'Warehouse's 'Standing in the Rain'. Catchy as hell...The single 'Sorry Somehow' is next- with its wonderful keyboards and Hart's scream of apolgies...The centre of the album belongs to Mould: first there is 'Too Far Down' which opens with the Beatles-inflected experimentation common to 'Zen Arcade' before shifting into a dark acoustic song. A definite precursor of The Replacements 'All Shook Down'. This is a dark night of the soul...Another key Husker Du song lets a little of the light back in with the achingly gorgeous keyboard backing to 'Hardly Getting Over It'. This is a song that would greatly influence REM- with songs like 'Sweetness Follows' & 'Fretless'...Hart's dumb-Ramonesesque 'Dead Set on Destruction' picks the beat up- though is the duffest moment here...Mould replies with 'Eiffel Tower High'- another manic pop burnout prior to Hart's piano-based ballad 'No Promise I Made'- which almost returns to the intstrumental 'One Step at a Time' from 'Zen Arcade' as its starting point. Finally Mould rounds off the album with the sublime guitar-hook of 'All This I've done for You'- imagine if the Yardbirds had played punk.
'Candy Apple Grey' is a great album- a good introduction to Husker Du and the predecessor to their final masterpiece 'Warehouse (Songs & Stories)'.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Punk Rock Rule No. 1: To ensure credibility never sign to a major label.
In1986 Husker Du did just that by signing with Warner Bros. and releasing `Candy Apple Grey'. For numerous reason this is the ultimate heresy for any punk rock fan or band. The most significant reason though would be the belief that a band had decided instead to pursue the `almighty buck' instead of their previous musical vision. In almost all cases the music is the first to suffer by the fact the music is toned down significantly in order to shift units.
Husker Du had been signed to the seminal S.S.T. records, which is quite possibly one of the greatest independent record labels ever. While Husker Du were there they released `Zen Arcade' and `New Day Rising' which is still regarded by hard core fans to be their best and I have no argument with that because it's true. However I differ with most fans when it comes to `Candy Apple Grey'.
`Candy Apple Grey' is a fine collection of fuzzy pop punk songs. While the album does not contain the same level of hardcore fuzz that previous albums had there is still plenty to ensure no commercial potential. What I feel is always overlooked is the fact that underneath all that fuzz on their original albums is great songs and that is what made them great. The difference is that `Candy' has some of Husker Du's finer crafted pop songs, which you can also hear a bit more clearly. If that makes me a punk rock heretic then so be it because I love this album and think it's criminally neglected. So while it lacks the credibility of previous albums it's still worthy of your attention.
To those who are not familiar with Husker Du buy this album because I think it is an excellent introduction to the band. After that buy `Zen Arcade' & `New Day Rising' or just buy all three now because all three are worthy of a place in your collection. Grunge and the musical revolution of the 90s would not have happened without Husker Du.
In1986 Husker Du did just that by signing with Warner Bros. and releasing `Candy Apple Grey'. For numerous reason this is the ultimate heresy for any punk rock fan or band. The most significant reason though would be the belief that a band had decided instead to pursue the `almighty buck' instead of their previous musical vision. In almost all cases the music is the first to suffer by the fact the music is toned down significantly in order to shift units.
Husker Du had been signed to the seminal S.S.T. records, which is quite possibly one of the greatest independent record labels ever. While Husker Du were there they released `Zen Arcade' and `New Day Rising' which is still regarded by hard core fans to be their best and I have no argument with that because it's true. However I differ with most fans when it comes to `Candy Apple Grey'.
`Candy Apple Grey' is a fine collection of fuzzy pop punk songs. While the album does not contain the same level of hardcore fuzz that previous albums had there is still plenty to ensure no commercial potential. What I feel is always overlooked is the fact that underneath all that fuzz on their original albums is great songs and that is what made them great. The difference is that `Candy' has some of Husker Du's finer crafted pop songs, which you can also hear a bit more clearly. If that makes me a punk rock heretic then so be it because I love this album and think it's criminally neglected. So while it lacks the credibility of previous albums it's still worthy of your attention.
To those who are not familiar with Husker Du buy this album because I think it is an excellent introduction to the band. After that buy `Zen Arcade' & `New Day Rising' or just buy all three now because all three are worthy of a place in your collection. Grunge and the musical revolution of the 90s would not have happened without Husker Du.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
What a great punk/rock record.
I often read and hear people saying 'anyone who listens to modern 'punk' rock - should listen to this'.
Well i did force someone to listen to it - and they hated it - they said it sounded wishy washy and stupid and the guitars were not loud enough.
well abviously my heart was broken - but it just assured me that the modern day casual MTV audience has scant knowledge or any desire to hear anything that isnt marketed to them directly with a price tag to boot too.
If you are a fan of proper rock music - thats the stuff written by real people and not made for a mass audience with a shiny pop finish and suitably trendy boys playing guitars - then you have to have this.
Yes it doesnt sound as clean and bombastic as the records made nowadays, but the tunes and the songwirting on it are unrivalled in the world of melodic punk/rock.
It has raw energy, melody, talented musicians, excellent songwriters tangled in a web of sexual frustration, drugs, heartbreak and booze - and ita comes out in the beautiful mix of songs of 'candy apple grey' -
It has 2 mellow tracks on it - but a number of cracking rock songs each with its very own infectious hook. 'Sorry somehow' being my personal fave with its inclusion of a cathcy keyboard hook alongside punding drums and blistering guitar.
i'd say its better than 'flip your wig' - and competing with 'Wharehouse' for their best.
I often read and hear people saying 'anyone who listens to modern 'punk' rock - should listen to this'.
Well i did force someone to listen to it - and they hated it - they said it sounded wishy washy and stupid and the guitars were not loud enough.
well abviously my heart was broken - but it just assured me that the modern day casual MTV audience has scant knowledge or any desire to hear anything that isnt marketed to them directly with a price tag to boot too.
If you are a fan of proper rock music - thats the stuff written by real people and not made for a mass audience with a shiny pop finish and suitably trendy boys playing guitars - then you have to have this.
Yes it doesnt sound as clean and bombastic as the records made nowadays, but the tunes and the songwirting on it are unrivalled in the world of melodic punk/rock.
It has raw energy, melody, talented musicians, excellent songwriters tangled in a web of sexual frustration, drugs, heartbreak and booze - and ita comes out in the beautiful mix of songs of 'candy apple grey' -
It has 2 mellow tracks on it - but a number of cracking rock songs each with its very own infectious hook. 'Sorry somehow' being my personal fave with its inclusion of a cathcy keyboard hook alongside punding drums and blistering guitar.
i'd say its better than 'flip your wig' - and competing with 'Wharehouse' for their best.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Candy Apple Grey
I bought this to add to my cd collection, and to replace my vinyl and tape editions!! Sounds as fantastic as ever and was also put straight on the iPod!! Read more
Published 15 days ago by C. MacNicol
Not their best...
When Warners were presented with the Huskers major label debut back in 1986 they must have been a little disappointed. Read more
Published on 20 April 2010 by Mr Ticko
ONE OF THE BEST BANDS EVER TO COME OUT OF NORTH AMERICA
Can you remember where you were when you first heard Husker Du, I can. It was 1986 and I was listening to Radio Trent ( can you remember that when local commercial radio was worth... Read more
Published on 23 Feb 2010 by Stephen
Their worst album.
If you haven't heard Husker Du, this is generally the album people will tell you to get first. Personally I'd say that Warehouse Songs & Stories or New Day Rising are better... Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2008 by James N. R. Goad
An Album That Imporves With Age
Upon it's release, "Candy Apple Grey" was seen as a disapointment by fans, critics, and record label. Read more
Published on 25 Sep 2006 by Steven Dedalus
The Perfect Introduction
Quite simply, 'Candy Apple Grey' is the perfect introduction to the music of Husker Du. The Minnesota trio, to hardcore fans, made better albums (out of their five in in three... Read more
Published on 3 July 2004 by "mark71323"
i can husker with the du
husker du are one of the most under rated and influencial bands of the 80s,any one who disagrees should take a closer look at the whole grunge thing of the early 90s,its pretty... Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2002
Husker Du's finest hour
Just what is everyone's problem with 80's music? Listening to this album its clear that everything was fine and dandy in the States. Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2001
IT DOES NOT GET BETTER THAN THIS
Power, melody, intelligence and kick ass rock and roll. This album defines the best in music from the late 1980s early 1990s. Read more
Published on 25 Nov 1999 by M. Krisna Soejoko
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
