SONICYOUTH.COM DISCOGRAPHY - ALBUM: THE DESTROYED ROOM: B-SIDES AND RARITIES

THE DESTROYED ROOM: B-SIDES AND RARITIES

TRACK LIST (CD):

1. Fire Engine Dream 10:22

2. Fauxhemians 4:04

3. Razor Blade 1:08

4. Blink 5:27

5. Campfire 2:19

6. Loop Cat 5:39

7. Kim's Chords 6:02

8. Beautiful Plateau 3:07

9. Three-Part Sectional Love Seat 8:16

10. Queen Anne Chair 4:37

11. The Diamond Sea [alternate ending] 25:48

TRACK LIST (LP):

1. Fire Engine Dream 10:22

2. Fauxhemians 4:04

3. Is It My Body? 2:53

4. Doctor's Orders (T-Vox) 4:20

--

5. Razor Blade 1:08

6. Blink 5:27

7. Campfire 2:19

8. Loop Cat 5:39

9. Kim's Chords 6:02

10. Beautiful Plateau 3:07

11. Three-Part Sectional Love Seat 8:16

12. Queen Anne Chair 4:37

--

13. The Diamond Sea [alternate ending] 25:48

NOTES

"The Destroyed Room" is Sonic Youth's first official b-sides and rarities compilation, and it offers peculiar snapshots of some of the most adventurous Geffen material, including only 3 (!) vocal tracks. Several tracks were previously released on compilations or soundtracks, some were b-sides or bonus tracks, and a few were previously only heard on the web-only "mix tape" series. The vinyl release features two more tracks, Thurston's version of "Doctor's Orders" and the Alice Cooper cover "Is It My Body".

HISTORY

December 2006 saw the release of SY's first "b-sides & rarities" collection. The track selection is definitely curious, but as the unattributed liner notes for track 1, "Fire Engine Dream", a 10-minute Nurse outtake previously available only on "Mix Tape #2", say: "Let's see who's here and who's not." Those who are get to hear the following:

"Fire Engine Dream" - an instrumental outtake from the Nurse sessions in 2003. previously released on 'mix tape #2' in 2 parts, and as a compounded mp3 for free download.

"Fauxhemians" - from the 2001 Noho Furniture Sessions, early pre-"Murray Street" jams in Thurston & Kim's living room. This one made it onto the "All Tomorrow's Parties 1.1" compilation.

"Razor Blade" - recorded during the mixing sessions for "Experimental Jet Set..." in 1994, a short acoustic Kim tune ("Compilation Blues" and "Winner's Blues" were also recorded). B-side of the "Bull in the Heather" single.

"Blink" - recorded in 1999, from the "Pola X" soundtrack. An often overlooked Kim gem.

"Campfire" - another 1999 experiment, this one was created entirely on a Groovebox for, appropriately, the "At Home With the Groovebox" compilation.

"Loop Cat" - a section of "Karenology" as processed by Jim O'Rourke, during the "Murray Street" sessions + later cleaned up for the "You Can Never Go Fast Enough" compilation.

"Kim's Chords" - an instrumental "Nurse" sessions outtake that was a bonus track on the Japanese CD.

"Beautiful Plateau" - an instrumental "Nurse" sessions outtake that was a bonus track on the Japanese CD.

"Three-Part Sectional Love Seat" - another Noho Furniture Sessions track, this one was previously only available on "Mix Tape #1". It's a pretty wild instrumental extrapolation, which makes you wonder why more of these tracks weren't cleaned up for "Murray Street"!

"Queen Anne Chair" - the Furniture theme continues... another cool instrumental that could've grown into more!

"The Diamond Sea" - this is the alternate ending version from the single, that stretches over 25 minutes!

Bought the double-vinyl, did ya? Well then you also get:

"Doctor's Orders" (T-Vox) - the same version of "Doctor's Orders" that appears on "Experimental Jet Set", but with Thurston singing completely different lyrics! Previously released on the "Bull in the Heather" single.

"Is It My Body" - an Alice Cooper cover sung by Kim that previously appeared on a double-7" for Sub Pop, as well as "Whores Moaning".

So, where's "My Arena", "Moist Vagina", those weird Aerosmith covers, or even "Compilation Blues"? Sadly stranded on their individual releases. Where are all those cool Dirty/Goo era b-sides like "Genetic", "That's All I Know Right Now", and the seemingly implied title track "The Destroyed Room"? Logically located on their respective deluxe reissues. So, aside from possibly offering more never-before-heard material, this "b-sides and rarities" compilation is a pretty solid document of the area it aims to explore, 1994-2003.

PACKAGING

The cover art is a 1978 Jeff Wall painting entitled "The Destroyed Room". The CD booklet collects magnified sections of this painting coupled with mostly insightful, sometimes inaccurate notes on each track. Further detailed credits appear at the back. The back of the album features a band photograph, with Jim.

CREDITS/LINERS

Sonic Youth:
Thurston Moore
Kim Gordon
Lee Ranaldo
Steve Shelley

with Jim O'Rourke on 1,2,6,7,8,9,10

This compilation produced by Sonic Youth. All songs produced by Sonic Youth except where noted. Mastered by John Golden at Golden Mastering, 2006.

Cover Photo: The Destroyed Room by Jeff Wall 1978, courtesy Marian Goodman Gallery, NYC. Band photo: Richard Kern. Design: Brandy Flower.

Management: John Silva/SAM

Tracks 3,4,5,11 written by Sonic Youth and published by Sonik Tooth, administered by Zomba Music (BMI).

Tracks 1,2,6,7,8,9,10 written by Sonic Youth and published by Sonik Tooth, administered by Zomba Music (BMI) / Field Code Music (BMI).

Thank you: Carlos Van Hijfte, Michael Meisel, Michele Fleischli, Wharton Tiers, Aaron Mullan, Paul Kremen, Amy Schmalz, JP Robinson.

www.sonicyouth.com

ADDITIONAL NOTES

There are a couple of errors in the liner notes. The note for "Blink" says that the band recorded & toured (in Europe) the Goodbye 20th Century record -- the tour was actually in 2001 (though SYR4 was indeed recorded in 1999). The note for "Diamond Sea" calls it the earliest track on the compilation, but that honour goes to "Razor Blade". 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

ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES 1.1 -- source of "Fauxhemians"

BULL IN THE HEATHER -- source of "Razor Blade" and "Doctor's Orders".

POLA X -- source of "Blink"

AT HOME WITH THE GROOVEBOX -- source of "Campfire"

YOU CAN NEVER GO FAST ENOUGH -- source of "Loop Cat"

THE DIAMOND SEA -- source of "Diamond Sea (alt ending)"

WHORES MOANING -- source of "Is It My Body"

RELEASE INFO

RELEASE DATE ORIGIN LABEL CATALOG #

12/12/06 US Geffen B000812402

NOTES: CD