Hot Wax

Grant Hart | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 6, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: CON D'OR RECORDS
• ASIN: B002ITLSYS
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,822 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Grant Hart is an icon of American independent music. One third of the legendary trio Husker Du, and one half of its extraordinary songwriting duo, the band crawled out of the US punk undeground at the dawn of the 1980s and quickly proved themselves, with a succession of classic LPs on the SST label, as one of America's most exceptional and influential bands. Hart was also responsible for some of Husker Du's most fondly remembered songs, including the anthemic "Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely". After the last two albums on Warner, the group acrimoniously split and Hart began a more eclectic career, splitting time between solo albums, his group Nova Mob, poetry readings with friends William S. Burroughs and Patti Smith, and visual art. And that brings us to 2009 and his excellent new solo album, Hot Wax. Recorded in Montreal and Minneapolis, and featuring guests including members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor & A Silver Mt. Zion and produced by Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire), Hot Wax ably demonstrates Hart's incredible songwriting talent. He has created an organic rock album using classic tools to make modern art: Psychedelic soundscapes loaded with strong melodies, vintage instrumentation, 60s pop/bubblegum harmonies and a style that he admittedly owes in parts to his devotion for friend Patti Smith. In short: this is no mere pedestrian effort from a 'legend paying the rent'; it's a fresh, invigorating album in its own right. Any fan of Husker Du or Hart's solo albums (particularly 1989's Intolerance) will be won over by Hot Wax , and what's more, it will win him new fans. The Australian edition features a fantastic bonus track, 'Khalid' - recorded only last month and chosen by Hart to slot into the running order of our edition at track 5. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome Back, Grant Hart, November 25, 2009

By 

Johnny Jones "indie rock fan" (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hot Wax (Audio CD)

Grant Hart was one of the most important figures of
indie rock in the 1980's with Husker Du. After that group's breakup, he continued the high quality of his work with his band, Nova Mob, and as a solo artist.
"Hot Wax" is the first album of new material from
Hart in almost a decade. The wait was worth it. Every
song on "Hot Wax" is good to great.
Hart explores new territory with the chamber pop of
"Barbara", and the ballad, "I Knew All About You Since Then". He has never sounded more whimsical than on the
rollicking tale of "Sailor Jack". Other highlights include the zen-like "You're The Reflection Of The Moon
On The Water", the politically charged "School Buses Are
For Children" and the very catchy "Charles Hollis Jones"
and "California Zephyr". The album concludes with the
defiant, triumphant, "My Regrets".
Unlike so many of his peers, Grant Hart has never
compromised his artistic integrity. While most of his
oontemporaries have released albums to diminishing
returns over the years,what is abundantly clear after
listening to "Hot Wax" is that Grant Hart is still in
top form as a songwriter,vocalist,and musician.
If you are a Grant Hart fan, you will love this
album. If you are unfamiliar with his music and like
melodic rock 'n' roll, do yourself a favor and pick up
a copy of "Hot Wax". You won't be disappointed because
"Hot Wax" is easily one of the best releases of 2009.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grant Hart's Wayback Machine, December 27, 2009

By 

Timothy P. Young (Rawlins, WY, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hot Wax (Audio CD)

After Husker Du exploded 22 years ago, Bob Mould went on to solo work and Sugar, both of which were well received by critic and fan alike. Grant Hart, the other singer and songwriter of Du, stayed in the shadows of the underground, releasing the cathartic Intolerance, then forming Nova Mob. Though his recording career has been infrequent, Hart's solo work has shown an impressive consistency throughout...he has a high standard of songwriting excellence, varies his tempos and instrumentation, and truly, his solo releases remind us why Husker Du was so much more than just Bob Mould, even if Mould had more overall influence on the band's sound.

And so, Grant Hart returns after an extended hiatus from recording with Hot Wax, a record that could have been released in...wait for it...1968. This is by no means a bad thing...Hart keeps the organ and piano front and center, giving songs like the opening "You're the Reflection of the Moon on the Water" a fat, San Francisco sound even as his lyrics cut sharply into the essence of his subject. ("You're the reflection of the moon on the water/But you're not the moon"). Wow. Throughout the record, Hart takes in both social issues ("Charles Hollis Jones," "School Buses are for Children") as well as personal ones ("Narcissus, Narcissus," "My Regrets"), all the while maintaining the album as a low-tech, high energy affair. Oh, it's true that the guitars are higher in the mix sometimes than they would have been 40 years ago...this is a modern album, after all. But the spirit of Hot Wax seems to have roots in that San Francisco past. It's as if he found a stack of Airplane LPs and a couple of early Bowie or T-Rex imports, played them incessantly for a month, and then recorded this album.

However, at no time does the LP sound derivative in any way. This isn't an echo of another time, or a celebration of the past, but rather a way to catch the feelings that he wants to get across to us, the listener. Hart remains a true American original, and has released an album that's more fun than Bob Mould's ever been, but just as insightful. Recommended for fans of Husker Du, fans of the 60s, and just plain fans of good music. Wonderful stuff.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars if I could be town crier, August 18, 2010

By 

Stargrazer "the lost mixtape of my life" (deep in the heart of Michigan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Hot Wax (Audio CD)

Grant Hart, known better to many as "the other guy from Hüsker Dü," has been quietly putting out fantastic albums once or twice a decade, including the great Nova Mob semi-concept album "The Last Days Of Pompeii" (1991), The solo offering "Good News For Modern Man" (1999), and his latest "Hot Wax" (2009) which was recorded in Montreal with Howard Bilerman (from the Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Arcade Fire) camps. The results are easily the best Hart has ever etched, mixing his chamber pop sensibilities with the strummier side of indie rock.

Hart also manages to capture an endearingly loose performance with a vintage feel from effective use of organ (especially on opening track "You're The Reflection Of The Moon On The Water"), simple harmonies and guitar effects. Hart has mellowed some in the last decade, put some heroin issues to rest, and emerged with the rough-hewn gem of a criminally underrated career. Lyrically nimble, conceptually expansive, musically concise and just daring you not to press "play" repeatedly, Hart's latest is on a smaller label but really deserves widespread listening -- if not airplay.