Intolerance

Grant Hart's first full-length solo album after the breakup of Husker Du, 1989's Intolerance is an eclectic, sometimes disorienting mishmash of styles that surprisingly works more often than not. From the psychedelic tape frenzy and carnival organ of the opening "All of My Senses" onwards, Hart largely disavows his punk roots in favor of a variety of late-'60s styles, including the Blonde on Blonde pastiche (complete with caterwauling harmonica) "Now That You Know Me" and the sneering Van Morrison shuffle "You're the Victim," one of several songs that seem to touch on the acrimonious breakup of Husker Du. The harrowing "The Main" is a piano-led, almost gospel-like first-person chronology of drug addiction, one of the most vivid and personal songs Hart has ever written, while the remake of "2541," his pained remembrance of the band's old rehearsal space from his debut EP, gives the previously acoustic song a dose of electric rock & roll energy that suits it just fine. It didn't get the press attention of Bob Mould's much slicker Workbook, out around the same time, but Intolerance is probably the better album. ~ Stewart Mason