- Audio CD (15 Jan 2001)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Sony Music
- ASIN: B000025RQG
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Audio Cassette | Vinyl
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 8,102 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Bob Mould realised his career goal--a rock & roll trio like Hüsker Dü, only without another strong personality to compete with him--most completely with Sugar's 1992 debut. It's mixed strangely, with little bass and lots of treble, but that gives it a buzzing power, especially on heavy-guitar songs like "Hoover Dam" and "If I Can't Change Your Mind." By the end of "A Good Idea", the narrator inexplicably drowns the woman he loves and Mould's voice assumes a frightening monotone. The only real relief from Copper Blue's intensity is the constant flood of catchy melodies. --Steve Knopper
Amazon.co.uk Review
Bob Mould realised his career goal--a rock & roll trio like Hüsker Dü, only without another strong personality to compete with him--most completely with Sugar's 1992 debut. It's mixed strangely, with little bass and lots of treble, but that gives it a buzzing power, especially on heavy-guitar songs such as "Hoover Dam" and "If I Can't Change Your Mind". By the end of "A Good Idea", the narrator inexplicably drowns the woman he loves and Mould's voice assumes a frightening monotone. The only real relief from Copper Blue's intensity is the constant flood of catchy melodies. --Steve Knopper
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Staggering Achievement,
By Confuseius (Virtual Space) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Copper Blue (Audio CD)
After the demise of the once-mighty Husker Du, Bob Mould’s musical career hit rough times. Arguments with record companies broke out, a series of patchy solo releases followed and it seemed that the most venerable founding-father of post-punk and alternative rock (whatever “alternative rock” means since “alternative” IS now the mainstream) was adrift. Even despite having achieved some critical success for his solo work, commercial success never came and Mould’s search for musical fulfilment was not yielding many answers.When “Copper Blue” was released at the very apex of the rave era, the nation was wringing its hands over all things to do with music “characterised by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats” and the music press was obsessing over the handbag-hardcore schism. Only a few people sat up and listened to the news that Mould was back. There’s no doubting that Creation Records (and of course Rykodisc, Sugar’s US label) knew they had something remarkable in their hands. But when the roar, power and heartbreaking intricacy of Bob Mould’s wall-of-guitar had reached such exquisite fruition as on this magical album, word soon began to spread: Bob Mould was back, Back, BACK and had served the ace that everyone thought he might one day be capable of. Creation was, of course, still “only” an indie label and did not have an enormous corporate promotion budget to throw at it. Coming hot on the heels of Mould’s solo career and having none of the youth, boyish looks or swaggering gobbiness of the other big-noise bands of the time, Sugar were still a risky proposition. And to add to that Sugar’s idea of “not playing the corporate game”, which did not mean growing their hair long, delivering emotionally incontinent rants about The Man or trying to out-do each other’s chemical consumption; neither did it mean looking glum and moody. It just meant standing around looking like ordinary guys and not really saying too much … so their PR people had a tough job. And yet, if I remember rightly, this album stayed in the top 5 of the UK indie charts for maybe 18 months. Up against Primal Scream’s “Screamadelica” or Nirvana’s “Nevermind” that alone is a truly awesome feat. It only takes one listen to figure out why. Listening to it as I write, 11 years later and possibly for the 200th time, it still feels as if I’m hearing it for the first time. The rush, the bliss, the noise, the angst, the adrenaline and the unimaginably glorious melodies that defy the imagination are all there; but now I’m older, it’s the maturity, the class and the depth that keep pulling me back, even if I still don’t understand how Mould gets his guitar to sound like that. Truly, there are barely a handful of records in my collection (of well-over 4,000 records) that have hooked themselves so deeply into my brain as this and I’m not even particularly a heavy-guitar, grunge or rock type. It’s tempting to go through this record, track-by-track, offering some kind of critical analysis of what I think makes it so dazzling, so brilliant, so iconic. It would be simple to spew-forth a eulogy on the lyrics, effuse about the chord progressions, swoon repeatedly over the guitar solos or quiver uncontrollably about the perfect segueing between the tracks but it’s more satisfying to consider the overall, overwhelming effect. This is an album to be consumed whole and as with all great art, it is enormously greater than the sum of its parts. It’s just completely and utterly fabulous. I’ll still be listening to it in another decade and I hope you will be too.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Favourite Album Ever,
By A Customer
This review is from: Copper Blue (Audio CD)
If you never thought heavy rock music could be melodic then you should buy this album and be amazed. From the out and out rock of The Act We Act to the sheer delight of Man In The Moon this album will enthrall and delight. The heavy numbers such as The Slim grow but the instant access numbers such as If I Can't Change Your Mind, Changes, Helpless and Hoover Dam never become tiresome. At times Bob Mould sounds like Sting during the best Police songs (Particularly Changes). What came after paled into comparison. Not because it wasn't equally excellent but because it never delivered on each and every song with each and every note like this. Husker Du may have died but the more melodic, accesable Sugar overshadowed them. When Nirvana and company were inventing themselves the originator out-thought them all and delivered a never to be forgotten classic.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect Pop Smothered In Guitars,
By Spoonman (Kent United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Copper Blue (Audio CD)
Terrific songs smothered in guitars from start to finish. Changes and Helpless are awesome but there's not one weak song here. The album came out at the same time as Nevermind which might explain why its been overlooked by so many, not that I think Bob Mould is too bothered by that. Copper Blue is a man at the top of his game. If he'd wanted to he could have become a massive star with this record but he didn't - and thats why his music sounds so good. He does it the way he thinks it should be done and it comes from the heart.The simplest and strongest recommendation I can give is that Copper Blue is my favourite album of all time, bar none.
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