The Eternal | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 9, 2009 | |||
Recorded | November–December 2008 in Hoboken, New Jersey, United States | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 56:25 | |||
Label | Matador | |||
Producer | John Agnello | |||
Sonic Youth chronology | ||||
| ||||
Sonic Youth studio album chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from The Eternal | ||||
|
The Eternal is the fifteenth and final studio album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth,released on June 9,2009,by Matador Records,their first and only on that label. It was their first studio album in three years (since Rather Ripped ),making it the band's longest delay between studio albums.
The Eternal was the band's highest-charting album of their career in the United States,peaking at No. 18 on the Billboard 200.
After Rather Ripped (2006),the band's contract with Geffen Records had expired and the two parties decided to go their separate ways. [1] At the same time,Jim O'Rourke was gradually replaced with Pavement bassist Mark Ibold. Gordon suggested recruiting him for live shows after having played with him in Free Kitten. Moore found that Ibold "immediately locked in,and had really prepared himself to the point where he knew the songs better than we did". [1]
When the band decided to record,it seemed natural to include Ibold. The process involved rehearsing the songs during the week in the basement of Moore and Gordon's house and subsequently recording them over the weekend. Shelley recalled,"It was like having a different project every week [and] it felt like we were doing a single every weekend. You kind of have to keep on your feet,the speed aspect to this album was very enjoyable". [1] Eventually the band signed with Matador in 2008. [2] [3]
However,the band had begun writing much of the material before changing record labels. On the pop-rock aspects of the album,Moore noted,"I can sort of see a relationship between some of The Eternal and Dirty in terms of the dynamic". He argued that the band "definitely wanted to make songs as opposed to doing an avant-garde opus". [4] On the choice of Matador,he explained that "we decided that they're a really strong song-supportive label". Ranaldo noted how they found inspiration in their earlier recordings on Daydream Nation ,which "had an energy that we'd kind of forgotten about,and some of that energy and the experience of doing those songs impacted on the new record." [4]
The cover art was painted by John Fahey. [5]
The album was dedicated to Ron Asheton of the Stooges.[ citation needed ]
The Eternal was released on June 9,2009,by record label Matador. The album was released digitally,on CD and as a double vinyl LP,in both a standard and a "Buy Early Get Now" (BEGN) edition. [6]
In 2009,it was awarded a silver certification from the Independent Music Companies Association,which indicated sales of at least 30,000 copies throughout Europe. [7]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.7/10 [8] |
Metacritic | 79/100 [9] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [10] |
The A.V. Club | B+ [11] |
Entertainment Weekly | B− [12] |
The Guardian | [13] |
Los Angeles Times | [14] |
MSN Music (Consumer Guide) | A− [15] |
NME | 8/10 [16] |
Pitchfork | 6.8/10 [17] |
Rolling Stone | [18] |
Spin | 8/10 [19] |
The Eternal holds an approval rating of 79 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic,indicating "generally favorable reviews". [9] An early review by Clash said "the album shows signs of life and heart-wrenching vitality that secures its makers’position at the forefront of American rock music". [20] In a "Critic's Choice" review for The New York Times ,Ben Ratliff compared the album to two of their albums from the 1990s, Washing Machine and A Thousand Leaves ;he pointed out that the album demonstrated Kim Gordon's continued rise as a singer,saying that she "sings all the best stuff" on The Eternal,particularly the album's last song,"Massage the History",a song he called the "record's sleeper stunner". [21] The addition of Ibold in the studio was praised by Monday Field of Frank Booth Review,likening the album's basslines to "a 1AM,alcohol-soaked punch in the gut". [22]
Many reviews were positive:musicOMH gave the album 5 of 5 stars and said that it "acts as a fitting and timeless aide-memoire of everything this mighty band has ever achieved." [23] Los Angeles Times gave it 4 of 4 stars and said,"The music remains ageless and weird,fueled on chaos and clarity,but these are songs,not sound experiments for their own sake". [24] Chicago Tribune gave the album 3.5 out of 4 stars and said:"Back on an independent label after nearly two decades with a major,the post-punk quartet returns to its '80s foundation with an album that breaks little new ground,but sounds thrilling all the same. [...] It casts aside some of the band's fondness for the warped digression and simply moves from one thrill ride to the next,rarely pausing for breath". [25] The A.V. Club gave it a B+ and said that the songs "are more conventionally rock-oriented than any in Sonic Youth's career,yet the album doesn't really sound like a departure". [26]
Other reviews were very average: The Austin Chronicle gave it a score of 3.5 stars out of 5 and said,"The three-guitar interplay,moderated by bassist Mark Ibold and Steve Shelley on drums,is confident if briefly indulgent ('Walkin Blue'),but Sonic Youth reigns in those tendencies for the most part,making The Eternal its most straightforward album yet". [27] Yahoo! Music UK gave the album 6 of 10 stars and said it was "well-built,yes,but almost too well built,many parts sounding like they've been lifted directly from SY's vast back catalogue and slotted into place,like a jigsaw that needed completing,rather than the sprawling documents of noise and confusion this band's name is built upon". [9] Tiny Mix Tapes gave it 3 of 5 stars and said the album was "accessible,listenable,and all the rest:another consistent album from the consistent rock band Sonic Youth". [28]
All tracks are written by Sonic Youth
No. | Title | Vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Sacred Trickster" | Gordon | 2:11 |
2. | "Anti-Orgasm" | Gordon & Moore | 6:08 |
3. | "Leaky Lifeboat (For Gregory Corso)" | Gordon & Moore | 3:32 |
4. | "Antenna" | Moore & Ranaldo | 6:13 |
5. | "What We Know" | Ranaldo | 3:54 |
6. | "Calming the Snake" | Gordon | 3:35 |
7. | "Poison Arrow" | Moore, Gordon, & Ranaldo | 3:43 |
8. | "Malibu Gas Station" | Gordon | 5:39 |
9. | "Thunderclap for Bobby Pyn" | Moore | 2:38 |
10. | "No Way" | Moore | 3:52 |
11. | "Walkin Blue" | Ranaldo | 5:21 |
12. | "Massage the History" | Gordon | 9:43 |
Total length: | 56:25 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "Burning Shame" | 3:54 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "Pay No Mind" (Beck cover) | 3:04 |
14. | "No Garage" | 3:48 |
Adapted from the album booklet. [29]
Sonic Youth
Technical
Chart (2009) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [30] | 52 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [31] | 9 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [32] | 39 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [33] | 90 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [34] | 34 |
French Albums (SNEP) [35] | 19 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [36] | 29 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) [37] | 46 |
Italian Albums (FIMI) [38] | 72 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [39] | 38 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [40] | 17 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [41] | 69 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [42] | 28 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [43] | 31 |
UK Albums (OCC) [44] | 42 |
US Billboard 200 [45] | 18 |
US Billboard Alternative Albums [45] | 6 |
US Billboard Digital Albums [45] | 18 |
US Billboard Independent Albums [45] | 3 |
US Billboard Rock Albums [45] | 7 |
US Billboard Tastemakers Albums [45] | 1 |
Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City and formed in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo remained together for the entire history of the band, while Steve Shelley (drums) followed a series of short-term drummers in 1985, rounding out the core line-up. Jim O'Rourke was also a member of the band from 1999 to 2005, and Mark Ibold was a member from 2006 to 2011.
Thurston Joseph Moore is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as a member of the rock band Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label. Moore was ranked 34th in Rolling Stone's 2004 edition of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
Daydream Nation is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on October 18, 1988. The band recorded the album between July and August 1988 at Greene St. Recording in New York City, and it was released by Enigma Records as a double album.
Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star is the eighth studio album by American experimental rock band Sonic Youth, released on May 10, 1994, by DGC Records. It was produced by Butch Vig and recorded at Sear Sound studio in New York City, the same studio where the band's 1987 album Sister was recorded. Unlike its predecessor Dirty, Experimental Jet Set features a more low-key approach and references the band's earlier work on the independent record label SST Records. The album contains quieter and more relaxed songs that deal with personal and political topics.
A Thousand Leaves is the tenth studio album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on CD and cassette on May 12, 1998, by DGC Records. A double-LP vinyl issue had been released three weeks earlier on My So Called Records. It was the band's first album recorded at their own studio in Lower Manhattan, which was built with the money they had made at the 1995 Lollapalooza festival. Since the band had an unlimited amount of time to work in their studio, the album features numerous lengthy and improvisational tracks that were developed unevenly. The highly experimental extended plays Anagrama, Slaapkamers met slagroom, and Invito al ĉielo were recorded simultaneously with the album.
Sleeping with Ghosts is the fourth studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo. It was recorded from late 2002 to early 2003 and released on 1 April 2003 by record labels Virgin and Hut.
Sonic Nurse is the thirteenth studio album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 8, 2004, by Geffen Records.
Brighten the Corners is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on February 11, 1997, by Matador Records. The album received very positive reviews from critics.
Sister is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. It was released in June 1987 by SST Records. The album furthered the band's move away from the no wave genre towards more traditional song structures, while maintaining an aggressively experimental approach.
NYC Ghosts & Flowers is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on May 16, 2000 by DGC Records. The highly experimental album is considered to be a reaction to the theft of the band's instruments in July 1999, when several irreplaceable guitars and effects pedals were stolen. NYC Ghosts & Flowers was the first album since Bad Moon Rising in which the band used prepared guitar.
Murray Street is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 25, 2002, by DGC Records. Murray Street is the first album by the band to feature Jim O'Rourke as an official fifth member to bolster the group's sound.
The discography of American rock band Sonic Youth comprises 15 studio albums, seven extended plays, three compilation albums, seven video releases, 21 singles, 46 music videos, ten releases in the Sonic Youth Recordings series, eight official bootlegs, and contributions to 16 soundtracks and other compilations.
Our Love to Admire is the third studio album by American rock band Interpol, released on July 10, 2007, through Capitol Records and Parlophone. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village and The Magic Shop in New York City, Our Love to Admire is the group's first and, to date, only album to be released on a major label as they departed from Matador Records beforehand. On April 25, 2007, the band officially announced the album title as Our Love to Admire as well as the track listing. The first single off the new album, "The Heinrich Maneuver", was released on May 7, 2007.
Hits Are for Squares is the first greatest hits album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 10, 2008, by Starbucks Entertainment. The album features 15 songs spanning Sonic Youth's career since the release of their debut studio album in 1983, Confusion Is Sex. It also includes one new song: "Slow Revolution". The band intended to create a compilation album that appealed to the casual consumer.
Goo is the sixth full-length studio album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 26, 1990, by DGC Records. For this album, the band sought to expand upon its trademark alternating guitar arrangements and the layered sound of their previous album Daydream Nation (1988) with songwriting that was more topical than past works, exploring themes of female empowerment and pop culture. Coming off the success of Daydream Nation, Nick Sansano returned to engineer Goo, but veteran producer Ron Saint Germain was chosen by Sonic Youth to finish mixing the album following Sansano's dismissal.
Monster is the twentieth and final studio album by American rock band Kiss, released on October 9, 2012. It was recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, California and The Nook in Studio City, Los Angeles. Monster was produced by Paul Stanley and co-produced by Greg Collins, as was 2009's Sonic Boom. It is the second studio release by the current band line-up, with Tommy Thayer on lead guitar and Eric Singer on drums, alongside founding members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons.
Between the Times and the Tides is the ninth studio album by the American alternative rock musician Lee Ranaldo, released on March 20, 2012 on Matador Records. His first release on Matador Records and since Sonic Youth's indefinite hiatus, the album features a more straightforward songwriting approach to his prior material and includes guest musicians such as Nels Cline, John Medeski and Leah Singer. The album was originally intended to be a minimalist acoustic album but its sound was developed by Ranaldo during its recording at Echo Canyon West in Hoboken, New Jersey during a seven-month period in early 2011.
Smart Bar Chicago 1985 is a live album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on November 13, 2012, on Goofin' Records. It features a live 4-track recording of the band's performance at the Smart Bar in Chicago, Illinois, on August 11, 1985, during the tour in support of Sonic Youth's second studio album, Bad Moon Rising (1985).
Last Night on Earth is the tenth studio album by the American alternative rock musician Lee Ranaldo, released on October 7, 2013 on Matador Records. Recorded over a nine-month period at Echo Canyon West in Hoboken, New Jersey, the album features Ranaldo's backing band The Dust which comprises former Sonic Youth bandmate Steve Shelley, guitarist Alan Licht and bassist Tim Lüntzel. In addition to studio recordings, Last Night on Earth incorporates field recordings of Ranaldo in Berlin, Germany and Valeggio sul Mincio, Italy.
Battery Park, NYC July 4th 2008 is a live album by American noise punk band Sonic Youth, recorded at the River to River Festival in Battery Park, New York, on July 4, 2008. It was released June 9, 2009, coinciding with the release of The Eternal. It has only been released on vinyl and digital services. The album was mixed at Echo Canyon West, a studio often used by the band.
{{cite AV media}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)