Husker Du--Zen Arcade
This is my favorite album by them, it's a fucking masterpiece. A lot of their fans like New Day Rising better than Zen Arcade, but they are mistaken in their assessment. Don't get me wrong, New Day Rising is a great record, as are Flip Your Wig and Metal Circus, but none of them quite reach the genius-inspired heights of Zen Arcade. Considered by many to be their "psychedelic" album, it is brilliant in it's themes of isolation, alienation, lack of emotional support from family, friends or significant others, and the gritty determination to maintain one's core individuality through it all. It's not a whiny, wimpy record by any means, it's a rockin', kick ass affaIr, driven by rivetting instrumental precision. Husker Du outrocks any metal band of their time, and expresses heartfelt emotion without slipping into sappiness or wussiness, and displays an intelligence and cynicism that is tempered by hope, and faith in themselves and their powers to create, if only while the music is playing, a better world for themselves and their listeners. Husker Du is one of the often overlooked treasurres of AMerican music, they deserve all the praise that can be meted out to them. This record proves it.