Goodbye 20th Century

1990年代よりメジャーでのリリースとは別に、自主レーベルを立ち上げ前衛的な作品を発表してきたソニック・ユース。それらは「SYR SERIES」と呼ばれ熱心なファンの間で愛されてきました。今回シリーズ屈指の人気作で1999年裏名盤とも評される『GOODBYE 20TH CENTURY』が、発売25周年再発!

ジョン・ケージ、スティーヴ・ライヒ、小杉武久、オノ・ヨーコ等と前衛芸術界ボス格達が発表した、異形の名曲カヴァーを披露している本作。2000年から正式メンバーになるジム・オルークも演奏に参加しており、1999年当時のソニック・ユース新展開とルーツへの敬意が同時に刻まれているのが特徴です。またサーストン・ムーアとキム・ゴードンの愛娘ココ・ムーアも「泣き声」で参加するという豪快っぷり。何もかも予測不能で聴く度ハラハラドキドキします!

メジャー・シーンでカッコいいオルタナティヴ・ロックの象徴として最前線に立っていた裏側で、原始的な音を求め己の内面にある形にならない音も発表していた彼等。相反する2つを成立させる辺り、伝説と呼ばれる理由なのです。

As a farewell to a century of musical innovation, Sonic Youth devoted a double album to covering legendary avant-garde recordings such as John Cage's Six, James Tenney's Having Never Written a Note for Percussion, and Christian Wolff's Edges. As a further token of gratitude, Sonic Youth had other avant-garde musicians such as William Winant collaborate with them on these covers. The result is a minimal album of silence occasionally interrupted by strange dissonance that quietly reaps noisy havoc on your mind. The many collaborators make Goodbye 20th Century a curious listen -- certainly not your standard Sonic Youth album. Actually, it's not too far removed from the other SYR EPs, especially in terms of production sound. But anyone looking for standard fare here is going to be greatly disappointed. These aren't songs -- they're compositions and they're performed as such. Alt-rock this is not.

As a farewell to a century of musical innovation, Sonic Youth devote a double album to covering legendary avant-garde recordings such as John Cage's "Six," James Tenney's "Having Never Written a Note for Percussion," and Christian Wolff's "Edges." As a further token of gratitude, Sonic Youth had other avant-garde musicians such as William Winant collaborate with them on these covers. The result is a minimal album of silence occasionally interrupted by strange dissonance that quietly reaps noisy havoc on your mind. The many collaborators make Goodbye 20th Century a curious listen -- certainly not your standard Sonic Youth album. Actually, it's not too far removed from the other SYR EPs, especially in terms of production sound. But anyone looking for standard fare here is going to be greatly disappointed. These aren't songs -- they're compositions and they're performed as such. Alt-rock this is not. ~ Jason Birchmeier