Double LP in Gatefold Jacket

The second album from Minneapolis’s Hüsker Dü was still punk at its core, but hints at the sound of things to come with the introduction of more melodic guitar work, plus some subtle influences from psychedelia and folk music. With two skilled songwriters — guitarist Bob Mould and drummer Grant Hart — the genre-bending trio (bassist Greg Norton completed the lineup) juxtaposed hardcore punk speed and aggression with pop-leaning melodies. Add their uniformly thoughtful, introspective lyrics, and you’ve got this stunning 1984 double-length release, a semi-concept album about youthful rites of passage. It includes such memorable tracks as “Broken Home, Broken Heart,” “Never Talking To You Again” and the evocative 14-minute instrumental closer, “Reoccuring Dreams.”

Released: 10/17/90