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Dirty (Sonic Youth album)

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Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic 1992 release
Entertainment Weekly(A) 1992 release
Robert Christgau(A) 1992 release
Rolling Stone 1992 release
Allmusic deluxe edition
Pitchfork Media(8.6/10) deluxe edition
Blender link [dead link]

Dirty is the seventh 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]

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 instrumentals 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 his 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 songs, 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 personnel 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 tracks are written by Sonic Youth except where noted.

No.TitleLength
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)
(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

No.TitleLength
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."Crème Brûlée" (lyrics/vocals Gordon)2:33

B-Sides

No.TitleLength
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

No.TitleLength
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

No.TitleLength
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

  • Browne, David. Goodbye 20th Century: A Biography of Sonic Youth. Da Capo, 2008. ISBN 978-0-306-81515-7

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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