Warehouse: Songs And Stories

Too long with too many similar songs

It was fine! Just way too long and a lot of the songs blend together after a while. His voice reminds me of They Might Be Giants weirdly enough and that's a plus for me so they get a 3.

Test

The album begins with crashing guitars and melodic vocals—and that’s how it ends, too. The only difference is that the vocals on the final track aren’t quite as pop-oriented as those at the start. The band split up acrimoniously after this album, though perhaps that’s beside the point—or is it? With the dissolution of these American alternative rock and punk pioneers, a vital pillar was lost. Years later, bands like the Pixies, Nirvana, and Dinosaur Jr. would step in to fill that void. Musically, the album is defined by its signature dense wall of distorted guitars and driving drum parts. Hüsker Dü blended abrasive alternative and punk rock with classic 1960s pop melodies. "Standing in the Rain" has a great forward momentum—I really like it, and it must have been a crowd-pleaser at their live shows. As for the single "Could You Be the One?", I didn’t think much of it back then, and I still don’t—at least not compared to a top-tier track like "Ice Cold Ice." "She Floated Away" stands out from the rest of the record, thanks to its waltz-like time signature and a rhythm reminiscent of a sea shanty; one might almost mistake it for a song by The Waterboys. At times, the sound also brings to mind early R.E.M. albums—which is hardly surprising, given that both bands were active during the same era and emerged from the same college-rock scene. "No Reservations" is a beautiful track that reinforces this observation. Twenty songs make for a substantial double album, yet the time flew by. The record concludes with "You Can Live at Home"—the track I briefly mentioned earlier. It serves as a farewell from a truly magnificent and influential band—a group that could have become so much more. But then again, life doesn’t always follow a straight path. With this album, Hüsker Dü left behind an unfinished yet deeply impressive testament that changed alternative rock forever.

Husker Du are an interesting prospect, oft mentioned by artists I really like, but not sure I’ve ever listened to them (or if I’d forgotten Bob Mould was a member). They are even referenced in one of my favourite songs (29x the pain by the Wildhearts), but a lot of this just feels like something’s missing and i cant quite put my finger on what. I can definitely heat the influence ‘Ice Col Ice’ had on the Wildhearts’ ’Nothing changes but the shoes’ and also somehow sounds like early R.E.M. The R.E.M comparison is also present in ‘Bed of nails ’ and ‘Tell you why tomorrow’ which unsurprisingly I really enjoyed.

I knew nothing of Hüsker Dü going into this and it shows, because I was expecting some sort of German, Rammstein-adjacent noise. Instead, I got some late 80s, pop-punky vibes. Throughout this album, I felt I could easily have been listening to Pixies or early REM, and there were moments I could’ve been listening to even Gin Blossoms or Nirvana. It was far too long, and sort of felt a bit same-y in the main. But, surprisingly, I enjoyed it much more than I expected to, especially as I wouldn’t be the biggest fan of any of those bands they reminded me of.

First few songs, I'm thinking "I really like this, it's definitely on for a 4, maybe even a 5!". I'm hearing bits that remind me of lots of bands I love (Terrorvision, REM, Soul Asylum etc) and all is going well. But it just carried on... and on.... and on.... It was two similar over too long a period of time. I think a shorter version of this album is a better score from me, but being over an hour long really highlights it's similarities from track to track. I still like it, don't get me wrong, but I don't love it. 3/5

A couple standouts and nothing truly bad on the album, but overly long and a bit repetitive by the end. I enjoyed it but it would be a better album with some trimming.

Really great to see / hear an album like this on the list. Such a great and unique sound.

Well, if this band wanted to showcase a warehouse packed with songs, they certainly lived up to the title. I've been somewhat familiar with Hüsker Dü, mostly because they were a huge influence on the Pixies, one of my favorite bands. So I was pretty excited to finally give them a proper listen. Unfortunately, I'm not sure this was the best album to start with. Don't get me wrong, there's some good stuff here. The songs are fast, loud, and packed with that post-hardcore energy that would help shape alternative rock. But here's the problem: there are 20 songs, and after a while, they all start sounding pretty much the same. I didn't hate any of them, but I kept thinking, "Oh, we're doing this again?" If this were a shorter album with a little more variety, I probably would've enjoyed it a whole lot more. Instead, it just becomes exhausting. I really wanted to like this more, especially knowing how influential the band was. Maybe another album would win me over, but unfortunately, it looks like this is their only entry on the list. Darn. Guess I'll just have to take their word for it. 3/5

First track feels like REM x pop punk. Jangly, but melodic. So you could say jangle-pop infused post-punk. Vocals are really buried in the mix, I would prefer a bit more clarity. Argh I like the music but the mix is infuriating. The chord progressions on Standing in the Rain are so pop-punk, but so early (1987) Other chord progressions are more complex, almost pop-punk but slightly subvert it. Ha, that chord hit after the fadeout on Ice Cold Ice Singer even sounds Stipe-y at points. Ooh, out of the blue comes the 3/4 time She Floated Away, after everything else has been 4/4 and similar mid-to-fast tempo. And some other percussion instruments, though I can't quite hear what. Nearly every track has a hook, which is impressive over an hour+ album Best track - Could You Be The One?, Friend You've Got to Fall, Bed of Nails, No Reservations 4 stars - interesting historically and very listenable

7/10

Really long, and became really bland, really fast

There’s so much to love in this, especially in the songs which you can hear are clear connecting lines between REM and Nirvana. However, as a double album it’s a bit baggy in places and that does kill the pace a bit.

A solid Huskers release. They do sound a bit tired here compared to their earlier works. They had a lot of interpersonal issues going on and they sound like they are near the end of the road. Glad they stopped when they did and didn’t put out any embarrassing crap albums.

Might have been better as a single album, or just a single, or....

Some great songs on this one, but it blurs together a bit.

Husker Du is a punk band from Minneapolis. I have listened to Zero Arcade and it is quite good. This is a very good album. The songs are punk style with an emphasis on guitars and drums. The vocals are okay. The songs are catchy. There are two songwriters: Bob Mould and Grant Hart. Both have their own distinctive style. The songs are well written and have good lyrics. Most of the songs are short. This is a good album. Four stars

Album de rock/punk. C'est pas tellement mon style mais c'est ok.

It made me think of early REM, if REM wasn’t awesome.

Throughout the entire runtime this album was giving me R.E.M. but noisier vibes. It gets a high 3

I hear so much of 90s punk in this, particularly green day. Didn't realize these guys were partly responsible for that sound. Album was way too long and I got bored quickly.

It's fine. Nowt more, nowt less.

These Important Years is a pretty good start. I can hear all the instruments and it's very melodic. Digging the guitar tone, a little fuzzy but crunchy. Standing in the Rain is pretty good too, if repetitive. Ice Cold Ice threatened to turn into a proper groove but then sped up and I'm not sure it was better for it. I love the harmonized guitar riff in the chorus though - enough that it's the best song on the record for me. Could You Be the One is straight-forward and catchy and I like the lead work on Too Much Spice. This is all competent, intentional stuff. I still don't know what post-punk really is, but this is fine and inoffensive. Plenty of nice moments. 20 songs is a lot though, I had to listen to this over a couple of sessions and I'm not sure when I'd return to it. But it gets a ***.

A decent but completely unmemorable album. A lot of short, almost punky, almost rocky, tracks that were fine but left me a little underwhelmed. May improve with multiple listens

As others have noted feels like a bit of a strange choice from this band's discography as it's not an obvious selection. Personally I like Candy Apple Grey which has my favourite song of theirs; Sorry Somehow..There's nothing quite as catchy as that here but I really liked Ice Cold Ice and You Can Live at Home. It's definitely a bit too long but it made me want to go back and listen again and listen to their output chronological to get a sense of how they evolved from a hardcore punk band to forerunners of alternative rock. They broke up a bit too soon to ever feature on Beavis and Butthead which could have really helped make them more well-known among the 90s kids. If I had infinite time I would expound more on how there are a couple of degrees of desperation between Bob and Grant and Beavis and Butthead but it basically involves Joan Rivers and the band Gwar. Which rhymes with four, so....

The big problem with this album is that it has no identity. It never decides what it wants to be. Is it punk, post punk, or some kind of pop punk? It sits in the middle of all of them and ends up sounding like none. The result is boring and repetitive. Song after song follows the same pattern without any real shift in energy or idea. The band plays hard and fast, but the material itself feels tired. There is no sharp edge and no clear personality holding the record together. What should feel urgent just turns into a long, samey blur. The production does not help. It sounds thin and flat, almost like the life was drained out of the performances. Everything is audible, yet nothing hits with any real power. The whole album ends up sounding weak and lifeless. Warehouse: Songs and Stories is a clear miss. Directionless, repetitive, and hard to sit through.

When I got into alternative rock as a kid, Husker Du had disbanded, and though I was familiar with Bob Gould's solo work and second band Sugar, I've never really known their music. Being my first foray, I really enjoyed this album... however... A consistently strong double album is a unicorn that many bands chase and very few accomplish. This could have been a really strong single album... this hovers between 3-4. Standout tracks for me would be She Floated Away, Could You Be the One? and Turn it Around.

While this has some styles I don’t enjoy all that much, many of these tracks were fun and well-executed at first. While I don’t think the quality dipped tremendously, it felt too repetitive for me and became quite a tiring listen pretty early on. 1 listen Favorite Track: Ice Cold Ice

Not my favorite genre and initially quite turned off by the sound and quality. Not enough variability between the songs and within the songs. And 20 of them?! Warmed up to this some on second playthrough.

Halt 70min 0815 Pop-Punk

I’m a big fan of Bob Mould and his projects, obviously Husker Du included there. This is a good, not great, Husker Du album. Never bad, never reaching the heights other works by him do. Very consistent, few standout tracks. A bit too long. If you cut this to ten tracks and a tight 35ish minutes it’d be better.

music is love

Fine to pretty good. Too many songs on here. Enough were good enough to barely get this album a four from me. Although that is probably my Bob Mould bias speaking. I’m a fan of a lot of his work. Although I was surprised to see this album and not HD’s others like Zen Arcade or New Day Rising.

Husker Du is a band I’ve had trouble getting into for some reason, I like a lot of other bands like them. And I really enjoyed this, but it was too long. Otherwise would definitely be a 4.

Bob Mould is a legend. I really liked this album, as I like a lot of the stuff he’s involved in. You could probably mine a 5 star album out of this, but it didn’t sustain it for the entire time.

Could you be the one is a tremendously exciting song. Nothing else matches up to this but floats along in a jangly pleasant enough way

Actually found this a bit of a chore

Very reminiscent of early REM but the songs aren't as good and the singer sounds terrible, like a budget Stipe.

After getting a few great albums, I'm bound to get one that's less good. There are 20 songs on "Warehouse: Songs and Stories". I would've shortened it to 14 tracks. Only 20 percent of "Warehouse: Songs and Stories" is truly spectacular. The best song is "No Reservations". 3 stars for "Warehouse: Songs and Stories".

actually really solid

More like Husker Don't. Generic punk and you'd think in a double album at least one song would be interesting. Nope.

Meh.

Kül!, tänkte jäg när jäg hörde förstä rïvïga rïffen. Trïst och enförmïgt, tänkte jäg 1 tïmme senäre. Tÿp söm ätt skrïvä den här recensïönen.

Kasst och långt, en dålig kombo.

Tråkigt att Hüsker Dü-albumet som är med är när Hüsker Dü blivit dåliga.

Näe

Crucially basic. Igen, det är inte dåligt men det här ska vara topp 1000 någonsin!

I rather enjoyed this one. It’s like a way less sucky REM.

It's decent....felt kinda long.

I heard of them but I guess I always thought they were some weird European band. Very much in the REM or soul asylum genre. Cool little record.

It left almost no impression the first time I listen to it, but on a second listen I liked it a lot. I don’t think the songs are varied enough for a double album and the production makes everything sound fuzzy. I don’t know if that’s deliberate but if it is, it isn’t to my taste. I get the REM comparisons, I think a lot of that comes from the vocals. The lack of variation made it difficult to pick a favourite and least favourite, even as I was enjoying it, it kept becoming background noise to me. This is the second album in a row we’ve had where fans of the band have mentioned in their reviews that the listed album is not a good entry point to the band, so it does make me want to seek out some of their other albums. Stuck between a 3 and a 4 for this one, but I’m leaning 3 because of how little impression it initially made on me. Maybe a few more listens would lift that. Fav song: She Floated Away Least fav: You’re A Soldier

Why is the music so much louder than the singing on some songs? What is this production?? Their review in the rolling stone album guide calls them "easily the ugliest, worst dressed rock band of all time" and says the songs on this album sounded like mushy love songs to their fans and sloppy guitar noise to everyone else- a failed attempt to try to make it mainstream. I fall into the sloppy guitar side of things. And I don't really like Hart's voice so half the songs are immediate nos. Favourite song: Ice cold ice Least: Charity, Chastity, Prudence, and Hope

Like all Bob Mould albums, a couple of the songs hit that sweet pop hook. But the others don’t quite achieve it.

I was surprised by this one. I hadn't heard much Husker Du before but this was very much My Shit. High 4 stars.

I really enjoyed this. It has a great energy about it, and I like the sound that these guys came up with. I'm not convinced by the whole double album thing, but it was an enjoyable way to spend an hour

I don't know man. It was just dull. Nothing to say about it.

This really does just sound like a bad rip-off of REM. That being said, I feel like there might have been individual tracks that I could have enjoyed, the issue was that the album went on forever and most of it sounded pretty much the same. The vocals sound like a bad, out-of-tune Stipe impression. A lot of the time they're somewhat buried in the music to the point where they're not all that intelligible, and then the bits you can hear properly are just really repetitive. Not a fan.

Yeah its proto indie/alt. Can be framed as good and influential but ultimately this album is a one trick pony that sounds a lot like REM and the Tragically Hip. So perhaps this is a dud in the discography? Has some charming britpop adjacent rock elements which faired well with me in the latter half of the album.

It's ok

Always preferred their hardcore days but listening to this I suddenly got what REM wanted to be. Some really cracking vocal melodies here.

Most of the album is just okay, but I did like, "Turn It Around". Last song, "You Can Live At Home" seemed to go on forever...ugh!

This is like the 4th best Husker Du album why is this the one that made it on here

10/7/26. Meh. Found it repetitive and boring, didn't stand out to me in any significant way.

It was okay, like bolder and brasher REO Speedwagon

3.2/5 not my favorite husker more poppy

They have a very listenable sound to them. Even with a large number of songs it never got boring.

Ok 2/5

At first I was really worried about the length of this album when the first songs started. The guitars screech and the drums are so synthetic 80s sounding I was amazed this is considered punk. After a few songs I kind of locked in and it became more enjoyable, the bass lines, the songs in general, the vocals, were more enjoyable and different for a normal punk album. The harmonies and melodies were enjoyable once you get past the production. Could be amazing with the right production but I suppose that’s what makes it special

The audio on this sounds off and flat. It’s reminding me a bit of a muted REM album. Boring and far too long.

This is a good album, but it feels splintered and more like a compilation. After reading the wiki page, it is obvious that it is because of the two primary songwriters fighting and treating their own songs as separate from the others. Overall, there are good songs, but I don't think it deserves a place on this list, especially not compare to other albums by Husker Du, let alone many other bands not represented on the list. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would Some proper bops on this. You can hear the influence that they've had on god knows how many bands that have come since they were about

The record played more like a collection of songs than a cohesive record. Definitely a huge influence on pop-punk and alt-rock of the 90s. The melodic, catchy verses and hooks were enjoyable.

I love Hüsker Dü and this album was part of what I consider my important years and has a dear place in my heart. Is it too long? Yes. Is it perfect? No. But I can overlook both of these since this is their swan song/album. My favorites are These Important Years, Could You Be The One?, Ice Cold Ice, She Floated Away and You Can Live at Home.

larguísimo

Did not du it for me. Tracks repetitive, almost like they’ve given up.

Heard Before? Yes. Not a huge fan, but I've heard all their albums. Notes: - this is the closest i come to enjoying the sound of a Hüsker Dü album. the guitar tone is still awful, but everything else is great. - the mallet percussion on several songs makes me smile. - the biggest conflict i feel is that Bob Mould is the better singer, but Grant Hart is the more interesting songwriter. - this is just as long as Zen Arcade, but feels both tighter and more varied. Verdict: I believe this is the exact cultural moment where "alternative rock" was born. Great album but mixed legacy. Listen Again? Three times today is enough, but I'm going to revisit Flip Your Wig soon.

Prefer zen arcade and Sugar

They’ve really toned down their hardcore roots on this one and at times it sounds like Murmur-era REM. Overall there are a lot of good tracks here but not enough variety to sustain the run time. Zen Arcade should really have been the pick for the book.

Never listened. Expectations: Mid - Verdict: Good - I don't mind the Hüsker Dü that I've heard but it isn't a favourite of mine either. I find the accessible punk sound a little safe and bland. The songwriting can be good though and the opener here clearly has some great melodies. I quite like the second track as well. Standing In The Rain sounds a lot like R.E.M. and Ice Cold Ice is a good song. The run of songs after this is lot weaker until we get to She Floated Away which I enjoy. Tell You Why Tomorrow has great riffs and an almost doomy chorus. The album peters out with some uninspired tracks. I enjoyed parts of this record a lot more than I thought I would but other parts really didn't do anything for me. A good album though.

I enjoyed this one way more than I was expecting, and more than the other two, more famous, Hüsker Dü albums I have heard. Maybe it's because it's less Hardcore-y and Alt Rock and Power Pop than the others, maybe it's because it's more varied. Or maybe I just like the cover art more with all its pretty colors. Key tracks: She Floated Away

Despite being the weakest Hüsker Dü album, Warehouse: Songs and Stories is still a great time. The songwriting is still good, albeit a little repetitive from time to time. Bob Mould and Grant Hart sound great, especially When they’re harmonizing together. Even at their worst Hüsker Dü are better than most bands.

An influential band in a genre that's already fighting for last place in my rankings. The vocals and sheer length of the album stood out as particularly bad.

Very much stuck in 1993. Lots of loud farr noises on this album.

Love Hüsker Dü but not this particular album.

Nothing necessarily bad about it. I just found it incredible boring. It was too long and too much of the same. 2.5/5

A classic melodic exalt offering from Bob Mould. This was worthy of a re-discovery.

Rating: 4.6/5 Short Review: Loud, melodic, messy, and emotional. Hüsker Dü have that great combination where everything sounds like it’s barely holding together, but underneath the distortion are genuinely beautiful pop songs. A little long, but the energy carries it. Favorite Track: Could You Be the One?

Listened before?: nope These Important Years - 4/5 Charity, Chastity, Prudence, and Hope - 3/5 Standing in the Rain - 4/5 Back From Somewhere - 3/5 Ice Cold Ice - 5/5 You're a Soldier - 3/5 Could You Be the One? - 4/5 Too Much Spice - 4/5 Friend, You've Got to Fall - 3/5 Visionary - 3/5 She Floated Away - 4/5 Bed of Nails - 3/5 Tell You Why Tomorrow - 3/5 It's Not Peculiar - 2/5 Actual Condition - 1/5 No Reservations - 2/5 Turn It Around - 2/5 She's a Woman (And Now He Is a Man) - 3/5 Up in the Air - 4/5 You Can Live at Home - 4/5 Average score: 3.2/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ while i haven't finished listening to their Zen Arcade album yet, i've heard enough tracks off of it to know what they sound like at their peak. unfortunately, there's very little on this album that i can say compares to that sound. in fact, i'd argue this really sucks in comparison despite what my rating would show i believe Hüsker Dü deserves to land somewhere on this list, but definitely not this album. Zen Arcade would've been the perfect choice as it's widely regarded as their best. choosing to highlight Warehouse over literally anything else in their discography felt like a missed opportunity to showcase how good this group is

I often have to ask myself, when listening to these albums, am I trying to listen without bringing in my own biases or am I just judging whether I like it or not? All of the music that I listened to while growing up wouldn’t have existed without Husker Du. I loved this album. Is it the height of musical expression? No! The mixing leaves a lot to be desired too. But dammit I love this music.

"There’s no end to the over-treated, under-treated, and shamefully missing artists on this list, but of the bands I know well Husker Du is the most ignorantly mishandled. They went on a well-understood journey from veryhardcore to hardish alt pop rock. (By the time of their first recording of any kind, they were already slowing down.) At every stage they were good to great, their influence was big, and they are beloved heroes of USA independent music. If you’re going to cover such a band economically, you can choose the best one (New Day Rising), or the successful ambitious one (Zen Arcade), or a good transitional one (Flip Your Wig). What you shouldn’t do is select the bloated, monotonous one at the end when the band is basically over. All of the above is Google-able. Somehow the Curator lucked into Let It Be for The Replacements, but he face-planted here."

Five stars so you listen to Flip Your Wig.

Not my favorite, but still great.

The only rationale I can think of for choosing this album for the list is that it's the longest. Personally, I'd probably go with New Day Rising or Flip Your Wig, although the hardcore (in all senses) fans would pick Zen Arcade. Like most double albums, this is too long, and it's not hard to come up with about 10 songs that could go. Also, in keeping with my tradition of seeing the tour for any band's worst album, I saw this show (in which they played the entire album in order, never a great idea) in Hartford with a screaming migraine. Ergo, I never listen to this album, much as I love Hüsker Dü. (I always liked Grant Hart's songs better than Bob Mould's, and although none of his greatest are on here, Actual Condition and You're A Soldier are pretty good.) However, I have to give it a 5 on principle, and to raise the dismal average here. They are an essential band; listen to New Day Rising.

8 / 10

I was gonna make a needlessly long joke about how this is the fourth album people think of when they think Hüsker Dü but it was about as funny as this album is interesting, which is to say not at all. The drummer plays the exact same part for the hour runtime and every song is about as bland as the one before it. She Floated Away is this album's one and only saving grace but it doesn't save it from sounding like a former punk band trying and failing to hold itself together.

This was a great album and had many really good songs, though there were a couple that almost sounded like filler a little. They remind me a little of REM. Really enjoyed listening to this album.

As a self-proclaimed Hüsker Dü afficionado, I feel qualified to say that this isn't the album of theirs that belongs on this list. That honor should go to "Zen Arcade". A sensible compromise would be to substitute a Hüsker Dü album that bridges their early Hardcore sound with the later, more Pop-sensible records. Let's go with either "New Day Rising" or "Candy Apple Grey". In any case, I'm just glad they're here. Hate to do it, but I have to take back a half-star for the ill-advised glockenspiel on "Charity, Chastity, Prudence and Hope". I've never understood why it's there. And while we're here... can we take one of those unnecessary Elvis Costello albums and swap it for Bob Mould's outstanding solo debut, "Workbook"? It's a quieter, more introspective collection and you should definitely listen to it before you die.

Did not enjoy his too much

Really boring. No distinguishing songs, no underlying thoughts, no reason for it to be as long. And please don't use the "ü" - you have no idea how ridiculous it looks and sounds, when read by a Dane 1.6