I continued the Bach extravaganza yesterday and today, finishing the first 30 CD volume of cantatas, with another 30 staring at me. Needed a bit of a break from it though so I went and grabbed a couple Sonic Youth CDs and some of the Rhino Elvis Costello re-issues.

I have a few Sonic Youth albums on vinyl (which sound great), but ‘Washing Machine’ and ‘Thousand Leaves’ both do quite well on CD. The 20-minute ‘Diamond Sea’ is a particular favorite. Great song that turns into some pretty out there stuff. I remember playing this around closing time at the Tower in Berkeley every now and then. It would shuffle certain kinds of people out of the store, and those that were left new that the music was telling them it was closing time. As things would start to loop and drone, people would bring their discs to the counter and be gone with the last few notes. Worked about every time, and it was good music. I still put these on every now and then (much more then then now actually) and I’m always surprised how good these albums are. I remember some hard-core Sonic Youth fans trashing them a bit when they came out, but I think they are a couple of my favorite albums by them. And it amazes me that they have been together for over 30 years. They have reinvented themselves a few times while always being loud, forceful and very musical. If there is a rock group that works itself into the 20th century classical avant-garde I think it has to be them. Their two-disc set ‘Goodbye 20th Century’ (featuring music of Steve Reich, John Cage, Yoko Ono and James Tenney) shows this influence well. I didn’t rip that one today, but the recording on that disc of ‘Having Never Written A Note For Percussion’ is on a mix disc of mine that I was playing the other day. I love how much the recording sounds like Sonic Youth (having a Johnny Marr about of jangle in the sound of the guitars) and at the same time is a great performance of Tenney’s piece.

Equally impressive to me is the 30 year career that Elvis Costello has put together. From the earlier punk influence to working with Brodsky Quartet to his tribute to Burt Bacharach, Elvis has also grown beyond his influences to create a unique and creative voice. The discs I ripped today (just the beginning of what I have) were ‘My Aim Is True’ (his only pre-Attractions album, though it really is mostly with the as yet to be named Attractions), ‘This Year’s Model’ (probably my favorite album of his, especially since Steve Nieve’s organ is turned up to full volume finally), ‘Armed Forces’ and ‘Get Happy’. I love early Elvis Costello. While I was talking about my ‘angry young man’ phase a couple days ago, there is one thing I left out. While I was listening to the Violent Femmes and The Cure, I realize now that it is Elvis Costello I should have been listening to. Better late then never though… while the others did the trick when I was 17, I realize now that Elvis Costello may have suited my geekier ways a little better.

‘No Action’ is SUCH a great side one track one. One of my favorite starts to an album ever. But one thing that I really appreciate about the Rhino re-issues is the second disc of goodies each comes with. The second disc of ‘My Aim Is True’ has an outtake of ‘No Action’ that didn’t have the recording desk levels correctly set, so the whole thing is terribly distorted. But it sounds great (and the engineers realized this as well – since they left the tape running). Of course, it couldn’t be released on the album that way, but as a bonus track it is lots of fun.