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Just passing this on, obviously no one here needs telling and it's not flawless but if you are looking for a virus free read.

Bad Moon Rising at 35: How Sonic Youth’s 1985 masterpiece reinvented indie rock

Recorded in a studio overlooking a polluted canal, the alternative band's second album sprang from humble beginnings. But, writes Ed Power, it was the record that helped them discover their place in the world

I tell you its always weird to see records you bought new getting this sort of treatment. Also it's hilarious that I'm always complaining about all the incredibly repetitive 'I loved these dudes in college' threads and here we are...

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Thanks for the heads up shadowplay!
BMR is certainly a dark/strange/creepy record that opened a lot of doors for American independent rock. Not to mention a whole new approach to guitar and incorporating dissonance into writing and recording.

I'm a Sonic Youth fan and I enjoy Bad Moon Rising. I didn't realize it was that influential or breakthrough (considering I always heard Daydream Nation was their first experience being 'influential' upon release) - I just thought it was a good album, from previous to the time before they got 'big' Will give it a watch

That was a good read. Thanks!

I can't think of a better Sonic Youth track than Death Valley '69 and the whole album, along with EVOL, showcase a really interesting point in the band's timeline. You can clearly hear elements of their Confusion Is Sex output but there's a hint of what's to come later on albums like Sister. Cleverer, catchier songwriting that still manages to retain their raw, experimental edge perfectly.

Thanks for posting this. LOVE Bad Moon Rising and decided to dust it off a couple of months ago, still as good as ever; their entire first decade of output really is a remarkable thing.

Sister is the first album I really think they had figured out. But I have fondness (probably more than usual) for everything from Murray Street/ A Thousand Leaves on to Sonic Nurse/Rather Ripped. In ways I like their newer stuff better but I also wasn’t ‘there’ in the ‘80s. Daydream Nation is still what I think they deserve most recognition for; phenomenal, and no fluff.

They had a very chaotic overall sound before picking up Steve Shelley, who joined for EVOL.
I like the early stuff a lot and understand it is not for everyone.
Had they not got Steve and his tight and groovy drumming, they may have never lasted so long.

Thanks for posting. BMR is a great album. Very moody. Brave Men Run is a hell of an opener.

Absolute banger of a record. First SY album I ever listened to, actually, and I’d still call Brave Men Run my favorite song of theirs.

me and my friends once had a massive argument over the best sonic youth album. weirdly i was the only one standing up for dirty.

bad moon rising is a weird one for me in that i like it but if i'm not in the mood for it, i tend to not like it.

May as well jump in on this. Love SY. I pretty much like every single album to some degree, the ones I put on the bottom rung would be NYC Ghosts & Flowers (I don't care for beat poetry....) and The Eternal (seems like it could have used some more work but even it has moments). In high school (mid 90s) my friends and I became absolutely obsessed with the first EP on SST with the blue cover. I think the first SY song I ever heard was "100%" and that was it, I was hooked for life. My favorites if pressed would be in this order - EVOL, Daydream Nation, Sister. The run from BMR to Experimental Jet Set is without flaws, period (yes that's not a typo I love Experimental Jet Set big time and feel it is underrated to a ridiculous degree). I have most of the SYR releases and other live works/ephemera/solo albums/etc. I recall watching The Year Punk Broke and as someone who had already been into Nirvana when I finally saw it the footage that floored me was Sonic Youth and Dino.

I'm sure because of the whole Kim/Thurston split it's probably a pipe dream but I'd love to hear them come back even now and do something to really close things out properly.

Anyway, I have a huge Bad Moon Rising subway poster framed in one of the rooms in my house. It belonged to my wife when we first started dating and was one of those markers of personal taste where I walked into her apartment on our first date and saw it and said "yeah this is gonna be alright" and here we are 18 years later.

Love the Halloween vibes on this album, though maybe i'm being swayed by the pumpkin on the cover.
Probably my fave SY album, but all of their 80s output is a 10 for me.
Recently got really into A Thousand Leaves, like BMR, deserves more credit.

Sonic Youth, Desolation Center 1984: 500 tabs of acid, one life-changing gig

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shadowplay wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:24 am

Sonic Youth, Desolation Center 1984: 500 tabs of acid, one life-changing gig

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Thanks for posting this. The documentary looks like it could be really cool.

shadowplay wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 29, 2020 7:58 am

Just passing this on, obviously no one here needs telling and it's not flawless but if you are looking for a virus free read.

Bad Moon Rising at 35: How Sonic Youth’s 1985 masterpiece reinvented indie rock

Recorded in a studio overlooking a polluted canal, the alternative band's second album sprang from humble beginnings. But, writes Ed Power, it was the record that helped them discover their place in the world

I tell you its always weird to see records you bought new getting this sort of treatment. Also it's hilarious that I'm always complaining about all the incredibly repetitive 'I loved these dudes in college' threads and here we are...

D

I still listen to it once in a while

Yeah thanks for the link, just watched it and it was absolutely amazing. Total OG event.