Meine Top 3 sehen so aus:
1) Daydream Nation
2) Sister (das empfehle ich zum Einstieg bei Sonic Youth)
3) Washing Machine
Diese Band klingt definitiv eigen, allein schon durch ihre Gitarrensounds, und wenn seitdem andere Bands ein bisschen nach Sonic Youth klingen (…Trail of Dead auf Source Tags & Codes zum Beispiel), dann kann man das den Vorbildern ja nicht zum Vorwurf machen. Die Stimmen sind natürlich Indiestimmen, aber das ist auch gut so, und speziell die von Kim hat viel Charakter. Unglaublich cool. Thurstons Stimme wird mit der Zeit auch zu einem guten Freund. Steve Shelleys Drumming hat Stil und ist wieder erkennbar. Usw.
Daydream Nation ist eines der wenigen Doppel-Alben, die ich problemlos durchhören kann und von Anfang bis Ende klasse finde (einschließlich „Providence“) – ich empfinde es als stimmiges Ganzes. Ich habe fast keine Lust, da einzelne Tracks hervorzuheben, aber „Teenage Riot“ ist der beste Eröffnungstrack, den ein Album je hatte – allein der Anfang ist zum Sterben schön („Spirit Desire / We will fall“). Der Hauptreiz des Albums sind wohl die Gitarren von Thurston und Lee, die so wunderbar zusammenspielen und faszinierende Klänge produzieren. Atmosphärisch sehr stark. Hier ist eine gute Besprechung des Albums aus dem Netz:
„You could argue that everything Sonic Youth did between their inception and Sister was building up to Daydream Nation. In a sense, it is their definitive recording. Is it the best Sonic Youth album? Song for song, probably not. But as a whole, a concept, most definitely. A staggering aural trip through some intriguing underworld universe, Daydream Nation’s brilliant, fluid sprawl of non stop art rock melody demands your attention from start to finish.
Commencing with the thrilling guitar interplay of „Teen Age Riot“, at once dream-like, rocking, intelligent and cool, the album plunges into an endless sequence of tracks which explore melody and dissonance and takes each to its logical conclusion. Highlights are many; the terrifying cacophony that slices „Silver Rocket“ in two would be aped less effectively for many years to come, the musical tension and release of both „Eric’s Trip“ and „Hey Joni“ are startling, whilst the brutal, primal and thumping climax of „Total Trash“ is akin to someone pummeling you relentlessly over the head with giant dead whale in time to your own heartbeat (in a good way, of course). Separating tracks is not conducive to fully appreciating the album though; Daydream Nation has to be regarded as a whole, with your full attention, dedication and time put aside for it. The overall impact of the record is felt by absorbing its entire concept, rather than dipping into individual songs.
The production on Daydream Nation is strange, too. Neither over produced and slick, or hissy and untidy, the sound is clean, yet murky and enigmatic. No one instrument is emphasized as a central player, rather each component fuses together, melodies and rhythms finding their own identities in an immense sea of sound. In a sense the production, though clearly not the music, recalls Fables of the Reconstruction by R.E.M.; technically the record sounds almost impotent; the drums patter rather than crash, the guitars swell rather than scream, and yet the overall effect created becomes somehow greater and more forceful than the sum of its parts.
The peak of Sonic Youth’s art rock ambitions came here; their most captivating tome, capturing every aspect of their populist art punk into one defining double LP statement. Buy Sister first, then appreciate the expanded, head fuck conclusion of that artistic route with the perplexing wonder of Daydream Nation.“
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To Hell with Poverty