Sonic Youth - The Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities

This aptly-titled album is the auditory version of smoking opium with the Cheshire Cat. It's a collection of songs chosen by the band and intended for true fans. Tracks include “Razor Blade,” the b-Side to “Bull In the Heather” off of Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star, and a 25-minute version of “The Diamond Sea,” taken from Washing Machine. As a whole the compilation represents puzzle pieces from throughout Sonic Youth’s lengthy history, and is a testament to the band’s no Wave and post-punk roots. While veteran fans will rejoice in the band’s trademark soundscapes and mysterious guitars, virgins may find this album disconcerting. Each track has the all-consuming feeling that demands attention, if not only to try and unravel which sound is melting into which. Only three of the songs on this album contain lyrics, and the rest require some combination of patience, drug-induced euphoria, and/or pseudo-sophistication. [www.sonicyouth.com]