As one-half of the creative brain trust of Hüsker Dü, Grant Hart brought warmth and a sense of compassion to that legendary band's precise sonic assault. Hart's post-Hüsker output, both solo and with Nova Mo... more »b, has been sporadic yet solid. Good News for Modern Man, released over five years since the last studio album, finds no dust on Grant's grooves. Soulful, melodic, and richly textured, Hart's ambitious undertaking overflows with creativity, from the Dick Dale-meets-Beach Boys chorus of "Run Run Run to the Centre Pompidou," to the brutal honesty of "You Don't Have To Tell Me Now," to the orchestral bombast that closes "Nobody Rides for Free." As a veteran of one of the most influential bands of the 1980s, Grant Hart ends the century on a high note. Good News for Modern Man is just that. --Kevin Cole« less
As one-half of the creative brain trust of Hüsker Dü, Grant Hart brought warmth and a sense of compassion to that legendary band's precise sonic assault. Hart's post-Hüsker output, both solo and with Nova Mob, has been sporadic yet solid. Good News for Modern Man, released over five years since the last studio album, finds no dust on Grant's grooves. Soulful, melodic, and richly textured, Hart's ambitious undertaking overflows with creativity, from the Dick Dale-meets-Beach Boys chorus of "Run Run Run to the Centre Pompidou," to the brutal honesty of "You Don't Have To Tell Me Now," to the orchestral bombast that closes "Nobody Rides for Free." As a veteran of one of the most influential bands of the 1980s, Grant Hart ends the century on a high note. Good News for Modern Man is just that. --Kevin Cole
CD Reviews
GOOD NEWS FOR MODERN MAN
11/29/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"GRANT HART IS A NATIONAL TREASURE.Grant Hart continues to amaze me with his capacity for growth. With GOOD NEWS FOR MODERN MAN, his already powerful voice has taken on a rich hue that is at once plaintive and masterful -- the perfect vehicle for goosebump-charged lyrics.Creativity goes through many changes, reflecting a vision observed through maturation and the stages of an artist's life. GOOD NEWS FOR MODERN MAN is a window in time, a glimpe of the world through Grant Hart's eyes. And what a magnificent view it is."
Incredible
Ed | Chicago | 12/08/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the best record of 1999, flat out. From start to end, it overflows with a relentless creativity that has few comparables. Where to begin? The songs are incredibly catchy and original. "You Don't Have To Tell Me Now" is so moving and beautiful that it practically puts the listener into a cold sweat. "Nobody Rides For Free" stays in your head for hours after listening, the lyrics wonderfully trippy and Dylanesque and upbeat. "Run Run Run To The Centre Pompideau" is a Brian Wilson - Dick Dale on acid trip through Paris that is purposefully hilarious. The "second side" of the record is more experimental (freaked out) culminating in the masterpiece of the record - "Little Nemo" - which evolves into an ending that can be best described as a companion piece to Zappa's "Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny." The production is amazingly deep and textured, the closest analagy being the better of Brian Eno's rock work (taking Tiger Mountian..) yet warmer, very listener friendly. I read somewhere that this is the first time Grant has ever been given enough studio time to create the sound he really wanted - it seems that he is finally getting the support from a record comapany that he has always deserved. It has resulted in a true masterpiece, the last great record of the millenium."
Husker Who? Bob Who?
P. Rowe | PA | 12/25/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Husker Who? Bob Who? Husker Du were always one of my faves as as well as the solo work of Bob Mould. Grant always seemed to get "lost" in the mix when one talks about the pioneers of alt rock. I feel pretty stupid now. Grants latest disc puts to shame half of Moulds solo work and makes me forget ( almost ) that Husker Du even existed. Standout tracks "Think It Over Now" & "Nobody Rides For Free" finally show Grants potential realized. Buy! Buy! Buy!"
Masterpiece
P. Rowe | 12/23/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the masterpiece of the entire Minneapolis Music Scene that began to prosper in the 1980's. It is a wonderful work throughout - and I hope that it gets the national recognition that both the CD and Grant deserve. Highly recommended over anything else released in 1999. A listening delight."
Good news for fans of sonic rock
Ian | boston, ma | 08/05/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's interesting that this record came out in 1999. It's a perfect fin-de-siecle piece of music. The main thing to know about this beautiful record is that it's a 'grower' in an old school kind of way. Grant's approach with Good News is unfettered pop melodies, but they all float above very dense, churning kinds of backing arrangements. There are layers and layers of sound: banks of backing vocals, 3D organs, and amazing percussion. Time was obviously taken to make sure that the sounds were warm and full if not necessarily flat-eq perfect and ultra hi-fi. Which brings me to the main reason why I love this record: it's so nice to hear a record come out around 2000 which you can listen to over and over and over again. And the reason why you can is because of the mix of the record, specifically the way the instrumentation is framed . There is an unmistakeable tonality to record, and the mystique of the songs was not stripped away by overbearing production....Grant continues to write familiar yet uncanny songs: the opening track "think it over now" may not blow you away the first listen, but the undeniable melody and timeless guitars will catch up with you. "little teeny" has a nice avant slant to it, and "run, run, run to the centre pompidou", a wry tune about seeing paris, shows why grant matters as a vocalist. The real power on the record is, however, the last track "little nemo". I would theorize this one's about bob mould. It has to be. But anyway, the lyrics have to be read. And the song, a deceptively simple carol which launches into an epic chorus, is one of the best things grant's ever done, including husker's work. The only weak track seems to be 'in a cold house'. but that's nitpicking: check out something which marries master-class pop songwriting with sonic sweetness - get 'good news for modern man'."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1