Daydream Nation, Sonic Youth’s sixth studio album and widely agreed upon magnum opus, was released October 1988 during the birth pangs of the rising alternative scene. One of my personal favorite albums, it is repeatedly rated one of the top albums of the 1980s (and oftentimes the top album) by various music publications such as Q, Rolling Stone, and Pitchfork.
If anything, Daydream Nation proves the 1980s were not the abysmal Dark Age for music that many claim it to be. In my opinion, the 1980s are chocked full of great music. You just have to know where to look. But Daydream Nation is much more than just good music during an alleged dry spell. It does what good music is supposed to do: at the time of its release, Daydream Nation defined, redefined, broadened, and challenged existing notions of what alternative music was, and affected notions of what alternative music could and should be.
My first time hearing Daydream Nation was in my dorm room at the University of Iowa, October 2007. It was a cold, gray, and melancholy day, perfect ambiance for the muddy guitars and strange melodies I was about to hear. Curled up in my warm bed, geared to fall asleep, I put in my ear buds, and heard the first riff of “Teenage Riot” emanating from the earphones.
It was love at first sound. At least, that is what I would like to say. I took a few more rotations before I could begin to understand the unique sounds and melodies. Much of Sonic Youth’s discography belongs to a genre called noise rock. The dirty, unrestrained sound of this genre does not obey laws of harmonics or time signatures, which is why it has been dubbed noise.
Sonic Youth are known for their alternate instrumental tunings. Thurston Moore, singer and guitarist for the band, once said playing with standard tuning led to standard-sounding songs. Certainly, what I listened to that cold, autumn night was nothing standard. It was a bit challenging, and even tedious, to listen to at first.
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