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Rating: Every word spoken about "Daydream Nation" is certainly not wasted, as this album will never cease to amaze the audience, not even after a billion listens. With this premise, I mean to say that I am not ignoring the fact that many Debasers have already thought (correctly) of writing a few lines about "Daydream Nation", in fact, I believe that every rock music enthusiast is obliged to do so.
With this record, Sonic Youth reach not only the pinnacle of their production but of all '80s alt rock (although it came out towards the end of those years), associating the term «noise». Indeed, it's the noise of Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo's guitars (specifically the latter's) that is the protagonist of this guitar-oriented work, as was the custom of the time (Hüsker Dü, Dinosaur Jr.). But "Daydream Nation" does not only astonish for Ranaldo's "noise maker" genius insights, it also provides excellent examples of ante litteram grunge, like the first two tracks, courtesy of leader Thurston Moore. The opener's title, "Teen Age Riot", is a sort of hendiadys. Kim Gordon lends her voice for the intro: it's an angelic vocal overwhelmed by the melody of a guitar that contains an anger that will remain latent throughout the duration of the song. "Teen Age Riot" in fact never explodes, except at its actual start, as soon as Thurston Moore's voice enters, and remains always balanced between indie rock and proto-grunge. It is precisely grunge that will dominate in the opening of "Silver Rocket", where Moore's vocal timbre becomes quite interesting and Ranaldo's noise interludes and Gordon's simple but effective bass line, the songwriter of the next two tracks: "The Sprawl" and "Cross The Breeze," make themselves noticed. The former is a progressive rock in the manner of Genesis, almost spoken at the beginning and characterized by the evocative interplay between guitars and bass in the remaining parts; the latter recalls Lydia Lunch's no-wave and has metal vibes: Kim's voice conveys anxiety and is off-key in an unusually pleasant way. "Cross The Breeze" is among the most valid instrumental moments of the album, although slightly comparable to "The Sprawl."
"Eric's Trip" showcases Ranaldo as the singer, and as the title suggests, it's a journey through his guitar inventions. From now on, the album will become increasingly instrumental, almost losing sight of the melody and song form canon. A glaring example is "Total Trash", with its sudden decelerations and final instrumental devastation. Another Ranaldo gem follows with "Hey Joni", which vaguely recalls Dinosaur Jr. of "Kracked" and is engaging for the use of the guitar harmonics technique; the title refers to Hendrix's "Hey Joe" and Joni Mitchell. "Providence" is the most experimental approach: it is indeed a message left on Moore's answering machine by Mike Watt, bassist and singer of the Minutemen, whose voice rises above the piano and background noise produced by an amplifier. The prog-rock of "Candle" is commendable, where elements can be found akin to Genesis of "Wind And Wuthering" and a psychedelic note (naturally thanks to Ranaldo!). The title refers to Gerard Richter's painting on the album cover, depicting a candle, a symbol of loss and self-uncertainty, as explained in the liner notes within the booklet. But the album's masterpiece is "Rain King": it starts with a tribal rhythm section that serves as a bed for the tragic and anxious noises produced by Ranaldo's guitar. His vocal lines are essentially spoken, the piece's atmosphere is nervously magical.
Moore is the undisputed leader of the group and also the most gifted in terms of composition, but he also gives much space to Ranaldo's flair and Kim's expressiveness, which offers us "Kissability", where the guitars intertwine nervously, and a splendid melody rises. To conclude the album is "Trilogy", composed of three moments: "The Wonder", "Hyperstation", "Eliminator Jr." The first two are respectively marked with the letters a and b and flow into one another: "Hyperstation" is the calming of "The Wonder", a sort of dreamy aftermath of the latter, where Thurston Moore's voice is wilder but still controlled. After a few seconds of silence, "Eliminator Jr." begins (a tribute to a band highly esteemed by Sonic Youth, guess which one?); Kim indeed doesn't sing, rather she alternately shouts and gasps. The track is assigned the letter z as the definitive final part of the album; additionally, the letter z refers to ZZ Top, as does the word Eliminator in the title.
The historical significance of "Daydream Nation" is immeasurable: just considering the substantial number of bands that have drawn inspiration from it for their own sound. Providing new reasons to call it a masterpiece would be futile, Tom Verlaine of Television's judgment on the matter represents a more than valid pretext: "There are moments, rare in every record, where the wild explorations of the guitarists collide into what can be defined as 'radiation'. It's like being swept away by the current of a river, bouncing off the rocks, and finally going down the waterfalls, finding it all really enjoyable".
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Teen Age Riot (06:56)
You're it.
No, you're it.
Yeah, you're really it.
You're it.
No, I mean it, you're it.
Say it, don't spray it.
Spirit desire, face me.
Spirit desire, don't displace me.
Spirit desire, we will fall.
Miss me, don't dismiss me.
Spirit desire, spirit desire.
Spirit desire, we will fall.
Spirit desire, we will fall.
Spirit desire, spirit desire.
Spirit desire, we will fall.
Spirit desire, we will fall.
Everybody's talking 'bout the stormy weather,
And what's a man to do but work out whether it's true?
Looking for a man with a focus and a temper,
Who can open up a map and see between one and two.
Time to get it before you let it get to you.
Here he comes now -- stick to your guns and let him through.
Everybody's coming from the winter vacation,
Taking in the sun in a exaltation to you.
You come running in on platform shoes,
With Marshall stacks to at least just give us a clue.
Ah, here it comes, I know it's someone I knew.
Teenage riot in a public station,
Gonna fight and tear it up in a hypernation for you.
Now I see it,
I think I'll leave it out of the way.
Now I come near you,
And it's not clear why you fade away.
Looking for a ride to your secret location,
Where the kids are setting up a free-speed nation for you.
Got a foghorn and a drum and a hammer that's rocking,
And a cord and a pedal and a lock, that'll do me for now.
It better work out,
I hope it works out my way.
'Cause it's getting kind of quiet in my city's head,
Takes a teen age riot to get me out of bed right now.
You better look it, we're gonna shake it up to him.
He acts the hero, we paint a zero on his hand
We know it's down,
We know it's bound too loose.
Everybody's sound is round it,
Everybody wants to be proud to choose.
So who's to take the blame for the stormy weather,
You're never gonna stop all the teenage leather and booze.
It's time to go round, a one man showdown -- teach us how to fail.
We're off the streets now, and back on the road on the riot trail.
02 Silver Rocket (03:46)
Snake in it
jack into the wall
TV amp on fire
blowin' in the hall
gun yr. sled
close yr. peeping toms
turbo organizer
crankin' on the knob
You got it
yeh ride the silver rocket
can't stop it
burnin hole in yr pocket
hit the power
psycho helmets on
you got to splice yr. halo
take it to a moon
nymphoid clamor
fuelling up the hammer
you got to fake out the robot
and pulse up the zoom
You got it
yeh ride the silver rocket
can't stop it
burnin hole in yr pocket
can't forget the flashing
can't forget the smashing
the sending and the bending
the ampisphere re-entry
You gotta have the time
Got a letter in your mind
Gotta heart injection
That you got yourself a line
You got it
yeh ride the silver rocket
can't stop it
burnin hole in yr pocket
03 The Sprawl (07:39)
To the extent that I wear skirts
and cheap nylon slips
I've gone native
I wanted to know the exact dimension of hell
does this sound simple?
Fuck you! Are you for sale?
Does 'Fuck you' sound simple enough?
This was the only part that turned me on
but he was candy all over
come on down to the store
you can buy some more, and more, and more, and more
you can buy some more, and more, and more, and more
you can buy some more, and more, and more, and more
you can buy some more, and more, and more, and more
I grew up in a shotgun row
sliding down the hill
out front were the big machines
steel and rusty now I guess
outback was the river
and that big sign down the road
that's where it all started
come on down to the store
you can buy some more, and more, and more, and more
come on down to the store
you can buy some more, and more, and more, and more
come on down to the store
you can buy some more, and more, and more, and more
you can buy some more, more, more, more
06 Total Trash (07:30)
It start at the top
Now it's spiralling down
Works best when it's lost
Diggin' under the ground
Never mind it now
We can bring it back
It's total trash
And it's a natural fact
That I'm not no cow
It's never the same
It's more than a game
Can't take it away
Can't kill all the shame
It's a guilty man
That increased the crack
It's total trash
Sack 'em on the back
With a heavy rock
There he goes again
Magic monkey friend
Can I love the time
That he seems to spend
With all the kids in town
It start at the top
Now it's spiralling down
Works best when it's lost
Diggin' under the ground
Never mind it now
We can bring it back
It's total trash
And it's a natural fact
That I'm not no cow
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Other reviews
By rob
Sonic Youth are an unusual exception. They give rise to the flames.
That candle indeed sets the listener’s mind aflame. And it never disappoints, not even for a moment.
By ZiOn
"Daydream Nation is a masterpiece. Without a doubt."
"A timeless jewel that everyone should own or at least know, given that, if noise and indie rock can be discussed today, it is undoubtedly thanks to these gentlemen from New York."
By markocc
Sometimes noise is the best music a man can listen to.
Daydream Nation is a crazy and terrifying scream, something that makes you uneasy but at the same time is wonderful, it’s like a drug.
By gianmarcolodi
"'Teenage Riot' for me was a way of being, a warning, I wasn’t and wouldn’t accept staying quiet or having a normal relationship."
"'Trilogy' which for me was honey, ambrosia that someone poured directly into my ears because then the next morning someone would come to talk to me about the storm."
By Dan Erre
Thurston Moore shouting: 'I don’t wanna die, guys.'
Their noise, especially live, could also be pure abstractionism.
