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Dirty

 
Album Review: Dirty
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Dirty

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  • Artist: Sonic Youth
  • Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: July 21, 1992
  • Total Time: 58:45
  • Genre: Rock

Review

When DGC Records signed Nirvana in 1991, one of DGC's A&R reps expressed the opinion that, with plenty of touring and the right promotion, the new act might sell as well as its labelmate and touring partner Sonic Youth. The surprise success of Nevermind upended previous commercial expectations for Sonic Youth (among other established alternative rock bands), and when Dirty was released in 1992, it was seen by many as the band's big move toward the grunge market. Which doesn't make a lot of sense if you actually listen to the album; while Butch Vig's clean but full-bodied production certainly gave Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo's guitars greater punch and presence than they had in the past, and many of the songs move in the increasingly tuneful direction the band had been traveling with Daydream Nation and Goo, most of Dirty is good bit more jagged and purposefully discordant than its immediate precursors, lacking the same hallucinatory grace as Daydream Nation or the hard rock sheen of Goo. If anything, Dirty finds Sonic Youth revisiting the territory the band mapped out on Sister -- merging the propulsive structures of rock (both punk and otherwise) with the gorgeous chaos of their approach to the electric guitar -- and it shows how much better they'd gotten at it in the past five years, from the curiously beautiful "Wish Fulfillment" and "Theresa's Sound World" to the brutal "Drunken Butterfly" and "Purr." Dirty was also Sonic Youth's most overtly political album, railing against the abuses of the Reagan/Bush era on "Youth Against Fascism," "Swimsuit Issue," and "Chapel Hill," a surprising move from a band so often in love with cryptic irony. Heard today, Dirty doesn't sound like a masterpiece (like Daydream Nation) or a gesture toward the mainstream audience (like Goo) -- it just sounds like a damn good rock album, and on those terms it ranks with Sonic Youth's best work. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
100% (Lyrics) Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (2:28)
Swimsuit Issue Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (2:57)
Theresa's Sound World Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (5:27)
Drunken Butterfly Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (3:03)
Shoot Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (5:16)
Wish Fulfillment Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (3:24)
Sugar Kane (Lyrics) Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (5:56)
Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (4:17)
Youth Against Fascism (Lyrics) Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (3:36)
Nic Fit Thurston Moore, Alec MacKaye, Bert Queiroz Sonic Youth (:59)
On the Strip Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (5:41)
Chapel Hill Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (4:46)
JC Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (4:01)
Purr Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (4:21)
Créme Brûlèe Sonic Youth Sonic Youth (2:33)

Credits

Lee Ranaldo (Guitar), Sonic Youth (Producer), Sonic Youth (Main Performer), Peter Beckerman (Mixing Assistant), Edward Douglas (Engineer), Kim Gordon (Bass), Kim Gordon (Vocals), Fred Kevorkian (Assistant Engineer), Thurston Moore (Guitar), Thurston Moore (Vocals), Steve Shelley (Drums), John Siket (Mixing Assistant), Butch Vig (Producer), Butch Vig (Engineer), Butch Vig (Mixing), Andy Wallace (Engineer), Andy Wallace (Mixing), Howie Weinberg (Mastering), Ian MacKaye (Guitar), Kevin Reagan (Art Direction), Mike Kelley (Artwork)
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Wikipedia: Dirty (album)
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Dirty
Studio album by Sonic Youth
Released July 21, 1992
Recorded 1992
Genre Alternative rock
Length 58:45
Label DGC
Producer Butch Vig, Sonic Youth
Professional reviews
Sonic Youth chronology
Goo
(1990)		 Dirty
(1992)		 Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
(1994)
Singles from Dirty
  1. "100%"
    Released: July 1992
  2. "Youth Against Fascism"
    Released: December 1992
  3. "Sugar Kane"
    Released: February 1993
  4. "Drunken Butterfly"
    Released: August 1993

Dirty is an 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.[1]

Contents

Recording

For Dirty, Sonic Youth worked with producer Butch Vig. 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.[2] 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 instrumental where the producer was unable to discern the song structures.[3] The second batch of cassettes Vig received demonstrated that the band had performed some self-editing with its compositions.[2]

Vig moved to New York City for three months in early 1992, booking studio time at the Magic Shop studio.[2] Vig felt pressure about working with the group, he noted that expectations that the record would be "amazing" from 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 song, a practice the band did not always like but did regardless.[4]

After recording was completed, the album needed to be trimmed down from 19 tracks. Moore, Gordon, and the band A&R persone 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.[5]

Release and reception

In the wake of the success of Nirvana'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".[6]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Sonic Youth except where stated. 

# Title Length
1. "100%" (lyrics Gordon/vocals Moore) 2:28
2. "Swimsuit Issue" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 2:57
3. "Theresa's Sound-World" (lyrics/vocals Moore) 5:27
4. "Drunken Butterfly" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 3:03
5. "Shoot" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 5:16
6. "Wish Fulfillment" (lyrics/vocals Ranaldo) 3:24
7. "Sugar Kane" (lyrics/vocals Moore) 5:56
8. "Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 4:17
9. "Youth Against Fascism" (lyrics/vocals Moore) 3:36
10. "Nic Fit" (vocals Moore)
(originally written and performed by Untouchables)		 0:59
11. "On the Strip" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 5:41
12. "Chapel Hill" (lyrics/vocals Moore) 4:46
13. "Stalker" (lyrics/vocals Moore)
(US vinyl bonus track and Japan CD bonus track)		 3:01
14. "JC" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 4:01
15. "Purr" (lyrics/vocals Moore) 4:21
16. "Créme Brûlèe" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 2:33

Deluxe edition

All songs written and composed by Sonic Youth except where stated.

Disc one

The Original Album

# Title Length
1. "100%" (lyrics Gordon/vocals Moore) 2:28
2. "Swimsuit Issue" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 2:57
3. "Theresa's Sound-World" (lyrics/vocals Moore) 5:27
4. "Drunken Butterfly" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 3:03
5. "Shoot" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 5:16
6. "Wish Fulfillment" (lyrics/vocals Ranaldo) 3:24
7. "Sugar Kane" (lyrics/vocals Moore) 5:56
8. "Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 4:17
9. "Youth Against Fascism" (lyrics/vocals Moore) 3:36
10. "Nic Fit" (vocals Moore)
(originally written and performed by Untouchables)		 0:59
11. "On the Strip" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 5:41
12. "Chapel Hill" (lyrics/vocals Moore) 4:46
13. "JC" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 4:01
14. "Purr" (lyrics/vocals Moore) 4:21
15. "Créme Brûlèe" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 2:33

B-Sides

# Title Length
16. "Stalker" (lyrics/vocals Moore) 3:01
17. "Genetic" (lyrics/vocals Ranaldo) 3:35
18. "Hendrix Necro" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 2:49
19. "The Destroyed Room" (lyrics/vocals Gordon) 3:21

Disc two

B-Sides

# Title Length
1. "Is It My Body" (Alice Cooper) 2:52
2. "Personality Crisis" (New York Dolls) 3:41
3. "The End of the End of the Ugly"   4:19
4. "Tamra"   8:34

Demos & Rehearsals

# Title Length
5. "Little Jammy Thing"   2:20
6. "Lite Damage"   5:22
7. "Dreamfinger"   7:41
8. "Barracuda"   4:22
9. "New White Kross"   1:29
10. "Guido"   3:50
11. "Stalker"   3:37
12. "Moonface"   4:44
13. "Poet in the Pit"   2:41
14. "Theoretical Chaos"   3:07
15. "Youth Against Fascism"   5:03
16. "Wish Fulfillment"   3:50

Personnel

  • Peter Beckerman – mixing assistant
  • Edward Douglas – engineer
  • Kim Gordon – bass, vocals
  • Mike Kelley – artwork
  • Fred Kevorkian – assistant engineer
  • Ian MacKaye – guitar
  • Thurston Moore – guitar, vocals
  • Lee Ranaldo – guitar, vocals
  • Kevin Reagan – art direction
  • Steve Shelley – drums
  • John Siket – mixing assistant
  • Sonic Youth – producer
  • Butch Vig – producer, engineer, mixing
  • Andy Wallace – engineer, mixing
  • Howie Weinberg – mastering

Chart positions

Chart (1992) Peak
Position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart 22[7]
Austrian Albums Chart 37[8]
German Media Control Charts 59[9]
New Zealand Albums Chart 5[10]
Swedish Sverigetopplistan 26[11]
UK Albums Chart 6[12]
U.S. Billboard 200 83[13]

References

Notes

  1. ^ 1992 THE BEST & WORST MUSIC | Music News | Music | Entertainment Weekly | 1
  2. ^ a b c Browne, p. 236
  3. ^ Browne, p. 234-35
  4. ^ Browne, p. 236-37
  5. ^ Browne, p. 239-42
  6. ^ Browne, p. 260
  7. ^ "Sonic Youth – Dirty (album)". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved on 23 September 2009.
  8. ^ "Sonic Youth – Dirty (album)". Austriancharts.at (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved on 23 September 2009.
  9. ^ "Chartverfolgung – Sonic Youth: Dirty". Musicline.de. PhonoNet. Retrieved on 23 September 2009.
  10. ^ "Sonic Youth – Dirty (album)". Charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved on 23 September 2009.
  11. ^ "Sonic Youth – Dirty (album)". Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved on 23 September 2009.
  12. ^ "Sonic Youth: Dirty. ChartStats. Retrieved on 23 September 2009.
  13. ^ "Dirty (1992)". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved on 23 September 2009.
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Sonic Youth
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