I'm in the middle of reading (finally) Kim Gordon's book. I like Sonic Youth. I find lots of Kim's backstory interesting -- she lived in Hong Kong for a few years so I can certainly relate to that! -- but there are things in here that rankle. Seems to me that if I was writing about my life and career, I wouldn't necessarily give so much space to ripping on the obviously divisive Courtney Love and Billy Corgan. That said, she made extraordinary music in SY, and the band really broadened my horizons at a crucial time in the late Eighties.
Live in Brooklyn 2011 is the record of the final show by this band. It's a live album that, without a whole lot of fanfare, captures the final performance of Steve Shelley, Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore, and Kim Gordon. The addition of Mark Ibold of Pavement on bass only adds another layer of appeal to this recording.
So on its own, the release serves as a pretty good introduction to the fire and promise of this band, even on their final night of existence. A rugged "Sacred Trickster" from 2009's surprisingly strong The Eternal is a highlight, as is a spacious "Tom Violence", a number from their masterpiece EVOL. Of particular interest to me was "Kotton Krown", a neglected gem from 1987's exquisite Sister. These numbers feel new again, and there's no higher praise I can offer live set versions than that!
"Starfield Road", one of my faves from the underrated Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star (1994), is disheveled and wonderful, while "Eric's Trip" adds even more roar to the Daydream Nation original. The track listing here on Live in Brooklyn 2011 is sure to please anyone who's a fan of this band, especially those of us who have been here since the Reagan years. There's not a lot from the late Nineties, but I guess I can live with that. By the time the band tears into a nasty "Sugar Kane", a listener is thinking (again) just how special the sound of Sonic Youth. Art world pretenders? Noise-niks? Avant free spirits? Garage rock for the Ronnie years? Whatever you call it, Sonic Youth were fantastic, and the power here is contagious still.
Live in Brooklyn 2011 by Sonic Youth is out on Friday. Details below.
[Photo: Sonic Youth Bandcamp]