Sugar back catalogue to be re-issued on Merge Records

Photo By Stacy Schwartz

While Twin City music fans wait patiently to see if Bob Mould ever announces a local live performance of his classic Sugar record Copper Blue in its entirety, Merge Records announced that they will be re-issuing and remastering the band's stellar but all-too-brief back catalogue on July 24.

A remastered and expanded version of Sugar's celebrated 1992 debut, Copper Blue, will be packaged with its companion piece, the Beaster EP, as well as a live show from the Metro in Chicago from '92. While the band's third and sadly their final offering, 1994's File Under: Easy Listening will also be remastered and expanded with b-sides from the era, as well as a live show from First Avenue titled, The Joke Is Always On Us, Sometimes - Live at First Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2, 1994.

In addition to the Sugar reissues on Merge, Mould himself has a forthcoming solo record due out this fall on the venerable indie label, who has thankfully joined forces with Bob to help revive the Sugar material from their original label Rykodisc, whose catalog is now basically inactive.

This campaign will give younger music fans the chance to hear some of Mould's best post-Hüsker Dü work in all its raging, triumphant glory, and give longtime fans a chance to hear those classic songs cleaned up and dusted off, as well as some incendiary live shows from that era.

Merge has issued this promotional teaser to coincide with the reissues, which should only build the excitement of longtime Sugar fans who have been looking forward to these remasters for quite a while.

Here is the complete tracklisting for the re-issues and their corresponding b-sides and live shows:

-- Copper Blue / Beaster (3-CD set)

Copper Blue & Beaster will be released as double LP with b-sides & live show as bonus downloads.

Copper Blue (tracks 1-10 are original Ryko Copper Blue remastered, 11-14 are Ryko 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

11 Needle Hits E

12 If I Can't Change Your Mind (Solo Mix)

13 Try Again

14 Clownmaster

Beaster EP (original Ryko version remastered)

1 Come Around

2 Tilted

3 Judas Cradle

4 JC Auto

5 Feeling Better

6 Walking Away

CD3 Live at 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 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

-- File Under: Easy Listening  (2-CD Set)

FU:EL will be sold as a single LP with b-sides & live show as bonus downloads.

File Under: Easy Listening (tracks 1-10 are original Ryko FU:EL remastered, 11-16 are Ryko 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

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)

CD2 - The Joke Is Always On Us, Sometimes - Live at First Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2, 1994

1 Gift

2 Company Book

3 Hoover Dam

4 After All the Road 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 Anymore

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