Album of the Day - Sonic Youth "Daydream Nation"

Sonic Youth's "Daydream Nation" reminds me of my high school years. It came out a couple of years before I entered high school, but listening reminds me of staying up late to watch "Alternative Nation" hosted by the ubiquitously bespectacled Kennedy. It reminds me of discovering music with my friend Ken: my first time hearing Helmet, the Jesus Lizard, Velocity Girl, Mudhoney. I discovered all of this music around the same time. Sonic Youth never really came my way, though.

My first Sonic Youth record was 1994's "Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star." I believe my comments regarding the record were something to the effect of "This record is certainly experimental, but it is trash and gets no star." I'm sure I thought myself clever, as well. Turns out, I was neither clever nor correct. I simply lacked taste and a sense of history.

Now that I possess both taste and a sense of history (in my own opinion, of course), I now appreciate Sonic Youth. Yesterday and today marked my first listen to the incredible 1988 album, which hearkens back to a time when rock n' roll could alternately traffic in 3 chord punk rock riffs and chaotic noise and feedback. Sonic Youth excelled in merging avant-garde noise with traditional rock n' roll. Few bands today do it at all, much less do it well. If they do attempt to join the two, it comes across as self-indulgent and self-aware.

A few years back I read "Confusion Is Next" by Alec Foege. He writes about Sonic Youth and their music with such passion and fervor that I declared to myself that I would seek out their music. I would highly recommend reading the book, and listening to the music.