With expanded reissues of Sugar’s catalog — 1992′s landmark Copper Blue, the 1993 companion EP Beaster and 1994 sophomore album File Under: Easy Listening — coming out over the next few weeks in the U.K., Merge Records has announced it will release trimmed-down versions in the U.S. later this summer.
Due out July 24, the Merge reissues, unlike the Demon Music Group releases in the U.K., will combine Copper Blue and Beaster into one set, and will forego the DVDs included on each of the U.K. reissues, as well as a four-song BBC session featured on the new U.K. edition of Copper Blue. The U.S. tracklist is below, and you can see details of the U.K. releases here.
Merge, though, is also releasing the newly remastered Sugar catalog on vinyl. Copper Blue and Beaster will be released as a double LP and File Under: Easy Listening as a single LP, with both sets’ accompanying B-sides and live concerts available as bonus downloads. Furthermore, the Beaster EP will be available separately digitally and not part of the Copper Blue package.
To whet fans’ appetites, Merge this week released a trailer for the reissues, seen above, and has made available three live Copper Blue tracks performed by Bob Mould at San Francisco’s Bottom of the Hill earlier this year. They’re available as free MP3s via the widget below.
Tracklist: Sugar, Copper Blue/Beaster
DISC 1: COPPER BLUE + B-SIDES
1. “The Act We Act”
2. “A Good Idea”
3. “Changes”
4. “Helpless”
5. “Hoover Dam”
6. “The Slim”
7. “If I Can’t Change Your Mind”
8. “Fortune Teller”
9. “Slick”
10. “Man on the Moon”
B-SIDES
11. “Needle Hits E”
12. “If I Can’t Change Your Mind” (Solo Mix)
13. “Try Again”
14. “Clownmaster”
DISC 2: BEASTER
1. “Come Around”
2. “Tilted”
3. “Judas Cradle”
4. “JC Auto”
5. “Feeling Better”
6. “Walking Away”
DISC 3: LIVE AT THE CABARET METRO, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, JULY 22, 1992
1. “The Act We Act”
2. “A Good Idea”
3. “Changes”
4. “Running Out Of Time”
5. “Helpless”
6. “If I Can’t Change Your Mind”
7. “Where Diamonds Are Halos”
8. “Hoover Dam”
9. “Beer Commercial”
10. “Slick”
11. “Anyone”
12. “Clownmaster”
13. “Tilted”
14. “Armenia City In The Sky”
15. “JC Auto”
16. “The Slim”
17. “Dum Dum Boys”
18. “Man On The Moon”
Tracklist: Sugar, File Under: Easy Listening
DISC 1: ORIGINAL ALBUM + B-SIDES
1. “Gift”
2. “Company Book”
3. “Your Favorite Thing”
4. “What You Want It To Be”
5. “Gee Angel”
6. “Panama City Motel”
7. “Can’t Help You Anymore”
8. “Granny Cool”
9. “Believe What You’re Saying”
10. “Explode And Make Up”
B-SIDES
11. “Mind Is An Island”
12. “Frustration”
13. “Going Home”
14. “In The Eyes Of My Friends”
15. “And You Tell Me ”
16. “Believe What You’re Saying” (Campfire Mix)
DISC 2: THE JOKE IS ALWAYS ON US, SOMETIMES: LIVE AT FIRST AVENUE, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA NOV. 2, 1994
1. “Gift”
2. “Company Book”
3. “Hoover Dam”
4. “After All The Roads Have Led To Nowhere”
5. “Where Diamonds Are Halos”
6. “Slick”
7. “Going Home”
8. “Running Out Of Time”
9. “Frustration”
10. “Changes”
11. “Can’t Help You Any More”
12. “Helpless”
13. “If I Can’t Change Your Mind”
14. “In The Eyes Of My Friends”
15. “Clownmaster”
16. “Gee Angel”
17. “Explode And Make Up”
18. “The Slim”
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Bob Mould: Triple-disc reissue, ‘Copper Blue’ in Milwaukee, Amendment One protest gig
- Sugar’s ‘Copper Blue,’ ‘Beaster,’ ‘File Under: Easy Listening’ set for multi-disc reissues
- Bob Mould to perform Sugar’s ‘Copper Blue’ in the U.K., Belgium, Finland this June
- Bob Mould to perform Sugar’s ‘Copper Blue’ at San Francisco’s Noise Pop festival
- Video: Bob Mould discusses, performs Sugar’s ‘Hoover Dam’ for The A.V. Club
- Bob Mould to perform Sugar’s ‘Copper Blue’ on ‘very limited’ 20th anniversary tour
- Bob Mould sets ‘See A Little Light’ book tour, reissuing Sugar’s ‘Copper Blue’ on vinyl
Sugar was way underated and quit way too soon.
I thought they were way over-rated. Bring back Husker Du!