Candy Apple Grey is the fifth studio album by the American alternative rock band Hüsker Dü, released in 1986 through Warner Bros. Records.
| Candy Apple Grey | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 17, 1986 | |||
| Recorded | October 1985–January 1986 | |||
| Studio | Nicollet Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 37:04 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Bob Mould and Grant Hart | |||
| Hüsker Dü chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Candy Apple Grey | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Chicago Tribune | [3] |
| Q | [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
| Select | 4/5[6] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10[7] |
| The Village Voice | A[8] |
It was the band's first major label release, though Warner Bros. had lobbied to release Flip Your Wig until the band decided to let SST Records have it. Candy Apple Grey also marks the completion of the band's transition from hardcore punk to a more well-rounded sonic style which would later come to be known as alternative rock. As usual, Bob Mould and Grant Hart individually wrote tracks on the album. While the band's earlier, more frenetic style is still evident, Candy Apple Grey also features more introverted, toned-down material, including a relatively large amount of acoustic guitar.
The singles released from this album were "Sorry Somehow" and "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely", both written and sung by Hart. The latter was accompanied by a promotional video which earned airtime on MTV. Candy Apple Grey was the first Hüsker Dü album to chart on the Billboard Top 200, but despite receiving exposure on radio as well as MTV, it peaked at No. 140.
Re-release
editCandy Apple Grey was re-released on Record Store Day (April 19, 2014) on heavyweight grey vinyl.[2]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Crystal" | Bob Mould | 3:28 |
| 2. | "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" | Grant Hart | 3:29 |
| 3. | "I Don't Know for Sure" | Mould | 2:27 |
| 4. | "Sorry Somehow" | Hart | 4:25 |
| 5. | "Too Far Down" | Mould | 4:37 |
| 6. | "Hardly Getting Over It" | Mould | 6:02 |
| 7. | "Dead Set on Destruction" | Hart | 2:59 |
| 8. | "Eiffel Tower High" | Mould | 2:49 |
| 9. | "No Promise Have I Made" | Hart | 3:39 |
| 10. | "All This I've Done for You" | Mould | 3:09 |
Personnel
edit- Hüsker Dü
- Bob Mould – guitar, vocals, keyboards, percussion, producer
- Grant Hart – drums, vocals, percussion, keyboards, producer
- Greg Norton – bass guitar
- Technical
- Steven Fjelstad – engineer
- Howie Weinberg – mastering
- Daniel Corrigan – cover photography
Covers
edit- "Dead Set on Destruction" was covered by Minneapolis band Trip Shakespeare on its 1992 EP Volt.[9]
- "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" was covered by Catherine Wheel, Mega City Four, Political Asylum, Green Day, and Prong, among others.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Candy Apple Grey – Hüsker Dü". AllMusic. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
- ^ a b "Record Store Day 2014- Glide's Essential 30 Record Store Day Exclusives". Glide Magazine. April 15, 2014. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
- ^ Kot, Greg (October 11, 1992). "As Bob Mould Went, So Went Rock Music". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- ^ "Hüsker Dü: Candy Apple Grey". Q. No. 74. November 1992. p. 133.
- ^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Hüsker Dü". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). London: Fireside Books. p. 399. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Cavanagh, David (November 1992). "Hüsker Dü: Candy Apple Grey / Warehouse: Songs and Stories". Select. No. 29. p. 95.
- ^ Weisband, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Hüsker Dü". Spin Alternative Record Guide (1st ed.). New York: Vintage Books. p. 187. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- ^ McIntosh, Gregory. "Trip Shakespeare - Volt". AllMusic. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
- ^ "Songs written by Hüsker Dü members and covered by others". Hüsker Dü Database. Retrieved January 30, 2021.