SONIC YOUTH Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Originally released in 2006 and recorded following the departure of 'fifth' bandmember Jim O'Rourke, Rather Ripped is regarded by many as Sonic Youth's most accessible album - a fuzzy, easy-to-listen to collection of melancholic and thoughtful songs that variously deal with sexual frustration, infidelity and adultery. There are both riotous rockers and introspective ballads present, with the iconic American band adding bold and ear-catching melodies to their usual pots-and-pans percussion and squally guitar riffs. While hardcore fans may prefer some of the band's more experimental and forthright albums, it remains one of the many gems in their vast catalogue - and proof of their impeccable songcraft.

Review: Everyone's got Goo, Daydream Nation and Washing Machine, it's time to branch out a bit with this Sonic Youth album. This is a mind-blowing live album recorded at the Cabaret Metro in Chicago on October 14, 1987 - four months after the release of the New York band's critically acclaimed Sister LP. This features an intro by the late, great record producer and champion of artistic freedom Steve Albini and the subsequent setlist is a snapshot of a band on the verge of their imperial phase, finding leaner songs after developing a reputation as rock n' roll disrupters. The album was first rolled out as a semi-bootleg on the Geffen-baiting label Goofin' and now the Superior Viaduct label is making it more widely available. It's long overdue and a vital part of the Sonic Youth puzzle.