Album
Smart Bar • Chicago 1985
2012 · Rock
Rare pressing on Gatefold
Smart Bar • Chicago 1985 is an Alt/Indie album by Sonic Youth, originally released in 2012. On Gatefold: 5 pressings tracked.
About
Recorded to a four-track cassette in August 1985 at Chicago's Smart Bar, this live album captures Sonic Youth on the cusp of its transformation into one of alternative music's most heralded groups. A large portion of Sonic Youth's then-recent album <i>Bad Moon Rising</i> is featured, along with early renditions of future <i>EVOL</i> tracks "Secret Girl" and "Expressway to Yr Skull" (listed as "Madonna, Sean, and Me" on <i>EVOL</i>), shedding light on where Sonic Youth was headed. "Kat 'n' Hat" is a rare performance of a tune that never made it to a proper album, while "Ghost Bitch," "I'm Insane," and "Brave Men Run (In My Family)" marinate in the thick syrup of discordant, feedback-drenched guitar work. "I Love Her All the Time," in particular, benefits from the improvised live setting. The gig is one of the first to feature new drummer Steve Shelley, and his technique comes in handy on the early tunes "The Burning Spear" and "Brother James."
via Apple Music
The Clerk says
The Clerk knows this whole record — the pressing quirks, the credits, the take.
Tracklist
- 1Hallowe'en (Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85)5:42
- 2Death Valley '69 (Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85)7:20
- 3Intro / Brave Men Run (In My Family) [Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85]4:51
- 4I Love Her All the Time (Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85)5:20
- 5Ghost Bitch (Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85)5:55
- 6I'm Insane (Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85)5:20
- 7Kat 'n' Hat (Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85)3:36
- 8Brother James (Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85)2:50
- 9Kill Yr Idols (Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85)2:32
- 10Secret Girl (Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85)3:13
- 11Flower (Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85)2:36
- 12The Burning Spear (Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85)5:01
- 13Expressway to Yr Skull (Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85)9:04
- 14Making the Nature Scene (Live at Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, 08/11/85)3:42
Sound DNA
- Alt/Indie
- Noise Rock
- raw
- aggressive
- art school
Credits
The people behind it.
Production & Engineering
- Aadam JacobsRECORDED BY [UNCREDITED]
- Aaron MullanMIXED BY
- Rich MenningRECORDED BY
- Steve ShelleyMIXED BY
Songwriting
Rare pressing on Gatefold · 5 pressings tracked on Gatefold
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