Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade (Private Remaster UPGRADE) - 01 Something I Learned Today

Many year ago I uploaded this remaster to YouTube, it was the first time I shared it with anyone, and thankfully over the years it's garnered some positivity.

It was before HD uploads really took off and my original files are now only playing back with substandard audio quality (yes, I know it's YouTube, hardly the place to share audiophile quality sound!) so I decided to create new HD files in the hope that these will before a nice upgrade over the original uploads! Oh, and back then I had to split "Reoccurring Dreams" into two videos due to time limits, thankfully now those limits are lifted!

This is one of my oldest private remaster projects, along with "You're Living All Over Me" by Dinosaur Jr. Both were originally released on CD by SST, and both had sub-standard audio quality. Hüsker Dü's back catalogue remains, for the most part, untouched in the realms of reissues and remasters. Many fans would love to see a sympathetic remastering and repackaging program of Hüsker's music, I know I would!

Here's what Bob Mould said during an interview with Faster Louder in March 2013:
Interviewer: "Is a remaster of Hüsker Dü albums physically possible? And is it something you've given any thought to whatsoever? There seems to be a lot of fan demand."

Bob Mould: "I haven't given it any thought personally, mostly because the logistics of it would be, wow ... Firstly, where are the masters? Second, who owns the masters? Third, who's going to master them? Fourth, who would agree to give up rights so they can all go together? Nobody ever signed any contracts, in an ideal world everyone would agree, and that would be great but ... I haven't given it that much thought. If it's going to happen someday, I'm sure it would be a perfect storm, where everything just lines up all at once. But yeah I don't push it, I don't think about it. As I said before, I'm pretty busy these days, and keeping track of everything is a challenge."

Seems we may never see it happen...

Anyhow, he we go, my private remaster, re-uploaded with hopefully improved YouTube audio quality! Please remember to enjoy, and support your favourite musicians by purchasing their music!

[zararity]

Rest in peace Grant, batter those drums on another plane of existence, loudly.

[-pr]

Something I learned today
Black and white is always gray
Looking through the windowpane
I'm not inside your brain, your brain
Something I learned today
Yield to the right of way
Stopping at a four-way sign
Someone else's rules, not mine, not mine
Something I learned today
Never look straight in the sun's rays
Letting all the sunshine in
Can't remember where I've been, I've been
Something I learned today
Something I learned today
Something I learned today
Something I learned today
Something I learned today
Something I learned today
Something I learned today
Something I learned today

[Briandnlo]

Well done! So Husker Du really DID have a bass player! I thought that was an urban legend. Live for the day when New Day Rising's masters get back into the right hands and get the remix/remaster/reissue treatment. Material was great, Spot's production is worthy of execution for crimes committed against art.

[bigbadbillb]

I just plugged my Sennheiser HD 558 headphones into my laptop to listen to this right now, and I think the sound quality is absulutely OUTSTANDING!.  I remember buying this album on cassette as a little shaver way back in 1980-Something.  I remember listening to it on my SONY Walkman cassette player, and how mushy and muffled the vocal tracks sounded.  What a difference!

[losfogo]

The bass on this is so fucking good I can't fathom.
The voice is amazing
Guitar cuts like a fucking machete
The drums are other worldly.
Fucking masterpiece of punk, I'd listen to this all day

[marzipanwiley]

I can't believe this has been my "go to" wake up song for over 30 years now.
Fuck, I'm old :-/

[fishmanandginne]

Goosebumps!
Zen arcade, total chaos!

[goober]

Great great job!  I've always thought the original, though fine enough, suffered from a certain "Spot-esque" lack of dynamics.  This brings out the highs and lows without losing those aggressive mids.  I thank you.

[Dieafreak]

Birth of Alternative rock, indie rock, post-hardcore. People keep forgetting that alternative rock derived from Hardcore

[markusantonio]

The best Husker album, because it was a double lengthed album. Also, it had many elements in it. This group influenced so many other groups

[NewYorksMostWanted]

One of my favorite punk albums of all time.

They really set themselves apart from the rest.

[JohnnyFriendly]

Very good sound - the bass is muscular, the guitar a piece of sheer wall-of-noise intensity

Thanks for your efforts

[ChrisSwaningAround]

Quality on this playlist is much better than the vid of the whole album

[adamjg]

This is the way my original vinyl recording sounded.

[StefanPina]

thank you very much for your great work
i have never heard the record so well

[mar]

Thanks man. This album remains essential over the years

[kurtispopp]

I just got recentish copies of this and New Day Rising on vinyl and they sound great, way better than the awful cd versions.

[escapedvivesectionist]

Very impressive to say the least. Tremendous. Kudos!

[Maxuture]

So crispy, so clear. Thanks for this.

[bobospock]

How I love this totally dig how the ending has an oriental total blast to play on guitar.