Track Listing

1. Becuz
2. Junkie's Promise
3. Saucer-Like
4. Washing Machine
5. Unwind
6. Little Trouble Girl - John Siket, Kim Deal, Sonic Youth
7. No Queen Blues
8. Panty Lies
9. Becuz Coda
10. Skip Tracer
11. The Diamond Sea

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9313 in Music
• Released on: 1999-03-20
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds
• Running time: 68 minutes

CD Description
WASHING MACHINE returns Sonic Youth to the ringing electricguitars, clever songwriting and multi-layered arrangements that are the band's calling card. Not the casual acoustic sigh of its predecessor, EXPERIMENTAL JET SET, TRASH AND NO STAR, WASHING MACHINE's electricity gives Sonic Youth new life.
With its sprawling guitar noise, "The Diamond Sea" recalls the GOO-era "Mote", proving that the crunching metallic waves that once made Sonic Youth so impressive are back. "Junkie's Promise" trembles with distortion and shimmering melodic phrases, while "Saucer-Like" brings the band's clamoringtwo-guitar dynamic back into focus. This is the band's triumph--their sound is easier to digest, and invites the listeners to re-examine their strengths.
WASHING MACHINE is also a return to form in terms of songwriting. "Panty Lies" continues Kim Gordon's hipster manifesto series, giving us another glimpse of the world from her perspective--"oh how rude", she sneers, "at least I got your attention, square". "SkipTracer" hints at Sonic Youth's position as baby-sitters forthe next generation of alternative rockers, but isn't condescending. In fact, it's one of the best moments on the album. A description of a singer "shouting the poetic truths of high school journal takers" exemplifies the age gap between Sonic Youth and the new generation, but it doesn't alienate them. It's just such awareness that makes WASHING MACHINE work. Sonic Youth's respect for the scene they helped create will forever keep them on top of the indie heap.

Customer Reviews

A masterpiece
I'm surprised there aren't more reviews posted here for this brilliant album. Everyone and his mother knows that 1988's seminal Daydream Nation is a solid-gold alternative rock classic, but it isn't the only great Sonic Youth album and it's not even my personal favourite. I reckon that 1995's Washing Machine is one of their strongest, most fully realised works to date.

There are a few relatively poppy and straightforward moments on the record - the striking Kim Gordon-sung opener Becuz, the lovely and melodic Unwind, the sweet 60s girl-pop pastiche of Little Trouble Girl. But unlike the more compact and concise punk/grunge songs of the Goo and Dirty era, Washing Machine is largely an album of sprawling, trancelike, free-form guitar epics. Therefore it's probably closer in spirit to Daydream Nation, with a hint of Teutonic art rock like Neu! and Can thrown into the mix. It takes some getting used to, sure, but gradually the pastoral textures and droning feedback achieve a startling, powerful beauty. This is never more evident than on the nine-minute title track and the symphonic, 19-minute closer The Diamond Sea, which is surely one of the most exquisite pieces of rock music in recent decades.

Washing Machine is a rich, intense listening experience. Once you get into the hang of it, it becomes one of Sonic Youth's most addictive records. So strap on your headphones and drift away.

"Got noise?"
Don't forget 'Washing Machine' itself. I used to think 'The Diamond Sea' was my favourite song ever (risky), but this title track always sounds better than the last time.
Part way through, the pretty funky song stops (which is a good thing if you get annoyed by Kim's voice), and drifts away to some other place (like a big field, for example). The beat turns into a more purposeful 'dring-dring-dring-dring', as the guitar builds the texture up from a single note. The lead guitar then starts soaring, as the background texture just builds and builds on this one note. Without you noticing, the notes just disappear into pure white noise. It's like staring into the sun, when all you can hear are these beautiful, smooth clouds of static and feedback and distortion. And when youre done, the clouds politely begin to drop down through harmonics, until you are left with a single note being played repeatedly on the guitar. 'The Diamond Sea' is similar in this kind of build up, with soaring guitars, but the actual noise isnt as impressive. It has more distinct parts, even though soaking wet with distortion and feedback and fuzz.
Anyway, I love pretty much everything Sonic Youth have ever done (which is, again, a dubious statement), and if you are remotely interested by all this noise ive been rambling about, look into them, especially this album (which is the most beautiful), and 'Confusion is Sex' (a noisy one).
While im here... 'Evol' is beautiful, but cheesy in places, as well as noisy; 'Sister' is classic SY (which means pretty cheesy and rocky, but with that edge of some other place); 'Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star' is my favourite album, because it is the most beautifully kool; 'A Thousand Leaves' is a good one to get you started - there are some chilled jams on there which anyone will like, and you'll begin to love SY when you get into the less listener-friendly tracks; 'Confusion is Sex' is the koolest album ever - it is so mean and so not fun - a work of nasty emotions; 'Goo' is pretty classy - very distinct SY sound, with lots of amazing sounds to be found if you listen carefully - the songs have many layers; 'Sonic Death' is a bit like 'Confusion...' - for the true fan (though i say so myself); 'Dirty' is genuinely kool, and less cheesy, bit still Sonic Youthy; 'Daydream Nation' is like Goo; 'Bad Moon Rising' is early stuff - cheesy, but pretty emotional...
Woah, sorry, they have done quite a few albums. More people should like them, quite frankly, I feel so very sad and lonely.

inbetween Dirty and NYC Ghosts and Flowers
As usual Sonic Youth have knocked out another mindblowing album. The Diamond Sea (clearly the stand-out track from the album) is a beautiful mix of deep lyrics and feedback. The entire album may not be as good as that, but it's still one of their best albums.