Psychic Hearts

Thurston Moore | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 9, 1995)
• Original Release Date: May 9, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Geffen Records
• ASIN: B000003TBK
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,776 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

With its profound influence on such bands as Nirvana and Blur, Sonic Youth has probably done more to spread the gospel of guitar distortion to the general public than any other evangelists. Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, former apprentices of "guitar-symphony" composer Glenn Branca and founding guitarists of Sonic Youth, have constantly fiddled with their tunings and amp settings to create chords and textures unlike any others in pop music. On "Psychic Hearts," Moore continues to explore that interaction between noise and pop. Recorded with Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley and Half Japanese guitarist Tim Foljahn, "Psychic Hearts" ranges from tightly constructed narrative of the riff-driven title track to a 20-minute instrumental called, "Elegy for all the Dead Rock Stars." If the former song recalls Lou Reed's portrait of an alienated suburban girl in "Rock&Roll," the latter recalls Reed's hypnotic guitar drones on "White Light/White Heat." Moore salutes Yoko Ono as "the queen of noise" on "Ono Soul" and exclaims, "She's crazy, so am I," on "Patti Smith Math Scratch."

Moore is not much of a singer, though he tries to compensate for that by cloaking his vocals in effects and burying them in the mix. He is an exceptional guitarist, however, capable of making the most overworked instrument of his generation sound surprising again. And as he matures as a songwriter, he's making the settings for those inventions more and more interesting. He's still not as melodic a composer or as focused a lyricist as protégé Kurt Cobain or peer Bob Mould, but his guitar work is still pushing the envelope. --Geoffrey Himes

Product Description

THURSTON MOORE Psychic Hearts (1995 UK 15-track CD album - the Sonic Youth main mans only solo album includes the 20 minute epic Elegy For All The Dead Rock Stars picture sleeve GED24819))

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars lovely stuff from our hero, February 6, 2000

By 

Funkmeister G - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psychic Hearts (Audio CD)

Away from SY, thurston has done some super avant garde weir stuff & also some fine pop stuff in this. It starts off w/ a phone call from Melbourne's Midget Stooges asking if he got their demo tape, they did end up being on a split 7" on his Ecstatic Peace label, also later in the album, Yoshimi calls up [from Free Kitten, Boredoms & OOIOO]. These are very good stick in yr head for days songs, particularly the ones on the 1st half of the album, some of the others are slow & lazy, maybe because they're more personal stuff, the title track & Queen Bee have some of his best lyrics ever [see his raps on 1991: the Year Punk Broke which are very amusing]. The last track, Elegy for all the Dead Rock Stars is a 20 minute instrumental strumfest which would be the perfect b-side for the Diamond Sea from the same year. Credit must be given to Steve Shelley & Tim Foljahn for helping him craft this gem.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars its very Thurston-ish, September 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Psychic Hearts (Audio CD)

A really great album. If you like Goo, Dirty and Experimental Jet Set Trash and No Star... this is a great companion piece especially to the latter b/c it was released at the same time. Don't think of this as a Sonic Youth album tho, if you're expecting a SY album you'll be disappointed b/c the other main elements aren't there. But, its a really beautiful thing to listen to... its very Thurston-ish.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars classic, August 6, 2004

By 

oscar (cali) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psychic Hearts (Audio CD)

this album came out when i was still in high school and man did it just save me. first that same year sonic youth released washing machine witch was another amazing album they had done, but this just grab me from the first song "queen bee and her pals" i couln't stop playing it. and til this day i will play it, and memories of my high school will come back. thurston an amazing artist and great poet. if u ever get the chance to find this cd get it and play believe me it rocks. also if u ever find it on record get it. the record i have is clear green vinyl. and the other lp is black but turn it over and it has skecthes on it.