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Rating: 1985: a year full of many new developments for Sonic Youth. Among all the novelties, the most important is undoubtedly the entry of the new drummer Steve Shelley, who from that moment on will always remain the band's permanent drummer.
The group now finds itself in the challenging situation of following up on the great debut that had revolutionized rock and, more generally, all music. But the fact that Sonic Youth is among the few sensational entities in a decade to forget is already quite an achievement.
Now let's get back to talking about Bad Moon Rising: it was released in the winter of 1985, and the title is taken from a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival (I admit my ignorance about this latter group), one of the bands most celebrated by guitarist Lee Ranaldo. Musically, there is a novelty compared to "Confusion Is Sex": the terrifying fury that tore through the dirtiest songs of the debut is absent, and the sound transitions to more balanced, sometimes serene tones. It starts with "Intro," a short guitar introduction that heralds the first real song of the album "Brave Men Run (In My Family)." To be honest, the "songs" in this album are few; indeed, more than songs, there are real experiments characterized by fierce and hallucinatory distortions. But the best is yet to come. We are at the end of the seventh track (Justic Is Might) when four drumsticks are heard, and suddenly Thurston Moore's primordial scream bursts in, an enchanting, terrifying, and macabre scream. This is how "Death Valley '69" begins, the album's real masterpiece, resulting from an unprecedented collaboration with Lydia Lunch, an underground poet of the time. And this is how you get carried away on a sonic journey characterized by a splendid dialogue between the two guitars, a driving bass, and an engaging drum, exactly one minute and sixteen seconds into the song the melody suddenly changes, transforming into a dark and scary crescendo recited by Thurston and Lunch. The screams thrown into the central part (Hit it, Hit it) embellish a great masterpiece. Anyone could interpret this song differently: some as a youth protest, some as the story of a psychopath, some as simply the story of Death Valley. I interpret it simply as one of the great masterpieces in the entire history of Sonic Youth.
In 1995, Geffen reissued the album adding four interesting songs (Satan Is Boring, Flower, Halloween, Echo Canyon), often just simple distortions but nonetheless overshadowed by the masterpiece that will herald the birth of noise rock.
Overall, the album is not a milestone, but it is certainly very good. What really matters is that "Bad Moon Rising" will be the first step toward the definition of noise rock, which is perhaps the most successful artistic trend of the '80s and the years to come.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Brave Men Run (In My Family) (03:39)
[Kim]
Seven days and seven nights
i dreamt a sailor's dream at sea
seven days and seven nights
i dreamt a sailor's dream of me
seven days and siven nights
the world was made and lost again
seven days and seven nights
brave men run
in my family
brave men run
into the setting sun
brave men run
into captivity
brave men run
in my family
brave men run
away from me
03 Society Is a Hole (05:54)
Society is a hole
it makes me lie to my friends
it's running down my street
with white powers sneakers
on the beautiful beat of black feet
society is a hole
it beats my friends big heads
my friends have big heads,
I can understand it
but I don't recommend it
you got big big hair
and everybody is scared
society is a hole
it makes me lie to my friends
the assault of holy music
there's a slap in my face
my friends are girls wrapped in boys
we're living in pieces
I want to live in peace
Society is a hole
05 Ghost Bitch (05:39)
[Kim]
Slowly pour the liquid down
for miles and miles it flows along
rose coloured neon lighted
swirl around turn around
feel the touch of my hand
swirl around swirl around
fellow shadows black and blue
all around all around
locking arms side by side
crouch down before the fire's light
you're the first day of my life
I had no belief before
until I had this dream last night
I still remember their savage cries
so serious in their rite
faces painted in joyous fright
in the dawns early light
oh say did you see the colour of my eternity
and the sweat on my skin
our founding fathers laid right down
and indian ghost from long ago
they gave birth to my bastard kin
America it is called
a sensation of eternity
locking arms side by side
crouch down before fire's light
you're the first day of my life
06 I'm Insane (04:03)
Love starved backwood teaser farm girl hot eyed bride
stone cold blonde a quivering menace atomic wallop wholesale murder
we want out
we fish at night
sex in heaven
tough town
a cruel touch
sailors leave
sirens screaming
lap of luxury
a show of violence
take off your mask
lay off my brother
kiss my fist
stop at nothing
a steaming swamp
and a troubled heart
the sky is red
and i can't stop running
her baby stares
the secret's there
so help us god
i'll swing at your funeral
the stubborn air
the killer mob
a red bone woman
a double cross
big fake bitter love underbelly freezing jungle
one step more he'll stir your senses scratch your surface and nail your head
murded angels
bodies in bedlam
a women scorned
you can't hang me
tied to my job a blast scene alibi tied to a tree in a blind alley
nothing before
a big fear
don't get caught
by her father's friends
swamp girl faded
the tiger's wife
a frenzied love
hot climate
twisted passions
flesh parade
dead ahead
a world so wide
big river love camp
the house boy and hill girl
the agony column
don't crowd me
it's time for crime
strange breed river girl's misery index
inside my head my dog's a bear
she was significant
i'm insane
inside my head my dog's a bear
she was significant
i'm insane
inside my head my dog's a bear
she was significant
i'm insane
inside my head my dog's a bear
she was significant
i'm insane
08 Death Valley '69 (feat. Lydia Lunch) (05:07)
(feat. Lydia Lunch)
Coming down
Sadie I love it
Now now now
Death valley 69
You're right you're right you're right
I was on the wrong track
We're deep in the valley
How deep in the gulley
And now in the canyon
Way out in the yonder
She started to holler
I didn't wanna
I didn't wanna
But she started to holler
So I had to hit it
Hit it, hit it, hit it
Deep in the valley
In the trunk of an old car
I got sand in my mouth
And you got sun in yr eyes
Blinded
And you wanted to get there
But I couldn't go faster
I couldn't go faster
I couldn't go faster
So I started to hit it
I started to hit it
Hit it
Hit it
09 Satan Is Boring (04:59)
What are you waiting for?
satan flirts
i'm prepared
it's nothing to conquer
the fight is good
your flesh has a limit
of too many years
it's a shock absorber of your stinging tears
the satisfaction
and power
and control
and piss
is ruled by the laws of deception
lost in laws of deception
we shake our heads
as your tables turn
they'll always turn
and you'll never burn
that's the real promise
you'll never burn
you get the lies
we get the fire
you get the lies
we get the fire
10 Flower (03:33)
support the power of women
use the power of man
support the flower of women
use the word:
fuck
the word is love
support the power of women
use the power of man
support the flower of women
use the word:
fuck
the word is
love
there's a new girl in your life
long red wavy hair
green green lips and purple eyes
skinny hips and big brown breasts
hanging on your wall
one end slit the other's ripped
support the power of women
use the power of man
support the flower of women
use the word
fuck
the word is love
support the power of women
use the flower of man
use the power of women
use the word
fuck
the word is love
use the word
support the power of women
use the power of man
support the flower of women
use the word
fuck
the word is love
use the word
fuck
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