Flirting With Disaster (sonic youth discography)

[Hofmann@AMSAA.ARPA]

I really don't want to put my "two cents" in about profanity
vs. censoring BUT I've been meaning for awhile to write 
some "fanzine drivel" about one of my favorite bands these days
and find it a bit hard not to use certain words since alot of
their albums have what some would consider profanity in the
titles.  So, if you find the use of profanity in a posting
discussing music distasteful - PLEASE CLOSE YOUR EYES!!!
TURN YOUR TERMINAL OFF!!!  TAKE 3 BOWS TOWARDS THE EAST AND
PROSTRATE YOURSELF IN FRONT OF ... whoops, got carried away
there ... 

I want to say something about the Sonic Youth.  They've
been together for over 4 years now and have been through as
many drummers.  Their current lineup is the core guitarist and
bassist/songwriters/singers/husband and wife team of Thurston
Moore and Kim Gordon.  Also serving on an apparently permanent basis
is guitarist Lee Renaldo.  Their current drummer is ex-Crucifuck Steve 
Shelley.  If you didn't know already, they've left Homestead for 
SST after the majors rejected them despite Robert Palmer of the 
New York Times raving that given enough studio support, they could 
become the next Beatles.  (Cosloy (owner of Homestead) sent some promos and
the Palmer clipping to some majors who reportedly wrote back, "are
you sure you have the right band here?")

How to describe their music?  It has the same rawness and intensity
of early 80's hardcore that's for sure.  And they reject the use
of complex machines  to make noise or sounds, instead relying as
they put it "on their heads" by sticking drumsticks and rods into
their guitars.  They also experiment with strange guitar tunings
(EGBDFE instead of the standard EADGBE) and collaborate with
Lydia Lunch, Airto Lindsay and Glenn Branca.  In many ways, they
are as gothic as The Fall but not in the fey, English manner.  They're
more like Swamp Thing (excellent comic book) meets CCR.  If you want 
a good introduction, check out the Death Valley EP of last year.  Be 
forewarned, this EP plays at 45 RPM on the title side and 33 RPM on 
the other side, though I sometimes adjust it for my mood ... leaving 
you with four possible ways (if you just have 45 and 33 settings) to listen
to this gem.  I wonder, Doug, do you do this with Kate? -:-)

Here's a discography  (sans collaborations and compilations)

Sonic Youth [ Neutral Records EP, 1982 ]
Confusion is Sex [ Neutral EP, 1983 ]
Kill Yr Idols [ Zensor Records EP, 1984 ]
"Death Valley `69'" b/w "Brave Men Run" [ Irredescence Records 7", 1984 ]
Sonic Death [ Excstatic Peace Cassette, 1984 ]
Bad Moon Rising [ Homestead LP, 1985 ]
Death Valley [ Homestead EP, 1985 ]
"Making the Nature Scene" b/w with "I Killed 
Christgau with My Big Fucking Dick" [ Forced Exposure, 1985 ]
"Flower" b/w "Halloween"  [ Homestead 12", Feb 86 ]
... I haven't heard the above yet - has anyone else?  Bill? ...
E.V.O.L. (tentative title - anyone know what it means?) [SST (!!!), June '86]

The only difference between the DV Homestead EP (or so I've been told) and
the Irredescence 7" title track is that Lydia Lunch is overdubbed singing/
screaming al la Exene Cervanka ... The Death Valley Homestead release
comes with a mighty fine interview in the lyric sheet and liner notes.

If anyone has heard the first three releases as well as the cassette,
I'd like to hear from you.

----
more from the Buttholes:
Interviewer:  What kind of sound do you get?
Paul:  You could call it a link between psychic space travel and 
bowel movements.
Gibby:  It's sort of wipe-abilly.

stay tuned for even more mayhem and madness....

Jim