Husker Du - Land Speed Record (1981)

On "Land Speed Record", the Minnesota trio Husker Du debuted with a chaotic live recording that presented the band in all its unbridled early fury. One song ends, there is a burst of applause, then drummer Grant Hart counts off and the band once again hurtles forward in a maelstrom of shouted vocals, manic drums, and guitars like sheared metal. Call it hardcore, call it postpunk: it is pure, angry adrenaline. The 17 songs clock in at a brisk 26-and-a-half minutes, and titles like "Let's Go Die," "Tired of Doing Things" and "Don't Have a Life" convey the harsh, unforgiving spirit of the music.