listening Post: Sonic Youth - Bad Moon Rising

When I was in college I had a short lived, Spinal Tap inspired punk band: Yeast Infection. We consisted of an ambient noise inducing guitarist (who is now an esteemed newspaper editor), a pair of dating male and female vocalists; the woman (an investigator of hate organizations now) would wail dischordantly) while the male (now a respected television and film director) warbled almost on tune, despite attempting not to. And me. I was the drummer who pounded on cardboard while shouting, "I'm Phil Collins!".
Why am I telling you this?
Because with just a little more talent, drive and direction, we could have been Sonic Youth.
Unless they are as great as their legacy.
They've been together since 1981 (holy smokes) and I only know their big album for DGC (Goo) and the song, "Teenage Riot" from the Rock Band video game.
Let's learn more, shall we?



Sonic Youth - Bad Moon Rising - 1985 (iTunes - Amazon)

This is NOT Creedence Clearwater Revival.
This is not even Yeast Infection.
This is what you get when you are left to your own devices and ego and told that you're brilliant and listen to way too many goddamn Residents records.
I haven't heard a worse sophomore record since U2's Gloria.
There is nothing to review here. It's more ambient than the former record. But, it's sooooo obsessed with being "haunting" that it has no soul. It almost feels like a record by The Velvet Underground, if they were all dropped acid, forgot how to play, dropped the tuning on their instruments, ate a lot of turkey, fell asleep, took a crap and then woke up to see what they recorded and though, "Oooh, no one's done anything like this since.....since...Duck Stab!

There is a song called "Satan is Boring". And that sort of sums up the whole record for me.
I hate this. I never want to hear it again. I can't wait to delete it from my computer.
Hold on a sec.
There. Done.
Not even backed up.

Grade D
A Side: Death Valley '69
BlindSide: I'm Insane, Intro, Brave men Run (in my family)
DownSide: Society is a Hole, Ghost Bitch, Satan in Boring,