Skip to main content

joe-goggins
22nd October 2012

From the vault: Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation

The legendary outfit’s finest hour changed the face of alternative rock
Categories:
TLDR

Originally released: October 1988

Enigma Records

Whilst the quality and inventiveness of Sonic Youth’s output has begun to dwindle in more recent years, their towering influence over present-day rock music remains as strong as ever. The jewel in the band’s considerable crown, 1988’s Daydream Nation, became one of the pioneering albums of the alternative rock movement. It blended the band’s trademark harsh, scuzzy guitars with pop sensibilities to create songs that were simultaneously both catchy and complex, providing a genuine alternative to those disillusioned with a musical scene in thrall to the hard rock posturing of Guns n’ Roses. Despite the record’s sprawling length – it was originally released on four sides of vinyl – it never lacks urgency or experimentation, and as such never loses the listener’s interest. From the spectacular opening gambit of Teen Age Riot – a hypnotic, guitar-driven epic that foreshadowed the pending grunge explosion – to the audacious three-part closer, Trilogy, Daydream Nation calls upon the band’s hat-trick of vocal talents, with contributions from Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo and Kim Gordon all underpinned by the former pair’s unconventional, innovative guitar work, often resulting in a trademark collage of noise. Over twenty years on, Daydream Nation continues to be imitated, but the perfect marriage between the record’s trailblazing instrumentation and provocative lyrical content makes for an atmospheric opus likely never to be repeated.

Joe Goggins

Joe Goggins

Music Editor.

More Coverage

Truck Festival proved itself to be one of the country’s best, appealing to all audiences by bringing something for everyone and showcasing a variation of exciting new music
With small venues in trouble and social media taking charge, how hard is it for small, up and coming bands to survive in the modern grass-roots music scene? Hungry sit down with The Mancunion to help shed some light on the lives of young creatives
The Last Dinner Party return to Manchester as part of their Prelude to Ecstasy tour, showcasing their talent, aptitude and ability live
Joined by Radiohead’s Phillip Selway, the Mercury-nominated group delivered a cathartic spectacle and once again demonstrated why they are one of the UK’s most noteworthy acts