by Kris Handel (@khandel84)
1985: The Miracle Year is a new archival Hüsker Dü box set from Numero Group. The record consists of a live set from a First Avenue performance in the band’s hometown of Minneapolis, and another disc of various live performance in their prime. The box set also includes a captivating and informative book of the band’s exploits of the titular year, 1985.
Hüsker Dü’s early live performances were notoriously primal and hard-charging affairs. Although the energy of the earlier years is carried over, these performances show the band could pummel their audience with a melodic edge that could cut through to another level of feelings and emotions. Although the band was always a bit full of onstage tension, the trio of Bob Mould, Grant Hart, and Greg Norton could shed those concerns and connect with an audience, showing an impressive amount of depth and character from their already impressive back catalog. This box set shows a different animal from the rage of 1982’s Land Speed Record, documenting the band nearing their high water mark that every fan will salivate over.
On The Miracle Year, Hüsker Dü come out firing on all cylinders, kicking off with the roaring “New Day Rising.” Hart’s pounding drums sound as if he has eight arms and legs, while Mould howls along fiercely, guitars blaring over Norton’s yelps. The lead off track sets the pace for what is to come throughout the night. There are very strong takes of “Everything Falls Apart” and “The Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill” where, on the former, the band’s power is near overwhelming in every sense of the word. Hüsker Dü truly connect on the early classic as Hart and Norton lock in as a rhythm section. Clattering snares and bouncing rapid bass lines lay a rock steady floor for Mould’s fiery leads and snarling vocals before dramatically collapsing in transitional feedback.
“Makes No Sense at All” allows for a very brief reprieve from the raging fire of the early New Day Rising heavy set, giving the band a chance to change pace a bit. Mould’s vocals stretch and pull as his guitar roars and riffs impeccably, adding a bit of jangle in the process. There’s a very strong take on “Green Eyes” where Mould’s guitar kicks everything off with a rolling riff before Hart’s vocals pierce through and his kick drum rumbles and shakes. Hart takes a deeper approach to his vocals this night and it adds a different character that plays well with the darker take than on the classic poppy version heard on Flip Your Wig.
After airing a set of soon-to-be-released classics from New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig, the band closes the night with a medley of Beatles/pop covers, including a great reimagining of the Byrds’ “Eight Miles High.” Hart and Norton once again find a perfect pocket to anchor Mould’s energy and simmering rage. After an appropriately wild “Helter Skelte,r” they play “Ticket to Ride” a little closer to the vest, but still manage to delightfully make the song their own. Mould’s guitar melds muscularity and melody while the diverging vocals of Mould and Hart bring a new color. This set is a rollercoaster that delightfully shows how fierce a proposition Hüsker Dü still were at this time in their career, while previewing the path the band would tread later on in the future.
The disc of live performances through the year shows the band pushing further along into poppier moments that clearly shows the influence Hüsker Dü had on avowed fan Kurt Cobain and countless others. Some of the highlights are an emotionally powerful, including a haunting and slower take on “Hardly Getting Over It,” and a spirited and adventurously arranged “Never Talking to You Again” that highlights the alternating vocals of Mould and Hart.
This box shows the crucial role Hüsker Dü played in the mid-80’s US punk/hardcore scene, as well as their massive influence on the indie and popular music landscape for decades after their demise in 1988. This set is a treasure for fans and newcomers alike that shows a band continuing to grow and traverse new musical directions while living up to their reputation as a powerful live band. This document shows the talent of Mould, Hart, and Norton to reinvent themselves onstage while delivering the same passion and energy that exploded with the release of New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig months later, truly a year that will live in their mythical year that was 1985.