[Moshe]

http://33third.blogspot.com/2007/03/...am-nation.html

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation



In the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few new books in the series, including those on albums by Captain Beefheart, Steely Dan, the Minutemen, and A Tribe Called Quest. First up, though, is Matthew Stearns' book on Daydream Nation. Here's an extract. (Not sure that footnotes and blog entries mix too well, so this extract is missing a couple of those.)

***

Sonic Youth's manipulated-guitar fetishism, and by extension their avid affection for the modification of things generally, reaches its ultimate expression in the form of the lovingly destroyed (and tragically pilfered) Drifter. Ah, The Drifter. Now, this is the kind of guitar your mother warned you about. The mangiest, nastiest, rattiest piece of detuned refuse ever allowed out of the house after dark. Legendary for its Rasputin-like refusal to die, The Drifter was the kind of guitar-catastrophe that could make, one imagines, small or medium-sized children or the infirm recoil in horror at the sight of it; only to run for their lives once the magnificent, ungodly "wooooowruwrooooowruwrooooow" cry issued forth from its miserable bowels. For nearly twenty years, The Drifter stood faithfully at the ready, a beaten-down-but-not-out veteran of historic, epic skirmishes that took place at the far edges of the Sonic Youth repertoire. (On Daydream Nation, the guitar is featured most prominently on "Eric's Trip.") A catalogue of the accumulated damage inflicted on this animal over the years reads like an unfortunate medical examiner's report from some abandoned rock'n'roll morgue-outpost:

* All frets removed
* Strung up with four bass strings
* Two E tuners removed
* Two drumsticks wedged under strings
* Single coil pickups taped into body
* All knobs duct taped over
* Obvious fractures

In terms of Sonic Youth's renegade proclivity for the physical manipulation of objects (musical or otherwise) in the service of discovering new forms of sound, the band, after an extended and frustrated history with an ever-changing cast of drummers, met with a decidedly appropriate, complementary accomplice in Steve Shelley. Steve, who was raised in Michigan on a steady diet of pure-grade Midwest underground rock and hardcore, joined the band following the release of Bad Moon Rising in 1985. The circumstances surrounding his hiring will go down as the most fortuitous apartment sublet story in the history of apartment sublet stories: "I was in this band called the Crucifucks in the Midwest," recalls Steve. "Sonic Youth was aware of my band and had a demo cassette we had made that they used to play before they went on as pre-show music. My band was always falling apart and coming back together again. But at one point we played a show at CBGB's, a punk matinee show. Thurston and Lee came to the show and I met them, and we stayed in touch afterwards. Back in Michigan, the Crucifucks broke up and I wound up subletting Kim and Thurston's apartment while they were on tour with Bob Bert in the UK. This was just before Bad Moon Rising was released. Along the way, Bob decided to leave the band. Kim and Thurston came home and basically I was there with my bags packed - I'd found another sublet in the city. I was going to try and stay in New York for a while but I didn't know what I was going to do. So, basically, they had a drummer in their apartment. And they hired me for the band, right then and there. I didn't audition or anything."

I stare at him half agog, half giddy, as if to ask: Are you fucking kidding me?

He's unabashedly still delighted, even after being a permanent fixture in the band for decades, when he responds: "They were my favorite band...Yeah, it was a dream job."

They were my favorite band. I'm so touched by his sincerity and lack of artifice that I come dangerously close to standing up and throwing my arms around him at this point. Which would have been out of line, but I just know he would have handled it with grace and good humor. I mean, this guy is unshakably, almost infuriatingly decent. Which is not to say that he won't knock your brains loose with a pair of drumsticks.

[Bollocks_to_Pop]

Thanks a lot Moshe. The stuff you post is always great to read.

[Washing Machine]

I can't wait for this book! Release the fucking thing god damn it!

[atsonicpark]

does anyone have the 33 1/3 loveless book?

it's on the amazon page to order but i dunno anyone woh has it and there are no reviews for it..

[dazedcola]

yea i have the loveless book, its good too, it gives you a clear look at what was going on around the time they were recording it.I just wish they talked more about how certain songs were created.

[GrungeMonkey]

When does it come out?

[CHOUT]

Is this fucker out yet? I looked and didn't see it.

[val-holla-ing]

i want this and that a tribe called quest book.

[hirsute_biped]

check out thurston's comments on the book from the above site (i thought it was "increase the crack" too, and do you think he is really advocating smashing butt lickers w/ rocks? i thought thurston would take an enlightened view of butt-licking...):



re: sonic youth / daydream nation : At first look I see that Stearns mishears lyrics WRONG for two songs I sing/sang but actually discusses them in their wrongness. Curious: did he get the lyrics from some internet lyric sites? He had access to us, he should've run the lyrics by us for checking.

Pg 62 "Silver Rocket" - Stearns: "you gotta have the time / got a letter in your mind / got a heart injection / that you got yourself a line"

Correct lyric: "You got a hand in time / got another in yr mind / you got yr heart injected / you got yr soul aligned"

I never sing the word "a line" and Stearns ends the chapter actually illustrating said "line" to the point of asking 'what the fuck , man?'. What the fuck indeed.

Pg 102 "Total Trash" - Stearns: "It's a guilty man / that increased the crack / it's total trash / sack 'em on the back / with a heavy rock"

Correct lyric: "It's a guilty man / that can grease the crack / it's total trash / slap him on the back / with a heavy rock"

Nothing to do with the "increased" crack cocaine epidemic of the time as deduced by Stearns I'm afraid. The lyric has more to do with record company boys trading butt-licks.

The author makes tense errors in the Teenage Riot and Total Trash lyrics that change the lyric intention but I won't drone on that. It does make me suspect if the Kim and Lee lyrics are correct.

I'll read the book through this week.

thurston

[dazedcola]

oh man, this is really dissapointing. This could actually really ruin the book. Don't you think the author would check the actual lyric sheet or at least some sonic youth site before he start concluding things about the lyrics? Thats very amateurish.

[guitarpro]

Can't wait to pick up that book

[Jt]

Same, so long as it isn't just Stearns' own protracted musings on the meanings of the lyrics within the socio-political context of the late '80s; I couldn't give a fuck how he interprets them. Particularly if he's seemingly interpreting the wrong lyrics in the first place.

I'm more interested in the logistical side of recording, the stories... y'know.

I'll still probably pick this up though, if only for the fact that there's surprisingly little literature concerning Sonic Youth as a band, let alone their seminal masterpiece. I've been waiting for it over a year now.

[Moshe]

so, how is the book?

[FREDDY!LUNDBERG!]

THIS IS ERIC'S BOOK!!1111

Should be the name. Or 'Dirty Books'. Or 'Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Book'.

[Moshe]

http://mapthroughstereo.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

New Book Enters World!



Alright, people! My little Sonic 33.3 book has been loosed upon the world and she's ready, come what may, for your incisive critical assessments, ruthless deconstructions, and sharp-eyed errata inquests!

It was a bumpy delivery, but she's got most of her toes and fingers and, certainly, her ticker is in the right place. Go easy on her, friends, as she's still a little tender from birthing complications.

Any corrections/peevements? Voice them here or, better yet, send them to my publicist. (Her kindness and enthusiasm is my secret weapon against any surprise attacks! *Thanks Wendy*)

Note to you Youth freakers out there who dwell within the harder-core regions of the Greater Sonic Universe: you will absolutely take issue with some of my interpretations/representations of the record's tracks and lyrics. Which, of course, is very ok. As I'm sure you'd all agree, part of the fun/point of Sonic Youthing derives from sussing out different layers of meaning in/ways of listening to their music. And given that, I look forward to many delightful hermeneutic throwdowns with all of you.

Let's fight about Sonic Youth songs!

Thanks everybody. I hope you dig it...

xo,
Matthew

[Moshe]

http://mapthroughstereo.blogspot.com/

Top Ten "Silver Rocket" Anagrams

 

The combination of the track's stinging surfaces, shredding pace, and head-spinning language imbues "Silver Rocket" with a coruscating quality that sets it apart from most other songs on Daydream Nation (it's closest relative being the creepy and eviscerating "Eliminator Jr") Although particularly gratifying to write about, "Silver Rocket" does pose certain explicative problems. Given the recent disclosure of a mortifying transcription botch (duly pointed out by some dude named Thurston Moore) committed by your faithful author (in my brand new 33 and 1/3 book) of a phrase from Daydream's famously cryptic second track, I thought it might be appropriate to put together a list of the all-time top ten most compelling anagrams for "Silver Rocket."


Here they are:

1. Restock Liver
2. Tickler Rovers
3. Lick Over Rest
4. Sick Lever Rot
5. Tick Love Errs
6. Rock Rifle Vest
7. Sock Let River
8. Clots Ever Irk
9. Sicker Revolt
10. Or Trick Elves

Big Rockets,
Matthew

[Moshe]

http://mapthroughstereo.blogspot.com/


Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Fantasy Lineup for Make-Believe Cover Album

 

With all of the awesome hullabaloo surrounding the record this year, I've been doing a lot of fantasizing about a fluffy cloudland roster for the imaginary Daydream Nation tribute/cover album that lives in my head.

Following is the current working lineup:

1. "Teen Age Riot" by Pavement during Wowee Zowee sessions, with Liz Phair, in her Exile/Whip Smart days, doing Kim's vocals from the intro
2. "Silver Rocket" by Wire circa Pink Flag after doing a bunch of speed
3. "The Sprawl" by Autechre (Tri Repetae era) with vocals from Nico (post-heroin)
4. "'Cross the Breeze" by Royal Trux (1991)
5. "Eric's Trip" by Leonard Cohen with Nirvana: So he can concentrate on extracting feedback from his guitar, Cobain relinquishes vocal responsibilities to Leonard.
6. "Total Trash" by David Bowie (Scary Monsters period) backed by T Rex (1972)
7. "Hey Joni" by the Beach Boys (Pet Sounds outtake)
8. "Providence" by Godspeed You Black Emperor
9. "Candle" by The Sea and Cake, before the release of Oui, but after the release of The Fawn
10. "Rain King" by Tool (!!!)
11. "Kissability" by The Slits
12. "The Wonder" by Rocket From the Tombs
13. "Hyperstation" by Radiohead with London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus
14. "Eliminator Jr" by Boredoms (1992)

Discuss!

[kenning]

I was trying to figure out who I'd rather hear cover "Providence" and the list grew too long. Then I wanted to do it myself. So, I'm going to start a new thread to organize a "Providence" covers compilation.

[atsonicpark]

3. "The Sprawl" by Autechre (Tri Repetae era) with vocals from Nico (post-heroin)


whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

that'd be the craziest thing ever...

[terminal pharmacy]

here are thurston's comments

Anonymous said... re: sonic youth / daydream nation : At first look I see that Stearns mishears lyrics WRONG for two songs I sing/sang but actually discusses them in their wrongness. Curious: did he get the lyrics from some internet lyric sites? He had access to us, he should've run the lyrics by us for checking.

Pg 62 "Silver Rocket" - Stearns: "you gotta have the time / got a letter in your mind / got a heart injection / that you got yourself a line"

Correct lyric: "You got a hand in time / got another in yr mind / you got yr heart injected / you got yr soul aligned"

I never sing the word "a line" and Stearns ends the chapter actually illustrating said "line" to the point of asking 'what the fuck , man?'. What the fuck indeed.

Pg 102 "Total Trash" - Stearns: "It's a guilty man / that increased the crack / it's total trash / sack 'em on the back / with a heavy rock"

Correct lyric: "It's a guilty man / that can grease the crack / it's total trash / slap him on the back / with a heavy rock"

Nothing to do with the "increased" crack cocaine epidemic of the time as deduced by Stearns I'm afraid. The lyric has more to do with record company boys trading butt-licks.

The author makes tense errors in the Teenage Riot and Total Trash lyrics that change the lyric intention but I won't drone on that. It does make me suspect if the Kim and Lee lyrics are correct.

I'll read the book through this week.

thurston