Sugar: Copper Blue
The Singles Collection
BMG Records
Limited Edition Vinyl x 4
Our Score
Nineties power trio Sugar return with a new track and a 4 LP vinyl set of all the singles released on Creation back in 1992 especially for Black Friday Record Store Day. Wayne AF Carey steps back into his youth and reviews…
For those who don’t know Sugar then lets begin. After the break up of the mightily influential hardcore band Hüsker Dü, Bob Mould released two solo albums Workbook and Black Sheets Of Rain which were critically acclaimed and still sound massive today. After the split with Virgin Records, Mould hooked up with friends Dave Barbe (bass) and Malcolm Travis (drums) in the form of Sugar, releasing the colossal Copper Blue, which topped the polls everywhere and was even awarded Album Of The Year in 1992 by NME. Rich in melody and the odd hints of hardcore it still stands the test of time and every track is still a gem.
Bob Mould has always known his way around a guitar. Just listen to early Hüsker Dü albums like Everything Falls Apart, the concept album Zen Arcade, the explosive New Day Rising, then the crossover to Beatles-esque hardcore pop with Flip Your Wig and the alleged sell out Warner Brothers albums Candy Apple Grey and Warehouse: Songs & Stories. To be honest I only tuned into Hüsker Dü after Warehouse and was blown away by the dynamics of this trio mixing harmonies with great guitar sounds, tinny drums and great bass from Norton, songs switched between Mould and Hart throughout the full 60 minutes. I devoured the back catalogue to see where this amazing set of 20 songs evolved from and I’ve never looked back at discovering one of my favourite all time bands.
Going back to Sugar then. This vinyl collection captures their vinyl single releases with the added treats of some live tunes from their gig at Cabaret Metro, Chicago in July 1992 and some extras including the top as fuck Clownmaster, Armenia City In The Sky and Where Diamonds Are Halos, all great B-Sides to cherish. Think back to songs like A Good Idea, a cheeky wink to Pixies who were influenced by the Dü, Mould throwing down the gauntlet to Black Francis in one foul swoop with a great piece of power pop. Changes is here with the great riffing and the time changes that turn this tune into a different monster with the excellent bridge that still sends shivers down me spine. All the gems are here including the great The Act We Act with the opening Geordie like riff from Mould creating a fuck off noise.
It’s all here, including the power pop melody of If I Can’t Change Your Mind twice, with Mould going for his solo version, a timeless sludgy Slick, the brilliance of Hoover Dam, the anthemic Man On The Moon (much better than the said REM song) and one of my favourite Sugar songs The Slim which still fucks me up every time. It’s a smart set of vinyl and a must for fans of later Hüsker Dü, Bob Mould’s solo stuff and of course the wonderful Sugar. A timeless band that slipped neatly into the music scene without being labelled into the Grunge wars and shone through with the expertise of Mould’s work ethic with his two new partners in crime.
And guess what? They’re back! Check out House Of Dead Memories above…
CONNECT WITH SUGAR:
OFFICIAL | BLUESKY | FACEBOOK
CONNECT WITH BOB MOULD:
OFFICIAL | BLUESKY | FACEBOOK
Words by Wayne Carey, Reviews Editor for Louder Than War. His author profile is here
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