| Sugar | Primary Artist |
| Bob Mould | Guitar, Percussion, Keyboards, Vocals |
| David Barbe | Bass, Vocals |
| Malcolm Travis | Percussion, Drums |
| David Bowie | Composer |
| Bob Mould | Composer, Producer, Engineer, Art Direction |
| David Barbe | Composer |
| Keith Cameron | Liner Notes |
| Lou Giordano | Producer, Engineer |
| Mark C. | Cover Photo |
| Timothy Powell | Engineer |
| Kevin O'Neill | Art Direction |
| Paul Boswell | Booking |
| John Keene | Composer |
| Jordan Kurland | Management |
| James Osterberg | Composer |
| Frank Riley | Booking |
| Jim Wilson | Mastering, Remastering |
| Jools Williamson | Packaging |
There's never been any doubt that Bob Mould was a monsterously talented guitarist and songwriter. He certainly proved that while in Husker Du, an 1980's power trio that should've gone on to better things but didn't. After the Huskers broke up, Mould toned down the volume a bit with the moody but still incendiary "Workbook" (1989) and turned the volume and the drama even higher on "Black Sheets Of Rain" (1990). Then to the surprise of everyone, he formed a new power trio called Sugar in 1991. Mould's original ambition was to create pop songs with maximum volume---but he already proved THAT with Husker Du! So, looking back on it now, Sugar was almost a continuation of what Husker Du was doing, not that that was a bad thing.
Sugar's first album, "Copper Blue", now celebrating its 20th anniversary, has been given a special re-release on Merge Records. It's good to see that time has not diminished the tremendous, wall-of-guitar intensity of these songs, particularly "Changes", "Helpless" and "The Slim". If that isn't enough for you, Merge also included the blistering 6-song EP, "Beaster", on this set. Of "Beaster", I can tell you that it's a lot more frenetic (and even louder) than anything on "Copper Blue"; how can you not think of that after hearing "JC Auto", a song about a Christ complex?
The set also includes some brilliant outtakes and B-sides such as "Needle Hits E" and an acoustic version of "If I Can't Change Your Mind", one of Mould's catchiest songs. There's even a live recording of Sugar at Chicago's Cabaret Metro, which proves that the band absolutely killed onstage. Sugar broke up in the mid-90's but unlike Husker Du, they parted amicably. Mould now records occasional solo albums for indie labels like YepRoc. Still, you can't go wrong this stuff and unlike most of today's singers, Mould's barks (or screams) as if his life depends on it.
![File Under: Easy Listening [Deluxe Edition]](http://img3.imagesbn.com/resources/images/common/blank.gif?cb=1.50.6)
Editorial Reviews
All Music Guide - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Merge's 2012 reissue of Copper Blue is greatly expanded to a triple-disc set. The first of these contains a remastered version of the proper album supported by the B-sides "Needle Hits E," a solo acoustic version of "If I Can't Change Your Mind," "Try Again," and "Clownmaster," and BBC sessions for "If I Can't Change Your Mind," "Hoover Dam," "The Slim," and "Where Diamonds Are Halos." The second disc contains Beaster, the 1993 EP recorded at the same sessions as Copper Blue and, finally, the third disc contains a heavily bootlegged -- and quite excellent -- Live at the Cabaret Metro show from July 22, 1992.