Reviews (page 5 of 7)
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.
Made me want to drink
Alternative rock. 90's.Bien.
Iconic but I never actually got it.
This has a very 90s grunge-tinged sound while feeling a bit more listenable and pop (which is a good thing, as far as I'm concerned). Having never heard this before, it doesn't beat out the giants of the 90s, but it was a fine listen today.
Sounded very similar to foo fighters both in voice and style. I know this guy used to be on Husker Do (or Don't) but I'm not super familiar with them either. It wasn't a bad album, some nice rifts, but I was struggling to find where it stands out amongst the great ones on this list and doesn't sift closer to the bottom of the "why is this on here" pile.
Not bad at all. Never heard of this group before, and their sound is kind of generic alt-rock, but amid that well-worn style they crank out some pretty solid jams and melodies. Apparently this band is led by someone from Husker Du, that's a band I've definitely heard of but don't know very well. I didn't expect to come away with a handful of tracks from this so count me as pleasantly surprised. I can't exactly say it earns a place on a list like this, but I enjoyed myself. Really, really dug the weird guitar break on "Man on the Moon." Favorite tracks: Man on the Moon, The Slim, Changes, A Good Idea. Album art: Not much to this one at all, two waves of color (copper and blue) with the title and band written on top. What's there to say? 3.5/5
I had completely forgotten this album, but as soon as I saw the cover and started playing it, I was whisked back to the lounge rooms of countless share houses in the 90s. Something about this music doesn't stick for me though
It's the grunge-inspired pop alt rock that dominated 90s radio. But this is decent albeit highly commercial. It's coherent and it's a bit catchy, although mostly forgettable and lacks any tracks that leave a huge impression. Tracks do go on a bit too long. It's by the second band of Bob Mould after the revolutionary post-hardcore Huskur Du. He's a good guitarist and vocalist, but this is certainly a step-down. Favorites: A Good Idea, Changes, The Slim, Slick
Not usually a huge fan of punk, but enjoyed this more than I was expecting to.
Hoover Dam is a major keeper. The rest is pretty often but so damn dense. It tires the ear, and the brain, all at once!
OK
Copper Blue is the debut album by American alternative rock band Sugar. The album is critically acclaimed for its melodic punk rock sound. Bob Mould - guitarist/vocalist - attributed the release of Nirvana's Nevermind the previous year as a catalyst for people to then appreciate the sound of punk rock that Mould had been working on for the past two years before releasing this debut album. The themes on this album are akin to other punk albums, so fans of this music should like this album. I thought the music on Copper Blue was very good and had that punchy punk feel while also using crafty melodies that could get stuck in your head. It's a great alternative rock album from the early 90's that may have been overshadowed by giant acts of the time like Nirvana.
Enjoyed the indie grungy vibe
Generic, inoffensive.
Although most songs are pretty similar in case of melody, you can argue that the whole album has its style.
A prominent feature in my college radio era, back when we just called it all "alternative". Hadn't listened to it this in a good long while, surprised by how soft and mainstream a lot of it felt. Felt fairly lukewarm about this.
Perfectly adequate. No more, no less
Straight down the middle. Not something that brought inspiration, but I can appreciate the music that it clearly inspired. My 13 year old self thought it was pretty profound, but I'm 30 years too late.
Definite early 90s vibes from this one - reminds me of early Foo Fighters or Barenaked Ladies
There was a year or two in the early 90s where AOR, in an effort to not get dragged down by hair metal's sinking ship, hitched its wagon to grunge. Its core blandness remained intact, but swapped out Charvel guitars, hot-rodded JCM800s and nice hair for telecasters, AC30s with fuzzboxes and flannel. It was still completely adult contemporary otherwise: predictable song structures and chord progressions, sing-along choruses and slick production etc, but it now SORTA KINDA looked like Pearl Jam in the same way it'd KINDA SORTA looked like Skid Row a bit earlier. The biggest offenders were the Gin Blossoms, Soul Asylum and the Lemonheads (that I remember); Sugar fits in perfectly. But unlike Soul Asylum, I'm hearing Sugar for the first time in 2023 and without the nostalgia factor it's pretty boring. It's not awful by any stretch, but I'll never listen again. 3/5.
Don’t think I’ve listened to anything more quintessentially 90s, an enjoyable listen but purely from a nostalgia POV
Decent early 90s alternative. Nothing on here really sticks out to me though. It’s not bad but not interesting. Double tracked vocals, some distorted guitars, and some power pop elements. Reminds me of the Lemonheads. Someone said this sounds like if AI tried to make 90s alternative music and that pretty much ruined this album for me lol.
Not bad, I liked it! Cool to learn they inspired Nirvana even though apparently the singer didn't like that, lol!
Pretty standard fuzzy alternative here. Nothing surprising here if you have heard late 80's/early 90's alternative before. It's not bad. But a little boring. Husker Du is better if you are looking for something like this but with more bite.
2.5 Kinda sounds like the Friends band
Not bad. Early 90s alternative
I enjoyed this album, 3*
Yeah that was fun. Not sure how I've never heard of them before. I think if I kept listening to the album it could become a 4-er but I'll stick with a high 3 for now.
A pretty damn good blend of melodic pop and grunge/alt rock. Lots of Pixies and REM influence to be heard in there. The vocals and lyricism could be better. But the songs are basically good, and there's a lot to like
J'attends mon prince charmant (un bon album)
je pensais pas que ca allait être ça donc un peu déçue
Not a big sound of this sound so far, not really my thing.
Definitely a product of its time. Feels locked in on that particular era's style, wouldn't really call it a timeless album for that reason. Overly stylized I guess.
Pretty average 90s alt-rock. Nothing special and some okay guitar work, but it does sound samey in the end. Nothing remarkable and at least it isn't 60 minutes long.
Beetje cheezy, niks aparts
Never heard of them, but pretty good
Bob Mould 4 life
This is another 90s band that I am unfamiliar with, yet still has that 90s sound that is quite nostalgic to me. And so, I mostly enjoyed the album, but same as the others examples, my music tastes have continued to evolve and move forward.
Luistert lekker weg, nooit gehoord van deze gasten en er zullen ook wel geen straatnamen naar vernoemd worden.
Kijk. Dit is nou leuk. Een aardig plaatje dat ik nog nooit had gehoord. Het is zo'n album waarbij alles wel ok is. Geen echte uitschieters. Niet naar boven en niet naar beneden. Daarom zal het ook wel een vergeten album zijn. Maar een steady nette kwaliteit leveren, dat is (helaas) al bijzonder op zichzelf.
It is not quite a grunge album as it is a little bit too upbeat. It is wasn't a bad album but I do not think I will revisit it.
This album slaps in you in the face straight out of the gate but from Helpless onwards reminds me more of Barenaked Ladies than punk :D Fave track: A Good Idea.
Wow, this could be the reference specimen for early nineties alt rock. It's truly generic, but for a genre I kinda like, so I guess that's not a bad thing. Fun experiment - close your eyes, skip to any track, and watch as the opening credits to a nondescript teen drama TV show that doesn't exist play out on the inside of your eyelids.* Fave track - Uh, "Hoover Dam", maybe, or "The Slim". Nothing from the second half of the album because try as I might, it all just starts blending together at that point... * Offer not available to aphantasiacs.
7/10
favourite song: the act we act least favourite song: hoover dam incredibly boring and safe sounding
Decent. 3/5
Loved Husker Du but didn't know about this. Pretty good.
I didn't know this album at all - it had completely passed me by - though I did know the big hit when it got to it. I enjoyed this, melodic grunge from an era in which I spent a lot of time buying music and going to indie clubs. Well worth a listen.
“I if I can’t change your mind” is the soundtrack to every 90’s movies montage. A lot of people I know find this album very influential but I first really heard it more than 10 years later. Good album but also sound of its time.
Eh, this was OK. Definitely early 90s alt-rock. Nice and nostalgic, but not particularly memorable. Ain't no "Hey Jealousy", if you know what I'm sayin'....
Not bad. Kinda blends together but still good
Solid alt-rock with a range of styles. Some songs reminded me of Pixies, others reminded me of R.E.M. Grungy songs are mixed with bright and sunny pop songs. Overall probably not something I’ll spin often but I enjoyed it.
Ça démarre bien. J'aime beaucoup le son, mais on ne révolutionne rien ici. Ce projet est apparu au moment où ce son était populaire et le fait que c'était le nouveau projet de Bob Mould a probablement contribué à sa diffusion. Son band précédent Hüsker Dü a certainement eu plus d'impact que celui-ci même s'il a été moins populaire. Donc effectivement, ça cadre dans la philosophie de cette liste, mais ça n'a apporté rien de neuf. Respect pour le gars, ce n'est pas désagréable, mais on oublie vite ce qu'on vient d'écouter.
HL: “Man On the Moon”, “If I Can’t Change Your Mind”, “Hoover Dam” Unfamiliar with all of this, I guess Canadian radio has this 90’s alt-rock niche filled with the Barenaked Ladies & the Hip. I appreciate it for the poppy melodies shining through the distorted guitars. September 18, 2022
Hoover Dam is a good tune. I'm not a huge Huskar Du fan so this sort of leaves me in the lurch. Its a pleasant sound at least.
90s alternative rock to the t. I didn't save any songs off this album because it's not my fave genre, but very catchy and melodic. Transports me back to my mom driving me and my little bro to the pool when we were kids because it just has that exact aesthetic of radio songs in that era.
So. I started off by mistaking this for "Throwing Copper" by Live, beloved of 120 Minutes-types in 94 and 95. Trying to unpick this cognitive dissonance in my head took me down quite a few unexpected rabbit holes. (Why was Chad Taylor fired? How does Ed Kowlacyzk own 55% of Live? How does one calculate this?) But I digress. I really wanted to like Hüsker Dü once upon a time. They seemed like a band that I should like. (See also Interpol). I could't. Not for trying, very hard indeed. But I did learn quite a bit about Mould, Hart and Norton. This, by Mould's post Hüsker band Sugar isn't *bad*, but ... let's put it this way. It was NME's Album of the Year in the early 90s – its most reactionary era, befuddled by rave and trip hop and acid jazz etc. (fair's fair - I'm still befuddled by acid jazz.)
Ihan ok! Tempoo vähä ois voinu olla 3/5
At first I was liking what I was hearing. But as it goes on, it's just too stereotypical 90s alt band. Not unlike bands like Super Chunk or Pixies, it eventually wears itself out after a few listens. It's literally just power chords playing open for the entirety of the album, and some disjointed chords to be edgy. Maybe in the 90s this was great. But after the 90s Grunge, 2000s alt / indie / emo era, this is just very dated. Leaves me thinking "So What?"
Got some good Violent Femmes vibes from this album, glad to hear about this band.
I mean, I'm always a sucker for 90s alternative rock, so they had me at that. It was fine; I enjoyed it. However, this sounds like a massive off-brand compilation of every popular sound and style of the time, minus all the bands that made these sounds and styles popular. I really don't know what makes this album a worthy contribution to this project. Then again, this came out in 1992, so maybe they were ahead of the curve on all of these sounds? Very middle of the road. Neither under- nor over-whelmed with this. It was average, but enjoyable enough.
3.5/5
Quality dad rock
The unlikely love child of Pixies and Dinosaur Jr. Doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. But everything kinda works nonetheless. Includes the 2nd best “Man on the Moon” released in 1992. Best: Changes / Helpless / The Slim Worst: If I can’t change your mind / Slick
There's the familiar Helpless, and the grunge delivery I've come to quite dislike. That said, I found myself moving to Copper Blue as I went through it. The record is a representative sample, and its melodic flourishes in different directions, especially the synthy bits of Hoover Dam, are marginally interesting. I caught some island steeliness in If I Can't Change Your Mind, hints of metal elsewhere. All very 90s in the end.
Je commence à en avoir assez de devoir me repasser des extraits d'albums que j'ai écoutés il y a plus d'un mois mais pour lesquels je n'ai pas rédigé de critique.
Sugar t'es sûrement extrêmement sympathique mais ta musique tout le monde s'en fout y a Adele à écouter là.
Copper Blue is pretty good, highlighted by the excellent Hoover Dam but it generally has a solid energy and catchy hooks that are consistent without being boring. Never gets into consistently excellent territory but a good 3/5.
Also like this - I knew Hoover Dam (think the Spotify algorithm recommended it to me a couple of years ago and it stuck), but nothing else by Sugar, and it's good fun. An easy three, doesn't do enough for me to lift it above others of its type and get into the 4/5 range, but a pleasant listen. Might not ever go back to the full album again, but if it comes on I certainly wouldn't be switching it off. It's pretty consistent the whole way through, wouldn't say there's a bad song on it, and a good bit of oomph to it. I had the remastered edition on, and it's clear to see that the real sound they like is a bit more raw than this. Unlike Tim, I prefer the recorded version of Hoover Dam to that live one, it's too scratchy and raw for me.
It's alright, seems like Mould was keeping up with the Pixies on a lot of these tracks. Can't complain
I've had quite a streak of 3 star albums lately. They're good, but nothing special to me. This is another one. It's fine, I like it, but it's just sort of generic 90's indie/alt-rock. 3 stars.
if you want to know exactly what the early 90's alt rock scene sounded like, look no further. pretty shit isn't it? i kinda like it though
People on indie groups on Facebook will try to tell you this is the best album ever It's maybe a top 5 Bob Mould album - pretty good but overhyped imo
first listen kinda boring and same-y
Did not know what to expect from this as I was not aware of this band. But it was pleasantly pleasing. Would I listen again? Probably not. But would I mind listening again? No, I didn’t hate it.
Decent standard 90s grunge which slips a little too much into stereotype to be taken too seriously today.
90s alt rock i haven't heard a million times? 4
Alternative rock. 90's.Bien.
This is the very definition of 90s alt-rock. Layers of crunchy guitar-driven melodies with shimmering vocal hooks. Fun! 3.5/5
It’s a slower, radio-friendly mix of mid-tempo 4/4 tap-a-longs. Nothing really remarkable. (5/10) FT: If I Can't Change Your Mind, Helpless
Twice had to look over and see if I had gone past the album and Spotify started auto-playing an R.E.M. album.
Was pretty generic grunge. I hadn't heard of this band/album before but I think I would have liked it a lot in 1992 when it came out. Probably would have gotten an extra star from me for nostalgic reasons. But on a first time listen it just sounds ok with occasional great moments.
I really liked Hüsker Dü but for some reason I hadn't followed them after the split up. Unrelated to this, Bob Mould always reminded me of Black Francis, I don't know why. The other way around doesn't work though. The first track on this album, The Act We Act, sounds pretty much like Hüsker Dü, the second one, A Good Idea, is (that's right) straight up Pixies. Helpless and Hoover Dam are nice tributes to the Beatles, with the former featuring synths and introducing the acoustic guitar (which will be prominent during the next few tracks), probably my favourite song on here. Most of the songs have that kind of sing-along chorus so dear to pop-punk, especially The Slim with the addition of some anthemic guitar playing. As the alternative/indie rock of the 90s was about to shift toward a definitely poppier sound, Mould & Co. led the course. I guess that in foreshadowing this tendency this album was important, but I still find his work with Hüsker Dü to be definitely groundbreaking compared to this.
First time I've listened to this album all the way through. It's not Husker Du but it's good enough, with enough of interest to keep me listening.
A decent album.
Opet hvala ovom programu, vratio sam se na "Changes i Hoover Dam" nakon dugo vremena, odlične stvari. Vidi se gdje su crpili ideje po zvuku. Pixies, Breeders, early R.E.M., Dinosaur Jr. itd. Kvalitetno.
early 90s indie rock/pop. It's alright but not anything I'd recommend.
It has some noisy pop songs reminiscent of Pixies to and a few lighter jangly pop songs. Noisy, but quite good 90s indie rock.
90's grunge, but still sounds engaging. Guitar sounds great, and some good tunes.
typical 90's alt rock
eeh, sara' anche bello ma mi sembra solo generico rock punk
Not bad, but too popy
A more melodic Husker Du. Fun. 7/10
was gewoon goed
An entertaining slice of indie rock from a band that passed me by at the time.
That's some heavy rock... but the balance between vocal and the band is not in my favour... Add a star for If I Can't Change Your Mind and for Man on the Moon
Loathed the first track. The second sounds legally enforcably like Debaser (but frankly, as there is only 3 minutes of Debaser, I'll take it). Conversely, I wonder what the Foo Fighters would have sounded like had Bob Mould never recorded Changes. Clearly Dave Grohl loved this band - and Husker Du. There's clearly ambition to make a more varied album here - but it appears to be stymied by a band that only plays in one way. Hoover Dam and If I Can't Change Your Mind both sound light and fun but are trodden down by heavy drums and guitar. Ultimately, this album is nice, but inessential - the Foo Fighters comparison continues essentially. Where nobody can deny Nirvana or Husker Du, it is just nice that Sugar and FF exist, given both the former ended too soon.
The lightest of 3s. It's fun to listen to, nothing special but I do enjoy this kind of sound
Fairly typical 90s rock album. Good, but nothing particularly special.
This is so 90's haha. I feel like I should be hearing this as an angsty teen movie soundtrack.
File under : 90s on 9
A nice 45 minute jam session with a classic early 90s rock sound. Nothing really amazing; I'm not sure why this deserves to be on the list, but I still enjoyed every minute of it.
A couple of good songs. I can hear it’s been an influence in many bands. But apart from the couple of good songs I won’t play the whole album again.
Never heard of them before. Not bad.
More melodic than I expected
eh, was ok as background noise? maybe would improve on another listen?
Very 90s
Good rock, precursor to 2000's 6/10
Better than most shit emerging from the US around this time
New but familiar
Bob Mould bands automatically get a 3 from me, not bad not great just Bob doing Bob.
3.5
Noise rock that fits the early 90's almost to a T. With that said, it feels more mainstream and less inventive when compared to the efforts from Sonic Youth and others.
Fun rock, and great to drive to. The mix is a little much for me, everything gets a bit muddy. I can feel the influence of this record in much of the rock of the decade to come, but I think I prefer a lot of the bands that were influenced compared to this.
Pretty 90s. Decent album, some songs really bang, some not so much
a welcomed time machine to the simpler days of listening to 94.9 and playing links awakening on my game boy color. probably nothing more than nostalgic traipsing but i appreciated it
Wasn’t sure to begin with but grew on me. A couple of deece tracks. Major Nirvana and Foo Fighter vibes
Good listen - mostly reminds me of why I listen to Dinosaur Jr. Not sure who's voice is more empirically annoying though...
Never heard of these guys. Sounds like a second rate hybrid of Pixies, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters and Nirvana with a spattering of 90s UK indie. I know it won an NME award but struggling to see the influence or impact of this album. It was a little bit hit and miss musically, but not bad overall. 5.5/10
perhaps a bit too on the sweeter side (heh) for my rock sensibilities, as if the pixies or pavement were well-adjusted members of society, but charming. not many albums make me want to ride a convertible down an open highway with guy fieri by my side, but this one does
Perfectly fine cruising music. Precursor sound to some stuff later, and fine in its own right, but nothing striking.
Ehhh sounded like rock you put on in the background of a video game. Not bad just not too much standing out
Reminds me of some similar sounding bands that I have never been able to get into, like Pearl Jam, and the Holdsteady. Wondering if their significance has something to do with the rise of grunge in the early 90's. I liked a couple of the songs toward the end of the album which pushed it to 3 stars for me instead of 2.
Captures the early 90s sound, can feel the Gen X anthems throughout
It sounds like the 90s lol
Pretty fun. Great guitar tone. Really noisy, but without totally obscuring the power pop.
Mid
This album sounded like a quintessential 90's alt rock band. It felt a little too polished but it wasn't bad. It wasn't very good either. I'd rather listen to REM or Nirvana.
was not bad ok
Jamais écouté avant. Que dire d'un album aussi neutre et générique ? Oui, l'énergie est là, les guitares fuzzy font plaisir à entendre et ça a pu m'arriver de taper du pied en rythme sur certains morceaux. Et pourtant, l'album fini, je n'en retiens rien : pas une mélodie marquante, pas un morceau emballant, pas une sonorité ou une émotion différente... Copper Blue n'est certainement pas un mauvais album, et sans doute l'enchaînement rock 1990's des derniers jours n'a-t-il pas joué en sa faveur, mais je dois bien avouer qu'il m'a laissé parfaitement indifférent, dans un genre auquel je suis pourtant sensible. C'est vraiment dommage, d'autant que je ne connaissais pas du tout et que je me réjouissais de le découvrir... Top : The Slim Flop : Slick
ummmm why? seriously, why? tgere were much better grunge adjacent bands that also maybe helped pave the way for three doors down. take this off this list please. lol.
Beetje voorloper van de green Day etc.
It got repetitive
Monotematyczny liryka słąba nudny z małym wyjątkiem jenda piosenka miała spoko intsrumental troche are you expiernce type shit
Can hear clear influence in other music that I like but none of this particularly stuck with me !
I like Hüsker Dü but this wasn't for me. I'm glad the grunge "yarling" vocal style has largely died out.
Pretty generic garage rock sound. Competent, but not that interesting. A 2.
Mucho ruido y pocas nueces
It's really nothing special. A lot of repetition of simple beats and melodies, and while the instruments sometimes tried to add a bit of heaviness, I don't think it matched the singing style.
Loud, melodic, guitar-forward alternative rock from 1992. Bob Mould knows what he's doing — the songs are well-constructed, the energy is there. Nothing offensive, nothing remarkable. I enjoyed it while it was on. The moment it stopped, it was gone. Sometimes that's just how it goes. 2/5 — pleasant enough, remembered by no one, including me.
Hard to rate this. On the one, all of the songs were really "okay" as they passed by. On the other hand, not one was good enough to make me wish to revisit. I felt the song parts often didn't fit together, so a good instrumental interlude or nice chorus in there was quickly followed by something that brought the song down again. In my ears, (they may have been one of the first to create this kind of melodic alternative rock sound, but) many others did it much better. 2/5 below average
This is just Husker Du for the 90's. And just not as good
...eh? I guess I can see how this would be amazing but now it just sounds like generic rock.
This kind of reminds me of the type of music that took over in the late 90s and ruined all that the early 90s achieved in terms of grunge, alternative and punk. I can hear BS like Third Eye Blind, the Gin Blossoms, Matchbox 20 in this. So while Sugar was there first, at least I now know who to blame. The songs also mostly sound the same. I didn't mind Slick and Man on the Moon, if I had to choose a favourite. 2/5
Middle of the road grunge if middle was spelt MEH
just not my vibe. (or my today's vibe)
-Mom I want R.E.M! -Hush, we have R.E.M at home. The only thing I could think of during this album. Not bad in any way but not good either. 2
It's fine if you want your background music to be alternative. Does not stand out from anything on the radio in the mid 90s.
meh all sounds the same
Started as nostalgic 90s sound, but quickly grew repetitive and I ended up not liking the album very much.
On the spectrum of Creed to Pearl Jam, this is firmly in the danger zone.
Holy apathy Batman
Nir-vanilla; it sounds fine, but the instrumentals are less creative than contemporaries. And my god, hire a fucking lyricist, every song is a jilted lover complaining and the lyrics just keep on repeating repeating repeating repea ...
Sounded pretty generic and not particularly good or engaging. 5/10
Listens: 2 Standout tracks: None Ugh. I mostly hate this. So far, College rock has been decidedly absent on the List. Sure, there's been a few R.E.M. albums and a Chili Peppers album, but I'm talking about, like, Eve 6, Matchbox 20, Green Day, Weezer, The New Radicals, Third Eye Blind, Everclear, etc etc. Some of these examples actually kind of suck, but my point is, this album - Copper Blue - is also a terrible example of college rock, alternative rock, and rock in general and is entirely undeserving of being on the List. The lyrics are vapid, the sound sonically "thick" and generic to boot. For a genre sort of defined by its hooks, catchiness, and radio appeal this album sure is lacking in all categories. It's not entirely-overplayed late 90s / early 2000s tween pop music, so it doesn't get a 1, but its not much higher that that.
**mostly banging instruments, most tracks sound alike. No real music