Public Servant Lifestyle

Twenty three years since they first put the band together the ‘Youth of today have still got lots to say. Nurse, the screams...

Sonic Nurse & Corporate Ghost: The Videos: 1990-2002, by Sonic Youth

"the world’s greatest punk rock jam band, AND MORE!" - Spin magazine, in their lead feature on ‘The 50 Greatest Bands Of All Time’.

After a solid twenty-three years of explosive creativity Sonic Youth throws down what may be their heaviest classic since their own genre-breaking, band-defining long-player Daydream Nation, back in 1988. The nineteenth album from New York City supernova since they formed in 1981, Sonic Nurse is ten tracks of a classic band raising the game for everyone else who even thinks about strapping on a guitar.

With the classic line-up intact: Kim Gordon (guitar/bass/vocals), Thurston Moore (guitar/ vocals), Lee Ranaldo (guitar/ vocals) and Steve Shelley (drums) - augmented by Domino Recordings’ Jim O’Rouke - Sonic Youth 2004 have succeeded in producing another ten tracks combining true beauty, and cool wild sonics, as only they can.

Richard Prince

Describing the band's 19th long-playing album, the ‘Youth has asked listeners to imagine Bare Trees era Fleetwood Mac jamming with Jealous Again era Black Flag. Make of that what you will – but the results are truly something to make you sit up and pay attention. This album is a complete music/art fusion: wrapped in wild and colourful cover art by renowned artist Richard Prince - from his notorious ‘Nurse Paintings’ series and takes the listener from Kim opening on the meat-grinder Pattern Recognition, moving onto the heart-pounding Unmade Bed and I Love Golden Blue and the awesome Paper Cup Exit. Believe me, your ears will thank you.

The full track listing for Sonic Nurse is as follows:

1. Pattern Recognition
2. Unmade Bed
3. Dripping Dream
4. Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream
5. Stones
6. Dude Ranch Nurse
7. New Hampshire
8. Paper Cup Exit
9. I Love You Golden Blue
10. Peace Attack

NB: The 'enhanced' version of the album also comes with the video for both Unwritten and Peace Attack

Corporate Ghost: The Videos: 1990-2002

June also sees Sonic Youth’s first official DVD release - a complete retrospective of the band's music videos from the Geffen era, plus bonus material all scoped and roped by filmmaker Lance Bangs.

Corporate Ghost' contains 23 videos handpicked by the band themselves from their extensive Geffen Records catalogue.

Corporate Ghost' includes such promo. classics as: Dirty Boots, Kool Thing, My Friend Goo, 100% and Sugar Kane, as well as cameo and guest appearances including Sophia Coppola, Chloe Sevigny, Kathleen Hanna, Kim Deal, Macaulay Culkin & Sleater-Kinney, the collection features work from a vast range of cult figures including the directorial talents of Harmony Korine and Spike Jonze.

Bonus footage includes the seldom-seen videos for Drunken Butterfly and Swimsuit Issue, the original cut of Disappearer and Thurston Moore solo Ono Soul. Other bonus features include commentaries by the band and directors on the videos, a Spike Jonze photo montage, an exclusive interview with Sonic Youth, plus two 'Easter Eggs'.

Twenty-three videos are included with over 3 hours of commentary and interviews by the band and others, with bonus videos, interviews, and more, Corporate Ghost' has been a long time coming – and makes a superb companion to the previous video offering, the documentary The Year Punk Broke – as well as nicely updating the Goo video for the 21st century.

The full Corporate Ghost' track listing looks like this:

1. Dirty Boots
2. Tunic (Song for Karen)
3. Mary-Christ
4. Kool Thing
5. Mote
6. My Friend Goo
7. Dissapearer
8. Mildred Pierce
9. Cinderella's Big Score
10. Scooter & Jinx
11. Titanium Expose
12. 100%
13. Sugar Kane
14. Youth Against Fascism
15. Bull in the Heather
16. Superstar
17. Little Trouble Girl
18. The Diamond Sea
19. Sunday
20. Hoarfrost
21. Nevermind (What Was it Anyway)
22. The Empty Page
23. Disconnection Notice

DVD Extras:

Full audio commentary is included by the directors Spike Jonze, Todd Haynes, Tamra Davis, Mark Romanek, Dave Markey, Richard Kern, Tom Surgal and Phil Morrison.

Furthermore, Sonic recollections are offered by Mike Watt, Kathleen Hanna, Jason Lee, Lance Bangs, Todd Haynes, Tamra Davis, Dave Markey, and Richard Kern.

A Sonic photo memory montage entitled Spikes Eye by Spike Jonze and a 1990 fan letter film document called My Sonic Room by Patty Orsini, plus a few extra nuggets.

All the videos are presented with uncompressed PCM audio so if you blast this thing through the hi-fi you will be able to rock out heartily.

This is a classic retrospective of one of the most influential rock bands of the 80's & 90's - a must have in any serious rock fan's collection.

Sonic Nurse is available now on CD from Geffen Records, with Goofin' Records release the limited edition double vinyl LP version in an attractive gatefold cover. Corporate Ghost: The Videos: 1990-2002 (on DVD only) is also available now, from Geffen.

More information available in Work Environment, DVD / Home Video, Music