Band member Bob Mould expresses no recollection of internal strife within the group. He firmly states their decisive intention to regain control over the band's direction, ensuring the album was crafted according to their vision.
In the realms of punk rock history, the third full-length album by Hüsker Dü, New Day Rising, is often heralded as a significant and groundbreaking milestone. It follows in the footsteps of the band's astringent yet semi-melodic second record, Zen Arcade, enhancing their raw sound with more open chords and catchy hooks, all while fueling their intense competition with their label and bandmates into their music.
Yet, it's essential to understand that New Day Rising was not birthed out of pure spite or through years of meticulous planning aimed at reinventing hardcore or creating a new breed of pop. Instead, it was more an organic progression of the spontaneous sound of three youthful, frequently inebriated punks challenging convention and galloping recklessly towards an unknown destination.
Guitarist Bob Mould explains, "When we did New Day Rising, we didn't have a large following or the blessings of the critics. We were progressing and improving, but what mattered most to us was moving forward." In his view, it serves as a transitional record, a midpoint between Zen Arcade and their subsequent album, Flip Your Wig.
Work on New Day Rising began shortly after the band completed their 1984 double concept album, Zen Arcade. Their label, SST, promptly demanded a follow-up, so Hüsker Dü stocked their rehearsal space with beer and resumed composing.
The band hoped to self-produce the album, but SST insisted they collaborate once more with Spot, a California-based in-house producer who had worked on their previous records. A compromise was reached, allowing the band to work with Spot if they could record the album in Nicollet Studios, their hometown of Minneapolis. Contrary to popular belief, the tension that fueled the record was primarily due to friction with the label, rather than internal strife among the band members (as would eventually be the case).
New Day Rising was recorded in a brief period, with songs often tracked in one or two takes. In the sessions, Mould played his same Ibanez Explorer guitar through a Fender Silverface Deluxe Twin Reverb and an MXR Distortion Plus. Mould views the album as an evolution of the band's sound, but not as a revolutionary masterpiece, dismissing the numerous critics who have ranked it among the best and most influential albums of all time.
"For me, it was just a continuation of the direction we were heading with Zen Arcade," he says. "We had improved as songwriters, so New Day Rising was a more melodic record. More than anything, though, it was the stepping-stone before Flip Your Wig, which was our best moment as a band."
New Day Rising is available now on SST Records.
- Bob Mould's Ibanez Explorer guitar, paired with a Fender Silverface Deluxe Twin Reverb and an MXR Distortion Plus, was used in the recording sessions for New Day Rising.
- New Day Rising was considered more of a stepping-stone for Hüsker Dü, marking a progression from their previous album Zen Arcade, rather than a revolutionary masterpiece in music entertainment.
- The tension that fueled the creation of New Day Rising was primarily due to friction with the label, SST, rather than internal strife among the band members.
