Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped

Sonic Youth
Rather Ripped
Geffen Records
Grade: A-/A

What can one say about Sonic Youth that hasn’t already been said? After 1992’s Dirty, their noise-pop grunge offering to the masses, I’ve always thought that anything that Sonic Youth released after, be it good or bad, would be gravy to an already glorious career of a defining rock band. But, now, Sonic Youth has one-upped themselves with the brilliant Rather Ripped.

Sonic Youth had already set their genius on records like the 1989’s Daydream Nation (recently added to the National Registry), 1987’s Sister, and 1990’s Goo before Dirty. We all know the hardcore Sonic Youth fan backlash to Dirty and Sonic Youth’s subsequent ‘fuck you’ noise record, 1994’s Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star. But after languishing for the mid-90s, for instance the odd Made in Mexico soundtrack which somehow wound up in my collection, Sonic Youth, now full veteran rock adults, are having some of the biggest years of their career. After the thematically-linked trio of 2000’s NYC Ghosts & Flowers, 2002’s Murray Street, and 2004’s Sonic Nurse, comes the twelve-song Rather Ripped. And with Rather Ripped comes some of the most conventionally structured rock songs in their three-decade career. Not just conventional, but rather catchy and poppy. Possibly Sonic Youth caught the vibe of Deerhoof giving some danceable love to their latest record. Or, it may that Sonic Youth has witnessed more catchy and poppy contemporary bands using their sound as their foundation, and figured to show them how it’s really done.

With the current lineup of Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, and Steve Shelley, Sonic Youth opens Rather Ripped on “Reena” as if they just came off a song bridge. Soon enough “Reena” pounces on its guitar riff with Gordon leading the melodic vocal charge. “Incinerate” travels on what may be classified as a classic Sonic Youth distorted guitar riff, except slowed down a couple of paces, and now Moore on lead vocals on probably the best song of the record. “Incinerate” is so melodically self-contained that the band could legitimately use it for a single on major radio. The band lays off the pedal on “Do You Believe in Rapture?” as the guitars pluck across the bridge, while “Sleeping’ Around” builds on a distortion wall being brought along to more conventional structure. With Gordon on vocals, “What a Waste” and “Jams Run Free” reminds you of her lazy vocal style on Goo, but here with delicious riffs and tight production. The only really bad song follows in the form of “Rats” – just a dullard vis-à-vis the rest. As you move to the later tracks of Rather Ripped, Sonic Youth moves toward more extended instrumentals and away from the raucous album openers. The six-minute “Turquoise Boy” is a mellow mooder with Gordon providing a short vocal section that buttresses nicely with the contained “Lights Out.” “The Neutral” has a more conventional plan with melodic riffs and rivals “Incinerate” as the best song on the record. Rather Ripped closes on the seven-minute, largely instrumental, opus “Pink Stream” and the shorter, though similarly conceived, “Or.”

Rather Ripped is such a heavenly offering it is as if it was devised by the gods. It is something special that Sonic Youth can provide us one of their best records when many people thought the light had gone out a long time ago. There is no reason to believe that they couldn’t go on for another 20 or 30 years if they so desired. Here’s to hoping for good things in the future.