There’s nothing I can say about Sonic Youth that hasn’t already been said or articulated better elsewhere. The two cents I can throw into the penny jar are that I think they’re the greatest rock band of the past twenty years, a group who didn’t go through an embarrassing phase of identity crisis (U2) or a complete loss of artistic integrity following the loss of one of their core members (R.E.M.). More importantly, listening to Sonic Youth makes me feel young and alive, and the guitarists – Thurston Moore and especially Lee Renaldo – are responsible for a good 65% of my own guitar playing. I’ve often heard snotty dismissives like, “Oh, I’m not cool enough to listen to Sonic Youth,” which is not only an asinine statement in general, it’s also shallow and reductive. Take them for what they are, which is a group of four individuals who happen to play incredible experimental rock music. If they’re not your bag, ‘nuff respect and so be it, but I’ll defend them to the death.

I’ve been wanting to compile this mix for quite some time, as healthy debates on seeming trivialities such as “Name the Song with Steve Shelley’s Tightest Hi-Hat Work” and “Best Pre-Jim O’Rourke Kim Gordon Song on which She Plays Guitar” are still a regular part of my lifestyle. This isn’t really a Best Sonic Youth Songs Ever mix; it’s more about the challenge of picking and sequencing all of my personal favorite tracks onto one disc. The keen eye (and ear) would notice that I’ve neglected to include the band’s early work, from the Sonic Youth EP (1982) through Bad Moon Rising (1985). This isn’t a slight on the music itself, which is fantastic, but I feel that the band didn’t really solidify their signature sound (and ethos, for that matter) until the permanent addition of Steve Shelley to the lineup. Before the “how could you not include so-and-so track” questions arise, please take note of the following album generalities:

• My hands-down favorite Sonic Youth album is Sister (1987), which is perfection from start to finish. EVOL (1986) is outstanding, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not Sister.

• Daydream Nation (1988), mind-blowing as it is, is still one of the most overrated (and overlong) records of the 80’s.

• Contrary to what some “purist” fans think, Goo (1990) and Dirty (1992) are phenomenal and incredibly noisy guitar pop records, not the mainstream-courting, grunge-bandwagon-hopping, sell-out pieces of garbage some people make them out to be.

• Experimental Jet Set (1994), however, I could do without.

• I absolutely adore Washing Machine (1995) as well as A Thousand Leaves (1998), the latter in particular being an incredibly rewarding record that most listeners overlook.

• NYC Ghosts & Flowers (2000), however, I could most certainly do without.

• I was never crazy about Jim O’Rourke being an “official” or “unofficial” member of the band. That said, both Murray Street (2002) and Sonic Nurse (2004) are fine records that certainly benefited from his presence, regardless of his weight in the songwriting process.

• My chief complaint with the band now is that I feel they’ve become too tame, curbing for the most part the ear-bleeding noise freakouts that used to give me goosebumps, and focusing more on texture and melody. Then again, I have to keep reminding myself that all four members are in their late forties, and Rather Ripped (2006) is still one of the best records I’ve heard all year.

“Blinding Blues and Haiku” – Sonic Youth 79:03 (September 2006)

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“Becuz” (Washing Machine, Geffen 1995)
“Incenerate” (Rather Ripped, Geffen 2006)
“Shadow of a Doubt” (EVOL, SST 1986)
“Cross the Breeze” (Daydream Nation, Enigma/Blast First 1988)
“Stereo Sanctity” (Sister, SST 1987)
“Unmade Bed” (Sonic Nurse, Geffen 2004)
“Rain on Tin” (Murray Street, Geffen 2002)
“Mote” (Goo, Geffen 1990)
“The Sprawl” (Daydream Nation, Enigma/Blast First 1988)
“Hoarfrost” (A Thousand Leaves, Geffen 1998)
“Disappearer” (Goo, Geffen 1990)
“Wish Fulfillment” (Dirty, Geffen 1992)
“Beauty Lies in the Eye” (Sister, Geffen 1987)
“Unwind” (Washing Machine, Geffen 1995)
“Karen Revisited” (Murray Street, Geffen 2002)
“Chapel Hill” (Dirty, Geffen 1992)
“Wildflower Soul” (A Thousand Leaves, Geffen 1998)

00:00 “Becuz” (Washing Machine, Geffen, 1995)
This has my vote for best album opener, with “Schizophrenia” (Sister) coming in a close second. A humble tip of the hat to Patti Smith (“Because the Night”), the track features some of the finest hard-panned guitar interplay between Lee (left channel) and Thurston (right). Note Steve’s gradual hi-hat accents during the noisy duel, which accelerate the tension and contribute to the feeling of ecstatic release when Kim’s breathy vocals enter again. “Becuz” was originally over seven minutes long until Geffen forced the band to chop off a few minutes as a reprise later in the record.

04:31 “Incinerate” (Rather Ripped, Geffen 2006)
A wonderful single culled from this year’s release, and a feel that harkens back to the glory days of the early 90’s; Duff says it reminds him of Without a Sound-era Dinosaur Jr. The guitars are hard-panned once again, joyously intertwining an irresistible lick while riding Steve’s bouncy pattern.

09:20 “Shadow of a Doubt” (EVOL, SST 1986)
The atmosphere of this track (and EVOL in general) is one of quiet menace, with a chilling reverb on the drums and a dry, salty twang on the guitars. Kim whispers like she’s possessed – “I swear it’s just a dream” – overtop of pinging guitar harmonics and her own ringing D string, which by all means should not work, but sounds terrific.

12:45 “Cross the Breeze” (Daydream Nation, Enigma/Blast First 1988)
I’m sure this song slayed live, with one of the most kickass guitar workouts in the band’s canon introducing the track, and a 16th-note hi-hat exhibition from Steve that I’m still trying to wrap my head around. Unfortunately, I had to truncate the surreal Neu!-like outro, but it’s one of my favorites on Daydream Nation.

17:52 “Stereo Sanctity” (Sister, SST 1987)
“SEVEN!” Sister is one of those records, like You’re Living All Over Me (1987), whose sub-par fidelity is one of its most delightful charms. The murky thickness only makes the piercing wails of guitar noise shine brighter on this track, from the violently mashed chords that open the song to the surf-like coda. It’s tough to pick a favorite on this album, but “Stereo Sanctity” comes close.

21:32 “Unmade Bed” (Sonic Nurse, Geffen 2004)
Sonic Nurse is the band’s most impressionistic album, a collection of ambient mood pieces and quiet moments of guitar serenity that drift by like a message in a bottle at sea. “Unmade Bed” is a Thurston mini-epic that contains some great noisy interplay, bracketed by a sleepy, overcast song that shows the guitarist in a weary voice. Notice Steve’s ingenious decision to leave his snares off – Christ, is he not the most underrated drummer ever?!

25:22 “Rain on Tin” (Murray Street, Geffen 2002)
Perhaps the finest example of the unspoken telekinetic communication between Thurston and Lee, who, following the brief intro, proceed to lead the band into an extended cerebral instrumental jam for nearly six minutes, climaxing in a maelstrom of deafening distortion and tribal tom work. I saw the band perform this live on the Murray Street tour (with Jim O’Rourke) and was utterly, speechlessly floored.

33:13 “Mote” (Goo, Geffen 1990)
“Mote’ is one of those songs that leaves frustrated fans wondering, “Why can’t Lee have more songs on their albums?” Cinematically, this song has the all the energy of a quick-cut nighttime car chase, the guitars throttling and roaring like a revved-up engine. Thurston’s raging tremelo barbs between Lee’s vocals during the verses are like bursts of fire from the gods. Quite possibly Lee’s best contribution to the band’s canon.

36:48 “The Sprawl” (Daydream Nation, Enigma/Blast First 1988)
“Does this sound simple? Fuck you. Are you for sale? Does ‘fuck you’ sound simple enough?” My favorite moments on Daydream belong to Kim, who is in fine form here, solidifying her place as Queen of The Riot Grrls atop an infectious kraut beat and swirling guitars.

41:07 “Hoarfrost” (A Thousand Leaves, Geffen 1998)
God, I love this song. Lee’s meditative description of a walk through a snowy forest is both calming and unsettling, no doubt due to the spacious atmosphere of the track. The band eases into the transitions with caution, as if unsure of their footing, intently studying the sonic environment for clues. Sonic Youth has always been summertime music for me, but this is the one song I would put on a winter mix. Absolutely beautiful.

46:02 “Disappearer” (Goo, Geffen 1990)
Goo is the Sonic Youth album with the heaviest Los Angeles vibe, the slow-burning “Disappearer” being the strongest contender to support the argument. The toggling of a pickup switch, some amp static, and a monolithic sheet of sound make for a quintessential intro to a song that was, oddly enough, rarely played live. The bridge is often the best part of Thurstons’ songs, and “Disappearer” does not disappoint; Swervedriver even lifted Steve’s brilliant drum pattern note-for-note during their bridge on “Rave Down” (Raise, 1991). This sounds perfect while driving down a blazing hot highway at sunset, one hand on the top of the wheel with the windows down.

50:53 “Wish Fulfillment” (Dirty, Geffen 1992)
I would have loved to substitute the album version of this Lee classic with the stripped-down demo version included in the Deluxe Edition of Dirty, but this noisy gem suits me fine. The blasted chords during the chorus are so thick they’re almost rendered neutral, and Kim’s bass strings sound like rubber bands slapping the fretboard.

54:03 “Beauty Lies in the Eye” (Sister, SST 1987)
Sometimes life’s pleasures are the simplest ones: one day I was experimenting with alternate tunings on my guitar when, by some divine supervision, my fingers were guided to the chords of “Beauty Lies in the Eye” – it was if I had been playing it my entire life.

56:16 “Unwind” (Washing Machine, Geffen 1995)
Thurston is often criticized for his uninspired singing of whatever his guitar happens to be playing, but on “Unwind” the effect is magical. It doesn’t hurt that the song revolves around one of the best melodies the band ever penned, until halfway through when Steve breaks out the maracas for some wild, unharnessed guitar counterpoint.

61:55 “Karen Revisted” (Murray Street, Geffen 2002)
The band’s ongoing infatuation with Karen Carpenter continued through the turn of the century, and Lee’s “Karen Revisited” was the centerpiece of Murray Street, due to the seven minutes of panoramic feedback that followed the actual song on the album (regretfully edited here). The screeching wails of noise underneath the chorus are what really turn me on here, along with some of the best lyrics Lee has penned since “Eric’s Trip” (Daydream Nation).

65:21 “Chapel Hill” (Dirty, Geffen 1992)
It still puzzles me that “Chapel Hill” was never a single from Dirty. Sonic Youth songs didn’t get much catchier than this, leading with a bubblegum guitar intro (the segueing feedback here is my sequencing touch), a verse and chorus loaded with hooks, and a bridge equivalent to an intense adrenaline rush that includes an actual guitar solo.

70:00 “Wildflower Soul” (A Thousand Leaves, Geffen 1998)
Considering that most of A Thousand Leaves was pieced together from studio jams with the vocals added later, “Wildflower Soul” is a testament to the level of natural interaction between the band members, a wonderfully constructed psychedelic jam that buzzes off it’s own dreamy, kaleidoscopic haze. The gargantuan noise loop that bookends the track is just one of it’s many treasures, and I feel that it makes for a great album closer as well.