NYC Ghosts & Flowers (Remaster) Sonic Youth

• 1 Free City Rhymes 07:36
• 2 Nevermind (What Was It Anyway) 05:39
• 3 Small Flowers Crack Concrete 05:15
• 4 StreamXSonik Subway 02:52
• 5 Side2Side 03:35
• 6 Renegade Princess 05:51
• 7 NYC Ghosts & Flowers 08:01
• 8 Lightnin' 03:54
• Total Runtime 42:43

Info for NYC Ghosts & Flowers (Remaster)

"NYC Ghosts & Flowers" is Sonic Youth's thirteenth album, and yet manages to sound fresh and familiar at the same time -- probably largely due to the theft of an extensive amount of their gear directly prior to the album's composition. It's also their shortest record in years, a fact that shouldn't be interpreted as lack of new ideas -- instead, Sonic Youth offer a fury of chaotic, melodic, and psychotic soundwaves that leave you wanting more, more, more.....!

Continuing in the mellow vein of 1998's „A Thousand Leaves“, „NYC Ghosts & Flowers“ starts on an introspective note with the gently winding "Free City Rhymes" which waits patiently for almost three minutes until Thurston Moore's unmistakable light gravel voice eases in beside the guitar noodling. The album's high point comes a couple of songs later on the lightly infectious "Nevermind (What Was It Anyway)," with Kim Gordon singing as powerfully as ever, followed by the potent poetic rambling rant of "Small Flowers Crack Concrete." While obviously not as experimental as releases on their own and other indie labels, NYC Ghosts & Flowers proves that an indie band can survive a decade on a major label and retain its integrity.

Thurston Moore, guitar, vocals
Kim Gordon, bass, guitar, vocals
Lee Ranaldo, guitar, vocals
Steve Shelley, drums
Additional musicians:
Jim O'Rourke, bass ("Free City Rhymes", "Small Flowers Crack Concrete"), electronics ("Side2Side")
William Winant, percussion ("Side2Side")
Rafael Toral, Spacestatic guitar ("Renegade Princess")

Recorded August 1999 – February 2000 in New York City, United States
Engineered by Wharton Tiers; Jim O'Rourke
Produced by Sonic Youth, Jim O'Rourke

Digitally remastered

Sonic Youth
began way back in 1980 in the downtown disaster unit of NYC. First three records (Sonic Youth, Confusion is Sex, Kill Yr Idols) began in 1981 on the Neutral label started by Glenn Branca. They then signed to Gerard Cosloy’s Homestead imprint releasing Bad Moon Rising and the Flower/Halloween 12” to universal intrigue and acclaim. They switched labels to release records (Sister, Evol) on SST, the Southern California label overseen by Greg Ginn of Black Flag, while Mr. Cosloy went on to join Matador Records with Chris Lombardi. Concurrently they established a relationship with Paul Smith and Blast First Records in the UK co-releasing the Homestead and SST titles and culminating with the massive end of the decade double LP Daydream Nation, since added to the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress. The band signed to DGC/Geffen in 1990 and began an ascendant affair there releasing Goo and Dirty to much heated excitement until the label became a scattered asylum. They continued to release strange, out-of –step recordings with Geffen throughout the 90s and early 2000s. Young wizard Jim O’Rourke came on board with the band as a multi-instrumentalist/producer collaborating on two of their most progressive LPS to date, Murray Street and Sonic Nurse, as well as the ongoing series of experimental LPs on the bands own SYR imprint. After Jim’s departure, and after releasing Rather Ripped, their final statement on Geffen (and which ranked third in Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2006) the band recruited their pal from compatriot 90s band Pavement, Mark Ibold, to play bass. After a solid bout of touring Mark joined the band in the recording of The Eternal. The cover art is a painting by the late, great American folk artist John Fahey. This is where we live forever. Sweet dreams…

This album contains no booklet.