Zen Arcade

They didn't yet have terms like "alternative rock" when Minneapolis's Husker Du made their mark as one of the 1980's most influential bands. With two skilled songwriters--guitarist Bob Mould and drummer Grant Hart--the genre-bending trio (bassist Greg Norton completed the lineup) juxtaposed hardcore punk speed and aggression with pop-leaning melodies. Add their uniformly thoughtful, introspective lyrics, and you've got this stunning 1984 double-length release, a semi-concept album about youthful rites of passage. It includes such memorable tracks as Mould's "Broken Home, Broken Heart" Hart's "Never Talking to You Again," and the evocative 14-minute instrumental closer, "Reocurring Dreams." --Billy Altman

Even when this Minneapolis trio dabbled in familiar sounds, such as the strummed folk of "Never Talking to You Again" or the Bo Diddley-style R&B of "Hare Krsna," what came out on this swirling 1984 double album was clenched, emotional, and intense. Over 23 short songs that helped define the still-thriving punk subgenre known as hardcore, leaders Grant Hart and Bob Mould screamed their alienation in the fastest language they could possibly produce. Though Mould is the more personal songwriter, lashing out at liars and (presumably) lovers, both H?sker heads come up with psycho-depression choruses like "What's going on inside my head?" --Steve Knopper

For:$13.28
Product Rating:

94 Reviews
Info:
Set Price Alert Save to Wish List
Tags:
Audio Cassette, Amazon

BestDeal

$13.28 at Amazon

ComparePrices

SmartSort

title,desc	merchant	price	seeit
Zen Arcade They didn't yet have terms like "alternative rock" when Minneapolis's Husker Du made their mark as one of the 1980's...	Amazon 11,393 reviews	$13.28 Coupon 1 coupon available Code:No Code Required Detail: FREE Shipping on orders over $25 at Amazon. Expires:Dec-31-2010 Restriction:Some restrictions apply. See site for details.	See it

*Shipping costs are based on an estimate of the lowest shipping rate available within the contiguous US, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Only merchants with this product in stock are listed (Merchants with this product back ordered have been removed from this list).

Do you see a pricing error? Please let us know by filling out a simple form: Click here

Write a review

ProductReviews98/100 (94 Reviews)

Recent Reviews

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Aug-01-2008; Their Second Full Length Studio Album; Hüsker Dü was formed in 1979 by guitarist Bob Mould, drummer Grant Hart, and bassist Greg Norton. In their early records, the band played hard core exclusively but gradually their sound changed towards alternative rock for the last...; read full review | report as inappropriate

3/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Feb-09-2008; Might be Heresy , But I Just Never Got Zen Arcade; I'm a big fan of the Huskers and Bob Moulds solo work. That said, I've never understood the acclaim heaped on Zen Arcade. There are many good songs on this release. "Turn On the News", "Something I Learned Today","Never Talking to You...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Jun-13-2007; "I've made my world of happiness to combat your neglect."; 1984 was a great year for punk, boasting such seminal releases as The Replacements' Let It Be, Black Flag's My War, the Minutemen's Double Nickels on the Dime and the Meat Puppet's Meat Puppets II. Yet the finest exponent of the year's...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Jun-05-2007; Troubled and Brilliant; In 1985 I was searching for something and Husker Du helped me find it. I was bored with cheesy metal bands and classic rock. Then I discovered college radio - what would later go by name, Alternative. College radio beat the hell out...; read full review | report as inappropriate

Selected Reviews

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Aug-01-2008; Their Second Full Length Studio Album; Hüsker Dü was formed in 1979 by guitarist Bob Mould, drummer Grant Hart, and bassist Greg Norton. In their early records, the band played hard core exclusively but gradually their sound changed towards alternative rock for the last...; read full review | report as inappropriate

3/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Feb-09-2008; Might be Heresy , But I Just Never Got Zen Arcade; I'm a big fan of the Huskers and Bob Moulds solo work. That said, I've never understood the acclaim heaped on Zen Arcade. There are many good songs on this release. "Turn On the News", "Something I Learned Today","Never Talking to You...; read full review | report as inappropriate

2/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Oct-03-2000; Lookout; I came across this album because I so often saw it mentioned as an all time classic album. I was very dissapointed. Most of it is very much in a hardcore punk vein. Many of the songs seemed indistinguishable to me. I did like the...; read full review | report as inappropriate