|
Formats and Editions
Reviews:
''Sonic Nurse'' is the 13th album by Sonic Youth, released on June 7, 2004. The cover art was made by renowned artist Richard Prince from his ''Nurse Paintings'' series. Furthermore, one of Prince's photographic creations in this series is entitled "Dude Ranch Nurse" which is also the name of a song on this record.
"Pattern Recognition" is based on the 2003 William Gibson novel of the same name. They have used Gibson's work as influence before, notably on a few tracks from ''Daydream Nation''.
"Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream" was previously released as "Mariah Carey and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream" on the first Narnack ''Buddy Series'' 7". - Wikipedia
Reviewing a Sonic Youth album is like critiquing the lower left corner of a Picasso-as part of a larger, more complex mosaic, it's hard to consider out of context. And after nearly a quarter century of making music that employs a traditional rock framework yet defies its conventions at nearly every turn, there's a whole lot of context to consider. In that sense, Sonic Nurse plays like an encapsulation of Sonic Youth's varied, experimental career. Nurse kicks off with the insistent and chaotic churn of "Pattern Recognition," as Kim Gordon dissonantly recites lyrics on the desperation of love while Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo devolve stinging no-wave riffs into sheets of distortion and feedback. On any other album this harrowing track might be saved for a show-stopping closer. Even when the band uses more conventional rock structures on jazzy pop interludes like "Unmade Bed" and "New Hampshire," they still occasionally dip into their bag of sonic tricks. And on the quiet maelstroms of "Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream" and "Dude Ranch Nurse" chords, riffs and vocals crash headlong into each other. Both styles merge on epics like "Dripping Dream" and the gently scornful "Peace Attack." Sonic Youth has defined its parameters with touchstones like the artily triumphant Daydream Nation, the grungy Dirty and the expansive NYC Ghosts and Flowers. Sonic Nurse can take its place its among that hallowed group. "Reviewing a Sonic Youth album is like critiquing the lower left corner of a Picasso-as part of a larger, more complex mosaic, it's hard to consider out of context. And after nearly a quarter century of making music that employs a traditional rock framework yet defies its conventions at nearly every turn, there's a whole lot of context to consider. In that sense, Sonic Nurse plays like an encapsulation of Sonic Youth's varied, experimental career. Nurse kicks off with the insistent and chaotic churn of "Pattern Recognition," as Kim Gordon dissonantly recites lyrics on the desperation of love while Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo devolve stinging no-wave riffs into sheets of distortion and feedback. On any other album this harrowing track might be saved for a show-stopping closer. Even when the band uses more conventional rock structures on jazzy pop interludes like "Unmade Bed" and "New Hampshire," they still occasionally dip into their bag of sonic tricks. And on the quiet maelstroms of "Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream" and "Dude Ranch Nurse" chords, riffs and vocals crash headlong into each other. Both styles merge on epics like "Dripping Dream" and the gently scornful "Peace Attack." Sonic Youth has defined its parameters with touchstones like the artily triumphant Daydream Nation, the grungy Dirty and the expansive NYC Ghosts and Flowers. Sonic Nurse can take its place its among that hallowed group."
