1985: The Miracle Year by Hüsker Dü
The title, 1985: The Miracle Year, refers to the transition Minneapolis trio Hüsker Dü made from independent label SST Records to major label Warner Bros. Today people barely know what a record label is, but four decades ago the chasm was wide and the heretical move of “selling out” was a legit conversation point.
The Miracle Year follows Numero Group’s Savage Young Dü, the 2017 release that collects live recordings from 1979-83.
The band continues to be perceived as yin/yang: Bob Mould’s blueprint-for-hardcore-punk jagged guitar and sheer speed of playing as balanced by drummer Grant Hart’s melodic, near pop songwriting. In terms of songs and songwriters, seldom has a band wielded such a dual perspective—yet that’s not entirely the case, Mould’s “Hardly Getting Over It” is a ballad the shakes the equation. The crucial third leg of trio was Greg Norton’s energetic bass playing.
Miracle Year includes a full set from the end of January ’85 at First Avenue, the marquee Minneapolis club above the intimate 250-capacity 7th St. Entry where the band frequently appeared. The 23-song set burns in defiance at the day’s minus-11 temperature. The Beatles, The Byrds and Mary Tyler Moore all figure in the set lists including a cameo by Soul Aylum’s Dave Priner.
The balance of the collection nabs equally incendiary live tracks from U.S. shows and dates in Germany and Switzerland. The collection’s final word, “Misty Modern Days” is a gem that was never officially released.
Checking Hüsker Dü’s Milwaukee history, the band played Century Hall in June of 1985, having previously played Niko’s in ‘82 and ’83. The trio would return to play The Palms in ‘86, the year they jumped to the majors with Candy Apple Grey. They would return in ‘87 for a show at The Eagles Ballroom on the Warehouse: Songs and Stories tour, with Mission of Burma’s Roger Miller opening.
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At the end of one cut from a gig in Switzerland, Mould displays the self-policing community aspect of the hardcore scene. “Are you in a band, you look familiar?” he asks someone in the crowd. “Are you in a band? Why aren’t you playing tonight? Because you are too busy throwing glasses at people who aren’t looking for them. Fuckhead.”
