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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Anchored by the married couple of Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, and propelled by democratically distributed experiments from all four group members, underground music icons Sonic Youth, as chronicled by Browne in his compulsively readable new biography, are a model for how to sustain a career in the burnout-friendly world of rock music. Browne traces each phase of the band's career with the easy, anecdotal grace of an accomplished journalist: he sketches each band member's youth and initiation into the New York music scene, provides accounts of the years of day jobs and thrifty recording sessions, and gives a play-by-play account of the band's courting by labels following the independent success of the album Daydream Nation. The book is most engaging in its middle third, an in-depth account of the band's initial struggles and successes at Geffen, their major label home for the past two decades of their career. While Browne succeeds at capturing the personalities and debates that shape the band's character, at times the author's engagement with the band's actual music is not as incisive or comprehensive as it could be. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
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Anchored by the married couple of Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, and propelled by democratically distributed experiments from all four group members, underground music icons Sonic Youth, as chronicled by Browne in his compulsively readable new biography, are a model for how to sustain a career in the burnout-friendly world of rock music. Browne traces each phase of the band's career with the easy, anecdotal grace of an accomplished journalist: he sketches each band member's youth and initiation into the New York music scene, provides accounts of the years of day jobs and thrifty recording sessions, and gives a play-by-play account of the band's courting by labels following the independent success of the album Daydream Nation. The book is most engaging in its middle third, an in-depth account of the band's initial struggles and successes at Geffen, their major label home for the past two decades of their career. While Browne succeeds at capturing the personalities and debates that shape the band's character, at times the author's engagement with the band's actual music is not as incisive or comprehensive as it could be. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“Browne does a fabulous job of detailing the setting, technical details and artistic temperament in the group’s creative process without hyperbole. The book can’t help but feel nostalgic for a cozy time before punk broke.”—Time Out Chicago four star review
“David Browne expertly guides the reader through a minefield of recent rock history…Goodbye 20th Century succeeds in bringing us a little closer to an act that has managed to stay cool and aloof for three decades while taking us along for the ride. And, most importantly, it reminds us that art can still change the world.”—Under the Radar
“An expressway to the soul of the influential band Sonic Youth”—Vanity Fair “Hot Type column”
“Complete and official version of the band's story…recommended”—Library Journal
"A rollicking, epic biography ... compelling."—Salon
“[Browne] found a neat narrative to work with, charting the group’s determinedly paced journey from under populated gigs in the arty early-’80s downtown scene to its brush with alt-rock fame in the mid ’90s to its current status as an inspiration to a nation of young experimentalists.”—Time Out New York
“Browne takes a conventional approach to the story of an unconventional band…His relatively objective approach acknowledges the band’s impact on popular and underground culture without descending into the obnoxious sentimentality that characterizes so much of rock journalism…[His] writing style provides the necessary information about the band’s history without exploiting their coolness, critical acclaim, or personal traumas.”—VenusZine
“Browne’s narrative brings drama to its telling by treating every bump in the road or milestone like a climax and floating the sense that their ascension to godhead heights was anything but inevitable...[his] willingness to probe every facet of every member’s activities and proclivities adds and extra dimension…By diligently hitting all the angles — there’s plenty of regret about their various decision over the years — Browne comprehensively captures Sonic Youth’s unorthodox legend in full.”—Metrotimes, 6/4/08
“Browne’s book will suck you in”—Los Angeles Times, 6/4/08
“Browne comprehensively captures Sonic Youth's unorthodox legend in full”—Detroit Metro Times, 6/4/08
“Browne covers…the whole scene in you-are-there detail.”—New York Post, 6/8/08
“Deeply reported, and often fascinating… Browne smartly humanizes the most aloof of rock's great bands.”—The Stranger, 6/10/08
“[Browne has] insight into the workings of the band.”—Belltown Messenger
“Browne gives us a refreshing look at a hardworking band that stands out in a culture of unrealistic record industry hype.”—Charleston Post and Courier
See all Editorial Reviews
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daydream nation, don fleming, cat power, swimsuit issue, total trash, magic shop, year punk, hardcore band Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sonic Youth, New York, Los Angeles, Echo Canyon, Kool Thing, Eldridge Street, Murray Street, Bad Moon Rising, East Village, Experimental Jet Set, Death Valley, David Markey, Greene Street, Catherine Ceresole, Neil Young, Van Zandt, Blast First, Washing Machine, New Jersey, San Francisco, Long Island, Black Flag, Lee Ranaldo, Richard Kern, Rough Trade Browse Sample Pages:
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daydream nation, don fleming, cat power, swimsuit issue, total trash, magic shop, year punk, hardcore band Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sonic Youth, New York, Los Angeles, Echo Canyon, Kool Thing, Eldridge Street, Murray Street, Bad Moon Rising, East Village, Experimental Jet Set, Death Valley, David Markey, Greene Street, Catherine Ceresole, Neil Young, Van Zandt, Blast First, Washing Machine, New Jersey, San Francisco, Long Island, Black Flag, Lee Ranaldo, Richard Kern, Rough Trade Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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