Found this record review about SY & related recordings.
Don't agree with everything though.
Rather Ripped gets 4 stars, while
Sonic Nurse only gets 2.
Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews.
Sonic Youth is without a doubt one of the most eclectic and interesting bands on the face of the planet. Rebels, dissonant and loud punk/hardcore rockers, "No-Wavers," stunningly melodic popsters, experimental avant-garde musicans, nihilists, obscene New Yorkers, philosophers, parents, babysitters for the grunge generation... SY is or has been all these things at one time or another. One thing they are not is an immensely popular band. Despite finally being signed to a major label in 1988, they have yet to produce a bona-fide smash hit but remain a favorite of the underground, although recently they gained a smidgen of fame through their association with such luminaries as Kurt Cobain and big-time gigs headlining Lollapalooza and opening for REM.
The not-so-young-anymore Youth are:
Thurston Moore, guitar and most of the vocals, more or less the band leader.
Kim Gordon, bass, the original "bad grrl" of rock. Her vocals can be soothing one minute and unbearably grating the next. It takes a bit getting used to!
Lee Ranaldo, guitar, thick NY accent, better voice (IMHO) than Thurston's but seems to prefer doing abstract spoken-word pieces set to a background of wild feedback noise.
Steve Shelley, drums, arrived in 1986 to replace
Bob Bert, who replaced
Jim Sclavunos, who replaced
Bob Bert (!), who replaced
Richard Edson.
One thing that sets this group apart from others is the nature of their dueling lead guitar attack. Both Thurston and Lee are accomplished players (Lee is probably more technically proficient) with interesting ideas that blend together well, often with two guitar melodies and/or rhythms weaving in and out of eachother. Of course, they're also famous for their unusual alternate guitar tunings, extreme volume, generous use of feedback, and plain silliness like sticking screwdrivers in between guitar strings or running the sound of a power-drill through a wah-wah pedal.
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