14: eight miles high-- husker du

yes, this is a cover. the first (last?) one on this list. it is, of course, a classic byrds fried folk song. the byrds song is accordingly ripped to shreds by one of the finest bands of the 80s that, at least early on, was hellbent on playing faster and louder than anybody. husker du takes this song, throws it in a blender and shoots it out like a water hose onto a crowd. it's a mess. but, that's what makes this song so great.

it takes skill to destroy something perfectly and still maintain a connection with the original material. glimpses of this song's roots seem to appear from behind the fuzz every once in a while and certain lyrics can be recognized through bob mould's screams. but more than that, this song captures an escalation of the mood from the original song. it takes it to another level. nearly a level of madness. this song blew me away upon first listen. i thought i was hearing someone in the process of losing their mind, losing control. it was like a dionysian frenzy, like a primal and natural purging.

i credit this song for heightening my interest in fuzzedout poppypunk laced with wellplaced yelling. i really liked the fact that people could put so much into their music that they seemed to be on the verge of losing it. most importantly, this song made me realize that cover songs didn't have to be rote, dry rehashing, but something new and empassioned. i saw that great covers show you something fresh and make you consider the originial in a different light. and this song certainly does that for me.

1985 performance (i remember it well): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=salbSLGlePM