Murray Street (Remaster) Sonic Youth

• 1The Empty Page04:21
• 2Disconnection Notice06:25
• 3Karen Revisited11:11
• 4Rain On Tin07:56
• 5Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style04:27
• 6Plastic Sun02:14
• 7Sympathy For The Strawberry09:07
• Total Runtime45:41

Info for Murray Street (Remaster)

„Virtually every album Sonic Youth has released since the underrated Goo has been hailed as a return to form. However, Murray Street, their second collaboration with Jim O'Rourke (and their first with him as a full member of the group), not only recalls their past glories but explores new territory. Freed from the trendy agendas that marred A Thousand Leaves and NYC Ghosts & Flowers, the group revisits the complex, transcendent guitar epics that made them underground rock heroes in the first place. But Murray Street doesn't just rehash the sound of their late-'80s heyday, either; for the most part, epics like the '60s-tinged 'The Empty Page' and 'Rain on Tin' -- which sounds a bit like a rural cousin to Television's 'Marquee Moon' -- are built on surprisingly clean, crisp guitar tones that only explode into occasional noise-storms. Indeed, the guitar work on the album's first three tracks is both economical and sensual, a feast of textures and counterpoints that never sounds overdone. Murray Street's wonderfully natural yet intricate sound is O'Rourke's most distinctive contribution to the group; while his work with Smog and Wilco pushed those groups to be more experimental and eclectic, with Sonic Youth he seems to give those tendencies focus and balance. Even the hypnotic drones at the end of 'Karen Revisited,' the album's noisy, oddly romantic centerpiece, have a unique precision and clarity. Murray Street's first four songs rank among the most consistent, and consistently exciting, work in Sonic Youth's career, so much so that the album's shorter, more rock-oriented songs feel a bit anticlimactic. 'Plastic Sun,' a Kim Gordon-sung rant, feels particularly out of keeping with the rest of Murray Street's warm, expansive tone; 'Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style' is a typical Sonic Youth rocker that suffers merely from not being as good as the first half of the album. Closing with the serenely sexy 'Sympathy for the Strawberry,' Murray Street reaffirms that at the group's best, Sonic Youth manages to sound fresh and timeless all at once.“ (Heather Phares, AMG)

Thurston Moore, vocals (on track 1–3, 5), guitar
Kim Gordon, vocals (on tracks 6, 7), bass, backing vocals (on track 5)
Lee Ranaldo, vocals (on track 4), guitar, backing vocals (on track 1), keyboards (on track 7)
Jim O'Rourke, guitar, bass
Steve Shelley, drums, percussion
Additional musicians:
Jim Sauter, horns (on track 5)
Don Dietrich, horns (on track 5)

Recorded August 2001 – March 2002 at Echo Canyon, New York City
Engineered by Jim O'Rourke, Aaron Mullan
Produced by Sonic Youth

Digitally remastered

Sonic Youth
began way back in 1980 in the downtown disaster unit of NYC. First three records (Sonic Youth, Confusion is Sex, Kill Yr Idols) began in 1981 on the Neutral label started by Glenn Branca. They then signed to Gerard Cosloy’s Homestead imprint releasing Bad Moon Rising and the Flower/Halloween 12” to universal intrigue and acclaim. They switched labels to release records (Sister, Evol) on SST, the Southern California label overseen by Greg Ginn of Black Flag, while Mr. Cosloy went on to join Matador Records with Chris Lombardi. Concurrently they established a relationship with Paul Smith and Blast First Records in the UK co-releasing the Homestead and SST titles and culminating with the massive end of the decade double LP Daydream Nation, since added to the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress. The band signed to DGC/Geffen in 1990 and began an ascendant affair there releasing Goo and Dirty to much heated excitement until the label became a scattered asylum. They continued to release strange, out-of –step recordings with Geffen throughout the 90s and early 2000s. Young wizard Jim O’Rourke came on board with the band as a multi-instrumentalist/producer collaborating on two of their most progressive LPS to date, Murray Street and Sonic Nurse, as well as the ongoing series of experimental LPs on the bands own SYR imprint. After Jim’s departure, and after releasing Rather Ripped, their final statement on Geffen (and which ranked third in Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2006) the band recruited their pal from compatriot 90s band Pavement, Mark Ibold, to play bass. After a solid bout of touring Mark joined the band in the recording of The Eternal. The cover art is a painting by the late, great American folk artist John Fahey. This is where we live forever. Sweet dreams…

This album contains no booklet.