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When my laptop crashed a few months ago, not a lot happened. But the split of Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon and the subsequent “hiatus” of the mighty Sonic Youth was important news to me that I managed to miss until last month. I wanted to give proper tribute to a band that opened up my musical vocabulary and taught me that extemporaneous noise can be good.
Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation (Enigma)
This 1988 album is widely considered their masterpiece. Kinda hard to disagree. While not their first top-to-bottom great record, there’s no denying the power of “Teen Age Riot”, “Total Trash”, and “Candle,”. A Thurston Moore tour de force.
Sonic Youth – Goo (DGC)
The band’s 1990 follow-up was their major label debut and, while having a little slicker production, has proven to be nearly an equal as well as being a heavier alternative to Daydream Nation.
Sonic Youth – Sister (SST)
1987’s Sister is probably Moore’s second best album and shows the band adding more pop elements to their disjointed noise.
Sonic Youth – Murray Street (DGC)
Their first album in eight years to not have a throwaway track. A stunning thought, really.
Sonic Youth – EVOL (SST)
The first SY album that I really enjoyed. The band really concentrated on songwriting for the entire album rather than No Wave jam sessions.
Sonic Youth – Experimental Jet Set, Trash And No Star (DGC)
I remember “Bull In The Heather,” on MTV and thinking how wonderfully out of place it was and strange that I didn’t have to be watching at 2 in the morning to see Kathleen Hanna bouncing around while Kim Gordon counted by ten. After eight years of amazing records, it would be eight more for their next one.
Sonic Youth – Dirty (Self-Released)
SY goes garage band. Even more attitude than Goo. Along with (mostly due to) Nirvana‘s Nevermind, this made Butch Vig the hottest rock producer in the land.
Sonic Youth – The Eternal (Matador)
Their final album and only Matador records full-length release. This label-artist marriage seemed like a match made in alternative heaven.
Sonic Youth – Rather Ripped (Geffen)
Their final record for DGC/Geffen and they didn’t just phone it in. The third of the four excellent albums that they finished with.
Sonic Youth – Sonic Nurse (Geffen)
Some of my favorite KG tracks are here like the below and “Pattern Recognition,”.
Honorable mention for not being a Sonic Youth album: Thurston Moore’s first solo album, Psychic Hearts.
