I thought I'd get this discussion thread rolling with a poll. I'm sure a lot of you are familar with the Minneapolis supergroup Golden Smog, which includes Soul Asylum member Dan Murphy. So far they have released a total of five albums (2 of which are technically consdered EP's).

There is not one album I dislike by them. I find them all uniquely different. If I really had to choose one as a favorite I would have to go with Down By The Old Mainstream. Although I can do this with all their albums, I feel that I can really listen to this album all the way through without having that one track that might feel I want to skip from time to time. The tracks I really like on there are V, Red Headed Stepchild, Williamton Angel, and Radio King.

If you've only heard one or some of their albums, feel free to vote for whichever one you like best.

Jim

For my money, I don't know if it gets any better than Weird Tales.

It's easily in my top 5 albums of all time.

Interestingly enough, it doesn't have my current favorite 'Smog song on it. That would have to go to Blood On the Slacks' "Without a Struggle" though "Scotch on Ice" comes in a close second.

While the Jayhawks Fanpage forum ripped Blood On the Slacks a a new @sshole, with only minimal polite comments about it, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It's a close call and kind of depends on the mood I'm in, but Weird Tales wins by a nose.

I also went with Weird Tales. Second choice would be Mainstream.

Yeah, I agree with most of you all. Weird Tales just had something about it. I loved Mainstream as well and would have to say it is my second favorite. I think those albums they were in the right place and all members were contributing equally. I think Tweedy isn't as involved since Wilco is all over the place now. I love all of their albums though.

my vote mainsteam. scot would l have gone for weird tales so we probably cancel each other out. Just want to take a bite out of that disk (teehee). Especially listen to it a lot around the holidays. Not just because of the pie, also because I am the RH Step child and He is such a D@#$

The new stuff is great. love hurricane! I have a copy of Another Find Day signed by all the band members!! Many thanks to Stan!

hey all i can't vote haven't heard any all the way through (but thanks to suggestions from people on this forum asked my husband for weird tales for xmas)

i was leaving our local liquor store w/ my husband the other day and after we got in the car he told me he saw a golden smog cd sitting on the counter in the store on his way out. i was excited that i've started converting my husband into noticing and even knowing who they are (i am slooowlytrying to convert him). plus it's cool that my new small town (i just moved here a few months ago) has another golden smog fan in it. pretty random i guess.

Weord Tales, but I give a nod to On Golden Smog - Shooting Star is one of my favorite covers.

Five albums already? Egads! I have a lot to catch up on! For someone who hasn't heard anything by Golden Smog before, except maybe a clip of something or other sometime, somewhere, I don't even know where to start!

The task of listening to as many GS songs on as many albums as possible seems monumental, especially when coupled with the twin tasks of doing the same for the Replacements and Husker Du. You see, I've never heard anything by them before either. If I have, it was a long time ago and I'm sure if I hear it again, I'll definitely remember.

Ohhh...don't be so shocked. It's highly possible that I'm not acquainted with them. At least I'm making the effort to get to know their music now. I still haven't heard all Soul Asylum songs yet, but from what I've heard, they're definitely my favorite band yet.

QUESTION:

If you wanted to introduce a new fan to music of Husker Du, the Replacements or Golden Smog, what would you play for them or recommend they listen to first? Or would any random song do?

sayeeda wrote:
If you wanted to introduce a new fan to music of Husker Du, the Replacements or Golden Smog, what would you play for them or recommend they listen to first? Or would any random song do?

For the Golden Smog, weird tales isn't a bad place to start. Also, while they have 5 albums, two of them are EPs so they don't really count. Any of the albums can work, but weird tales is really when they started shining as a real band, and not just a joke (although down by the old mainstream was a real band too).

For the Replacements, I'd recommend starting with Let It Be, Tim, or Pleased To Meet Me. Those three albums are considered the trilogy and are all amazing. Tim or Pleased To Meet Me might be a bit more accessible than Let it Be. The 'mats earlier albums are also good, but nowhere near as accessible. A lot more punk rock, and not really something I'd likely get if it wasn't for the fact that they're the replacements. Their last two albums are also good, but a more poppy sound. The mats were never pop, but the later albums you get the feeling of the hit songs that never were on there. The band was just a lot more polished, and it doesn't have the same feel as the earlier work did.

Which Husker Du album to choose is also a tough one. I wouldn't consider any of their albums that accessible. I think the first album I got by them was Everything Falls Apart and More. It's an alright album, but not there best. Zen Arcade is probably my favorite, but it can be hard to listen to at times (especially when the guitar squeals occur). I would definitely consider the mats a higher priority than husker du, particularly for Soul Asylum fans.

Phil