Zen Arcade (studio album) by Hüsker Dü

It's incredibly poorly produced. Probably one of the worst of SST. But it also expresses the power behind these songs. If they had produced it the way they did Minutemen at the same time, it would be much much better than it already is.

From Larcx13 11/13/2022 18:08

Tracks 5 to 13 are a barrage of Misfits like Hardcore punk. Not for everyone, I can enjoy it but I can also recognize them as songs I wont go back to. That being said, a lot of memorable punk tracks at the start and at the end. Worth a couple listens this record to find the tracks you really like. Other than that, it is a classic punk record so punk fans will love this.

B+

When this record has its high points it is one of the best hardcore punk I've heard (Somewhere, Pink Turns Blue, Turn On The News), but I think it would be so much better if it had only 12 great tracks, not 23 including some pointless ones.

From VictorVale 02/10/2022 17:02

Pilar do rock alternativo.

From Timestarter 08/09/2021 20:56

Highlights:

- Something I Learned Today
- Broken Home, Broken Heart
- Hare Krsna
- Pride
- I'll Never Forget You
- The Biggest Lie
- Masochism World
- One Step at a Time
- Newest Industry
- The Tooth Fairy and the Princess
- Turn On the News
- Reoccurring Dreams

From Jbalbinolr 05/02/2021 15:18

Album of the day, and it`s one of the greatest albums of the decade. The turning point for punk

From teague 07/01/2020 02:24

Two albums came out in 1984 that really helped to make progress in the hardcore punk genre; Double Nickels on the Dime and Zen Arcade. Hüsker Dü's effort is the more aggressive and straightforward of the two and is the one I prefer.

Really good album.

Favorites: Indecision Time; Beyond The Threshold; I'll Never Forget You; Turn On The News.

Its flawed, slightly too long and the audio fidelity is scratchy and staticky, but its those flaws that give it the greater impact. Its a dark brooding masterpiece of existential angst the best ever put to music, its grunge before grunge became a book of clichés. The styles are diverse and varied, which individually don't work in isolation, but when you add it all up create a sonic kaleidoscope that varies in texture and colour. Its cerebral with jagged hooks, its Rage to last a lifetime.


Top 5 tracks

Never Talking to you again
Standing By The Sea
Pink Turns To Blue
Whatever
Turn On The News

From Brad1770 09/22/2018 04:10

The seminal and almost legendary 'Zen Arcade' appears to have taken on a life of its own over the years but its not the panacea many claim it is

For starters its too long coming in at 70 minutes , the middle portion particularly becomes a slog as quite a few tracks being blurring into one

Secondly as a concept album it actually doesn't work . Supposedly telling the tale of a boy who leaves a broken home only to find the outside world is no better , this narrative thread is impossible to follow bar a few slices here and there

Thirdly the track listing has too many ho hum moments with tracks such as "Chartered Trips" , "Dreams Reoccurring" later repeated plus 13 minutes , "Indecision Time" , "Pride" and "Somewhere" as examples

Yet there are some gems to be mined within Zen , I can recommend Harts "Never Talking To You Again" , the weird but good "Hare Krsna" instrumental , the powerful "Standing By The Sea" , the 'Candy Apple Grey' - ish "Pink Turns To Blue" and twin closer's the excellent "Turn On The News" with cool monkey sounds and the full 14 minute "Reoccurring Dream "

Overall I find 'Zen Arcade' better than good but far from great

60/100