Goo (album)
Encyclopedia
Goo is the sixth album by the American alternative rock
band Sonic Youth
, released on June 26, 1990. Goo was the first album released after the band signed to major label Geffen Records
.
in 1988, Sonic Youth sought to sign with a new record label. By mid-1989, the top contenders were A&M Records
, Atlantic Records
, and Mute Records
. Soon Geffen Records
announced its interest in signing the group. Sonic Youth ultimately signed a five-album with Geffen for at an estimated $300,000. However, the band was disappointed to find out that it would actually be releasing material on a newly-created Geffen sublabel, DGC Records
.
While Sonic Youth's contract had no routine industry stipulation to recording demos for its album to show the record company, the band did so in order to give DGC an idea of what they were producing, as well as to form a basis for the album. While Geffen suggested the group work with Daniel Lanois
on the record, the group chose to produce the record itself with Nick Sansano
as engineer, just as it had done for Daydream Nation. At Sansano's recommendation, the group chose to record at New York City's Sorcer Sound studio. Meanwhile, Dinosaur Jr. guitarist J. Mascis convinced Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley
to buy a larger drumkit.
While the new songs were already arranged, the band and Sansano incorporated new recording techniques whenever they could, such as hanging microphones from the studio's catwalk and isolating Shelley in a drum booth. Sonic Youth considered hiring David Markey to film a documentary of the album's production, but due to recurring problems during recording ("It took us forever to get final takes", guitarist Lee Ranaldo
recalled), the band abandoned the idea. Once basic tracks were completed, the sessions moved to Green Street studio in order to finish the song and perform album mixing. By the time the album was completed, its cost came out to $150,000.
slang in its declaration that "It's time to rock the road/And tell the story of the jelly rollin'/Dirty boots are on/Hi de ho."
The second track, "Tunic (Song for Yaryus)", is about German Yaryus, a pop drummer and singer who died from anorexia nervosa
. It imagines her in heaven, happy, playing the drums again and meeting new friends Dennis Wilson
, Elvis Presley
and Janis Joplin
.
The album featured the single "Kool Thing", on which Chuck D
from the rap group Public Enemy guested. The song is purported to be about the disillusionment that bass player Kim Gordon
experienced after interviewing LL Cool J
for Spin Magazine the previous year. "Are you going to liberate us girls from male, white, corporate oppression?" Gordon asks in the song, but receives only hipster gibberish in return. "Kool Thing" became the song that many casual music fans associate with the band. The album version of "Mary-Christ" fades out with a portion of the intro to "Kool Thing". This is because in the recording session for "Mary-Christ" the band went right into "Kool Thing", but this take of "Kool Thing" was not chosen for the album.
"Mildred Pierce" is one of the first Sonic Youth songs ever written. It is also one of the few to use standard guitar tuning
. The title comes from the Joan Crawford
film of the same name
.
The album's title derives from the song "My Friend Goo", a portrait of a friend who "sticks just like glue." According to the Sonic Youth website, a considered title was "Blow Job?" for a while. This was also the working title for "Mildred Pierce".
illustration based on a paparazzi photo of Maureen Hindley and her first husband David Smith, witnesses in the case of the "Moors Murders
" serial killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, driving to the trial in 1966.
In 2008, Scottish band The Twilight Sad
released an EP called ...Killed My Parents and Hit the Road
. The name and album artwork, which features a re-work of the Goo cover in the style of previous Twilight Sad artwork, are homages to Goo. According to vocalist James Graham, the Goo pastiche was the idea of guitarist Andy MacFarlane. Graham commented, "[The Twilight Sad] were playing in America with Mogwai [...] and Thurston Moore
[came] to the gig. So we were thinking 'fuck' and hoping he didn't see the merchandise table. They haven't sued us though. Yet."
Out-Takes, B-Sides & Rehearluser son todos
als
More Goo
and Laserdisc
. A music video for each song from the album is included; the track listing is identical to the "original release" list above. In 2004, nearly the entire contents of the Goo video was included on the DVD
compilation Corporate Ghost: The Videos: 1990-2002; only a short fragment that appeared after the conclusion of "Titanium Exposé" on the 1991 video is missing.
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...
band 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...
, released on June 26, 1990. Goo was the first album released after the band signed to major label Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
.
Background and recording
Following the release of Daydream NationDaydream Nation
Daydream Nation is the fifth studio album by the American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. It was released in October 1988 by Enigma Records in the United States, and by Blast First in the United Kingdom....
in 1988, Sonic Youth sought to sign with a new record label. By mid-1989, the top contenders were A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, and Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
. Soon Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
announced its interest in signing the group. Sonic Youth ultimately signed a five-album with Geffen for at an estimated $300,000. However, the band was disappointed to find out that it would actually be releasing material on a newly-created Geffen sublabel, 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:...
.
While Sonic Youth's contract had no routine industry stipulation to recording demos for its album to show the record company, the band did so in order to give DGC an idea of what they were producing, as well as to form a basis for the album. While Geffen suggested the group work with Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has released a number of albums of his own work and has produced albums for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie...
on the record, the group chose to produce the record itself with Nick Sansano
Nick Sansano
Nick Sansano is an American record producer, engineer, and musician. He coproduced and recorded Sonic Youth's albums Daydream Nation and Goo. He also engineered and mixed selections from Public Enemy's albums It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet and Muse...
as engineer, just as it had done for Daydream Nation. At Sansano's recommendation, the group chose to record at New York City's Sorcer Sound studio. Meanwhile, Dinosaur Jr. guitarist J. Mascis convinced Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley
Steve Shelley
Steven Jay Shelley is an American drummer, best known as the drummer of alternative rock band Sonic Youth.-Biography:...
to buy a larger drumkit.
While the new songs were already arranged, the band and Sansano incorporated new recording techniques whenever they could, such as hanging microphones from the studio's catwalk and isolating Shelley in a drum booth. Sonic Youth considered hiring David Markey to film a documentary of the album's production, but due to recurring problems during recording ("It took us forever to get final takes", 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...
recalled), the band abandoned the idea. Once basic tracks were completed, the sessions moved to Green Street studio in order to finish the song and perform album mixing. By the time the album was completed, its cost came out to $150,000.
Music
The album's lead track, "Dirty Boots", evokes old bluesBlues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
slang in its declaration that "It's time to rock the road/And tell the story of the jelly rollin'/Dirty boots are on/Hi de ho."
The second track, "Tunic (Song for Yaryus)", is about German Yaryus, a pop drummer and singer who died from anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
. It imagines her in heaven, happy, playing the drums again and meeting new friends Dennis Wilson
Dennis Wilson
Dennis Carl Wilson was an American rock and roll musician best known as a founding member and the drummer of The Beach Boys. He was a member of the group from its formation until his death in 1983...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
.
The album featured the single "Kool Thing", on which Chuck D
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
from the rap group Public Enemy guested. The song is purported to be about the disillusionment that bass player 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...
experienced after interviewing LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
for Spin Magazine the previous year. "Are you going to liberate us girls from male, white, corporate oppression?" Gordon asks in the song, but receives only hipster gibberish in return. "Kool Thing" became the song that many casual music fans associate with the band. The album version of "Mary-Christ" fades out with a portion of the intro to "Kool Thing". This is because in the recording session for "Mary-Christ" the band went right into "Kool Thing", but this take of "Kool Thing" was not chosen for the album.
"Mildred Pierce" is one of the first Sonic Youth songs ever written. It is also one of the few to use standard guitar tuning
Guitar tuning
Guitar tunings almost always refers to the pitch of the open string, though some tunings may only realistically be attained by the use of a capo on an unmodified instrument....
. The title comes from the Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
film of the same name
Mildred Pierce (film)
Mildred Pierce is a 1945 American drama film starring Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, and Eve Arden in a film noir about a long-suffering mother and her ungrateful daughter. The screenplay by Ranald MacDougall, William Faulkner, and Catherine Turney was based upon the 1941...
.
The album's title derives from the song "My Friend Goo", a portrait of a friend who "sticks just like glue." According to the Sonic Youth website, a considered title was "Blow Job?" for a while. This was also the working title for "Mildred Pierce".
Packaging
The cover is a Raymond PettibonRaymond Pettibon
Raymond Pettibon is an American artist who currently lives and works in Venice Beach, California.-Early life:...
illustration based on a paparazzi photo of Maureen Hindley and her first husband David Smith, witnesses in the case of the "Moors Murders
Moors murders
The Moors murders were carried out by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley between July 1963 and October 1965, in and around what is now Greater Manchester, England. The victims were five children aged between 10 and 17—Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans—at least...
" serial killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, driving to the trial in 1966.
In 2008, Scottish band The Twilight Sad
The Twilight Sad
The Twilight Sad are an indie rock band from Kilsyth, Scotland, comprising James Graham , Andy MacFarlane and Mark Devine . The band are currently signed to Fat Cat Records and have released two full-length albums, as well as several EPs and singles...
released an EP called ...Killed My Parents and Hit the Road
Killed My Parents and Hit the Road
The Twilight Sad Killed My Parents and Hit the Road is a limited edition compilation album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by Fat Cat Records on December 8, 2008. The compilation is composed of live tracks, covers and previously unreleased material, and was made to "help fund...
. The name and album artwork, which features a re-work of the Goo cover in the style of previous Twilight Sad artwork, are homages to Goo. According to vocalist James Graham, the Goo pastiche was the idea of guitarist Andy MacFarlane. Graham commented, "[The Twilight Sad] were playing in America with Mogwai [...] and 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...
[came] to the gig. So we were thinking 'fuck' and hoping he didn't see the merchandise table. They haven't sued us though. Yet."
Track listing
All songs written by Sonic Youth.- "Dirty BootsDirty Boots"Dirty Boots" was the third and final single from Sonic Youth's 1990 album Goo. It was released in 1991 on DGC.-Track listing:# Dirty Boots - 4.49# White Kross - 5.06# Eric's Trip - 3.28# Cinderellas Big Score - 6.34...
" (lyrics/vocals Moore, backing vocal Gordon) – 5:28 - "Tunic (Song for Yaryus)" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) – 6:22
- "Mary-Christ" (lyrics Moore, vocals Moore/Gordon) – 3:11
- "Kool ThingKool Thing"Kool Thing" was the first major label single from Sonic Youth's 1990 album Goo. It was released in June 1990 on DGC. The song was inspired by an interview bassist/singer Kim Gordon conducted with LL Cool J for Spin in which the two artists clashed. Although he is never mentioned by name, the...
" (lyrics/vocals Gordon, guest vocals Chuck DChuck DCarlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
) – 4:06 - "Mote" (lyrics/vocals Ranaldo) – 7:37
- "My Friend Goo" (lyrics/vocals Gordon, backing vocal Moore) – 2:19
- "DisappearerDisappearer"Disappearer" was the second single from Sonic Youth's 1990 album Goo. It was released in 1990 on DGC.-Tracklisting:# "Disappearer" # "Disappearer" # "That's All I Know "...
" (lyrics/vocals Moore) – 5:08 - "Mildred Pierce" (lyrics/vocals Moore) – 2:13
- "Cinderella's Big Score" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) – 5:54
- "Scooter + Jinx" – 1:06
- "Titanium Exposé" (lyrics/vocals Moore and Gordon) – 6:24
Disc One
The Original Album- "Dirty Boots" – 5:29
- "Tunic (Song for Yaryus)" – 6:21
- "Mary-Christ" – 3:11
- "Kool Thing" – 4:06
- "Mote" – 7:37
- "My Friend Goo" – 2:20
- "Disappearer" – 5:08
- "Mildred Pierce" – 2:13
- "Cinderella's Big Score" – 5:54
- "Scooter + Jinx" – 1:05
- "Titanium Exposé" – 6:34
Out-Takes, B-Sides & Rehearluser son todos
als
- "Lee #2" – 3:31
- "That's All I Know (Right Now)" (Neon BoysNeon BoysThe Neon Boys was an early 1970s New York City band, composed of Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell, and Billy Ficca. The trio later went on to form the American rock band Television in 1973...
cover) – 2:20 - "The Bedroom" – 3:42
- "Dr. Benway's House" – 1:17
- "Tuff Boyz" – 5:39
- Tracks 12 and 16 previously unreleased.
Disc Two
8 Track Demos- "Tunic" – 6:44
- "Number One (Disappearer)" – 4:57
- "Titanium Expose" – 4:43
- "Dirty Boots" – 6:37
- "Corky (Cinderella's Big Score)" – 7:49
- "My Friend Goo" – 2:31
- "Bookstore (Mote)" – 4:14
- "Animals (Mary-Christ)" – 3:02
- "DV2 (Kool Thing)" – 4:17
- "Blowjob (Mildred Pierce)" – 8:52
- "Lee #2" – 3:30
More Goo
- "I Know There's an AnswerI Know There's an Answer"I Know There's an Answer" is a song by the American rock band The Beach Boys, taken from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. It is the ninth track on the album. The song was composed and produced by Brian Wilson with the lyrics by Terry Sachen and Mike Love. The song was written during Brian's second...
" (Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
, Terry Sachen, Mike LoveMike LoveMichael Edward "Mike" Love is an American singer/songwriter and musician with The Beach Boys. He was a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day...
) – 3:10 - "Can Song" – 3:17
- "Isaac" – 2:36
- "Goo Interview Flexi" – 6:03
- Tracks 13-15 previously unreleased.
Personnel
- Sonic Youth
- Thurston MooreThurston MooreThurston 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...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Lee RanaldoLee RanaldoLee 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...
– guitar, vocals - Kim GordonKim GordonKim 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...
– vocals, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Steve ShelleySteve ShelleySteven Jay Shelley is an American drummer, best known as the drummer of alternative rock band Sonic Youth.-Biography:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Thurston Moore
- J MascisJ MascisJ Mascis is an American musician, best known as the singer, guitarist and songwriter for Dinosaur Jr.. In 2011, he was ranked in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.- Biography :...
(Dinosaur Jr.) – original backing vocals (tracks 2, 5, 6) - Don FlemingDon Fleming (musician)Don Fleming is an American musician, best known for being the frontman of Velvet Monkeys, B.A.L.L., and Gumball.-Biography:...
– additional backing vocals (tracks 1, 7) - Nick SansanoNick SansanoNick Sansano is an American record producer, engineer, and musician. He coproduced and recorded Sonic Youth's albums Daydream Nation and Goo. He also engineered and mixed selections from Public Enemy's albums It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet and Muse...
– production - Chuck D. (Public Enemy) on "Kool Thing"
Video
In 1991, a long-form music video version of Goo was released on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and Laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
. A music video for each song from the album is included; the track listing is identical to the "original release" list above. In 2004, nearly the entire contents of the Goo video was included on the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
compilation Corporate Ghost: The Videos: 1990-2002; only a short fragment that appeared after the conclusion of "Titanium Exposé" on the 1991 video is missing.
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Official UK Albums Chart | 32 |
| 1990 | Billboard Top 200 | 96 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Kool Thing | Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... (US) |
7 |
| 1990 | Kool Thing | UK Singles Charts | 81 |