|
|
SugarAlbums ReviewedCopper Blue (1992)Beaster (1993) File Under: Easy Listening (1994) Copper Blue(1992)After Hüsker Dü split up Bob Mould released a couple of solo albums, before convening another power trio. Unlike Hüsker Dü, where Grant Hart was an important songwriter and vocalist and Greg Norton was also central to the band's sound, Sugar is very much Mould's show; his two new recruits are unobtrusive and stay out of the limelight. The good news is that Sugar's albums are less badly produced than Hüsker Dü's and can be found in bargain bins everywhere; otherwise Sugar are a lot less exciting than Hüsker Dü, missing the cultural significance, the group synergy, the poppy counterpoint that Hart's songs provided, and the musical and emotional intensity that made Hüsker Dü so great. Having said that, they're still far more interesting than most of their alternative colleagues of the early nineties; at least Mould is still an accomplished songwriter, and every word still rings true. Copper Blue, the group's first album, is in fine rock tradition, a break up album. While Mould wouldn't get his nastiest emotions out in the open until the following year's Beaster EP, this is still raw and seething by most standards. In my opinion, although I'm possibly alone in this, the best songs are when Mould steps furthest outside of the early 1990s alternative conventions that this album is steeped in. That's not a criticism - Mould's work in Hüsker Dü was a formative influence on much of the grunge/alternative movement in the early nineties, so it's just a natural progression for him to sound like this - but it's the faux-classical keyboard break of 'Hoover Dam', the acoustic 'If I Can't Change Your Mind', and the anthemic 'Man On The Moon' that are my favourite moments in this record. There's something about 'Man On The Moon' that's very Beatleseque; I think it's the way that Mould's guitar echoes McCartney's piano playing in the instrumental breaks. Elsewhere, Mould's writing is super solid; the album's full of excellent songs, even if it's the heavier moments like 'Fortune Teller' and 'A Good Idea' that make the strongest impression. The bridge of 'Changes' is also one of Mould's finest moments as a lyricist: "Change for the better, change for the worse/Changes with summer and fall/Now you're a stranger/Spare me some change/So I can find someone to call my own," takes a while to get the head around. Copper Blue is a really enjoyable album, although I think that I'm a little deadened to it after growing up during the era. Give me eighties alternative rock over nineties alternative rock any day of the week. 
 Beaster(1993)This is where all the energy and anger from Hüsker Dü went. Six Copper Blue outtakes are somehow moulded into an extremely coherent concept EP, improbably creating Sugar's best and most substantial release. While breakup was a noticeable theme right through Copper Blue, and that album had an undercurrent of pain, this time it's right on the surface and often downright nasty. Mould uses religious imagery - the title is a reference to Easter - placing himself and his former lover in the roles of Judas, Jesus et al. While the central tracks are harrowing, the album is bookended by two gorgeous moments; on 'Come Around' the guitars lock into a mesmerising swirl as Mould simply repeats the title, while 'Walk Away' is a lovely organ piece that brings the set to a calm conclusion that seems unlikely during the chaotic rock of 'JC Auto' or 'Tilt'. It's vintage Mould, and it's far more emotionally convincing than the more commercially oriented Copper Blue, recalling the vintage days of Hüsker Dü. The only real weak point on this release is the overlong coda to the otherwise excellent 'Getting Better'; David Barbe enjoys a rare moment of prominence with some funky bass breaks into the stop-start arrangements. Like all of Sugar's releases this should be easy to find cheap, and it's well worth tracking down.
File Under: Easy Listening(1994)After the inspired noisefest of Beaster, it's back to Mould by numbers on Sugar's final album. File Under: Easy Listening is a bit cheerier than previous efforts from Mould; he pulls out the acoustic guitar for strumalongs like 'Panama City Hotel', while 'Gee Angel' is downright happy by his standards. It's more pleasant sounding than Copper Blue, with a more relaxed overall tone and more textural range, but there's nothing here that's particularly revolutionary and it does feel like a retread. Having said that, 'Explode And Make Up' is my favourite Sugar song, with a punchy arrangement that jumps from acoustic balladry to electric bluster within a few seconds. Bassist David Barbe gets a songwriting credit and lead vocal with 'Company Book'; it's pleasant enough, but it's extremely generic in terms of melody, voice, lyrics, and pretty much every other musical criteria that it can be held up against. Some of Mould's material is also uncharacteristically dimensional, like the repetitive rocker 'Granny Cool'. It's easy enough to like this record, but it's just not compulsive listening like Mould's best work with Hüsker Dü. It's also an absolute artistic dead end with no boundary pushing; there was nowhere for Sugar to go from here, and it's no surprise that their career ended here. Their legacy isn't amazing, but they were a consistent little group, and they're worth checking out. These three albums cost me a grand total of NZ $13; see if you can find them all even more cheaply.
|
|
|
|
Written 2001-2007, Graham Fyfe
