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Sonic Youth
Through the '80s and '90s the above rang true. After a CD or two of interesting music, recorded cheaply and distributed haphazardly, a group signed with a major label. Once in the corporate maw, they were assigned a reputable (name) producer who commercialized their sound while keeping only fragments, hints or traces of the original concept. After spending the '80s recording for a number of indies, Sonic Youth, hotly pursued by several major labels, signed with DCG Records.
"Goo," Sonic Youth's major label debut released in '90, bore some resemblance to their indie work, but the songs were shorter and more focused. This new course resulted in an invitation to open Neil Young's Ragged Glory tour. The pairing didn't win Sonic Youth many new fans but it did enhance Young's credibility with the Alt. Rock crowd.
The follow-up "Dirty" had Nirvana producer Butch Vig in the booth and an even more accessible sound. They were rewarded with a gold record. '94's "Experimental Jet Set, Trash No Star," again with Vig, was the group's highest charting effort though it didn't stay around very long. Still, they managed to headline Lollapalooza. After "Washing Machine," Sonic Youth started their own SYR label and released a series of CDs ("A Thousand Leaves," "Goodbye 20th Century" and "NYC Ghost and Flowers") harking back to their original sound. "Sonic Nurse" was the group's '04 offering. That was followed two years later by the group's 14th studio album, "Rather Ripped."
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Influenced by the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo teamed with bassist Kim Gordon in '81 (Moore and Gordon later married). Keyboardist Ann De Marinis and drummer Richard Edson were added but neither lasted. Hooking up with avant-garde composer Glenn Branca, Sonic Youth's self-titled EP and full-length album, "Confusion Is Sex," were unleashed. The group's noisy blasts and song structure (or lack thereof) was a far cry from the mainstream and that seemed to suit everybody.
With Bob Bert installed on drums "Bad Moon Rising" broadened the fan base but it was the '86 release "EVOL" that made Sonic Youth a college radio staple. "The Whitey Album," a tongue-in-cheek tribute to pop culture and Madonna hit in '88.
Now signed to the struggling Enigma Records, Sonic Youth delivered their indie masterpiece "Daydream Nation" containing "Teenage Riot." Critics loved it, college radio embraced it, but it was often unavailable in stores due to Enigma's financial and distribution troubles. The company eventually declared bankruptcy. Clearly, it was time to move to a label where that wouldn't be a problem (DGC Records).
If abstract, multi-layered sonic excursions work, then "Daydream Nation" is THE Sonic Youth record. The extended song structure and swirling sound collages can be hypnotic or boring depending on the listener's point of view. This album (a two record set) is far more cohesive than earlier work.
"Goo" and "Dirty" both recorded in the early '90s present Sonic Youth at their most accessible - which is still miles from mainstream. "Dirty" has Alt. Rock proto-types "100%" and "Youth Against Fascism."
"Sonic Nurse" stays the course, what course there is, relying on a chord driven, airy, open sound that seems to unfurl through the haze. "Paper Cup Exit" with the line about "getting lost in the slipstream" is a perfect example. "Pattern Recognition" is a breathless uptempo track while "Kim Gordon & The Arthur Doyle Hand Cream" has an appealing recklessness to it. The sparse arrangements and unfolding melodies give the album a laid-back charm that's perfect for rainy days.
On "Rather Ripped" (an appropriate title), Sonic Youth sound like one of those '60s bands that served as a bridge between pop-Rock and the burgeoning psychedelic era. Really neither one nor the other the music has a disarming effect. A distorted guitar here and a slew of noise there accent an odd lyric. Again, Sonic Youth keep the arrangements clean and simple relying on two guitars and a rhythm section to put the songs across. The melodic "Reena" and the conspiratorial "Sleepin' Around" immediately resonate. But "Incinerate" and "What A Waste" aren't far behind. There's also "Jams Run Free" which vaguely sounds like a derivative of the Pumpkins "1979." The album has some good ballads in "Turquoise Boy," "Do You Believe In Rapture" (with the noisy intro) and the intimate "Lights Out" but most listeners will gravitate toward the uptempo songs like "Rats."
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