Hüsker Dü - Eight Miles High (Pink Pop Festival 87)

[TheJniimi]

Holy Christ! Ferocious.

[bearlocations]

midwest acid angst at the very best!

[VanderGraafBozo]

Oh yeah.

Perhaps the greatest Dylan cover band in rock 'n' roll (of course, they were more than that) gets the ultimate revamp. Blew not only Byrds out of the water, but the Paisley Underground as well (talking the majority of the scene).

[HARDCOREHARTNA]

i really like the original by the byrds version. But this is HUSKER DUU! blew the the Byrds out of the water. What a classic!

[RandomInfusions]

I was there

[hot2dethmoose]

@RandomInfusions lucky



[SteveSiqin]

I love the umbrella in the mosh pit

[suicidalshredder]

NOTHING LIKE A NICE POOL SESSION TO THIS JAM THE COPING FEELS LIKE BUTTER

[theMacvarish]

Fucking ace, needs cow bells, tho.

[MacFeeley]

beats the byrds sez I

[TheDrCynic]

@MacFeeley Byrds wrote this. Show some respect. Try it and tell me how it goes.

[MacFeeley]

@TheDrCynic Thanks for the counsel, but no disrespect shown to McGuinn Crosby and company. Just like the raw energy of this. After all, Byrds did Dylan often better than Dylan did, and he wrote it. Get the correlation? Knew you would.

[MacFeeley]

@3:20, Bob begins channelling ancient Phoenician

[mangakagrunge]

husker du saved my life period! they need to be in the rock and roll hall of fame bad.

[YngwiesDaughter13]

anyone know what kinda bass that is?

[makeshift26]

@YngwiesDaughter13 I'd like to know too. It's not a fender but its possible a custom built. He played Jazz basses towards the end of their run

[YngwiesDaughter13]

@makeshift26 Yeah.. It's kind of hard to tell because of the quality of the video. I wanna say a gibson?

[eddiebwilson]

Best reimagining of a Byrds song ever, bristles with power. Should be required viewing for any young band. Hüsker Dü took the European atmospherics (in Bob's guitar) and showed people like U2's the Edge that American rockers can make this kind of music too. Grant's drumming is crisp and effortless and Greg is really laying it down too. Big finish at 2:59 is pure exiliration and I dare any expert writer to try to transcribe it: life and joy, mi amigos!

[eddiebwilson]

May have been a lousy show as some comments say but as a YouTube clip, it rocks. @eddiebwilson

[fernandohxcx]

essevideo é muito lindo cara pena não ter vivido nessa época kkkkkkkk valeu pelo post ae man!

[PhouFoo]

i didnt even know they had moshopits like that back in the 80s

[Wilburo2691]

Gros lol, l'Allemand au début : pink pop !!!

mouaaaahaahahahahahahahaha!

[Bietel]

Just to think that I could have been there, but hey, I wasn't into big festivals. "I'll see them when they tour the club circuit", is what I figured. WRONG.

I still regret it... although I still don't like big festivals.

Unless I'm playing there myself, that is :-)

[ddavidj815]

i don't understand the above guy. they fuckin' rocked!

[Lewdromantic]

Huskers only you could express my way of life by this song...

[nickca420]

Re: "uninspired" - these guys HATED each other at this point. In fact they broke up very shortly after this. That a band that couldn't even stand to be in the same room as each other could still turn out a performance as awesome as this is pretty impressive.

[elps84]

still kickin' ass after all these years. way to do it

[Llynwen]

Boring..

[SWOTBWOT]

It may have been a gloomy day but they gave a hell of a performance on this song. As much as I like this Byrds, this is a better interpretation.

[13thleos]

realmente, muito doido esse som do byrds, mais prefiro a versão original, mais psicodélico ..

[MetallicBill]

Bob Mould is the WHITE PRINCE! hahaha, Remember Sugar? I don't. Anyway, I spent my whole life in Minnesota, not as great musically as it could be, but I lived the scene as much as I could. Seems kinda dead now though

[1337owers]

19 people don't deserve ears

[weezadam]

best band of the 80s

[FablesJonny]

anyone in near london who wants to start a husker du covers band, message me : )

[lakeplacid68]

Grandissimo Bob Mould!!!!

[nicky52]

I saw them in London just before they split - it was fabulous and I really enjoyed it, but it was very much a case of walk onstage, play the whole of 'Warehouse..' and then stalk off. No speech or communication at all. I didn't mind, I think they were just like that. Great band, and Bob Mould must be THE most underrated songwriter and musician of all time!

[warmwarmerdisco]

reminds me of the one dino song that goes "ill be down i'll be around..." a bit

[HomingMissiles]

@warmwarmerdisco

Raisans?

[capnnard]

The very first growl from Bob's voice gave me shivers. What an incredible band and an inspired performance. I'm fortunate to have seen them play in Chicago.

[3249detroit]

NICE TRY BUT AN OBSCURE GARAGE BAND FROM GROSSE POINTE MICHIGAN DID THIS SONG WAY WAY WAY WAY BETTER......INDEX FOREVER>>>>>>>>>

[rcmayo]

They did admirable work amongst total morons.

Remember to not behave that way next time you go to a show kiddies.

[johannesleak]

undefined wall of sound sounds pretty good to me

[yasujirozu]

@johannesleak

righteously second that, oh yeah - gorgeous music from the incredible threesome. gene should have been proud.

[johannesleak]

yep. this is as good as it gets folks. this is a band with balls. not the sort of image-based crap going around today. listen to when he sings "black limousines"... he means it.

[elay1968]

@elps84 - YES! No prerecorded tracks just three guys, three instruments and a great song. Sorry to hear the event itself wasn't great but this video is.

[Gonzoroy]

the band broke up a couple weeks later, Their kicking it out motherfuckers!

[dnlctrolee]

You think they were uninspired? Well this sounds great to me! It rocks.

But I know it's different when you are in the audience and get blasted by Bob's guitar.

I saw Sugar and it was uninspired and an undefined wall of sound.

But this clip sounds killer!

[mordichai]

I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for Husker Du (among others) and I love where I am now... thanks to whoever posted this song...

[popnutty]

Why does Toad the Wet Sprocket come to mind.

[GruppeB]

Looks like the drummer found the best heroin in the Netherlands

[reggiepype]

I don't care, when you are playing in front of that many people you better just deliver the goods and rock out to the best of your abilities.

[ZWEARLUPO]

confession: it was me who threw the mudball @ 2:56

't were amaaazing times back then ; )

so cool to find this on the net !

[elps84]

the peak. this is how it's done

[mangakagrunge]

i agree with nebrot88,that's how you cover a song!!!!!,husker du and this song got me though some rough spots in my life,i tear up and start to cry everytime,just fucken awesome

[bthill]

Totally YES!!!  I wish I could've seen them play.

[bthill]

Wish I could've seen this live.

[FelixAtrox]

I remember seeing them & had similar thoughts...

Not so much the band, but the crowd.

Bob Mould got fed up, & left in a haze of feedback.

[MillaHead]

wow way ahead of their time

[Icrushboulders]

Classic...no words...just listen to the power of this band

[steveborealis]

que legal obrigado gusdantas

[IamtheSamis]

I probably watch this vid at least once a week. . .

[BoultUpright]

Has there ever been better?

[lepaul2002]

europe is a rain grey town...i know, i live here.

[Teetee33]

Bob Mould could scream the beard offa Jesus. No one--not even Henry Rollins--does that shit better than he does. Husker reunion now!

[buttgeret]

best cover ever

[mfeedbak]

Outrageously beautiful, these guys were. I feel like people who missed out on them in the day don't get their appeal. Thx for the post--it brought me back to a time when Husker Du was the only thing in my life that made me smile.

[mdmaximilian]

im far away from being gay, but i could suck bobs and grants digs for making such good music. im sorry for being that mundane, but i just freakin´ love their music.

[tomaz1964]

@mdmaximilian nothing live beats this! for a cover version! fannfookintaskic!!...what a awesome band!

[TheFiatLux]

Does anybody have a better quality video of this performance? Man this rocks like crazy, they were in great shape that day. Someone must have the original tape?? Tx for putting it up, i don't mean to complain, quite the contrary it opened my eyes.

[fleisch09]

This NEVER gets old.

[Farquharson64]

saw them on this tour in manchester uk...one of my favorite gigs ever.

[TheFiatLux]

This is a great performance. Best cover of 8 miles high I've heard and I've heard them all, well most of them. Golden Earring, Leo Kottke they can't touch this.

[benympls]

This aint Am Rep

This aint the Husker Du

This aint the yuptown This aint first avenue

This is the sound of lake st & it cant be bought

We have battles with destiny to be fought

[Lewdromantic]

I feel myself eight miles high since I've heard and seen it. They're simply expressing my life.

[mattisprettycool]

one of the best bands in history.

[davis80smusic]

I don't know what the complainers are talking about - this kicks my ass

[beckcd1234]

Surely Nirvana sound like Husker Du considering they split up in 1987 just as Nirvana starting off

[benympls]

Yea the whole seattle "grunge" scene was recycling A LOT Minneapolis punk bands.

[braadspitt]

I was there at the festival, really looking forward to this gig. Hate to say it, but it was one of the biggest disappointments ever. The weather wasn't cooperating neither - it was cold and raining - but to be honest Husker Du was totally uninspired that day. It was just an undefined wall of sound, there was zero communication with the audience, zero enthousiasm. Only Greg (bass) tried to make the best of it.

How I wish I'd seen a more inspired gig by this epic band.

[gusdantas]

@braadspitt Well man... you saw them once at least xD

[jat13]

@braadspitt

even though they bored this is still an awesome performance!! The provinissi rock footage is much better though.

[Nesciio]

@braadspitt - totally disagree. I was there as well and was enchanted all the way, it was the only Husker Du gig I ever saw and I'll never forget it. Apart from HD I only remember Iggy Pop that day. Yes the weather was bad, but not my mood :D Hearing it back now makes me happy.

[MrCrunkJoose]

@braadspitt

Zero enthusiasm or not, this is probably their best recording of this song.

[nfreese]

@braadspitt They kick ass on this song, uninspired and with zero enthusiasm. Hard to imagine how great they can be at their best.

[ivantomasevski]

@braadspitt You're full of shit, this is awesome! Sorry if the weather spoiled your mood, but if this is uninspired then I'm Superman

[HURFBLURFDUH]

@braadspitt All I can say to that is, the recording equipment must have done a way better job than the PA at the festival. Watching this now, can you really say you could see the performance they were giving (at least on this song)?

[thomnak]

Sorry to hear that. I guess they were nearly done with each other and being a band at that point anyhow...

[doc998]

@braadspitt idk i get chills from this show

[GruppeB]

@braadspitt

in case you didn't know, the drummer was on a real good one (heavy heroin use) during this period of time.

[ddavidj815]

@braadspitt WOW! it looks like they totally rocked in a bad scene.

[ddavidj815]

@braadspitt WOW! it looks like they totally rocked in a bad scene. they'er punks!  it's not elton john.

[Bag0fRats]

@braadspitt the band was also having alot of internal tension by 1987 as well. I think they broke up not long after this. 

[emmoooo]

@Bag0fRats

indeed

[emmoooo]

@braadspitt YES the Weather Sucked, but it was 11:00 in the morning, and WE GET NEW DAY RISING.

imho, it was a great gig, the first and last time i saw Hüsker Dü EVER live

I SO don't agree with you....they opened the fest, in as you also mentions, a totally lousy rainy day

Fuck all that shit, remember the interview Jan Doe did..? " how to pronounce the name of your band"

Grant just opened a can of beer, and mumbles some like, " yeah"

[emmoooo]

I have seen Bob and Grant many many times solo, but this is the only time i saw them as Hüsker Dü

[HURFBLURFDUH]

@braadspitt Were you hammered? Cuz this looks and sounds pretty good to me man I dont know what to tell you

[card144]

The intro souds like nirvana xD

[VooDoo669]

The intro sounds like The Byrds. Eight Miles High = The Byrds

[jblacktree]

the song wants to be spacey and ethereal, not gritty and soulful...this is like a rap song performed by opera singers...wrong

[spuffchops70]

Disagree. This is the way to do a cover. Keep the kernel, the spirit of the song intact & do it your way. otherwise, it's like Gus Van Zandt remaking Psycho shot for shot: pointless.

[KJAnsia]

Agreed.

This just doesn't do it for me.

[gusdantas]

>200k exibitions!!

nice

=D

[gillingham99]

Congratulations on 200,000 veiws

[gusdantas]

thanks  ^^

[CMARTELL101]

ok cover but better than the Byrds...better quit suckin that crack pipe homes.

[scalabration]

You give them too much credit. Not even an OK cover. Noise.

[oldphoque]

I agree. However Husker Du were above most garage bands of the late 80`s. This is also a live performance. Never as good or refined what they could have done in studio with this.

[spuffchops70]

What utter nonsense you are spouting. 'The Living End' is my favourite live album after The Who's 'Live at Leeds'. Although a compilation, all of the songs that suffered from substandard recording in the studio came to kaleidoscopic life in the live context on that album. Although I have to say, I find 'Candy Apple Grey' a poor album compared to the rest of their ouevre.

[REEDRICHARDS2]

I don't know the lenght and the weight of the crap you wrote, girl...

[TheFiatLux]

The Byrds weren't that good live. The drummer sucked.

[uglydermis]

grate cover !

: - )

[timbueter]

Bob and Grant sounded great singing together. I always loved when they harmonized...

[YoPappee]

bob looks so bored in all later Husker Du footage...

[britdemmen]

I hadn't heard this one before, really good.

[Jeffro321]

Best cover of this song ever was recorded by Shockabilly..

[tgahr]

This is one of the greatest covers ever, so totally unique and paradoxically true to the original.

God I miss the Hooskers

[nebrot88]

THIS is the way how to cover a song! Give it your spirit, your way of music, of life...

[Dorkdufus]

the drummer looks a bit like glenn danzig without the muscles

[TheFiatLux]

Best cover ever of any song by any band

[1C7Z3H5X]

uuuuuhhhhhh...POSSIBLY  a slight overstatement...im just sayin...

[BMGStammer]

for the longest time, i believed that a band could make cover as song as well as thje band who made the original. But this band has changed my mind completely.

[xoxoAlixDxoxo]

Huskers play wicked darts! Look Out!!!

[garagerocks]

Though a fan of English Punk from this era - there wasn't anything like the Husker's sound before them - and nothing like it since!

[dogonfire]

For as long as I can remember I've thought Husker Du's version of this song was the best cover version of them all. This live version does nothing to make me change my mind

[InkyChick]

Totally agree with dogonfire, Husker Du captures that sonic sound perfectly.

Great vid, thanks for posting.

[gingervytis]

Yes, only polkas 24x7 on the radio, both AM and FM, even Sirius.

[HardRoxxx555]

awesome band...awesome norwegian name

[gingervytis]

Blech... take some time to do a proper cover of this rarely heard classic.

[narozzz]

Rarely heard? Do you like in a city that has nothing but polka stations? Even the lamest, most generic classic rock stations spin EMH once in a while.

[dedricthere]

I never knew this was a cover of a song by"The Byrds". My old man told me that the other day.

[bdlars2]

Jesus Christ that is mind blowing. Somebody must have more of this set somewhere.

[wungabunga]

Brilliant cover. Great musicians, great songwriters, great taste in music.

Criminally overlooked, for now.

[icecoldsenddown]

This version of the song is so damn good it's not even funny. Open, airy, and loose,

just the way it should be performed.

Did he say pink poop Fahvergnugen?

[fragilebeaster]

So often i hear guys sayin 'yeah i know the band but never listened...' What a shame ..

[elps84]

this one never fails to DO IT again and AGAIN and AGAIN - i mean do people KNOW about this? All those people - 50 million hits on something so lame as coldplay - have they checked this OUT???? because it is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING each and EVERY time

[poolsidenyc]

@elps84 you are so goddamn right. 

[kermiesgirl]

HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!

[zahnuf]

still my favorite cover

[tomaz1964]

the power behind that wall of noise must of inspired god knows how many bands over the last couple of decades!.......fanfookintastic band!

[djvictroladadj]

exactly!

[kraftwerk456]

those crazy swedes.

Husker Du is awesome.

Greg handlebars make we wanna put on some grey pajamas and play bass.

[fleetwood86]

I always return to this video to watch the trees. Fascinating.

[kingtubby64]

grant hart is one of the most georgeous drummer, this song is brilliant!

[sergegrone]

Husker Du is one of those bands capable of doing everything.

[netodojoaquim]

wow 180000

[hebesphenomegacorona]

the best cover of all time

[billk61]

It has to be close to the best cover ever. Ministry also did a beautiful cover of "Lay, lady, lay". But I just never get tired of this.

[Buddhist2k]

amen!

[misfits4life1]

great version of this song

[yasujirozu]

@asperanepenthe

fookin' right!! genuine genius.

[asperanepenthe]

This is the best cover EVER. The energy and the melody at their best,

[Efrasnel]

Roger McGuinn loves this cover, or so I understand.

[elps84]

dig it ++++raw energy++++UNBELIEVABLE

[monkeypunker]

This is beautiful beyond beleif. What intensity out of 3 instruments! Woah! Only the very very best can play like this, and you can not see such a live act easily any more. Hate to say such big words, but its probably one of the finest moments in rock history, this humble video!

[vicepad]

Nice song! The byrds cover i think..

[fleisch09]

I wish I could've been there (but it was a year before I was born)

[narozzz]

Man, minus six! No one seems to like to hear that comment! Geez, even if you like this stuff a lot, everyone knows that anything from 1966 is better than anything from 1987. It's just a fact.

[TheFiatLux]

No it isnt

[narozzz]

Yeah you're right, we're on Mars.

[TheFiatLux]

We're on earth, believe me. It's a matter of taste. I happen to like both versions. Roxy Music's version is lame. I have heard 5 or 6 other versions, and I don't think they are worth mentioning.

[tubeofyoulol]

more people should know about this video.

[plateofshrimp]

2:55

You got mud in your eye

[bobjones864]

Badass.

This was near the end too. I know they weren't getting along, but they were musically at a peak.

[Gonzoroy]

@3:14 "Where -ARE YOU going?"

[fleisch09]

I have to say, this is one of those bands that sounds better live than on the album

[jimmyn321]

True.

[tristanae]

I love it!!

[tomaz1964]

how it must piss all these young uns off knowing that in the 1980's.. these guys wrote the songbook that all that followed emulated to their own means......fantastic band!fantastic song writers..even to this day!...

[Icrushboulders]

if you like rock and roll and don't like husker du you don't like good music - go home and listen to

nickleback or britney spears or me jacking off

[wilfredowen777]

you shouldn't be so hurtful.