Ignored Obscured Restored
Bob Mould made his first big splash in the music business with the band Hüsker Dü. The Minnesota-based punk rock band, founded in 1979, released a string of critically acclaimed albums on the independent SST label, including Zen Arcade and New Day Rising, before moving to Warner Bros. for Candy Apple Grey. Dozens of bands that followed have cited Hüsker Dü as a major influence. In fact, it is hard to imagine the grunge movement of the 1990s taking the same shape without Hüsker Dü paving the way.
After Hüsker Dü dissolved, Mould embarked on a solo career, releasing a series of albums between 1988 and 1991. The first of these, Workbook (Virgin, 1989), was outstanding.
By 1992, Mould was feeling the urge to play with a band again. He teamed up with bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis for a few informal jam sessions. Having lived in Boston during the last quarter of the 20th century, I was already familiar with Travis from his work with Human Sexual Response — a band I saw live numerous times — as well as the Zulus. The chemistry between the three musicians was immediate, so they decided to stay together under the name Sugar.
Today’s SotW is “Helpless” from Sugar’s debut album, Copper Blue.
“Helpless” is a perfect example of the Sugar sound: layers of melodic guitar, driving rhythms, and Mould’s unmistakable blend of power and vulnerability. The song captures everything that made Copper Blue such a compelling record.
The band — especially Mould — had modest expectations for commercial success. Instead, Sugar quickly found an audience far larger than anyone anticipated. Within a couple of years they were playing arenas. Mould often remarked that Sugar became the most commercially successful project of his career.
The Sugar story is told in the short documentary Changes: The Story of Sugar, which is currently streaming on YouTube. At just 21 minutes long, it is well worth your time.
And for fans of The Daily Show, there’s one more bit of Mould trivia: his song “Dog on Fire” serves as the show’s theme song.
Enjoy… until next week.
Great write-up as always, Tom. “Layered” is exactly the right term to describe his work. I always enjoyed his stuff including his solo efforts. Thanks for sharing.