Flip Your Wig
Encyclopedia
Flip Your Wig is the fourth album by the American
punk rock
band, Hüsker Dü
, and its last release on SST Records
. By the time of this release in 1985
, they had signed a major-label record deal. However, the band felt they owed one more album to SST and delivered Flip Your Wig. Perhaps owing to the expedient circumstances of its recording, Flip Your Wig is overall lighter in tone than Hüsker Dü's earlier albums, with filler such as "The Baby Song." In this respect, it is viewed as less essential than New Day Rising
and Zen Arcade
, but critical opinion of the album generally registers high. The title track and "Keep Hanging On" became staples of the band's live shows, while power pop
anthem "Makes No Sense at All
" was featured in a music video
; this song was sometimes performed by Mould in his 1990s solo career, though he otherwise largely distanced himself from his years in Hüsker Dü. The album concludes with two instrumental songs.
"Makes No Sense at All" was released as a single, with "Love Is All Around" (the theme song of the Mary Tyler Moore Show) on the b-side. The "Makes No Sense at All" video includes both songs, back-to-back.
Flip Your Wig, like Hüsker Dü's other SST releases, has never been remaster
ed for improved sound on compact disc
.
Bob Mould himself has stated that Flip Your Wig is what he views as "the best album [Hüsker Dü] ever did."
Side two
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band, Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
, and its last release on SST Records
SST Records
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was initially called Solid State Transmitters through which Ginn sold electronics equipment...
. By the time of this release in 1985
1985 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1985.-January–March:*January 1 - The newest music video channel, VH-1, debuts on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV...
, they had signed a major-label record deal. However, the band felt they owed one more album to SST and delivered Flip Your Wig. Perhaps owing to the expedient circumstances of its recording, Flip Your Wig is overall lighter in tone than Hüsker Dü's earlier albums, with filler such as "The Baby Song." In this respect, it is viewed as less essential than New Day Rising
New Day Rising
New Day Rising is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Hüsker Dü, released in 1985 on SST Records. Though less ambitious than prior album Zen Arcade, New Day Rising, in some ways, helped set the template for alternative rock for the next decade...
and Zen Arcade
Zen Arcade
Upon its release Zen Arcade received positive reviews in many mainstream publications, including NME, The New York Times and Rolling Stone. In his review for Rolling Stone, David Fricke described Zen Arcade as "the closest hardcore will ever get to an opera .....
, but critical opinion of the album generally registers high. The title track and "Keep Hanging On" became staples of the band's live shows, while power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
anthem "Makes No Sense at All
Makes No Sense at All
"Makes No Sense At All" is a song by Hüsker Dü from the album Flip Your Wig. The song was the only single from the album. The release of the single, along with the flip side track "Love Is All Around"—the theme song to The Mary Tyler Moore Show—demonstrated Hüsker Dü's continued move away from...
" was featured in a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
; this song was sometimes performed by Mould in his 1990s solo career, though he otherwise largely distanced himself from his years in Hüsker Dü. The album concludes with two instrumental songs.
"Makes No Sense at All" was released as a single, with "Love Is All Around" (the theme song of the Mary Tyler Moore Show) on the b-side. The "Makes No Sense at All" video includes both songs, back-to-back.
Flip Your Wig, like Hüsker Dü's other SST releases, has never been remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed for improved sound on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
.
Bob Mould himself has stated that Flip Your Wig is what he views as "the best album [Hüsker Dü] ever did."
Track listing
Side one- "Flip Your Wig" (Bob Mould) – 2:33
- "Every Everything" (Grant Hart) – 1:56
- "Makes No Sense at AllMakes No Sense at All"Makes No Sense At All" is a song by Hüsker Dü from the album Flip Your Wig. The song was the only single from the album. The release of the single, along with the flip side track "Love Is All Around"—the theme song to The Mary Tyler Moore Show—demonstrated Hüsker Dü's continued move away from...
" (Mould) – 2:43 - "Hate Paper Doll" (Mould) – 1:52
- "Green Eyes" (Hart) – 2:58
- "Divide and Conquer" (Mould) – 3:42
- "Games" (Mould) – 4:06
Side two
- "Find Me" (Mould) – 4:05
- "The Baby Song" (Hart) – 0:46
- "Flexible Flyer" (Hart) – 3:01
- "Private Plane" (Mould) – 3:17
- "Keep Hanging On" (Hart) – 3:15
- "The Wit and the Wisdom" (Mould) – 3:41
- "Don't Know Yet" (Mould) – 2:14
Personnel
- Greg NortonGreg NortonGreg Norton is an American musician, formerly of the band Hüsker Dü....
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Bob MouldBob MouldRobert Arthur "Bob" Mould is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.-Early life:...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, bass, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Grant HartGrant HartGrant Hart is an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-songwriter for the influential alternative rock and hardcore punk band Hüsker Dü. After the band's breakup in 1987, Hart formed the alternative rock trio Nova Mob, where he moved to vocals and guitar...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals, vibraphoneVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
, percussion, slide whistleSlide whistleA slide whistle is a wind instrument consisting of a fipple like a recorder's and a tube with a piston in it. Thus it has an air reed like some woodwinds, but varies the pitch with a slide. The construction is rather like a bicycle pump...