Bad Moon Rising

Re-release of 1985 classic SY record (on a label called “Goofin’”. Get it?). Its my observation that there are two Sonic Youths: one pre-1988’s Daydream Nation. Fans of one are often not of the other. Their 1986 release Evol was the last record put out by the “pre” band (there was a 1987 release “Sister” that could go either way). Evol was the apogee of Sonic Youth’s quest for the perfect noise pop, a term that hadn’t even been invented yet. This record set the stage: It still contains elements of their bombastic noise experiments found on 1983’s Confusion is Sex, but clearly their desire to create pop was evident. This is probably their most underappreciated because the fans of the “pre” band go straight for Confusion/Evol, while Daydream Nation fans wouldn’t be caught playing this. I’m used to playing side A (tracks 1-7) in their entirety. If you don’t have the stomach for that play 1-4. Thurston Moore/Kim Gordon sexual tension abounds, then a threesome occurs when Lydia Lunch appears and lays down backing vocals with her hand down her pants (track 8). Note: in 1987 I remember reading Option Magazine (or was it Spin?) and they were already referred to as “Sonic Godhead”. Nobody. NOBODY could touch SY in 1987. By then even the throngs of shiny happy REM fans were catching wind (finally caught up by Daydream Nation, when everyone jumped all over them. But as I said, many left). Tracks =>

1) (1:11) brief intro, chiming guitar, play with next
2) (3:38) Kim sings, epic proto indie rock with cool bash outs, noise end leads into next
3) (5:58) slow with noise tape loop, Thurston sings
4)* (7:39) Moore sings, trippy upbeat that incorporates much noise and dissonance
5) (5:41) feedback to start, pounding ensues, Kim sings
6) (4:08) tribal, Thurston sings
7) (4:22) very noisy, feedback, pounding, male vocs "justice is might", end of side A
8) (5:11) Death Valley 69: Lydia Lunch sings along, sounding smacked out and wailing, unprepared: this song at the time sounded very pop for them, like an attempt at a "hit", foreshadowing their mass appeal soon to come
9) (5:07) tape loops, spoken word, very experimental
10) FCC (3:34) Kim Gordon sings by far the most poignant song on the album but " FUCK!" is integral to the chorus, safe harbor only
11) (5:01) FCCs Kim's potty mouth continues, this time kittenish sultry and sexed up biggtime, safe harbor
12) (1:09) brief experimental, minimal filler, I don't remember this being on the album but maybe that's a combination of my early onset dimentia and its forgetableness.