Sonic Youth - Thousand Leaves - Music & Performance - CD

Produced by Wharton Tiers and SY with additional production by Don Fleming, a Thousand Leaves follows up the #1 college hit Washing Machine (which yielded the radio favorite "Diamond Sea"). This 74-minute masterpiece of tonal transcendence marks a new Sonic Youth era as they showcase a progression in all directions, including into pop as well as away from it. 1st radio track/video: "Sunday."

Truth be told, the grunge era never quite fit Sonic Youth. They may have been at the peak of their popularity, but they had traded their experimentalism for sheer, bracing noise. It may have sounded good, but ultimately Dirty didn't have the cerebral impact of Sister, largely because it was tied to an admittedly effective backbeat. Beginning with Washing Machine, Sonic Youth returned to more adventurous territory, and in 1997, they released a series of EPs that illustrated their bond with such post-rock groups as Tortoise and Gastr del Sol. Those EPs, as well as the epic Washing Machine closer, "The Diamond Sea," provide the foundation for A Thousand Leaves, the band's most challenging and satisfying record in years. The blasts of dissonance that characterized their SST masterworks have been replaced, by and large, by winding, intricate improvisations. There's a surprising warmth to the subdued guitars of Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, and Kim Gordon, which keeps the lengthy songs captivating. Both Moore and Ranaldo concentrate on quiet material, which almost makes Gordon's noisy politicized rants sound a little out of place, but her best moments ("French Tickler," "Heather Angel") have unsettling, unpredictable twists and turns that greatly contribute to the success of A Thousand Leaves. It may be their most cerebral album in ages, but that only makes it all the more engaging. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Performer	Sonic Youth
Music genre	Alternative
Music subgenre	Rock
Media format	CD
Original release date	1998-01-01
Edition	Standard Edition
Language	English
Number of tracks	18
Has parental advisory label	N
Number of discs	1
Series title	Sonic Youth - Thousand Leaves COMPACT DISCS
Track listing	Contre Le Sexisme, Sunday, Female Mechanic Now on Duty, Wildflower Soul, Hoarfrost, French Tickler, Hits of Sunshine (For Alan Ginsberg), Karen Koltrane, The Ineffable Me, Snare, Girl, Heather Angel
Record label	Geffen Records
Target audience	Adult
Composer	Sonic Youth
Songwriter	Sonic Youth
Music producer	Wharton Tiers and SY with additional production by Don Fleming
Number in series	4
Occasion	All Occasion
Track name	Sunday
Duration	74 min
Digital audio file format	CD
Music media format	CD
Is edited	N
Is enhanced	N