In 1984, Husker Du took the trippy, ethereal Byrds tune “Eight Miles High” and reworked it as an expression of punk rage while somehow managing to retain the melodic core of the song. It stands as one of the greatest recordings of all time, let alone one of the greatest cover versions ever. Husker Du recorded their studio version of “Eight Miles High” at the same time they were recording the sprawling double-LP Zen Arcade. With the 1984 release of Zen Arcade and “Eight Miles High”, Husker Du broke through many of the constraints that punk rock had placed on itself without sacrificing any of the intensity of punk. “Eight Miles High” signaled that Husker Du had a broad range of influences and could channel them into their own sound. It also laid down a challenge to punk bands to expand how they approached their music. SST label-mates the Minutemen responded with their own double-LP Double Nickels on the Dime, writing “Take that, Huskers!” in the acknowledgements. [Source]
[Inspired by Sebastian Gullach Büttrich]
New Music United 