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I think it was a weird time for the band. All their gear had just been jacked... I mean, Sonic Youth are a somewhat popular band and they had insurance, so they could replace the gear easier than you or I -- the gear that COULD BE replaced, that is; most of the guitars were modified or rare or one of a kind and all that love -- not even money, just love -- put into your craft... for it all to be stolen away, that has to have taken a toll on the band. (Something I always wondered though... weren't some synths stolen? Why did Sonic Youth have senses with them? I know they've had organ/Moog on a few songs here or there but I don't remember them playing synthesizers live pre-jim o'rourke, except the "Silver Rocket" rendition of Night Music...) I dunno how optimistic the band members were in interviews around the time of this album's release, but with them adding O'Rourke to the fold as an actual member afterwards, I feel like they all felt like they needed something to change in their music. I wonder about Ghosts and Flowers... I think it's a dark album mainly because it reflects how they were feeling about their lives. It's pretty hard to just invent that kind of darkness in the studio. It had to have followed them around. It's a very interesting record because of that, and if you notice Murray Street is downright cheery at times in comparison. The actual songs are kinda loose and odd, "Free City Rhymes" is such a masterpiece that it's ridiculous; one of my top 10 favorite SY songs. What a great album.
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