A look back at the seminal record as it turns 30.

Having fronted the seminal Husker Du, it's a little ironic that Bob Mould's most commercially successful record would come with his next act, Sugar.

And it certainly deserved it. While Copper Blue is unmistakably a Bob Mould record, punk's elder statesman brought a more refined-if no less aggressive- sound to the party. The record is stuffed with catchy hooks and melodies. Having broken free from the shadow of Husker Du (and even his introspective solo work), Mould was toying with new directions and dynamics.

The resulting recipe is fantastic.

Copper Blue isn't a solo record.

Mould brought his signature sound to the party, but bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis took it all to the next level. All the power pop/punk chords in the world don't do much without a propulsive rhythm section. Barbe and Travis gave the sound the solid foundation it needed.

Listening to tracks like "Fortune Teller" and The Act We Act" can feel like being in the middle of a sonic tornado.

Husker Du might've been ahead of their time, but Copper Blue came at just the right time.

The world was ready for Sugar in the fall of 1992.

Hair metal was out. Nirvana was on top of the world. The Pixies were in a flat spin, and Smart Studios couldn't miss. Music fans had developed a taste for jagged music and vulnerable lyrics, Mould's stock-in-trade.

In other words, the table was set for Sugar.

Listening to it through a 2022 lens, one finds a record that sounds as new now as it did then. There are plenty of 1992 releases that still sound good but are are very much of their time. Copper Blue remains timeless.