The first single from 1988’s Daydream Nation, ‘Teen Age Riot’ is also the song that got me into Sonic Youth. Now their album-long ‘Sister Ray’-alikes don’t always do it for me, and some of their stuff is just plain turgid, but when they hit the high notes they succeed spectacularly. Given that this was the late ’80s, when synthesiser ties, Rick Astley and stock exchange crashes were all the rage, ‘Teen Age Riot’ is seriously out of step with the times.

Starting off with some low-key, ghostly guitar and Kim Gordon reciting some childlike phrases (”Say it, don’t spray it”) and generation-specific predictions (”We will fall”), the song seems to be drifting before it’s even begun.

And then Thurston Moore’s distorted guitar kicks in, and you realise why the song’s axe work (did I just say that?) is so highly rated. You’ll certainly have heard this riff before - it’s influenced Pixies, Nirvana, and God knows how many other grunge bands over the years. But here it sounds fresh, energized, and in a huge hurry. Perfect for air guitar, if you live in a trailer and own a dog named Skeeter.

The lyrics are almost a DIY lesson in how to get ‘the kids’ on your side, if you’re a band wanting to make it big. Hero adulation, “Marshall stacks”, platform shoes, “teenage leather and booze”…it’s effectively a song about how to be ‘the next big thing’. As unfashionable as this was at the time - a time when, in the US, teenage girls with big hair tearing up shopping malls with karaoke pop - it’s had a tremendous influence on all of the bands that followed from the US.

The Daydream Nation album is a good listen, and I’ve been told that Sister and Evol are worthy albums too. While a lot of Sonic Youth’s affected Velvets/13th Floor Elevators/Stooges schtick can leave me feeling cold, ‘Teen Age Riot’ is a song that will always bring a smile. Here’s the official video which, again for the ’80s, is extremely cool. Notice Mark E Smith in the middle?

Last 5 posts by Dave

• 'Sunflower' - Paul Weller, 1993 - December 18th, 2008
• 'Brilliant Mistake' - Elvis Costello, 1986 - December 16th, 2008
• 'Icky Thump' - The White Stripes, 2007 - December 11th, 2008
• 'Careering' - Public Image Limited, 1979 - December 10th, 2008
• 'We'll Meet Again' - Vera Lynn, 1939 - December 5th, 2008

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This entry was posted on Friday, September 5th, 2008 at 12:06 pm and is filed under Alternative / Indie, Punk / Post-Punk, Rock. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.