Sonic Youth

Not so much a review as an impression: Sonic Youth play ‘Daydream Nation’ in Glasgow to an audience that seems like a mix of those who were there (Rooftops, 46 West, Glasgow College of Technology and other such indie-disco pits) at the time and those who have bought into the legend subsequently.

I have swayed between hating, loving and hating Sonic Youth again at various points over the intervening period, but their continued evolution and existence is something to admire, if not always love. But here the format clearly doesn’t suit them. It is tight, but largely unengaged.

The two real highlights – ‘Teenage Riot’ and ‘Kissability’ are almost an hour apart. They are the only great tunes on ‘Daydream Nation.’ The rest, which seemed  so visceral and out of synch at the time, now sounds strangely plodding, as if it has been overtaken by events. The sequential playing of the album takes away the element of surprise on which the band has traded so well for so long. Only by the encore does it start to make sense again, but this seems more homage on the part of the fans and hard labour on behalf of the band. Whether it is their failure or that of the format is more difficult to establish.