Hüsker Dü的《Zen Arcade》荡涤了80年代中叶阻窒朋克摇滚发展的那种制作过份精致的尘垢(但具有讽刺意味的是，这个团体最后也毁在这种尘垢之下)，这支来自明尼阿波利斯的三人乐队创造了狂暴如火上浇油般的噪音，虽然容易使人对乐队的真实风格产生误解，但依然掩盖不住他们令人过耳难忘的旋律性。《Zen Arcade》是前grunge时期的grunge作品--一种真实的，胡言乱语式的原创，向一代人传递着丧失理智的疯语。这一套两张的专辑是一次录音合成的，包括诸多经典，如鼓手Grant Hart的“Pink Turn to Blue”和乐队领袖(现在是Sugar创始人)Bob Mould的“Pride”以及“The Biggest Lie”，还有“Reoccurring Dreams”和臭名昭著的“Long Song”(长达13分50秒)。纯真苦涩的诚意，美妙响亮的声音，《Zen Arcade》就像一枚来自天堂的炸弹在分崩离析的舞台上炸响。 　 　　by Stephen Thomas Erlewine 　　In many ways, it's impossible to overestimate the impact of Hüsker Dü's Zen Arcade on the American rock underground in the '80s. It's the record that exploded the limits of hardcore and what it could achieve. Hüsker Dü broke all of the rules with Zen Arcade. First and foremost, it's a sprawling concept album, even if the concept isn't immediately clear or comprehensible. More important are the individual songs. Both Bob Mould and Grant Hart abandoned the strict "fast, hard, loud" rules of hardcore punk with their songs for Zen Arcade. Without turning down the volume, Hüsker Dü try everything -- pop songs, tape experiments, acoustic songs, pianos, noisy psychedelia. Hüsker Dü willed themselves to make such a sprawling record -- as the liner notes state, the album was recorded and mixed within 85 hours and consists almost entirely of first takes. That reckless, ridiculously single-minded approach does result in some weak moments -- the sound is thin and the instrumentals drag on a bit too long -- but it's also the key to the success of Zen Arcade. Hüsker Dü sound phenomenally strong and possessed, as if they could do anything. The sonic experimentation is bolstered by Mould and Hart's increased sense of songcraft. Neither writer is afraid to let his pop influences show on Zen Arcade, which gives the songs -- from the unrestrained rage of "Something I Learned Today" and the bitter, acoustic "Never Talking to You Again" to the eerie "Pink Turns to Blue" and anthemic "Turn On the News" -- their weight. It's music that is informed by hardcore punk and indie rock ideals without being limited by them.