Three from the Train: Hüsker Dü, David Bowie, The Fags

Every morning that I decide to drag myself to the city, I have a little over an hour to listen to music on the train. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. So it's often an interesting mix.

Here's what I heard this morning:

Hüsker Dü: "It's Not Peculiar"
I discovered these guys on MTV's late Sunday night show, 120 Minutes. That was the best two hours of programming MTV ever had. When I heard "Could You Be The One" from 1987's Warehouse: Songs and Stories album, I was instantly hooked. I bought the cassette and wore it out on my Walkman. There are a lot of great songs on that double album and this is one of my favorites.



David Bowie: "It's No Game (Part 1)"
From Bowie's 1980 release Scary Monsters. What a great album - one of my favorite Bowie albums. It yielded two hits, "Ashes to Ashes" and "Fashion," but what I really love is the chaotic nature of this record. Here's the opening track featuring Robert Fripp's guitar work that is unlike anything else I"d heard before it and Bowie's frantic and often panicked voice that sets an amazing tone for this record, one that is "full of tension and fear."



The Fags: "List"
The Fags are a 3-piece from Detroit that play '70s-style power-crunch-pop a la Cheap Trick, The Raspberries, the Police, etc. I first caught them on some obscure internet radio show in 2002. The group had just released a five-song EP. It's one of my favorite possessions. I LOVE this band. Here's one reason why.


Until Next Time...