sister

Sonic Youth found their groove with the melodic moodiness, alternative tunings, and cyberpunk craziness of their triumphant final release on SST.  'Sister' was recorded on an all-tube board at Sear Sound with programming by Walter Sear and engineering by Bill Titus. The result is a sound that is warmer than 'EVOL' with actual song structures taking form.  It is their second consecutive album with drummer Steve Shelley who provides a propulsive focus to the experimental sound collages and waves of feedback.  Lee Ranaldo sings and plays guitar; Kim Gordon sings and plays bass and guitar; and Thurston Moore sings and plays guitar, bass, and Moog synthesizer.  The analog vacuum tubes brings more clarity to the guitars; although the sound on the drums seem more muffled.  

Gordon said at the time:  "There aren't any jams on this one...I think it's more of a reaction than a decision...[to] what we did before. Like, we're tired of doing long songs, let's do short songs.  Like on 'Bad Moon' we did the segues.  That was the only record where we consciously...where we want it with just segues, 'cause when we were doing the 'Confusion' material live we just started doing that, because it made it easier for transitions and stuff. And then after 'Bad Moon' we go 'well, we don't want to do the segues anymore.'  It was boring...It's really like every record has it's own mood.  I think it's more reactions from, like, what happens when you play the last set of material, that kind of leads you toward doing the next material."

The concept behind 'Sister' was inspired by the mindbending work of science fiction author Philip K. Dick.  His fraternal twin Jane died as a baby and is referenced in the title.   Moore says:  "There should be a meeting place somewhere between technology and punk rock. We're interested in the punk sci-fi thing. A lot of these science fiction writers now are talking about young people, people our age, who are very street people and yet they know how to deal with certain technology. You have people here in New York city who live in really cheap run-down dreadful apartments that are rally horrible with 'roaches and rats crawling around and yet they've got the most incredible stereo and audio video systems. It's very interesting to have this trash level technology control and it is certainly what was predicted in the late Sixties and early Seventies by writers such as Philip K. Dick and Tim Powers."

'Schizophrenia' features vocals by Gordon and Moore.  Moore says:  "I am really interested in classic cases of real important thinkers, people like Philip K Dick, or Elvis Presley. These are real twisted genius people. They all had this same thing, where they had a twin who died at birth. When they all grew up their intellect was very disturbed but at the same time it was extremely sharp. Artistic people such as musicians are always claiming the same thing. Nick Cave always claims he had a twin who died at birth. I know Lydia Lunch had a twin sister who died at birth. They always have trouble relating to other people because they always feel they can't get close because they are afraid of the rejection when someone leaves them, because having a twin who dies at birth is such a painful thing. It leaves you with a lot of problems, but creatively these people are incredible and there is a lot to learn from them."









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"Schizophrenia"  

'(I Got A) Catholic Block' has vocals by Moore.

'Beauty Lies in the Eye' features vocals by Gordon.

"Tuff Gnarl" has vocals by Moore.

"Hot Wire My Heart" was a cover of the classic song by Crime.  Vocals were shared by Moore, Gordon, and Ranaldo.

"Kotton Krown" features vocals by Gordon and Moore

'Sister' 
full album:



All songs written and composed by Sonic Youth (Lee Ranaldo, Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Steve Shelley), except as indicated.   lyrics/vocals

1. "Schizophrenia"   Gordon, Moore 4:38
2. "(I Got A) Catholic Block"   Moore 3:26
3. "Beauty Lies in the Eye"   Gordon 2:20
4. "Stereo Sanctity"   Moore 3:50
5. "Pipeline/Kill Time"   Ranaldo 4:35
6. "Tuff Gnarl"   Moore 3:15
7. "Pacific Coast Highway"   Gordon 4:18
8. "Hot Wire My Heart" (Crime cover) Johnny Strike Moore, Gordon, Ranaldo 3:23
9. "Kotton Krown[a]"   Gordon, Moore 5:08
10. "White Kross[b]"   Moore 2:59








"White Kross" has vocals by Moore.



"Master-Dik" was a bonus track on the cd.