I saw Grant Hart performing solo tonight, and it reminded me that the general critical consensus regarding Husker Du is wrong -- Grant's songs are better. Although Bob Mould's solo records generally get good press and critical acclaim, let's face it -- they range from mediocre to medi-suck. The Sugar records are good, and Bob still has a good solo song or two in him (see "Ego Override" and "See a Little Light"), but Grant Hart's solo and Nova Mob records eclipse by far Mould's post-Husker output. Why critic slobs love Mould more, I'll never know. Partly, I'm sure, it's because they get all of his records in the mail. Also, he seems more sensitive. Despite his stint as a scriptwriter for the World Wrestling Federation, Mould projects the image of a cosmopolitan "artist," whereas Hart looks like a slobby, midwestern schmoe. Dismiss Hart because he doesn't look like a "sensitive artist?" Bleah.

Grant's songs in Husker Du were better, and no one noticed because he played the drums. Grant's songs aren't noticed now because he had a bad post-Husker drug rep (Bob did lots of drugs too, at one time) and didn't get major label support. Intolerance was a far better record than Workbook, but it got little press, because most critics didn't get it served to their P.O. Box on a silver platter. Plus, it wasn't cool to like Grant.

Don't get me wrong, some of Bob's Husker songs are fabulous, and he contributed in a major way to Husker Du's enduring excellence, both through his songwriting and his unique guitar work. However, Grant Hart never received his due as the greater songwriter of the two, and he probably never will, as he plods, Fred Flintstone-like, onto stages across the country, just a man and his guitar, completely unsexy but completely passionate about the music he is making and has made.

Meanwhile, Bob makes crappy techno records.

Bob Mould: Cringe Factor, 1. Hey, he was in Husker Du and he wrote scripts for the WWE (nee WWF). How cringe-worthy could he be?