Copper Blue

This is #day775 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... here's to some good ol' early-'90s alternative rock. Solid, but I don't think it begs to be heard before you die. I'd rather have included something from, say, Catherine Wheel. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day776.

The act we act - 3 A good idea - 3 Changes - 3 Helpless - 3 Hoover dam - 4 The slim - 4 If i can't change your mind - 3 Fortune teller - 3 Slick - 3 Man on the moon - 3

Finds no guet, sehr rockig wie ichs gern han, aber isch au nöd mega catchy am afang. Für mich fehlt eif bi allne tracks öpois und ich chan nöd würklich darin “ufgah” wenn emr das so sege chan. Es hett eif nöd ein extrem spannende oder mitrissende peak sondern blibt relativ konstant eifach “okay”. Aber ebe leider nöd mitrissend.

What a blast from the past! I haven't thought about this record since I spun it on the air in my college radio days. It's quintessential 90s alternative sound. That perfect balance of crunchy guitars with a little pop sensibility and writing that's not terrible. Thanks for the reminder. Time to add this one back into my regular rotation!

Decent Album, nothing spectacular, probs wouldn't listen again but didn't hate it. The most 3 out of 5 album ever. 3/5

Favourite Songs: Hoover Dam

There were SO MANY great albums that came out in 1992. Like it was a banner year for amazing music. This was not part of that. This is about as generic as alt-rock from that era could get. One radio hit and that's it. This is a pass for me.

This album is timely since I just saw Sugar a month ago. I’m partial to Sugar vs. Hüsker Dü. I love this album. The poppiness and guitars are aces.

This was such a fun listen for me. A great 90s throwback, reminded me of the Verve Pipe in a good way.

I like the guitar but feel like the drums get in the way of the guitar instead of complimenting it like in a smashing pumpkins song

It is really not my style, I started jut I did not listen it until the end.

Too poppy for me. Sounds like bad 90s white people sitcom music.

Claude make me a rock album inspired by metal

Not bad, quite a good sound, probably wouldn't revisit.

I would describe this as heavy pop. It's pretty good. Favourite Track(s): A Good Idea Least Favourite Track(s): If I Can't Change Your Mind

That's so.90s.

It’s no Husker Du, but very good regardless.

fine and a decent listen that felt nostalgic

Generic 90s pop songs but with distortion turned up. Well made but all the songs sound the same and that song is pretty cheesy so I'm not a fan of this one.

I remember this when it was new being everywhere as far as reviews and press. I never listened to it. I missed out a bit as I enjoyed it. It won’t change my world but the poppy melodic ideas buried in the rock guitar had me smiling.

Good noisy, bad singing

While not terrible, it is a bullshit entry on the list. Some of the most bland 90s alt rock ever. It didn't influence anyone or anything and it was just one of many me-too albums that offered nothing new after Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and Nirvana broke through. There are far more relevant bands and albums from the 90s that are not on this list in order to make room for bullshit like this. More interesting and influential albums from 1992 that are not on the list: Suzanne Vega - 99.9 F° Nine Inch Nails - BROKEN Annie Lennox - DIVA En Vogue - FUNKY DIVAS White Zombie – LA SEXORCISTO: DEVIL MUSIC VOLUME 1 INXS -WELCOME TO WHEREVER YOU ARE

Copper Blue doesn't reinvent alternative rock. Its greatest accomplishment is refining a sound Mould had been developing for years. If you already love Hüsker Dü, some of this will feel like a more accessible continuation rather than a radical new chapter. And while the album rarely loses momentum, it doesn't offer quite the stylistic breadth of a true 5.

Whenever someone says hey I have an extra ticket to the Foo Fighters I'm like nah I'm good. Bland white bread midwest schlock is what this is. The lyrics are so predictable and I could go to a dive bar to hear something so "earnest"

This record has a really interesting sound. I’d say it’s really unique for the time. This has a really punky, poppy, and also MBV undertone throughout the record. It really gives me the vibes of the 80’s indie/college rock scene. Idk why this guy sounds like a Brit pop singer lol. Overall thoughts, it’s a little too radio esque for me. This is peak dad music. I really wouldn’t find myself listening again simply because there’s almost too much going on. Due to all the influences, I don’t get what vibe the band wants to make me feel. What is this about? Idk. Nothing offensive here, just not for me.

Not much here I like the more upbeat nature of the grunge but I find myself just thinking about nirvana and shoegaze more and wanna listen to that instead fortunate teller and Hoover dam are awesome though

A high 3 star. Might make 4 if I come back to it later.

This album was alright. Nothing about it knocked my socks off; it was reasonably listenable early 90s rock. I did enjoy If I Can't Change Your Mind, but that was about it.

some of these, I quite enjoyed, others not. Bob Mould (say it like Bob Dole), puts on a voice that is too annoying and emo-adjacent a bit too much of the time. Ummed and ahhed between a 3 and a 4, and went with the former. Surprised I'd never heard of this band before

brand new for me. Kinda cheesy grunge dad, but don't hate that Man on the Moon is great, its a high 3

Low 4

Fun, energetic power pop

It’s REM meets Pixies meets Guided By Voices. But much more amped up and poppier than any of those bands. I like the fun Alt Rock instrumentals but am less enamoured with the vocals.

Great record, solid 4 what an unexpected gem

Not bad, but not interesting.

Meget 90'er-kodet. Ok lytteoplevelse, men jeg kendte det ikke.

I was not expecting to like this album as much as I did. I know that this band came out of the breakup of Hüsker Dü, and I did NOT like the one album from them on this list. Not everyone can be Fleetwood Mac. In fact, most people tend to make pretty bad music when they hate each other, including Hüsker Dü. The lack of hate for each other certainly makes a much more enjoyable album here. Dare I even say some of the songs on here are great. Kind of funny that these guys broke up after one or two albums, that Bob Mould guy just can't catch a break.

Overall: 6/10 The first couple of songs had me excited, but this ended up being a perfectly unexciting album. The songs aren't bad or anything, they just didn't really do much for me. Fav Song: A Good Idea

I was not familiar with this record/artist prior to this. Second listen was much better than the first listen, but this isn’t really my thing. Some catchy riffs and melodies, but this overall didn’t much for me. I did appreciate the surprising use of synths on a couple tracks. Also, not unlistenable

Not really my cup of tea

When I was listening I thought "THIS GUY IS RIPPING OFF BOB MOULD". And now I feel like an idiot. I didn't listen to anything after Husker Du. This might be iconic 90s stuff but I didn't care much for it. Could be worth a few more listens to re-appraise.

Sounded okay, still a 2 for me

One of my favourite 90s albums. Love to hear Bob Mold stealing back the inspiration that Husker Du gave the Pixies in the first place!

fun poppy sound throughout but not in a way that cheapens it, lovely stuff

Listen this wasn’t bad the end just let it down

Zo. Helemaal geen verkeerd album dit. Het klinkt een beetje als Pixies (track 'A Good Idea' bijvoorbeeld), maar het is (vooral qua zang) een stuk toegankelijker. Al heeft de zanger wel een typisch geluid waar wellicht ook niet iedereen van houdt. Vleugje Foo Fighters ook ('Hoover Dam'). Potverdikkie, een kolfje naar m'n hand dit. Ik dacht misschien dat track 2 een toevalstreffer was, maar ik vind het merendeel van het album goed. Het is geen hoogdravende kunst die iedereen per se een keer ervaren moet hebben, maar ik vind het wel een heel lekker album en dat mag ook wat waard zijn. Daarom ga ik op de 5 sterren drukken, ondanks dat het niet perfect is. Lekker man.

Crummy 90s alt rock with undistinguished monochromatic guitar playing and the kind of earnest (and ultimately tiresome) singing that plagued the entire decade.

I don't know that I've heard these guys but it's got promise seeing as it's a 90s power pop, alternative rock, punk energy, with huge fuzzy guitars. So far nothing sounds familiar but I do love the sound.

It’s a really solid debut album and a fun power pop album which adopts some of the sounds of alternative rock at the time hence why it can be quite noisy at times.

Why not just listen to Alice in Chains?

The weirdest thing about this album is that I listened to it once in the morning and as I was done there was a serendipitous moment where I went into a thrift store ( charity store for my friends across the pond) and there it was sitting on the shelf. I had never seen or heard this one before and it was just odd. Helpless was the stand out track and it show how much music got swept up and lost in the grunge explosion

After Hüsker Dü dissolved in 1988, Bob Mould would go on to form a new band in the ashes of his former and create what can only be described as a "Radio Friendly Hüsker Dü" with Sugar. Imagine Warehouse: Songs and Stories but with more of a Pop appeal and that is basically what this project is. Bob Mould can't seem to escape the layer of noise on top of his music and I do really enjoy it here, at times. I found the lyrics to be profound, but a few of the instrumentals here to be a lot of where the issues arise. There isn't ever a clear balance of the "noise layer" and sometimes the songs just have boring instrumentals that made them feel watered down. If you like Hüsker Dü you will surely enjoy this release, and if you don't then I can totally see why so many people here see it as "generic."

Always liked this album, picked it up in 1992 or 1993, close to when it came out and have listened to it ever since. Haven't listened to the full album in some time (it was on a tape in my car for a long time back when tape decks in cars were a thing), but I'm very familiar with it. Starts with a blast with 'The Act We Act', and continues through a strong A-side with 'A Good Idea', 'Changes', 'Helpless' and 'Hoover Dam'. The B-side gets a bit murkier, but still holds up very well, with the sweet 'If I Can't Change Your Mind' standing out amongst the darker stuff here. Finishes with the swirling 'Man On The Moon', not to be confused with the REM track from around the same time. Definitely takes me back to my 20s, and is a good nostalgia trip. Probably not as essential if you didn't grow up listening to it, but works for me.

as a fan of husker du - this is just fine

*all-time.

pre good but not a must hear unless you rly into this type of rock

Pretty damn forgettable. Budget ass pixies. I still had a bit of tiny guilty pleasure so that's why I'm not giving a 1.

Cool. It sounds like a mix of Smash Mouth and Type O Negative. Nothing impressive, though. 3 stars.

Little bit of a nothing burger, I'd hear this in an early 2000s Teen Nick original movie or something. I'm not sure why but there are moments where I almost hear Michael Stipe's voice (R.E.M). I do like grunge for the most part though, it has the ingredients of something I'd like. Songs kinda blended together for me tho. Maybe 2.5, it's fine I guess I liked A Good Idea

What if sugar could make copper turn blue? This is fun and reminds me a bit of lower-key Tool. Fun fact: I don’t like Tool much I liked Hoover Dam, if I can can’t change your mind and man on the moon, but not enough to save anything!

I read it's been praised, but I cant find the awesomeness in it.

The most 90s-sounding rock album ever. Favorite track: Helpless 3.5/5

I’d always assumed that Bob Mould was some sort of punk name and therefore slightly disappointed when Hüsker Dü imploded that he didn’t form a band with Fred Fungus and Terry Toadstool. Anyhoo, Mr Mould is on good form here with some excellent post-punk/indie guitar rock with a slightly more mellow and melodic edge. Most of the songs are about dysfunctional relationships and I can’t help wondering if lines like “The act, we wear it thin again” are a reference to the acrimonious breakup with his former bandmate and drummer Grant Hart. Apparently the only time they re-united for a benefit gig the only songs they played were “Hardly Getting Over It” and “Never Talking to You Again”. Yikes. Anyway, this is great breezy stuff to put on when you’ve just been dumped and need something to cheer yourself up. Even if you haven’t been dumped, you just want to take Bob out for a beer and sympathise. Favourite tracks are probably Hoover Dam and If I Can’t Change Your Mind, which even features some lovely harmonies.

With how much 90s music I listen to I would have thought this could be a slam dunk. Unfortunately, this album just feels like a slurry of 90s band ideas. There’s REM, Gin Blossom, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, and the list goes on. But the issue is that none of the music feels particularly memorable. There aren’t really hooks, and the mixing is so dreadful that you can barely hear the lyrics and when you can it’s often words or phrases repeated ad nauseam. There are far more interesting albums from the 90s that could be on this list.

I hate when I’m so ready to not like something I’ve never heard of, only to actually enjoy it. And then to make things worse, it seems like something I definitely should have heard of by this point in my life. Thanks, Bob Mould. (ntm.)

R O C K MUSIC BROTHER!! loved this. SO 90s. bangers

Is that really a thing?

Awesome debut album from an underappreciated band. Excellent!!!

Doesn't really have much going for it

SO 90s alt my GOD I’m immediately back in my dad’s Ford Explorer driving down to Sacramento to visit my aunts and uncles. It’s like if you threw REM, Matchbox Twenty, and Foo Fighters into a blender and swirled them into a homogenous nondescript paste. Perfectly enjoyable to listen to, I actually like his voice, but I think you can get more interesting versions of the same thing elsewhere. Hoover Dam is the closest it comes to being distinctive. I don’t think I Needed to Hear This Before I Died. Hey they’re back together as of last year and currently touring though! Good for them! 2.5 stars! Second act montage needle drop in my biopic: “If I Can’t Change Your Mind”

This was good! Sounds like proto/early emo. It was a little repetitive and noisy but overall I liked it!

idk man its kind of like if the gin blossoms left the hatchback of their 1986 honda civic open and some of their twang fell out but they kept driving anyways, it was pleasant but just felt a bit dry at times. I liked hoover dam, if I can change your mind was also good, and overall it wasn't a bad album to listen to but I just feel like there are better albums from this time period that I would rather listen to if I wanted this sound - other albums that would be grittier or twangier or have harmonica por ejemplo. doesn't make me meow Likelihood that the members of this band lezzed out IMO: 2/5 i don't see it, they're just a bunch of peoples uncles to me

2.5 good riffs, a good idea especially i just really can't stand the husker du guys voice I'm so sorry lock me up

Generic American indie alternative rock. It's like there's a blueprint. Lacklustre melodies, some riffy rhythm guitars played like lead guitars, unimaginative bass lines, slightly less imaginative vocal melodies. Et voilà.

See, to me this should be in the 1001 Albums To Avoid At All Costs Before You Die. I like Hüsker Dü a lot, and this has really tainted Bob Mould’s legacy for me. It’s just annoying! Whiney vocals, horrible production on the guitars, silly pop punk melodies but played in a dreary middle-of-the-road indie way. Christ, Bob, you really lost your edge huh?

Some of these are familiar from the radio at the time, like “Helpless,” to the point where I was humming tunelessly along with it. I think I also heard Mould cover some of these tracks in a recent live session on KEXP radio. It didn’t completely grab me, though (either in the 90s or that recent live session). This is reasonable early 90s alterna-radio stuff. It’s good for what it is, and only suffers from my lack of enthusiasm for power pop. I liked “Changes,” with the weird droney stuff happening at the end. “The Slim” sounded a whole lot like REM, which is always a good thing, and “Slick” had a nice ending. Best was “A Good Idea,” which had interesting lyrics and some compelling repetition. I’m going to listen to those tracks again sometime.

A 1 star here is probably more like a 3 or 4/10 normally but I've adjusted my scale for this list since most of the albums are supposed to be good. Which might be a problem when I get to Kid Rock. I didn't think it was terrible, I thought it was really bland and I couldn't find anything to like about it. Kind of sounds like Nickleback or Hoobastank era rock which to be fair is ahead of its time but I can't imagine this ever sounding groundbreaking.

Really like this album, bit of an underrated gem. Great guitar tones, great energy. ‘If I can’t change your mind’ is an absolute banger and one of the best songs of the 90s

Pretty generic 90s Britpop rock. A few songs were OK, but most were boring and forgettable. A lot of other bands do rock music similar to this style and do it much better. The album was an alright listen, but it doesn't move the needle for me, and I don't believe this is important enough to be on this list. UK bias showing through again. Low 3/5

I mean I love Husker Du, he hasn’t gone a million miles from that. It’s good solid stuff but tbh it really had me missing the classic Husker drums sound yaknow? 3.8/5.0 Best Song: If I Can’t Change

Love Bob Mould, Love this Album. A good idea was such a big tune for me when i was younger.

Rock/Punk with strong talent, esp. the guitar.

Surprised it was rock. It was like too fighters without the extra. 5/10

Early preview to the wave of alt 90s/2000s. I enjoyed it.

What happens when you order nineties alternative rock through SHEIN. Interchangeable and unremarkable, even a little cheap.

Not terrible.

Another 90's band with the same pop sound

neeeej

Generic 90s pop rock.

Never heard of this before but I like the sound.

Fun. 3.5 rounded down to 3.

Fav: Hoover Dam, Man on the Moon, If I Can't Change Your Mind L: Slim, Fortune Teller, Changes 2.5 It's formulaic and repetitive but I kind of enjoyed some of it. Also it's really funny listening to some of these albums on Youtube because basically every single one has people that are like, "Heat from front to back on this one" or "I've been listening to this for 40 years, never gets old". I guess I'm glad that there's something for everyone. Cover: 2.5 Could benefit from a different font but the image is cool. Name: 2.5 At least none of the songs are named Sugar. Minecraft Parody: Steve in the End (Man on the Moon)

Big Bob Mould fan. I hadn’t played this in a while. It translates as a more pop polished version of Husker Du. Still rocks of course but with modern rock radio sheen. I prefer the more aggressive Beaster EP.

This is one of those albums ... Not a 5 within my personal collection, but def a 5 compared to everything on the 1001 list.

Fuckin' Bob Mould, man, what a badass. I mean, to have formed both Husker Du and Sugar in your life? Fuck. This album is so, so great. Intense, noisy, melodic, angry and, for my money, one of the best albums of the early 90s. I mean, I've probably already said that like 5 times during this project, but I'm serious!

I listened to this record a ton in college, and occasionally after that. It was my introduction to Bob Mould and inspired me to go backward to a few of his solo records and Husker Du output. He's had a pretty amazing life in music and this album is great at riding the line between pop and darker hooks.

One of my personal favorites, and I think close to a perfect album. Have seen them live twice; in Dallas in 1992, and then here 34 years later. Both were great shows. For me, the combination of a more radio-friendly pop influenced melodies and production with super-heavy crashing guitar riffs was just what the Husker Du sound needed. (Although Bob Mould was already most of the way there on Black Sheets of Rain.) Hoover Dam is an all-time great song.

5/5 - Loved this when it came out, and I was fairly ignorant of Mould's standing in the 80s indie/alternative/diy scene and what an influence he was on many bands that people claim this album is trying to imitate. Whatever, man. It's kinda wild to revisit this now that I'm so much more familiar with the rawer Husker Du records. Nowadays I can do without "If I Can't Change Your Mind" and I'll take "The Slim" instead.

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This is a sort of grunge meets pop alternative album. It has some catchy moments, but it is mostly forgettable. I wouldn't mind hearing it again but wouldn't seek it out either.

Banal. The mercilessly repetitive wall of guitar and percussion combined with the obnoxiously nasal (and again repetitive) vocals really, really grated by the end. Had they been able to somehow roll this pile of crap up into a decent 4-minute single, I might have been able to give it a neutral 3 - but as a 45-minute album... painful.