Have You Heard? - Sonic Youth's 'Daydream Nation'.

Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation is noted by most in the supposed know as an outright alt rock classic, yet even more so, as a commentary of music in a post-punk era. Unlike the hardcore movements that resulted in a heavier punk, “noise rock” renounced the repetitive punk guitar lines, utilized by bands like The Ramones, Sex Pistols and The Clash. They instead stole the aggressive attitude of punk, and stapled it to different styles - for instance, The Pixies manic screams, Flea’s aggressive use of the funky slapping and popping technique, however in the case of Sonic Youth it was a use of non-standardised guitar tunings, that make the guitar sound like a noisy, distorted, un-regulated, crazy super banjo. You can only hear to understand - no other band sounds like them!

Not only this, noise was also a key component to their sound. By noise I don’t mean the all impressive controlled Jimi Hendrix feedback as shown countless times live. Instead, more like you’ve survived a bomb in a busy metropolis, and crouching down, hands over both ears... the feedback, the ringing...perhaps screaming.... Sound waves act like intolerable youths, burning within a fiery invisible sonic malaise... Take the second song on the album, ‘Silver Rocket, which devotes over a minute to this chaos halfway through the song.

We could ask why it is in there. After all, as previously mentioned, it’s not impressive. Maybe the wiser man would say simply: it’s just meant to be noise... But someone who couldn’t be arsed with that kind of thinking would say - it’s a sound effect, which is meant to adhere to sound art - an exploration of the electric guitar. Or even maybe the sound of their roots - the densely overpopulated, noisy, hectic New York City?

‘Teenage Riot’ kicks off this album, putting shame on modern alternative bands as the hypnotic intro guitar riff, entwined with Kim Gordon’s philosophical verse, virtually makes you sit and wonder - “What the hell’s this?”. Lyrics wise, all you get is the occasional line here and there: “Everybody wants to be hard to choose”... “What’s a man to do but work out whether it’s true”... “Taking in the sun in a exaltation to you”... which is good, as the throw-awayness means you can take what you want and leave the rest art.

The album just builds from there on in. Songs like ‘Total Trash’, ‘Hey Joni’, ‘Kissability’ and ‘Silver Rocket’ are catchy songs, perhaps even pop songs! But they become a paradox of themselves, as it seems the production and guitar sound have been purposely set up as to make them not sound like pop songs at all- like a cool guy playing with his hair, in a direct attempt to make it seem like he hadn’t been playing with his hair. Either way, the songs’ catchiness are never overwhelmed by the Sonic Youth sound.

Growers such as ‘Cross The Breeze’, ‘The Sprawl’ and ‘Candle’ express a unique originality. The sounds and structures of all three are textured to sound weird and disjointed at first, yet the roots of affection come in the shape of the created atmosphere - the addictive sound of an otherwise difficult set of songs helps it solidify in your memory.

Weirder songs of the album, ‘Eric’s Trip’, ‘Rain King’, and the final ‘Trilogy’, all stand as the glue of the album, yet with Sonic Youth’s screaming flavour. Whilst ‘Providence’ stands as the most artistic it’s not unlike ‘Fitter Happier’ on Radiohead’s OK Computer, which is to say it’s a short song dedicated to feel and direction of the album.

All in all there is no wonder “Daydream Nation” has been preserved in the American National Recording Registry - it’s a frantic album, but there’s enough humanity in there to make it very enjoyable. It’s Sonic Youth before their modern toned down stuff, but luckily after their devout idolisation of noise. A great positive of this is that it stands as a challenge upon music lovers’ ears. But also, and more importantly, the guitar sound is so unique and sporadic, that it means no new ‘alternative’ bands can come along and ruin its lasting legacy by covering it. Guitar Hero 2 seems to be the only place where a guitarist can accurately get the right sound of ‘Teenage Riot’. Whilst bands like Nirvana can only steal a melody or two.

It’s an extreme album, dressed in normality: an extremely convincing transvestite of an album.

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