Disco de Sonic Youth: “Hits Are For Squares”

Great album title ! But technically, Sonic Youth has actually had hits. According to Billboard magazine, the "bible" of the music industry, "Teenage Riot", "Kool Thing", "100%", and "Bull in the Heather" all made it to the Top 20 on the Modern Rock Radio airplay charts at one point or another during 1989-1994 (there was even a short version of "Teenage Riot" released especially for radio).........and Yes, I'm sure the kool kids in Sonic Youth could Not Care Less! (besides, if you measure hits by number of albums sold, let's just say Sonic Youth definitely hasn't earned any Gold Records)

Even though some of the songs picked by the actors & musicians don't really grab your ears right away, this collection still works all the way through if you read the liner notes and keep your mind open. It actually might have more mass appeal to non-Sonic Youth fans because several of the lesser-known tracks chosen by the celebs are quieter/less noisy than most of the band's repertoire. ..........Sonic Youth are one of the greatest rock bands of all time -- the conceptual heir apparents to early adventurers like the Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and the Velvet Underground. Seriously, I think even Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix would have Loved Sonic Youth if they'd been alive when the band started - Morrison for their lyrics, Hendrix for their guitar experimentation.

From the mid-1980's forward, there are at least a Dozen Sonic Youth songs which would have been hits IF rock radio used the same standards of quality and originality it was using to pick music in the late 1960's/early 1970's. IF....we lived in a perfect world, my picks for what those radio Hits Would have been:

Death Valley '69, Starpower(CD single version), Expressway to Your Skull(CD single version), Bubblegum, Schizophrenia, Hot Wire My Heart, Teenage Riot, Candle, Dirty Boots, Kool Thing, 100%, Sugar Kane, Youth Against Fascism(if F-words were edited out!), Bull in the Heather, The Diamond Sea(if shortened!), Sunday, and The Empty Page. ........and I should list at least a couple more, but I haven't heard the recent stuff yet.

This was initially a Starbucks release. Yes, a Sonic Youth collection...from Starbucks. Anywho, somebody made the decision to have "famous people" select what would go on. Good choices or not, here it is. Now truth be known Sonic Youth needs a "hits" album since their only other one is an 80's collection. The band probably opted to let others choose songs, as picking their own stuff would be about as easy as Phish putting a best-of together. Not easy, and "Hits Are For Squares" is uneven because of it. Goo and Dirty each get a couple tracks. I think "Kool Thing" and "100%" are good choices. "Teenage Riot" and "Bull in The Heather" each belong. Honestly, that's about as close to "hits" that Sonic Youth has come. The rest of the songs are simply fan faves. I would have added a track from Washing Machine. Maybe "Becuz", "Unwind" or "Panty Lies". There is a song here from the Sister album, but I would have chosen "Schizophrenia" or "Kotton Krown". Anyway, we could debate these choices for an hour. Here's what we got...

Hits are for Squares tracklist:

1. Bull in the Heather, selected by Catherine Keener

2. Sugar Kane, selected by Beck

3. 100%, selected by Mike D

4. Kool Thing, selected by Radiohead

5. Disappearer, selected by Portia de Rossi

6. Stones, selected by Allison Anders

7. Tuff Gnarl, selected by Dave Eggers and Mike Watt

8. Teenage Riot, selected Eddie Vedder

9. Shadow of a Doubt, selected by Michelle Williams

10. Rain on Tin, selected by Flea

11. Tom Violence, selected by Gus Van Sant

12. Mary-Christ, selected by David Cross

13. World Looks Red, selected by Chloë Sevigny

14. Expressway to Yr Skull, selected by the Flaming Lips

15. Slow Revolution

As a schoolteacher, I don't have the money lying around to buy all of the Sonic Youth albums. Even though the irony of buying this album is immense (down to the concept, the title, and especially the cover), it is an excellent sampler of excellent Sonic Youth music. To my knowledge there is no other comparable collection that covers Sonic Youth from their early no-wave days all the way up through the 21st century. Also, as a liner note-fetishist, I greatly enjoy the blurbs about each tune followed by the remarks of the various stars who picked them. Feedback-and-alternate-tuning-a-licious!

Sonic Youth is a great band going back thirty years. This album features Sonic Youth tracks selected by other pro musicians. A very solid compilation & a must-have for any Sonic Youth fans.

I got a gift card for my birthday and decided I was gonna grab some vinyl. I didn't want to be overly pretentious but I wanted something that I could go home and guarantee to spin out on. I decided to check the Sonic Youth bin, and I found this. Now, I have no prior Sonic Youth on vinyl, so the idea of hits pack was sort of intriguing. Especially when I looked and realized that I dig the mix. Apparently (since Sonic Youth don't officially have any hits) they had celebrities pick their favorite Youth tracks. The result is fifteen picks, and a unreleased jamm-out at the end.

Originally this mix was released exclusively on CD for Starbucks, for cats that have heard the name in college, but never really knew what the band were all about. Later a small number of copies (25000) were released on wax, for 'record store day'... and now, copy number 24323 has ended up on my record shelf.

Only a few complaints here. Mary Christ has no business on this mix, especially since there are four tracks off Goo and none from Washing Machine. What gives? Also, come on, Superstar is a suck song. The Carpenters were lame, I don't care who went to college and disagrees. But I don't mind really. They included the epics STONES and RAIN ON TIN, which I have wanted on vinyl since they were first released. Now I have 'em, and am very happy with this purchase. Square up! Sonic Youth all day! ...Seriously, I've been listening to nothing but.