After Daydream Nation, Sonic Youth finds itself with a big time record deal. What do they do with it?
Sonic Youth – Goo – 1990 Buy it(iTunes Amazon)
After almost a decade of headscratchingly embraced ear scraping followed by brilliance, SY was courted to DGC and came up with their most accessible album to date.
Moody, graceful, lyrical, sad. These are just some of the words that come to mind when listening to Goo.
For the first time Kim Gordon’s contributions are tolerable. In fact, the Karen Carpenter tribute, Tunic, might be one of the most haunting songs I’ve ever heard, from the perspective of the deceased, wherein she is, dare we say it, almost happy? Truth is, this is a Gordon heavy record.And, good thing.
There are actual songs here. Like Mary-Christ and Kool Thing. Who knew they had it in them, really?
Disappearer seems to take the hand off from Teen Age Riot and run with it. And then there’s Mildred Pierce, which, I guess is about Mildred Pierce, even though the only words in the song is the eerie, b-movie narrator saying, “Mildred Pierce”. And the distorted car crash of horror at the end, of course.
In the end, Goo is a great place to start listening to SY. Or maybe you don’t need to hear anything else. I don’t know. I’m about to find out.
Grade A
A Side: Tunic, Mary-Christ, Kool Thing
BlindSide: My Friend Goo, Mildred Pierce.
Downside: Scooter & Jinx, Titanium Expose
