Disco de Sonic Youth: “Goodbye 20th Century”

To the fellow who's review contained this statement: "In any event, it would seem laughable that anyone could draw any connection between Sonic Youth's interpretations and original works (in any category of music)." I would have to totally disagree with you here. Having heard the works of John Cage, Christian Wolf, James Tenney, Cornelius Cardew and Steve Reich there is a connection by SY's interpretations. Connecting these intrepretations to the original (if there is such) is not the intention here, yet you cannot disregard the ideas of the composers. Eventhough these pieces incorporate improvising, most of the works are composed and are documented as such and SY used the 'scores' as they were intended...as guidelines (i.e. Cornelius Cardew's 'Treatise' is a 193 page graphic score). There are obvious references to the composer's intentions in these interpretations, that is if you listen closely and if you've heard their works before. Yet it isn't necessary to be aquainted with them. Laughable? i think not...The original composer's intentions of these works are not entirely "serious" or "high-brow avant-gardisms", for instance John Cage did many things to break that down (i.e. his silent piece 4'33") and i think Sonic Youth here have continued in that idea.

Perhaps one of the riskiest works by Sonic Youth lately, the efforts behind "Goodbye 20th Century" have paid off well. Nonetheless, there are a few mishaps.

John Cage's "Four6", lasting over 30 minutes, is severely short on focus, and the result of its rambling feel is quite dull. The same can be said for Christian Wolff's "Burdocks"

"Six For New Time," written for the project, is the closest thing to a rock song on the album. Incidentally, it is the album highlight, and for that matter, one of the better recordings ever put out by Sonic Youth. "Having Never Written a Note for Percussion" is another outstanding track, with complex layers and an expert use of dynamics employed to create a dreamy and completely enrapturing feel.

Takehisa Kosugi's "+-" will probably take a few listenings to be appreciated, but is nonetheless an oustanding example of how dense layers of instrumentation, mixed with scathing white noise and a loose feel successfully work to create an atmosphere that just can't be achieved through any stardard rock strucuture.

Appropriately titled, "Goodbye 20th Century" is a must have for fans of the SYR series. While its avant-garde stylings may not be appreciated by all, it is one of the most fascinating albums ever released by this band.

It's hard to believe, but it's true.

The 4th CD in the SYR experimental series (titled Goodbye 20th Century, appropriatly) of Sonic Youth Records, is a fantastic double album soundscape of the finest kind. The CD has reinterpretations of post 50's era classical pieces (by such illustrious names as John Cage, Steve Reich, Christian Wolff), and they sound great for the most part. But Sonic Youth was not alone in recording this double album. They enlisted the help of many people, like Jim O'Rourke, Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon's daughter Coco Hayley Gordon Moore (who screams out Yoko Ono's Voice Piece for Soprano), and...surprisingly...Christian Wolff collaborates on his pieces with the band. There are many other contributors, but I can't recall them at the moment.

Judging from all the other tracks, the one that stands out the most (to me, anyway) is Pauline Oliveros' Six For New Time (composed specifically for this project). Thurston intones lyrics over rising and falling drone guitars. Genius. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of other tracks that are as great, such as Steve Reich's Pendulum Music (swinging microphones over amps, creating a pendulum effect of feedback), and George Maciunas' Piano Piece #13 (hammering down the keys of a piano till they no longer produce sound).

The centerpiece of the album, though, is John Cage's Four6. There are 2 other John Cage songs on the album (Six, performed twice) but this one stands out the most. It may seem like random banging and aimless instrumental wandering, but give it a chance, and it will slowly reveal its beauty.

Overall, this album is a fantastic piece of avant-garde, and will certainly entertain the artier person in you.

If you enjoy this record, why not try other CD's in the SYR series, Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music, or seek out the works of the composers on this album?

This is a brilliant tribute to some of the most important musicians of the last century, made in a way that only a successful pop outfit could manage. The most important meeting of "real" art and pop since John Lennon's brush with Fluxus.

I especially like the cheeky adaption of Reich's "Pendulum Music" - so different from Reich's own versions with soft, consonant feedback sounds, Sonic Youth embrace harsh, screeching feedback to describe the fractal harmonic rhythms and make an utterly beautiful work, full of fascinating depth of sound. Christian Wolff's "Burdocks" is reinterpreted for a new generation, giving it new life and making it as fresh as today.

Congratulations to Sonic Youth and their illustrious collaborators (ie O'Rourke and Willie Winant) for putting integrity before profit and bringing some of the most inventive minds of the last century to a wider audience.

This album will still be relevant long after their "normal" albums have slidden into mere nostalgia.

why should you own this album is the question to be asked here. If you come to SY from the grunge years(goo and especially dirty) then forget it. this is a long (2cds at 70m+ each) album, and there is a lot of peices that at first glance appear meandering, theres no 'songs' on it per se, much less guitar abuse. there is however, a lot to be found if you can have patience with it.

one peice, a 30 minute rendition of john cage's four6 stands out in particular. it reminds me of how zen buddhists train zen disiples by confusing and disorienting them till they finally 'get' zen(maybe the zen practitioner cage had this in mind?). this peice confused me greatly until i put the cd on to keep me awake after a sleep less night. suddenly every slight change of direction, tonality became beautiful, whereas before its constant apparant lack of focus annoyed me.

the idea of an avant garde covers album could mean an album of concept over tunes, but here the concept of the peices and the practice of each are so well married that you rarely notice the seams (with the possible exception of christian wolff's burdocks)and for the long suffering SY fans, we have the vocal mike feedback of reichs pendulum music, and the tidal wave noise of tenneys having never written a note for percussion.

a must buy for those with open ears to ideas.