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Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth

Sonic Youth: Goo

Sonic Youth at a glance...

Hometown: New York, NY
Year Formed: 1980

Members:

Kim Gordon -bass, guitars, vocals
Lee Ranaldo -guitars, vocals
Thurston Moore -guitars, vocals
Steve Shelley -drums
with...
J Mascis, Chuck D, Don Fleming -vocals
Nick Sansano, Don Fleming -percussion

Related artists:
Ciccone Youth, Two Dollar Guitar, Free Kitten, Lee Ranaldo, William Hooker, Velvet Monkeys, The Crucifucks, Cat Power, Nels Cline, Thurston Moore, In Limbo, The Coachmen, Mats Gustafsson, William Winant, J Mascis, Kim Deal, Pavement, Half Japanese, Mike Watt, Borbetomagus, Shonen Knife, Puzzled Panthers, Jim O'Rourke

Notes:
Sonic Youth rose triumphantly out of New York's early 80s No-Wave scene. Originally fueled by the ripping guitar of Glenn Branca alumns Ranaldo and Moore, Sonic Youth grew into - and maintain their stature as - a rock 'n' roll aural-experimentation unit beyond compare. Sometimes melodic, sometimes atonal, but rarely boring, the band have covered a lot of ground in its nearly 20-year history. From the early scene-splashing Confusion is Sex (1983) to the more polished EVOL (1986), the band's early evolution is apparent. 1988's epic Daydream Nation secured Sonic Youth's status as a legendary, visionary band which would forever leave its mark on rock 'n' roll. Subsequent albums and tours have served to bolster the band's popularity, even when not establishing any new plateaus of creativity. More recently, offshoot releases (like 1997's Perspectives Musicales series) have shown evidence of a continuing interest in experimentation. A perpetually active band, Sonic Youth will surely entertain and challenge for years to come.

Links:
Read Ink Blot's tribute to Sonic Youth, "Sonic Truth"
Sonic Youth

Sonic Youth
Goo
Geffen, Released 1990
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth

Sonic Youth's jump to the majors caused a bit of a stir; they were the first band of their cohort to make the switch, but, at the time, not necessarily the most obvious to do so. But the same traits that made them stand out from their peers -- their play-with-fire approach to pop iconography and skewed perspective on pop culture in general, their blend of barbed melodies and unconventionally tuned guitars -- made them pretty damned marketable.

This record isn't as brilliant as its predecessor Daydream Nation, but it's more digestible; the songs get to the point, the heat-mirage textures stick around just long enough to be felt, the contempo culture conceits are a tad more obvious. Producers Nick Sansano and Ron St. Germain make everything a bit bigger and brighter, which is the way it should be when you've got songs as sensationally catchy as the cartoon feminist anthem "Cool Thing," The Carpenters memorial "Tunic," or the Blue Oyster Cult breaking the sound barrier rave-up "Disappearer." They hadn't forgotten where they came from, though, or how to do what they do best; "Mote" traverses the terrain from tuneful noise to seething, mountain- collapsing noise with thrilling purposefulness. A handful of half-baked songs keep this one from Sonic Youth's top drawer, but it's still pretty swell.

If you like Sonic Youth, check out:
Sonic Youth Sister
Sonic Youth Bad Moon Rising
Sonic Youth Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth Goodbye 20th Century
Sonic Youth Dirty
Sonic Youth Confusion Is Sex
Sonic Youth Washing Machine
Sonic Youth Experimental Jet Set, Trash And No Star
Sonic Youth NYC Ghosts & Flowers
The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground And Nico
Blonde Redhead Blonde Redhead
Mogwai Come On Die Young
Nels Cline and Thurston Moore Pillow Wand
William Hooker Hard Time
Pavement Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Sonic Youth

-- Bill Meyer

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