Sonic Youth: Goo [GEFFEN]

Why you'll love it

This reissue brings back the original DGC album. Goo reached No. 96 on the Billboard 200, the band's highest at the time, and in 2020 Rolling Stone ranked it No. 358 on its 500 greatest albums of all time.

About the album

Sonic Youth signed to Geffen in 1989 with a clause guaranteeing complete control of their creative output, then put the bigger budget straight into guitars. At Sorcerer Sound they had two 24-track consoles, hung microphones from the catwalk and layered overdubs to their hearts' content.

Don Fleming and J Mascis helped shape the early demos, Nick Sansano engineered, and Ron Saint Germain mixed. Kim Gordon steps forward as a singer and writer, Public Enemy's Chuck D joins her on "Kool Thing," which reached No. 7 on the Modern Rock chart, and "Mary-Christ," "Mote" and "Mildred Pierce" show off the band's tangled guitar interplay. The album takes its name from "My Friend Goo."

It is now seen as one of alternative rock's most important records. It also remains a very good argument for letting bands keep control of their own budget, though our accountant has asked us not to say that too loudly.

Also at Kops: more Sonic Youth on vinyl · browse Alternative

Tracklist

Listen

On DGC / Geffen, a reissue of the 1990 album.