File Under: Easy Listening (Deluxe Remaster)

Bob Mould's second power trio, Sugar, only recorded two official studio albums (Beaster was an EP of excellent outtakes from Copper Blue). Each of those releases is filled with the bristling attacks that made Bob infamous as a member of the legendary Hüsker Dü. Mould's guitar tone is sheer beauty, a harmolodic blend that yields results beyond the actual notes. Couple that with his pop sense, and you've got a perfect guitar-pop band with a true rock edge. That this music is considered "alternative" was a result of an industry in confusion. Had tunes like "Your Favorite Thing," "Gee Angel," and "Can't Help You Anymore" been released in the late '60s instead of the '90s, they'd be considered purebred rock 'n' roll. "Panama City Motel" pulls back the volume for a ballad. "Believe What You're Saying" adds a western twinge. "Explode and Make Up" explores Mould's emotionally riveting forlorn side. The deluxe edition adds b-sides and a 1994 live show that reminds us of what we missed—or have been missing for years. Sugar was one of the best power trios of any era.