Land Speed Record (album)
Encyclopedia
Land Speed Record is the first full-length record by Hüsker Dü
, released in January 1982. It was recorded live on August 15, 1981 at the 7th Street Entry, a venue in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. The album is a fast and furious hardcore workout that bears almost no resemblance to the melodic post-punk that the band became known for in the mid '80s. The title has a double meaning, referring to both the band's ability to play as fast as they could (there are 17 songs crammed into 26½ minutes) and their penchant for amphetamine
pills.
, Mike Watt
offered to put out the album on his label, New Alliance. The original LP release on New Alliance contained an insert with lyrics and upcoming tour dates.
The album was reissued in 1987 on SST Records
on compact disc
. Like Hüsker Dü's other releases, Land Speed Record has not been remastered to alter the LP's sound for the compact disc
release. The band's ongoing royalty disputes with SST have been given as the cause for not having a unique CD edition issued. The SST CD contains only two track
s, one for each side of the original LP.
once referred to it as "the bad part of the acid...It sounds like when you go to a gig and get your ears blown off". The album was recorded just as they went on a tour of various places in the country, those close to the band say upon their return the band was louder, faster and noisier than before. The magazine Discords said about it: "It's hard to believe but the only Minneapolis hardcore band have gotten even faster during their stay away." Yet there are some elements emerging under the wash of noise that foreshadow the band's future direction. "Don't Try To Call" is one of their most melodic early songs, while Hart's "Data Control" slows the tempo to conjure a creepy musical mood to match the paranoia of the lyrics.
"Bricklayer" and "Let's Go Die" appear as studio recordings on the band's first studio album, Everything Falls Apart
, and on the Rhino reissue
, Everything Falls Apart and More.
The poster with cover of the album appeared in 1987 film Less Than Zero
.
Side Two
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
, released in January 1982. It was recorded live on August 15, 1981 at the 7th Street Entry, a venue in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The album is a fast and furious hardcore workout that bears almost no resemblance to the melodic post-punk that the band became known for in the mid '80s. The title has a double meaning, referring to both the band's ability to play as fast as they could (there are 17 songs crammed into 26½ minutes) and their penchant for amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
pills.
History
Hüsker Dü's August 1981 concert was recorded straight to 2-track soundboard tape for $350. Once the band had taped it they realized they lacked the financial means to release the album. Friend of the band, and member of MinutemenMinutemen (band)
Minutemen were an American hardcore punk band formed in San Pedro, California in 1980. Composed of guitarist D. Boon, bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley, Minutemen recorded four albums and eight EPs before Boon's death in an automobile accident in December 1985...
, Mike Watt
Mike Watt
Michael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
offered to put out the album on his label, New Alliance. The original LP release on New Alliance contained an insert with lyrics and upcoming tour dates.
The album was reissued in 1987 on SST Records
SST Records
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was initially called Solid State Transmitters through which Ginn sold electronics equipment...
on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
. Like Hüsker Dü's other releases, Land Speed Record has not been remastered to alter the LP's sound for the compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
release. The band's ongoing royalty disputes with SST have been given as the cause for not having a unique CD edition issued. The SST CD contains only two track
Track (CD)
On an optical disc, a track or title is a subdivision of its content. Specifically, it is a consecutive set of sectors on the disc containing a block of data. One session may contain one or more tracks of the same or different types...
s, one for each side of the original LP.
Music
The album sounds like straightforward hardcore at first glance; with volume and power being emphasized over melody, it's the Hüsker Dü record that least sounds like Hüsker Dü. Bob MouldBob Mould
Robert Arthur "Bob" Mould is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.-Early life:...
once referred to it as "the bad part of the acid...It sounds like when you go to a gig and get your ears blown off". The album was recorded just as they went on a tour of various places in the country, those close to the band say upon their return the band was louder, faster and noisier than before. The magazine Discords said about it: "It's hard to believe but the only Minneapolis hardcore band have gotten even faster during their stay away." Yet there are some elements emerging under the wash of noise that foreshadow the band's future direction. "Don't Try To Call" is one of their most melodic early songs, while Hart's "Data Control" slows the tempo to conjure a creepy musical mood to match the paranoia of the lyrics.
"Bricklayer" and "Let's Go Die" appear as studio recordings on the band's first studio album, Everything Falls Apart
Everything Falls Apart
Everything Falls Apart is the second album by Hüsker Dü, though their first studio album, as their debut, Land Speed Record, was recorded live...
, and on the Rhino reissue
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
, Everything Falls Apart and More.
The poster with cover of the album appeared in 1987 film Less Than Zero
Less Than Zero (film)
Less Than Zero is a 1987 American drama film loosely based on Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name. The film stars Andrew McCarthy as Clay, a college freshman returning home for Christmas to spend time with his ex-girlfriend Blair and his friend Julian , who is also a drug addict...
.
Track listing
Side One- "All Tensed Up" (Mould) – 2:02
- "Don't Try to Call" (Mould) – 1:30
- "I'm Not Interested" (Hart) – 1:31
- "Guns at My School" (Mould) – 0:55
- "Push the Button" (Hart) – 1:48
- "Gilligan's Island" (Hart) – 1:23
- "M.T.C." (Norton) – 1:09
- "Don't Have a Life" (Norton) – 2:09
Side Two
- "Bricklayer" (Mould) – 0:53
- "Tired of Doing Things" (Hart) – 0:58
- "You're Naive" (Mould) – 0:53
- "Strange Week" (Hart) – 0:57
- "Do the Bee" (Hart) – 1:49
- "Big Sky" (Mould) – 0:57
- "Ultracore" (Mould) – 0:47
- "Let's Go Die" (Norton) – 1:26
- "Data Control" (Hart) – 5:28
Personnel
- Bob MouldBob MouldRobert Arthur "Bob" Mould is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.-Early life:...
- guitar, vocals - Greg NortonGreg NortonGreg Norton is an American musician, formerly of the band Hüsker Dü....
- bass, vocals - Grant HartGrant HartGrant Hart is an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-songwriter for the influential alternative rock and hardcore punk band Hüsker Dü. After the band's breakup in 1987, Hart formed the alternative rock trio Nova Mob, where he moved to vocals and guitar...
- drums, vocals