Warehouse: Songs and Stories

Warehouse: Songs and Stories is the sixth and final studio album by American punk rock band Hüsker Dü, originally released by Warner Bros. Records on January 19, 1987 as a double album on two vinyl LPs.

Warehouse: Songs and Stories
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 19, 1987[1]
RecordedAugust–November 1986
StudioNicollet Studios in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Genre
Length68:35
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerBob Mould and Grant Hart
Hüsker Dü chronology
Candy Apple Grey
(1986)
Warehouse: Songs and Stories
(1987)
The Living End
(1994)
Singles from Warehouse: Songs and Stories
  1. "Could You Be the One?"
    Released: January 1987
  2. "She's a Woman (And Now He Is a Man)"
    Released: 1987
  3. "Ice Cold Ice"
    Released: June 1987
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Chicago Sun-Times[3]
Chicago Tribune[4]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[5]
Q[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]
Select4/5[8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/10[9]
The Village VoiceA−[10]

Background

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The band dissolved following the tour in support of its release, in part due to disagreements between songwriters Bob Mould and Grant Hart over the latter's drug use. This album, along with Candy Apple Grey, showcases the increasing maturity of Mould and Hart's writing—a change which alienated some long-time fans. This album is also known for its battle between the two songwriters, with Mould famously telling Hart that he would never have more than half of the songs on a Hüsker Dü album.[11]

Mould later said that this time period was a "rough stretch", but that Warehouse was still a "good record." "Had it been pared back to a single record it might have had more impact, but we were already loggerheads at that point."[12]

The album's title comes from the fact that the group had rented some warehouse space in which to write and rehearse; a change from their former practice of writing new material and testing it out on live audiences.[12]

During the recording sessions, Hart and Mould replaced a few of Greg Norton's bass tracks for their respective songs when Norton's own contributions were not to their liking. In his autobiography, Mould identified Hart's "Charity, Chastity, Prudence and Hope" as one of the songs whose bass lines were rerecorded, uncredited, by their composers.

Release

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"Could You Be the One?", was released as a single and video. Other singles released from the album were "She's a Woman (And Now He Is a Man)" and "Ice Cold Ice", with "Tell You Why Tomorrow" also seeing a release as a promotional single.[13] Warehouse: Songs and Stories peaked at #117 on the Billboard Top 200 and also charted for a week on the UK Albums Chart at #72. Hüsker Dü was interviewed and performed "Could You Be the One?" and "She's a Woman (And Now He is a Man)" live on The Late Show With Joan Rivers on April 27, 1987.

A cover version of "Up in the Air" was included on Heidi Berry's album Love.[14]

Accolades

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The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[11]

Track listing

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CD releases of Warehouse: Songs and Stories combine all the songs onto a single disc.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."These Important Years"Bob Mould3:49
2."Charity, Chastity, Prudence, and Hope"Grant Hart3:11
3."Standing in the Rain"Mould3:41
4."Back from Somewhere"Hart2:16
5."Ice Cold Ice"Mould4:23
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."You're a Soldier"Hart3:03
7."Could You Be the One?"Mould2:32
8."Too Much Spice"Hart2:57
9."Friend, You've Got to Fall"Mould3:20
10."Visionary"Mould2:30
11."She Floated Away"Hart3:32
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Bed of Nails"Mould4:44
13."Tell You Why Tomorrow"Hart2:42
14."It's Not Peculiar"Mould4:06
15."Actual Condition"Hart1:50
16."No Reservations"Mould3:40
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
17."Turn It Around"Mould4:32
18."She's a Woman (And Now He Is a Man)"Hart3:19
19."Up in the Air"Mould3:03
20."You Can Live at Home"Hart5:25

Personnel

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Production

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References

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  1. ^ "Hüsker Dü" (Press release). Warner Bros. Records. 1987. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  2. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Warehouse: Songs and Stories – Hüsker Dü". AllMusic. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  3. ^ McLeese, Don (February 2, 1987). "Husker Du, 'Warehouse: Songs and Stories' (Warner Bros.)". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  4. ^ Kot, Greg (October 11, 1992). "As Bob Mould Went, So Went Rock Music". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  5. ^ Tucker, Ken (February 15, 1987). "Ambitious rock from Husker Du". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  6. ^ "Hüsker Dü: Warehouse: Songs and Stories". Q (74): 133. November 1992.
  7. ^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Hüsker Dü". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). London: Fireside Books. p. 399. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  8. ^ Cavanagh, David (November 1992). "Hüsker Dü: Candy Apple Grey / Warehouse: Songs and Stories". Select (29): 95.
  9. ^ Weisband, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Hüsker Dü". Spin Alternative Record Guide (1st ed.). New York: Vintage Books. p. 187. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  10. ^ Christgau, Robert (May 5, 1987). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  11. ^ a b Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (7 February 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
  12. ^ a b Bob Mould interview with No Age, LArecord.com
  13. ^ "Hüsker Dü – Tell You Why Tomorrow". Discogs. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  14. ^ Morse, Steve (12 December 1991). "HEIDI BERRY LOVE 4AD". Boston Globe. ProQuest 294643585.