Dirty
Encyclopedia
Dirty is the seventh album by the American alternative rock
group Sonic Youth
, originally released on July 21, 1992 by DGC Records
. It was deemed best album of 1992 by Entertainment Weekly
.
. During his first meeting with the group, Vig told the band that he wanted to tighten the song arrangement and focus on crafting the guitar sounds. Vig quickly landed the producer job for the record. During a visit to the apartment of Sonic Youth members Thurston Moore
and Kim Gordon
, Moore told Vig he wanted the album to sound like an obscure Mecht Mensch single Vig had produced. The band sent a series of cassette tapes to Vig in late 1991 featuring its new compositions. Vig was pleased but also uncertain, as the tapes consisted of long instrumentals where the producer was unable to discern the song structures. The second batch of cassettes Vig received demonstrated that the band had performed some self-editing with its compositions.
Vig moved to New York City for three months in early 1992, booking studio time at the Magic Shop studio. Vig felt pressure about working with the group, he noted that expectations that the record would be "amazing" from his friends "...sneak into your psyche". Vig also found it difficult dealing with the Fender Jazzmaster guitars the band favored, which easily went out of tune. Vig made the band perform multiple takes for songs, a practice the band did not always like but did regardless.
After recording was completed, the album needed to be trimmed down from 19 tracks. Moore, Gordon, and the band A&R personnel Gary Gersh agreed that the song "Genetic" by guitarist Lee Ranaldo
would be removed. Ranaldo did not react well to the decision; coupled with personal issues at the time, Ranaldo considered leaving the group. After a few weeks the matter settled and Ranaldo stayed with the band.
's 1991 album Nevermind, DGC pushed Dirty heavily. Lead single "100%" was not the crossover hit the label anticipated; Geffen Record executive Mark Kates admitted the single "was not a great radio song". At Kates' urging, "Youth Against Fascism
" was released as the album's second single. The single did not sell well or receive airplay; Kates referred to the decision as "one of the biggest professional mistakes of my life".
B-Sides
Demos & Rehearsals
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
group Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, originally released on July 21, 1992 by DGC Records
DGC Records
DGC Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and currently operates as an auxiliary label of Interscope Records.-Company history:...
. It was deemed best album of 1992 by Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
.
Recording
For Dirty, Sonic Youth worked with producer Butch VigButch Vig
Butch Vig is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the drummer of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of multi-platinum selling album Nevermind by Nirvana....
. During his first meeting with the group, Vig told the band that he wanted to tighten the song arrangement and focus on crafting the guitar sounds. Vig quickly landed the producer job for the record. During a visit to the apartment of Sonic Youth members Thurston Moore
Thurston Moore
Thurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
and Kim Gordon
Kim Gordon
Kim Althea Gordon is an American musician, vocalist, artist, record producer, video director and actress. She has sung and played bass and guitar in the alternative rock band Sonic Youth, and in Free Kitten with Julia Cafritz...
, Moore told Vig he wanted the album to sound like an obscure Mecht Mensch single Vig had produced. The band sent a series of cassette tapes to Vig in late 1991 featuring its new compositions. Vig was pleased but also uncertain, as the tapes consisted of long instrumentals where the producer was unable to discern the song structures. The second batch of cassettes Vig received demonstrated that the band had performed some self-editing with its compositions.
Vig moved to New York City for three months in early 1992, booking studio time at the Magic Shop studio. Vig felt pressure about working with the group, he noted that expectations that the record would be "amazing" from his friends "...sneak into your psyche". Vig also found it difficult dealing with the Fender Jazzmaster guitars the band favored, which easily went out of tune. Vig made the band perform multiple takes for songs, a practice the band did not always like but did regardless.
After recording was completed, the album needed to be trimmed down from 19 tracks. Moore, Gordon, and the band A&R personnel Gary Gersh agreed that the song "Genetic" by guitarist Lee Ranaldo
Lee Ranaldo
Lee M. Ranaldo is an American singer, guitarist, writer, record producer, and visual artist, best known as a co-founder of the alternative rock band Sonic Youth...
would be removed. Ranaldo did not react well to the decision; coupled with personal issues at the time, Ranaldo considered leaving the group. After a few weeks the matter settled and Ranaldo stayed with the band.
Release and reception
In the wake of the success of NirvanaNirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
's 1991 album Nevermind, DGC pushed Dirty heavily. Lead single "100%" was not the crossover hit the label anticipated; Geffen Record executive Mark Kates admitted the single "was not a great radio song". At Kates' urging, "Youth Against Fascism
Youth Against Fascism
"Youth Against Fascism" was the second single from Sonic Youth's 1992 album Dirty. It was released in 1992 on DGC.-Track listing:# "Youth Against Fascism" # "The Destroyed Room"# "Purr"...
" was released as the album's second single. The single did not sell well or receive airplay; Kates referred to the decision as "one of the biggest professional mistakes of my life".
Track listing
Disc one
The Original AlbumB-Sides
Disc two
B-SidesDemos & Rehearsals
Personnel
- Peter Beckerman – mixing assistant
- Edward Douglas – engineer
- Kim Gordon – bass, vocals
- Mike KelleyMike KelleyMike Kelley is a contemporary American artist. Kelley's work involves found objects, textile banners, drawings, assemblage, collage, performance and video. He often works collaboratively and has done projects with artists Paul McCarthy, Tony Oursler and John Miller...
– artwork - Fred Kevorkian – assistant engineer
- Ian MacKayeIan MacKayeIan Thomas Garner MacKaye is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat and The Teen Idles, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well...
– guitar - Thurston Moore – guitar, vocals
- Lee Ranaldo – guitar, vocals
- Kevin Reagan – art direction
- Steve Shelley – drums
- John Siket – mixing assistant
- Sonic Youth – producer
- Butch VigButch VigButch Vig is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the drummer of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of multi-platinum selling album Nevermind by Nirvana....
– producer, engineer, mixing - Andy Wallace – engineer, mixing
- Howie WeinbergHowie WeinbergHowie Weinberg is a music mastering engineer who has worked with numerous bands.- Career :He has worked at Masterdisk, New York City, since 1977...
– mastering
Chart positions
| Chart (1992) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
22 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 37 |
| German Media Control Charts Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
59 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | |
| Swedish Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
26 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
|
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
83 |