Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Another band I have never heard of. I don’t hate the album but it’s not a favorite either. I’m trying to understand its relevance on this list. My guess is because it is a precursor to the 90s British alternative sound that came out with later 90s bands like Oasis. The music is solid. I enjoy the crunching guitars that are prevalent on all tracks. The singing is also good. Production is a bit sloppy with the guitars way higher in the mix than all the other instruments. The guitars even over take over the vocals. The lyrics at least are well written with some meaning but they don’t capture my attention enough to stay focused. That could be because of the poor production mix also. If I found a used copy of the album on CD, I would add it to my collection but I wouldn’t seek it out and buy a new copy. Favorites include “A Good Idea”, “Hoover Dam”, “If I Can’t Change Your Mind”. “Man on The Moon”.
Not bad but I definitely don’t care for this style of music. 2.5/5
Enjoyed the album overall but exactly something I like listening to in my free time. Enjoyed the dudes voice Fav song: Hoover Dam
It's fine. Nothing more, nothing less.
I think grunge, and grunge-adjacent, is something that I can listen to but I wouldn't necessarily choose it. A good album overall, nothing that really blew me out of the water but generally solid.
Not bad, just didn’t really stand out to me.
Not my style unfortunately but sounded catchy :) thx!
It could be worse
It was ok alternative rock
At first I thought it was as if Nine Inch Nails were a Britpop band (in a good way), but in the end it was just Bob Mould doing a commercial imitation of bands he influenced. Not terrible but not memorable, and certainly wouldn't be on this list if it wasn't for the great Hüsker Dü.
Sounds very blink 182 ngl. Not particularly memorable but also nice for background music.
Hyfsad platta men som inte direkt lämnar några bestående avtryck. Det är jämnt men också lite formulaiskt och tråkigt/själlöst. Tycker att mixningen är dålig och att sången ligger för långt bak, vilket drar ned betyget.
It's okay but definitely not a must hear. I've heard that drop d with slow tempo and attempted Dave Grohl drumming on plenty of albums.
Comme d'hab, quoi, j'ai envie de dire...
I haven’t actually heard Sugar (or even Husker Du) before and it is right in my wheelhouse, sounding a bit like REM crossed with Stone Temple Pilots. While I love the general sound/genre, I’m not really sure how much I like the songs themselves so struggled with a rating. It’s not quite a 4 but a high 3 I think.
Some interesting works in this one. I like the use of the synth in "Hoover Dam". Sounds like something Collective Soul would do. "IF I can't change your mind" sounds like something out of the gin blossoms. They're a bit everywhere with this album Overall, it's good, not spectacular. About 3.3 stars are so. Going with "A Good Idea" as the song for the playlist. The opening bassline gave me Weezer vibes and i dig that.
And another decent album that has no right to be on this list. Nothing this album does is better than any other band at the time, and it doesn't really stand out in anyway. Overall its a fine listen that didn't make me want to hit stop, nor did I want more when it was over.
One of the things I have learnt from this project is that I bought quite a few albums back in the day because I thought I should. Revisiting them, l turns out a lot of them are kinda mid. This album is one of them
It's a perfectly serviceable alt rock album that probably wouldn't get quite as much good press if it weren't by Bob Mould. Not really much to say about it.
A very familiar sound. Like Pablo Honey with a different, less distinctive vocalist. Extremely typical of the early 90s, imitating the popular grunge sound that exploded around the same time. The consistent thickly-spread electric guitar and bass is a signature element of the genre. The band Sugar is a bit monotonous in that regard. Particularly on side 2 of the record, I found myself wishing for a more instrumentally diverse arrangement and more varied melodies, chords, and textures - despite the individual tracks being passable. The singing is fine but pretty forgettable, limiting the rating I could reasonably give this record to a 4 at best. It doesn't project much personality. Which is a shame, because the genre has potential to spit out some emotion-laden classics (as seen with Pearl Jam, AIC, Foo Fighters, and so on). If I Can't Change Your Mind has a completely different feel from the rest of the album. A jangly semi-acoustic guitar sound, reminiscent of pre-Britpop like the Smiths. It really does sound like a Smiths track, and for that it gets bonus points. Also up a notch or two for helping side 2 of the record be less of a slog to listen through. Distinctive high guitar lines in Man on the Moon, but those are spread out across a generic 5-minute rock track with (essentially) three chords. Changes is helped out by a high-energy rhythm section and (what sounds like) a glockenspiel faintly mixed to the right side under the melody. Helpless sounds a bit like a royalty-free loop at the beginning, but ends up having one of the strongest melodies on the record - so it gets a shoutout. 3/5 Key tracks: Changes, Helpless, If I Can't Change Your Mind
Solid early 90’s rock.
quite repetitive but not bad
I wasny familiar with Sugar. Found myself enjoying the album- a nice 90s alt rock sound. Overall- 3.5/5
Very poorly mixed average 90s grunge
If you asked me to find the most bog standard alternative rock album, this would be top of my list. It's not bad, it's just not that good at the end of the day. 2.8
Good.
Kind of repetitive. I don't mind the style or the music, but they kind of repeat the same thing over and over...
It was pretty good. We've had better/more interesting alt rock that sounds a lot like this. This felt like some of those albums but lacking a personality
a little generic but I defo enjoyed it
Meh.
I could tell they’re was something to do with hüsker dü just but looking at the album art, this is kinda generic though, like why is this on here but not zen arcade. 3/5
I definitely started to appreciate this more with a second listen. At first I found it not very memorable, but I think if I'd had this CD back when it came out it would have been a mainstay in my car. I know like one Hüsker Dü song so I wasn't familiar with Bob Mould beyond that. But as I'm listening while writing, I feel nostalgic even though I've never heard it before now. It's like a mix of all the music I love from that era, a time capsule. The run from Hoover Dam through Fortune Teller won me over. I didn't get into the first few songs and wish it had a stronger opening. 3.5.
I grew up with this music. I like it, but to be fair it doesn't belong in the book. Not unique enough, not catchy enough, too monotonous, not influential enough, not commercially successful enough. Husker Du was important. Sugar was just one of those bands, like Soul Asylum, Buffalo Tom, Goo Goo Dolls, etc. Favorite song: changes
The first minute is great, but it plods along from there and never really recovers. Just 'ok' throughout.
3 - alright kinda generic
I feel like there are good songs here, but they’re buried under layers of noise.
It's fine, but I feel like I'm missing something here...I don't know. Sorry, mom. Why is this here but zen arcade isn't?
Very 90's. Not bad
Second half, when the songs launch off the safe and familiar, and starts incorporating more of that Husker streak of experimentation... it REALLY shines. 3.5/5
I have listened to this a fair bit in the past and I like it, but then I don’t. The star here is Bob Mould’s song writing and melodies, there’s some really quite catchy poppy stuff. Hoover Dam and The Slim are standouts for me. I’m perplexed by the Pixies rip-off ‘A good idea’, it’s so out of place in an otherwise very consistent album. And here comes the ‘but’. I just struggle to listen to the whole thing in one go without being desperate for it to end. The production of the guitars are pretty overwhelming in that it’s so heavy and blended in the mix, I just find it gets more samey and indiscernible as the album goes in and it’s all I can (and don’t want to) hear. So I’m all up for listening to the odd track, but as an album, I’m out.
You just gotta love Bob Mould. Solid guy. Amazing guitarist. Great songwriter. The man just lives and breathes Rock'n'roll. And If I Can't Change Your Mind has been in my personal heavy rotation for many years, all-time classic song. There are a couple of other bangers on this record as well. Man On the Moon stood out for me on this listen. However, as an album I think it's just alright. Probably won't come back to it too often in the future.
Not much to say. Pretty basic but fun alternative rock. Not much to criticize and not much to praise. Very consistent, cohesive, catchy, and decent all around. I like alt-rock, so I'm probably rating this a bit higher than it realistically deserves. 7/10
Bob Mould deserves credit for being grunge before grunge was grunge. That was Husker Du. His next band, Sugar, this one, was grunge during grunge. I realize that my problem is that I’m just not much of a fan of grunge. I actually liked this album best when it lightened up, on songs like “Hoover Dam” and “…If I Can’t Change Your Mind.” That latter song sounds like it could’ve been a hit, and oh, I guess maybe it was? It sounds quite a bit like Hootie and the Blowfish, or rather, Hootie sounds like Sugar. But again, I never resonated much with Hootie and the Blowfish either. I guess all of this amounts to a 3/5 for an album that isn’t bad, isn’t great, but is respectable enough. If grunge can be described as “respectable”? Anyway… moving right along….
Try as I might, I just couldn't find anything really special about this album. It certainly sounded like the 90s, but without any resonant nostalgia or identifying hook, statement, or... connection. The music is not bad. At points it is pretty good, however, it is unremarkable. In other words, I can't imagine playing the Copper Blue card in any discussion of 90's music, and that feels odd.
90’s alt rock ok
Could have been my step-father in law. Respect
It’s okay. It’s better now. Back then, it got lost in the onslaught of grunge. It still feels repetitive at times. But it’s alright.
I personally really like this album despite not sounding much like Husker Du, it's Bob with smoother edges, really enjoyable but not exactly a necessity to every collection
very meh to me. corporate grunge sound. why did it sound like Brown Eyed Girl in a different font.
this is what it would sound like if you took the entire output of all 90s alternative rock bands and put its tender heart in a blender. it's just astoundingly average. cool that the husker du guy is still doing stuff i guess. how was this the best album of 1992 to anyone though...? favorites: a good idea, hoover dam, if i can't change your mind
not bad but just a bit too rowdy for me
p693.1992. 3 stars. Well done grunge with REM inflections, but lacking standout tunes. Nothing special.
I really liked this, good poppy, rocky, music thoroughly enjoyable. Just super nice. A high 3, not quite to the 4 range but blooming close.
Great album by ex Husker Du man, Bob Mould. It brought back lots of memories of the times I used to go to stay round friends houses and going to nightclubs in London. The problem is that I haven't listened to it since those days, which is an indicator that this was a take it or leave it album. But it was good to give it a couple of blasts over the weekend.
Really enjoyed this, is a typical early 90's grunge sound.
Does this sound like Tripping Daisy, or does Tripping Daisy sounds like Sugar. I'll be honest, I don't know a lot aboutBob Mould and his work with Hüsker Dü, but if asked my opinion based exclusively off the way Copper Blue does not resonate with me, I would hesitate to look up his earlier work. Competent power pop that is indistinguishable from the soundtrack of its zeitgeist.
I think these are a grower - they tick many boxes on paper but no instantaneous chemistry. I feel like I’ve friendzoned a potential love interest.
I really admire and enjoy Bob Mould's capacity to wedge melodies into his cacophonic music. If there were less noise, I'd really like this. And I do like it, so I guess I'd love it if it weren't so relentlessly thick with distortion and bombast. There are so many musical elements in this, and the songs are all solid, but I fall short of really embracing it — especially over the course of an entire album.
On paper, I should love this. But I could never get too excited about these guys (or Bob Mould in general). The songcraft is there. The performances are OK, I guess. But there's something lacking, and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. There are definitely some good songs, though, no doubt.
Did not give a great listen…via my phone in a hotel bathroom. Just felt meh
I was sick and feeling pretty miserable when I listened to this, and I really wasn’t in the mood for this kind of thing at all. It was just okay.
Feels like prime 2000s movie music to me -- checked on IMDB to see if/what songs were used in movies. they only had one song in a movie, and it was Tag (2018)... makes no sense but also kinda makes a lot.... Also hadn't heard of this before but learned it is the same lead singer as Husker Du... interesting!
Not my favourite kind of stuff but pretty cool
A pretty standard sounding rock album from the early '90s. A bit too standard and generic for me, reminded me of Foo Fighters. Not a lot else to say about it. Best track: If I Can't Change Your Mind
Nämä biisit jäävät mieleen, eivät ehkä ihan ensimmäisestä kuuntelukerrasta, mutta ainakin toisesta, ja jokin bändin (Mouldin) melodioissa ja kitarakuvioissa vetää takaisin (pop? punk..?). Kaiken edessään kompressoiva ysärisärö ei ole mikään lempisoundini, eikä solistin lauluääni välttämättä nappaa heti. Hyvä levy silti. 3,5
this has a strange mix, with the vocals tucked behind the guitars. as you would expect , it is like a poppier Husker Du - interesting listen, strong melodies, driving arrangements
Just your run of the mill early 90’s rock album
I thought I listened to this band before when I saw the name come up, but I was really thinking of Pepper. Not too far off on the name/genre I guess. However I definitely prefer Pepper to these guys. They have decent sound and I like the track Hoover Dam, but nothing else really stood out to me. They sound very generic for 90s rock, imo.
Buzz ballads are back on the menu boyzzzz. 3 stars.
This was an above-average but still generic radio rock album. Sounds like some royalty free music you could put into a coming of age movie. Enjoyable enough listen, but nothing special. 3.25
Pretty cool but standard alternative rock album. I'd say it was above average in enjoyment though. I was really waiting for a song that I know to come up on this but it never happened. 3.5 stars for this one.
This wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. Got a bit boring but nothing egregious. Low 3.
“Mom, can we have some R.E.M.?” “No, we have R.E.M. at home.” R.E.M. at home:
very generic and not special rock music
You know, I do love a good-90’s alt-rock album. This is as standard as 90’s alt-rock can get. It kind of sounds like if R.E.M. and the Foo Fighters had a baby and this was the result. It’s fine. I mean the songs end up being a tad bit repetitive lyrically. The songs tend to devolve into repeating the title again and again, like an AC/DC song. But I have one question: why the fuck is this on the list? It’s standard 90’s rock. There had to be another album to take its place. What’s so special about this? It’s alright, but nothing worth showing up here. Favorite track: If I Can’t Change Your Mind Other hits: Hoover Dam, The Act We Act, Hopeless, Man on the Moon
All too often does an early nineties American alt-rock album descend into the pitfall of proto-2010s emo vocals and repetitive uninteresting riffs. But thankfully, although it threatens to do just this on multiple occasions throughout, Copper Blue is not one of these albums. An admittedly average soundscape is pierced often with frankly incredible riffs and instant-earworm hooks. There’s also a sort of artificial, manufactured nostalgia about this; even though I was born across an ocean fifteen years after this album released, something about this and similar 90s and 00s American alt-rock and indie albums harbour this strange feeling that transcends the musicality itself. Maybe I should have saved this pandering for a more monumental or personally significant album, but I’ll come back to it. It’s just nice to be reminded of this feeling when I’m not expecting it.
The songs are sharp and hooky, but there’s a bit of grit underneath. It’s got a lot of energy, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming. The melodies cut through the noise, keeping things balanced. Simple, but it works.
I remember when this came out. DJs and music magazines lost their minds. It’s okay. It’s better now. Back then, it got lost in the onslaught of grunge. It still feels repetitive at times. But it’s alright.
Remember that time when everyone asked for one more mid mid-90s rock album? No? Huh Must have been the wind
Its an above everage album nothing special
Not my classic 90s pop rock, a bit more grunge with minor undertones, a couple of songs I would listen to again
Grungy vibe... Not bad but nothing special
The songs were catchy, but a bit repetitive. The guitarist (from Husker Du) at times felt like he was channeling Neil Young. But not in a bad way. Songs like "Hoover Dam" and "Man On The Moon" sounded like they were sung by a different person, but to my surprise it was all the one person. The production was terrible on this record, which I found distracting. Maybe it was listening to it on Spotify, but the levels seemed to be boosted WAY too high. "Remastered," indeed. I thought that a couple of songs sounded more smarmy than they meant to be ("The Act We Act," "A Good Idea") which took away from the song, for me. Ultimately, the production and vocals detracted some of it for me, but it wasn't a bad album. Just not great. Top tracks: "If I Can't Change Your Mind", "The Slim"
Is it good? yes. Is it groundbreaking? I don't think so. Do I still like it? Yeah absolutely. It's sort of an amalgamation of all the power-pop and alternative rock styles I enjoy, and while that makes it good it also sort of makes it background music. Favorites are Changes, Helpless, and Man on the Moon.
This one took me a couple listens to decide my feelings on. Do I like this? Or do I just like the bands this was inspired by? I’ve decided the answer is both. I’m a fan of this power pop slop. Favorite songs were The Act We Act, Helpless, and Hoover Dam.
Could be Mould best work overall....
Fav: Slick Least Fav: Changes Enough to be pleasant, not enough to be interesting
If someone asked me to make generic early 90s rock I would make this
Pretty middle of the road early 90s rock
...
I’ve always liked this Bob Mould entity more than the critic’s darlings Husker Du. Better songs, not as harsh. 3.5, but not quite 4 material.
I'm not that into the fast guitar, and I don't love the way Bob Mould sings. It makes me a bad Minnesotan b/c I'm not a huge fan of Husker Du either.
I've not heard this one and I never really cared for Husker Du, so I wasn't sure what I was in for. Some reviews here say it's generic 90s alt, but looking at the year it came out, it seems like it defined the sound, not imitated it. 3.5 stars. Influential, but I don't like a lot of the bands they inspired.
Pretty good 90*s rock.
I did not know what to expect, it sounded very grungey. Not my cup of tea, but still decent.
Wijs album I guess. A Good Idea had evengoed van de Pixies kunnen zijn. Voor de rest een nogal 'basic' alt-rock album uit de 90s. Had dit erop gemoeten? Neen. Stoort het? Neen. 2.9
Not a good first track. The vocals are getting trampled on. Sonically a bit repetitive. Hoover Dam has something going for it. Very much an encapsulation of the sound of it's time. I listend to quite a few bands that were probably influenced by this Bob Mould sound in the later end of the 1990s
Good
Not a fan
This was not terrible by any means, but was just kind of meh rock in my opinion.
Very very ok.
Some regard this one an indie classic. I don’t, just find it boring retrospectively..
Carino, mix tra Nirvana, Rem e altri. Molto anni 90 ma nessuna traccia che mi ha fatto esaltare
Not bad. I can hear the instruments
meh
Meh, pretty generic. Dude's voice sounds like Jack Black.
Quite generic 90s rock. Not bad, but not great. It's good background music.
Pretty alright of an album, nothing really exciting, just some generic tunes although given that this is from more than 30 years ago, it would've sounded pretty cool back then. I would say pretty meh nowadays though.
Not for me.
For 1992 it's pretty much where it should be but there's nothing new here. Think Psychedelic Furs 10 years earlier and you're almost there. It's not unpleasant though- quite a nice blend and kinda a Poppy Nirvana...lol!
Mid but fun
I’ll never understand the logic behind some of the punk-adjacent alternative albums chosen by Dimery and Co. for this book. I wouldn’t call Copper Blue bad by any means, but it isn’t particularly special. I think it has its moments, with “Helpless” as a clear highlight, but overall, it’s pretty indistinct ‘90s alt rock born out of the ‘80s college rock and/or art punk scene. I’m not against it, but I’m also not really in love with it, and there’s a lot of it on this list. I think Sugar’s biggest flaw is that they let their songs go on for too long, and I wonder if some hard 3:30 edits to their songwriting would improve Copper Blue, which feels longwinded and aimless on the whole. That said, there still isn’t anything unique here, either, and I think that might ultimately hold this record back most. I think the inclusion of an album like Copper Blue took space away from more interesting post-Nevermind records, like Helmet’s Betty or Quicksand’s Slip, not to mention Jawbreaker and Jawbox who both got signed off the expectation of repeating Nirvana’s success and whose major label output is still pretty influential in the scene, even if it’s less obvious now than it was in ~2011. In short, Copper Blue is fine, but definitely a strange, fringe pick that really only appeals to people looking for some late-era college rock aesthetics. I’m not really one of those people, so while I’ll pull a couple songs and add them to a playlist, Copper Blue won’t stick with me long.
This was fine. Definitely in the good tier of early 90s alt rock. Not super memorable but scratches the itch for that genre for sure.
Uusi tuttavuus. Erittäin tunnistettavaa ysäriä ja en tiedä kumpaan suuntaan on otettu vaikutteita tämän orkesterin osalta. Viihdyin hyvin mukana kolmen soittokerran ajan.
Basic-renkutus. Ei kuitenkaan pahaa sanottavaa, joten keskitasolle nostettava
Was not memorable from Friday to Monday. Must not have been bad, but not good enough
The Nirvana/Pixies tribute band you never asked for. tbh. Some of the songs are too long too.
Great album
i like hüsker dü so let’s see if i also like this… update: i forgot i actually do know this album. it’s fine!! but there’s soooo much music from the 90s that sounds like this that it just doesn’t stand out at all. except for bob mould being gay i guess. also (and this isn’t even my anti-stoughton bias talking) the production is really horrendous. i loathe that extremely tight treble-heavy compressed-sounding production on a lot of “harder” alternative rock from the 90s. let the music breathe a little why don’t you… fav tracks: a good idea
I got the gist after a few songs. Not for me but it’s fine
Un-remarkable, Un-interresting, Un-inspired. I am sure I can think of more words starting with Un that are applicable to this album but I really don'r want to waste any more time to this.
3.5
Songs a little too much the same.
Boring but not bad. Also the R.E.M. affectation of the vocalist really grates on me.
While I prefer Mould's work with Husker Du Copper Blue is a solid album that brings things full circle, you can hear the influence of bands that he influenced.
Sounds like any number of rock bands from the 90s/early-00s, but it wasn't bad at all.
You know, if I had a nickel for every American alternative rock album released in 1992 that had a song named "Man On the Moon" in the second half, I would have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. Anyways, between this and R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People, this is definitely the weaker album. This is what Foo Fighters sounds like to people who don't like Foo Fighters. It is the definition of average alt-rock. It's fine. I would call it a good album, but it's not exactly an interesting album. The vocals are okay, as is the writing. The sound is good, but not my favorite. That's really how I feel about this album. It's not my favorite. However, I did like it generally. It just kind of feels like filler. Light 3/5. And with that, I am official 1/3 of the way through the list!
decent but forgettable 90s indie rock
Decent rock, if not a bit generic. The only real standout was Hoover Dam. 3/5
Best lekkerrrr
Incredibly generic 90’s music
Sounds like foo fighters before foo fighters existed. Meh
Quite generic 90s alt-rock, with the odd flourish to keep it from dipping to 2 stars, but not something I would hunt out again.
Listened while doing homework for this album too. It was okay. The lyrics were sometimes a bit corny, but the album is a bit corny. Standouts: The Act We Act, The Slim, and Slick.
3/5
Chaque pièce individuellement m’a semblé correcte. Un peu longue et répétitive. L’une d’elles m’a fait penser aux Pixies. Mais l’une à la suite de l’autre, ça m’a paru sans surprise et sans relief
That heavy in-your-face thick yet clear wall of guitar sound with Bob Mould's vocals actually stood out a little amongst that first wave of new music in 1992. Bob Mould has this weird-old-muppety-sameness to his voice that I don't actually dislike for a few songs, it just gets .... samey after a while. I always kinda liked Sugar but as I listen to this for the first time in a few decades I realized it's a bit shallow - not sure beyond this if I could ever really sit through an entire album. Maybe it's the simplicity - there's only so far you can go with the chunky 1/8 note rhythms in every song. It definitely works, but there's really not a ton more than that. I like it enough for a quick fix - decent high-adrenaline overly-distorted rock that couldn't be more early 90s if it tried. Come to think of it, they couldn't have picked a better name for the band. 6/10 3 stars.
Good sound, vocal mixed to much into the background, which is sad since the vocals are cool. Overall, kinda forgettable sadly...
Sound like a discount version of the foo fighters. Probably not enough of a discount to be worth it though...
Decent guitar sounds and a few cool tracks, but too repetitive as a whole.
Just hard enough to be interesting, but I didn't hear any songs that really stood out to me.
Is it me or are the last two songs on this album by another band??? I want more of that sound. Didn't love it didn't hate it.... But find out what happened on those last two songs and do more of it,,,,!!!
Sounds like that one band that sounded like alll those other 90’s alt bands. Never heard of Sugar but this album is better than most of the shiny post grunge noise.
Pretty standard 90s pop-rock
Being a Bob Mould album, this has some pretty decent poppy hooks, big guitars, and it sounds very of it's time without being dull.
This was fine - it sounded like stereotypical 90s alt-rock, and I was imagining it playing over a montage in a movie set in the 90s. The lyrics were quite repetitive at times ("She said she said she said she said she said she said" - is this where Matty Healy got his inspiration from?) but the album mainly sounded like the output of all 90s alt-rock albums thrown into a blender. It wasn't distinguishable enough for me, personally.
Evolution of a sound
3! i didnt like at first but it grew on me. Or maybe I am just delirous with cold medicine
3 stars
You know, it's amazing how many albums on this list I'm just kind of mid on
Þetta er alveg áhlustanlegt.
-this album is a decent one -its produced pretty weirdly, I dont really understand the vocals that much (they get better on the second half tho) -there are better love or breakup songs -I appreciate the energy of the album -favorite songs: A Good Idea, Changes, Helpless -least favorite song: Slick
Seemed pretty generic to me. Is it really a top 1000 album of all time?
La verdad no me llamo mucho la atención, lo encontré interesante y solido pero no conecte con ninguna canción. Encontré que el disco tenia mucha influencia de Pixies y de Oasis, lo cual fue entretenido, pero en general nada que me llegara a cautivar tanto.
Mas alla de algunos momentos precisos en el disco, para mi los temas tendian a entremezclarse unos con otros y se me hizo dificil ver rasgos distintivos. Independientemente lo disfrute como un buen disco pero la verdad no es trascendental para mis gustos, no es uno al que vuelva a excepción quiza del tema "Hoover Dam" que de verdad me capto y en cierto aspecto me recordo un poco a XTC.
sounded good but didn’t stick much, decent overall
Coming from an Husker Du guy, I wasn't expecting something so catchy, so power pop. There's a few standouts and the whole thing is fun to listen to, but I can't say that I was blown away either.
Not bad considering I didn't know anything about this band. Kinda forgettable though
Copper Blue Never heard of this band or album, didn’t know it was Bob Mould until I looked it up. I’m not overly disposed to the early 90s alt rock/grunge bands and sound, but I did enjoy this more than most albums in the genre. I do like Husker Du, and although the subject matter is more straightforward than HD, it does retain some of the same punkish 60s surf pop influences, but with more accessible melodies. There’s something off about the bass on A Good Idea, I think it is supposed to sound deliberately amateur, but it honestly sounds like me failing over and over to learn a basic bassline. Changes is a good bit of grunge power pop. Feel like I’ve heard Helpless before, I like it. Hoover Dam is very nice, the acoustic guitars and synth add a nice texture and are a nice contrast to the guitar heavy tracks. If I Can’t Change Your Mind is another nice slice of melodic grunge. I like Man on the Moon too. The rest I can take or leave, it's all fine but pretty forgettable and formulaic heavy guitar alt rock. It’s certainly a decent enough album, I wouldn’t be averse to listening again, and might choose to at some point if I got reminded of it, but I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to hear it again. Think that lands it right in the middle of the pack. ⭐⭐⭐ Playlist submission: Hoover Dam
I don’t know any of these songs, though I have heard some of Bob Mould’s other stuff. Despite that, this album took me back to college. Or back to Door County, living in a pop-up camper and waiting tables. There’s an early Foo Fighters sound to it. It’s dense and solid, and/but very much of its time. 3.0.
This was probably great for '92, but I didn't enjoy it. The heavy distortion songs all sounded the same, the others were okay but not great. 3.0
Always love discovering a 90s alt-rock album that I wasn't previously aware of. Overall it's nothing special but still fairly decent.
Pretty solid. Sounds like a generic classic rock album your weird uncle would recommend.
Forgettable but just fine
It was decent.
Kind of generic alt rock
It's all a bit generic alternative rock. I can't say there was much that jumped out and got me excited. The odd track has a bit more about it, but most of it just completely passed me by. 2.5 rounded up.
A decent foundation but this all bled together for me and nothing hooked me. Voice at times reminds me of Sting or David Grohl. Was this sound significant in its year?
Gets a little jangly and stereotypical 90's alternative in some spots, but has some great unique guitar riffs and musical ideas in there too.
Pretty simple butt rock, didn't blow me away but there were good moments.
Generic 90s alt rock. Not bad, but not great
One of "not bad but why is it here?"
listened on 17/08/25 whilst looking for jobs
Mould as front man of Husker Du- Legendary Mould as front man for Sugar-nice. I like their sound and Mould is as magnificent as ever but it just lacks by comparison- and i cannot not compare his work to his Husker Du days
Rock
Pretty good sound, but a little repetitive. I had not heard this band before and am glad I was able to listen to them.
- Started so strong with the surprisingly catchy "The Act We Act." Immediately made we wonder why I had never heard of this group. Somewhat heavy, but still surprisingly light given that grunge was hitting hard at this point. - Unfortunately the rest of the album did not live up to this. I enjoyed "Helpless," but found most of everything else somewhat uninspired. Additionally, I was not a fan of whatever was happening with "Hoover Dam." - Almost gave this two stars, but I think that is too harsh...if Sugar (a band I had never heard of) had lived up to that first track, they probably would have been gunning for four.
90’s rock / alternative is my genre of choice, but I had somehow never heard this album. Glad to have found it. Feels a little like if the Pixies and REM had a baby. Some great guitar work, and really enjoyed a few of the songs. Overall though, I’m not sure it stands out enough to me, despite me really wanting it to.
3.5
simpa!
I didn't get much out of this. It wasn't bad, but honestly, I thought (before reading the Wikipedia entry) that it was a lot like the random UK crap that seems prevalent on the 1001 -- I had the Blur debut album right before this, and musically, it wasn't all that different, not much in terms of complexity. I gave it two listens as the first one was not memorable, and the second wasn't either.
Nice guitar album,
This wasn’t bad, wasn’t good. It was just there.
Kind of boring and very hard to hear the vocals
B- The Act We Act 4 A Good Idea 3 Changes 3 Helpless 3 Hoover Dam 3 The Slim 3 If I Can't Change Your Mind 3 Fortune Teller 3 Slick 3 Man On The Moon 3 Pretty nice, eh?
A couple decent songs on here.
Okay again. don't get it.
вот это вообще такие чёткие девяностые, такой-то саунд. наверно не скучаю по нему, хотя запоминающийся
La chanson Hoover Dam s'est démarquée, mais le reste de l'album est vraiment un ramassis de tous les clichés des albums rock des années 90. Il n'y a pas grand chose qui le rend unique ou différent. La production et l'exécution sont solides, mais le résultat reste fade. 5/10
Just fine.
I like the sound, but it all merged into one-note-ness for me.
Not sure it's worthy of being on a list like this, but I enjoyed it! 3.4.
Not bad, not good.
Correcto.
Never cared for husker du and this is sort of a continuation of that.
Þrátt fyrir einfalt og þægilegt hljómsveitarnafn þá er þessi tónlist mjög auðgleymanleg. Þetta er bara meðalrokk þar sem ekkert stendur upp úr. Ég myndi líklegast hlusta á þetta aftur en það eru afspyrnulitlar líkur á að ég muni gera það, sérstaklega af því að ég mun pottþétt gleyma þessu sjálfur.
It is fine... a little on the forgettable side... 3/5
Not much to say. I like it, but I wouldn’t say it’s very memorable musically, but perhaps lyrically it’s deeper. Maybe not, though.
You know? It's fine. Feels a little punky-grungey, nothing earth-shattering, but a nice feel to have on in the background.
Immediately identifiable as a 90's power pop, post-grunge band, which should be in my wheel house but leaves me feeling kind of meh. I just read that the Gin Blossoms have announced a co-headlining tour with Toad the Wet Sprocket. Sugar would fit right in on this tour.
I accidentally reviewed this under Coldcut What’s That Noise which I will review here. I like the Coldcut album more than Sugar’s Copper Blue which is AI 90s alternative rock (read: generic). Coldcut brings the dog barks. It sounds dated but still listenable. Im out of words…
Pretty good sound throughout, enjoyed the kinda softer rock jaming
Good.
Schöner, harter Rocksound. Auf dauer aber gefühlt immer gleich.
I'm a bit tired of this kind of music (may I call it light-grunge?), but it's enjoyable.
Eh. Feels dated.
3.5
Typical 90’s rock; decent, but not amazing.
Album 352 of 1001 Sugar - Copper Blue Rating : 3.5 / 5 I like this. While it didn't have any tracks that stood out and above any other, it as a pretty decent album from beginning to end. I was expecting more of a punk sound, as the band includes Bob Mould from Husker Du, but it is more melodic. Good listen.
Meh didn't hate this by any stretch. But it didn't really hold my attention at all.
Very disapointing. I'd only ever heard 'If I can't change your mind' before and it's been in my top 10 favourites for decades - but this album never got anywhere near that standard again.
3.75
This is so 90s it makes me nostalgic for that time even though I wasn’t alive yet
Not familiar with Sugar, but felt a head of its time in 90s alt rock.
Solid 90's rock.
Solid album but sounds like a couple of dads got together to make an indie rock album based off what they heard on the radio
3. Listened to this while working. I liked some of the tunes, but there wasn’t anything that really moved me. 90s alt rock all sounds kinda the same to me. Favorite songs: The Act We Act (I really liked the guitar that opened the album) and Changes.
Thought this was a decent rock album, even if a little 80s crept into it
I dunno it was a good rock album or whatever, sounds a lot like a lot. However one song (Hoover dam) sounds a lot like a Gorillaz song (Every planet we reach is dead), ok only like a little in their intros, but anyway that bumped it up a point for me.
альтушка без скуфа алкоальбом: сидите в крафтовом пабе и там играет это
Pensei que ia gostar mais, mas passou quase batido pra mim. Tem músicas legais, mas não marcou tanto.
OK, pretty high quality garage-style alternative rock from the 90's. Nothing really special, interesting or otherwise standing out though. 3.5 for the enjoyable music but rounded down because I don't understand why they need to be on this list.
I find it hard to distinguish this music from a dozen other rock music staples on the radio today. Still I guess it was nme album of the year in the early 90s so maybe they started this sound, which is something I guess?
Equate brand rock
It’s ok, like a lesser version of Smashing Pumpkins, sorta.
Really wish we had half stars so I could give it a 3.5
Adding to divorce dad playlists
Another band I am not familiar with. Enjoyed it.
It wasn't THAT bad
Fine, maybe 3.5 stars
A decent album. Very easy to listen to. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Nothing very exciting but it was fine
This sounds like R.E.M. if they got sucked into a dimensional vortex and ended up in an alternate universe where Michael Stipe is named Sichael Mtipe and it rains horizontally. It's pretty good noisy alt rock, but this being on here instead of a Hüsker Dü album is a decision only a Magic 8-Ball in a suit and a fake mustache could make. I'm onto you, Robert Dimery. **Evening edit: Just learned that there is a Hüsker Dü album on this list after all, but it's their last album from '87 instead of "Zen Arcade", further supporting my theory that these albums were picked by consulting a Magic 8-Ball.
It’s funny that this is what most of Mould’s solo material sounds like now.
Shugar is very reminiscent of Foo Fighters in style and presentation of material. There is an influence in both vocals and arrangements. I even got deja vu. Of course, there are echoes of many bands from the 90s from the USA, Blink 182, Offspring, Papa Roach, and this is not a complete list. At one time, for me, this kind of music was almost the most reference and it was in this style of frantic continuous powerchords and overcompression.
It’s a bit strange to me that the reviews say this album sounds like a ripoff of Nirvana and Pixies without acknowledging that Hüsker Du (led by Bob Mould, who created Sugar) is older than both bands. With that out of the way, I don’t think this should be on the list. I get that this is apparently Bob Mould’s biggest commercial success, but Last Splash by the Breeders (Kim Deal from the Pixies’ biggest success) isn’t on this list and is way better than this. It’s just not important or good enough to warrant a mention here. It’s a 3 because it was fine, although I’m getting tired of the constant alt-rock on this list, even though I listen to alt-rock all the time.
I expected more from the frontman of Hüsker Dü.
Not bad, but not exceptional either. Pretty representative of its time.
Really good!
It's between REM and Smashing Pumpkins. Not good enough to warrant more than a 3 but didn't upset me enough for a 2.
Pure early 90s grunge, with melodic (if plodding) vocals over thick (if plodding) guitars. In its time, it was a standout. Now it doesn't really stand out. Vocals way down in the mix. Eh, it's a choice.
Short but sweet
I didn’t know this project and had a pleasant surprise, it’s the perfect representation of 90s’ alt-rock. However, it does sound a bit tryhard-ish. [0119/1001]
First cd I ever bought in 91
Rockmusik, vielleicht so Grunge-mäßig. Bisschen wie Foo Fighters. Leider nicht so geil. Nicht ganz durchgehört. Finds ein bisschen langweilig. Vielleicht auch ein bisschen in Richtung Pop-Punk.
This was very 90s but in a good not great way.
Initially album is good but becomes monotonous!
Great album. Will likely send me down a Bob Mould rabbit hole. 3.75
Best wel goed, niet baanbrekend
Felt familiar and enjoyable even though I've never heard this before!
I’m a little surprised to see this album in the mix. Sugar doesn’t seem like a big band for that era. It does have a few good songs: The Act We Act, Hoover Dam, Helpless.
I was excited for this album when I read that Bob Mould of Husker Du was in this band, since Zen Arcade is a foundational album for me. You can definitely hear his guitar sound all over this album. However, I didn't find it interesting overall. It's an early 90s alternative album, but every time I tried to listen to it, it just kept fading into the background 3/5
Really like the sound and some decent songs.
Not bad
liked it way more than expected but still a few duds, 3.5ish
A riotous, balls-out, shouty cacophony of noise, yet somehow the internal melodies of each track shine through, carrying the listener along. Nirvana got the credit that Sugar deserved.
3/10, 30%
Not as good as File Under Easy Listening but great debut.
Siri play me second rate 90’s rock
Very 90's, grungy, crunchy guitar. Contemporary comparison would be Drug Church.
Doing what Nirvana did before Nirvana was NIRVANA. Bob Mould's Hüsker Dü follow up is straight up alternative / grunge that sneaks in without being the in your face, pay attention to me that Kurt Cobain's band was. 3.5/5
Didn't know the band but I quite enjoyed this. Melodic alt-rock that got me nodding along consistently while sounding in no way revolutionary. Absolutely textbook 3 star album.
Pretty decent 90s rock 3.6
A dense and punchy sound defined by a thick unrelenting guitar. Warm, bright and overdriven, Bob Mould's playing sits somewhere between rhythm and lead as heavy riffs turn into melodic hooks. Sonically they're often like the Pixies, but the songwriting doesn't use the loud/quiet formula so much and there's not as much space in the music, instead it's a dials in the red full on punk approach like Dino Jr, but with added Rem poppyness: harmonies, catchy controlled vocals, and the odd hard strumming acoustic guitar. 'If I can't change your mind' is a power pop song for 90s alt rock radio. It's a good album that starts strong, but I'd rather put on Husker Du or the comp bands. Favorites: changes, helpless, the slim
Being a Bob Mould project I went in thinking I would like it. Unfortunately it did not deliver. It’s not bad at all, and there are a couple of strong tracks, it’s just very inconsistent overall. However, if you’re ever asked to compile a soundtrack for a movie set in the 90s, and you just need something with “that sound,” here you go.
I remember this band from back in the early 90s. This album has a nice blend of punk elements (makes sense given Bob Mould's Hüsker Dü roots) with aspects of pop. I like it. I tend to shy away from heavily distorted guitars these days, probably from listening throughout the decades to so many different bands who lean on that effect, but it's effective for the songs on this record. Like any effect or technique, it's neither good nor bad in and of itself; it's how it's used. (Sorry, that sounds way more preachy than it's meant to be. You get the idea.)
6/10. Sure, this had some nice moments.
This album feels very derivative. It’s not bad, but it’s not nearly as good as its influences. 5/10
I had never heard of this band, though had heard of the main guy. This was generally pretty enjoyable.
Pretty classic 90s alt rock. I don’t hate it. i don’t love it. I saved a couple. Won’t be coming back to the album ever probably but wouldn’t skip these liked songs if they come on
Bob Mould influenced by Kurt Cobain is about what you'd expect. Very 90s, grungy with some poppier songs in there. Not a bad album at all for a good nostalgia trip. But it's a far cry from Nirvana.
That’s Bob Mould alright. 3.5/5
Tja, het is tof, maar toch ook weer niet helemaal te gek.
Lekkere, herkenbare jaren 90 sound!
Sounds like it would have been played on the radio in the 90s.
There's little bits of Oasis and grunge and Lemonheads and all other manner of 90s rock in here. Glad to have heard some for the first time.
An alright 90s alternative album. Some of the songs had the style and sound for what could’ve been pretty popular songs however they seemed to lack in catchy lyrics. The instrumentals are very typical for a later 90s alt rock album so they were good at that. The downfall of the album was mostly the singer just being bland. 5.8/10
It's fine, vocals are a bit quiet though.
3*
Rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.
For a split second, after being generated Sugar, I thought, “Oh, I remember these! This is Björk’s old band!” But nope, my brain is slow and the band I was thinking of are actually The Sugarcubes. I don’t think I’ve come across Sugar before. This is another band where Apple Music just describes it as alternative, which can literally mean anything based off their track record. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: If I Can’t Change Your Mind, Hoover Dam I listened to this in the car while driving to a nice nearby lake for a stroll. It was quite nice driving music. It is 90’s alt rock which, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, is always a safe bet with me. The singer’s voice sounded very familiar, but I can’t quite place who he reminds me of. There is a nice mix of distorted guitars and more twangy folk sounds here which make for a nice change of pace track to track without being too wild.
Loved this. Bob Mould just has such a knack for hard, great pop hooks.
Basic AF indie/alternative. Sounded like Nirvana but as much as I like Nirvana, that's a negative here
One good song
I liked this alright. It had its ups and downs though. I think overall I didn't love this, so I think it's 3.25/5
A fine indie rock album nothing special though
Mad respect for Bob Mould, but I think the NME were way over their heads when they selected this first outing of his new act post-Hüsker Dü as the best album of 1992. Especially when you count all the better releases of that year (ones from Pavement, Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, The Pharcyde, Rage Against the Machine, The Goats, REM... Not to forget Tom Waits, The Cure, Neil Young, Swans, Gang Starr or Tori Amos...). 1992 is one year after Nirvana's *Nevermind*. I can picture a bunch of British rock critics desperately trying to link all those new "alternative" rock bands to some other artist they were more familiar with. Heck, even Mould himself does a pretty convincing imitation of Pixies in the second track of this album. "Convincing", I said... Which does not necessarily mean "thrilling" as well. The times, they were a-changing fast in 1992. It was hard for everyone (the music press AND the musicians) to catch up... The thing is, even in that field of "alternative" leftovers from the eighties--with a clear bridge to the past "indie" aesthetics and sound of that former decade--you had acts such as The Lemonheads that year, with a more striking album compared to that one here. *Copper Blue* is still a very decent record, don't get me wrong. Yet Sugar didn't add much to Hüsker Dü's legendary legacy when they released it. Besides, some of the tracks are too long (they often hit the 5-minute mark for no discernible reason). And others a little too predictable in their pop developments. Sorry, Bob Mould fans. Number of albums left to review: 470 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 252. Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 120 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 157 (including this one)
Generic 90s rock. Not that that’s a bad thing. Enjoyed but can’t see me revisiting this album.
This is a very LOUD record. I'd forgotten that Sugar were on Creation. They appeared to be travelling in the opposite direction of other acts on the label at the time. The tracks flow together really well. Good Idea to Changes is almost a continuous song. If I Can't Change Your Mind could have been a Lennon and McCartney song. Seriously.
This is just generic 90's/00's rock. sure the sound may have been new then, but it became commodified and was essentially pop, so it no longer is as good as it was. This is the type of music that would be in a teenager-focused movie/show at that time. It isn't breaking any new ground, but isn't terrible. Would not listen to this again if I didn't have to. A low 3/5
Good easy-listening rock album.
Getad sound men levde int typ helt upp ti de?
Pretty average alt rock. Wouldnt be that bothered about it except for the fact that this is on here while Zen Arcade isn’t. Baffling
Fine early 90s power pop with good melodies. Think I'd rather listen to any Husker Du album though. 3.5/5
Diesem Album hört man die 1990er an. Insgesamt hörenswert (und damit gerade so drei Sterne), sticht aus dem Jahrzehnt heraus. Kannte ich nicht.
not bad, thought it was gonna be more grungey and glad it wasn’t! the singer sounds like the guy from Blues Traveler
Solid alt rock album from one of punk’s pioneers. Love how crunchy and melodic this is, definitely one that influenced many. It doesn’t exactly jump off the page, but a solid listen overall.
verdigrised
Definitely a band from the 90s. Sounded like REM mixed with Collective Soul. Decent stuff but nothing too thrilling
Melodic rock, but rather same-ish. Might need another listen for melodies to sink on.