MADE IN USA
   
TRACK LIST:

1. Mackin' For Doober 0:51
2. Full Chrome Logic 0:59
3. Secret Girl 2:54
4. Cork Mountain Incident 0:49
5. Moustache Riders 1:07
6. Tuck N Dar 3:40
7. Moon In The Bathroom 2:29
8. Thought Bubbles 2:25
9. Rim Thrusters 1:59
10. Lincoln's Gout 2:08
11. Coughing Up Tweed 1:17
12. Pre-Poured Wood 0:52
--
13. Hairpiece Lullaby 1 & 2 2:08
14. Pocketful Of Sen-Sen 1:15
15. Smoke Blisters 1 & 2 2:33
16. The Velvet Plug 2:31
17. Giggles 0:53
18. Tulip Fire 2 1:56
19. The Dynamics Of Bulbing 1:17
20. Smoke Blisters 3 & 4 3:20
21. O.J.'s Glove Or What? 1:20
22. Webb Of Mudd 1, 2 & 3 2:51
23. Bachelors In Fur! 1:00
 

NOTES

"Made in USA" was the first "original motion picture soundtrack" comprised solely of Sonic Youth material. It's also essential listening material -- this along with "Sonic Death" are two of my all-time favorite Sonic Youth releases, and both are sadly overlooked and underrated. "Made In USA" explores all sides of Sonic Youth's music, and serves as the perfect companion piece for "EVOL" -- "Rim Thrusters" does it for me every time. For information on the use of SY's music in the film itself, see the video entry for "Made In USA".

HISTORY

What better source to turn to for the album's history than Thurston himself, whose liner notes are reproduced below. To expand on what he's written, I'll offer a few additional comments. The music was recorded in September and October 1986, between two American tours. Aside from its use within the film, it remained in the sonic vault until the band decided to release it in 1994 -- at this point, they offered a preview (simply titled "Made In USA [segment]") on a Bananafish compilation. This track follows the same theme used in "Moon in the Bathroom" "Lincoln's Gout" "Coughing Up Tweed" and others, but does not specifically appear on the soundtrack release (which makes me wonder how much other music was not included on the soundtrack!). The full soundtrack was released in early 1995 on Rhino records, on all formats (including clear vinyl in a plastic sleeve!). There was a "various artists" soundtrack release for the film when it was originally released, but SY's only contribution was the EVOL version of "Secret Girl" (and possibly "Tuck N Dar", I'm not sure). The music on Sonic Youth's soundtrack release remained untitled until 1994, at which point the band asked Byron Coley to title them at random, to which he gladly obliged.

PACKAGING

The cover image of a withered tree in a desolate area might be a still from the film, I'm not sure. The image of a yellow price tag for 0.00 is reproduced throughout the artwork, including the cover (the one on the cover is different than the ones elsewhere). At the bottom of the cover it reads "(MUSIC FROM THE ORIGINAL 1986 MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK)". The back of the CD shows the inside of a car w/ a potted cactus-like plant duct taped to the dashboard, along with a cassette deck bearing the same sticker that is reproduced countless times on the "Screaming Fields of Sonic Love" cover. This image is accompanied by a track list. The jewel case has a clear tray, and the tray liner shows the aforementioned price tag. The CD insert folds out to 3 double-sided pages, including the cover, a reproduction of the back cover, and a lovely band photo on one side -- the reverse includes Thurston's liner notes, a picture of the film's original poster crumpled on pavement, and a page w/ credits. The vinyl release is a particularly interesting package -- it comes in a sealed perforated plastic sleeve which you need to tear open. The record itself is on clear vinyl, and there's a 2-sided full-size insert. One side has the liner notes, the other has a colorful collage of most of the contents of the CD booklet. The vinyl labels have the cover image on one side, and the track list on the other.

CREDITS/LINERS

Sonic Youth:
KIM GORDON
THURSTON MOORE
LEE RANALDO
STEVE SHELLEY

TERRY PEARSON: harp on "Rim Thrusters"

Recorded & Mixed at HIT CITY WEST, Los Angeles, Sept./Oct. 1986
Engineer: TERRY PEARSON
Assistant Engineers: W. CRAFT, K. O'CONNOR
Remixed by SONIC YOUTH at SEAR SOUND, New York City, June 1994
Engineer: FRED KEVORKIAN
Assistant Engineer: BIL EMMONS
Project Producer: MICHAEL BISHOP
Preproduction: MICHAEL BISHOP, RICHARD COOLEY, GEZA X, STEPHANIE LEE
Project Assistance: GARY STEWART, TED MYERS, PATRICK MILLIGAN
Legal Assistance: JON EARP
Remastering: HOWIE WEINBERG

Art Direction: SONIC YOUTH/COCO SHINOMIYA/KELLERHOUSE
Design + (poster in street) Photo: N. KELLERHOUSE
Photos: LEE RANALDO/DAVE MARKEY

Thanks to KEN FRIEDMAN, DEBBIE ZINMAN & CURTIS CLAYTON for faith in the unknown
Special Thanks to MARTIN KITCAT, ERIK GRADY & GARY ENGLISH
Extra Special Thanks to PHIL NEWMAN, DAVE MARKEY, DAVO, ACE, WAYNE & ALTHEA, LAWNDALE, BYRON COLEY, NAOMI PETERSON, SPINHEAD

LINER NOTES

In 1985 Kim & I were chillin' at her parents' crib in West Los Angeles when we got a phone call from a couple of hard-workin' kids doin' an edit job on a big-time Hollywood flick with the proposed title of USA Today. They said that they had been using songs from our Evol LP on the "temp" soundtrack, and the director was "excited." The director was Ken Friedman, who we knew as the screenwriter of a pretty cool movie called Heart Like A Wheel. This was to be his first real directing job in the city of dreams.

Supposedly Ken and his producer friends hired the talents of '70s Southern-fried boogie freaks the Outlaws to score the flick. The Outlaws sent the masters of their newly recorded LP and everyone was happy. Or so they thought. For some reason the chooglin' sounds didn't seem to jive so well with the film's weird undertow. But there was one track of our Evol LP called "Secret Girl" that certainly did.

Sonic Youth had infamy among the underground rock circuit at this time but were virtually unknown to the mainstream. We were told Paul Westerberg of the more well-known Replacements had been contacted to do the music, but he turned it down. To us, working on a Hollywood flick doing background/incidental music, etc., was a new and exciting kick. Plus we could make some big bucks, which was something we weren't exactly making at the time.

Kim and I were star-struck when we went to a "rough" screening at Paramount Studios. It was there we met the director, the producer, and others and were invited to score the film. At this time the story was a dark, somewhat politically pointed road movie. We called Lee and Steve and gave 'em the scoop, and they flew out (all expenses paid!). We also enlisted the services of our sound man Terry Pearson to man the controls.

We watched the film a few times and set up a rehearsal/demo situation at the now legendary (and defunct) Spinhead Studios in the San Fernando Valley. This studio was the home to a lot of music generated by the SST record label (Black Flag, Painted Willy, etc.). We found ourselves constructing spindly, twisting rhythms and quiet rushes of noise and melody. We also blasted out some straight-ahead Mac-truck rock riffs. Anything to fit the film's "mood."

We recorded (in mono!) at Hit City West (first Motley Crue record, dude!). This was fun but exasperating because we had to deal with the whims of producers, et al.

The film was eventually titled Made In USA and, after testing, was reedited to resemble more of a "teen" flick. It played in Europe and may have been released in the States regionally but, for the most part, went straight to video.

We had fun doing it. We got to meet the stars Chris Penn and Adrian Pasdar and went to a screening where the producers were trying to woo John Fogerty to do the final song (he refused).

I recently found the video for $3.99 at a video closeout store and watched it and was kind of bummed when I saw how much of our music was cut from the final edit. I guess our vibe was too weird and edgy. But that's what we liked about the earlier version of the film, so... to each his own, I guess. The music on this soundtrack is interesting in that it's an odd compromise between New York City avant-gardsters and Hollywood hit men.

Roll camera.

                                                                             --Thurston Moore
                                                                                    Sonic Youth
                                                                                       June 1994

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Three melodic themes are repeated throughout the soundtrack, "Tuck N Dar" which is "reprised" within "Mackin' For Doober" "Full Chrome Logic" "Cork Mountain Incident" "Moustache Riders" & "Bachelors in Fur!"; "Secret Girl" which is reprised in "The Velvet Plug" "Tulip Fire 2" & "O.J.'s Glove Or What?"; and what I call "Made In USA" (based on the Bananafish track), reprised in "Moon in the Bathroom" "Lincoln's Gout" "Coughing Up Tweed" & "Smoke Blisters 3 & 4". The remaining tracks are all unique to their own melodies: "Thought Bubbles" "Pre-Poured Wood" "Hairpiece Lullaby 1 & 2" "Pocketful of Sen-Sen" "Smoke Blisters 1 & 2" "Giggles" "The Dynamics of Bulbing" and "Webb of Mud 1, 2, & 3".

Aside from "Secret Girl" and one supposed performance of "Tuck N Dar", none of the material on this soundtrack was ever played live.

For more information on songs (including lyrics, who played what, when the songs were first and last performed, and other trivia), please visit the Song Database.

RELATED RELEASES

  • MADE IN USA -- original "various artists" soundtrack for Made In USA.
  • MADE IN USA -- information on the film itself.
  • STEP STEP STEPPIN' ON SATAN'S FOOT -- Bananafish compilation w/ preview of "Made in USA".

    RELEASE INFO

    VINYL

    RELEASE DATE
    ORIGIN
    LABEL
    CATALOG #
    02/95
    US
    Rhino
    R1 71591
    NOTES: clear vinyl 12" in plastic case w/ liner card.
     
    CD

    RELEASE DATE
    ORIGIN
    LABEL
    CATALOG #
    02/95
    US
    Rhino
    R2 71591
    NOTES: CD version. liner notes by thurston.
     
    CASSETTE

    RELEASE DATE
    ORIGIN
    LABEL
    CATALOG #
    02/95
    US
    Rhino
    ?
    NOTES: cassette version.
     

    INFO NEEDED FOR THIS RELEASE

  • Remaining scans of the cassette would be great.
  • Please write me w/ anything that's missing!

  • insert panels 1 + 2 (cover)


    insert panels 3 + 4


    insert panels 5 + 6


    tray liner


    disc


    CD back


    vinyl in plastic sleeve


    vinyl insert side 1


    vinyl insert side 2


    vinyl side 1


    vinyl side 2


    cassette cover


    cassette liner 1 (poland)


    cassette liner 2 (poland)


    japan CD