Sonic Life by Thurston Moore...

For some time now I've been immersing myself in 'rock' autobiographies. I don't know why other than I simply like reading about 'rock' stars and how it all happened for them. My latest book was Sonic Life by Thurston Moore. I instinctively knew, when I spotted it in the bookshop, that it would be an interesting read, I just knew it, and I was right. As I write these words I've literally just finished it and, as always, the last chapter of any book, well, actually, of most good books, like this one is, it's emotionally charged. An earlier 'closing chapter' in Book Six of what was, quite simply, a magnum opus, focused on 9/11, a seismic moment in the history of New York (and, indeed, the wider world). 

I was saddened to read of Thurston's friend Harold passing away, he who travelled regularly from Bethel in Connecticut to NYC with Thurston to listen to the bands of the punk explosion in the USA. Right at the end of the book, in the final chapter, there's mention of Sonic-Youth's last album, The Eternal, a great album, especially, in my opinion, the track Walkin Blue which, for me (and I'm sure many people) has a strange, lingering, evocative quality (because let's remember that music, certainly for me, generates pictures and sensations in my head, things that aren't necessarily real but are rooted in some kind of reality that never really surfaces, it's hard to describe, but, well, let me try). I say 'try', perhaps the best thing is to direct you to a post on another blog of mine which, in my head, relates to Walkin Blue. I don't know what is, but if you read the post in question (click here to read it) you might understand what I mean. If, or rather whenever I listen to the track, I think of the scenario dreamed up at the beginning of the aforementioned post. There's no rhyme nor reason for this, it just is, for me, the reality of listening to the track.

Anyway, I digress (or do I?). Sonic Life is a great book, full of so many stories, so many references to bands like Dinosaur Jr and Television and Mudhoney and Nirvana and Hole and Bikini Kill and loads of other bands all of whom more than hold their place in rock history, or perhaps more alternative rock history. I was glad to note that the name, Sonic-Youth is related to Fred 'Sonic' Smith from MC5, a band that had a lot to do with the early success of The Stooges. Smith was married to Patti Smith and MC5 (the Motor City Five, from the Motor City, Detroit) were a great band. I still have Back in the USA, a great album, nothing complex, just great rock 'n' roll music. 

Thurston Moore is great too, for his determination, his enthusiasm, his dedication (along with the rest of his band) to experiment with sound and push the boundaries of popular music, and the way he immerses himself in the scene, making Sonic-Youth more than just another band, but a creative force of some magnitude. I remember reading Consider This by Chuck Palahnuik, a manual for want of a better word, about writing in which he talks of 'the bravery of the writer'. He refers, of course, to a writer being 'brave' about what he submits for publication and, obviously, the need to stand by whatever it is, albeit a sensitive subject or something that others might regard as a step too far. Well, I think there's also the bravery of the musician and this is amply exemplified by the output of Sonic-Youth in the sense that they tried things that were sometimes not as well-received as they might have thought they would be, but this, of course, is what it's all about, trying stuff, doing things that are away from the mainstream and in Sonic-Youth's case, tuning their guitars differently, experimenting with their instruments and with sound and simply being different but not in a contrived manner, that would never have worked.

It goes without saying that there are, as Johnny Nash once warbled, 'more questions than answers' leading me to think that it would be great to spend some time with Moore and try and find out 'moore' (if you'll excuse the pun) about 'stuff'. For me, I'd like to learn more about how he taught himself to play the guitar as most rock docs and autobiographies tend not to mention anything about this, preferring, I guess, to assume that the readers take it for granted their heroes can play.

As a result of reading Sonic-Life I've found myself on YouTube looking for Thurston Moore interviews (and finding many). One was not so much an interview with Moore, but Moore interviewing Iggy Pop at his home in Miami, where, of course, Moore himself hails from originally. It was a great interview and for me it introduced an amazing Iggy and the Stooges track, Gardenia, from the album Post Pop Depression. A great track, it has to be said, and one I often play. I like listening for bass lines and Gardenia has a good one. The book also introduced me (and yes, I know, I should have been aquainted with them years ago): I'm talking about Dinosaur Jr and, of course, J Mascis, who is referenced a lot in Moore's book and who, incidentally, shares a birthday with me (10 December) although he's eight years my junior. If we were both dinosaurs, I guess he'd be Dinosaur Jr, yes, alright, another silly pun.

I think one of the great strengths of Sonic Life is Thurston Moore's knowledge of the alternative music and arts scene in the USA within which he and his band were a major force. He was close with Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, they toured together. Early on in the book, he found himself on a plane with The Fall and I can't remember now whether Sonic-Youth got off in Iceland, I think they did, or whether The Fall got off or whether they both got off, but the amazing thing about that is I remember that flight being referenced in The Big Midweek, Life inside The Fall by the latter's bassist, Steve Hanley (another book worth reading if you haven't already).

Something else I didn't know was that the Ramones were so-called after the fact that Sir Paul McCartney used to check in to hotels as Paul Ramon in the hope that the hotels in question wouldn't be swamped by hysterical fans.

So, if ever you spot a copy of Sonic Life by Thurston Moore in your local bookshop, buy it because it's a great read if, like me, you're in to rock star autobiographies. I doubt whether Moore would like to be described as a 'rock star'(another question I'd ask him if I bumped into him on my travels); it's not out of the question either, largely because he now resides in Stoke Newington in London. Currently, I appear to be running into famous bassists. I literally bumped into Bill Wyman as I walked into Gail's on the King's Road in London and then, having passed through security at St. Pancras International recently, Paul Simonon of The Clash. Who's next, I often wonder.

Moore doesn't skate over anything, he goes in-depth, providing plenty of information on every aspect of Sonic-Youth's development from beginning to end, start to finish. If you want a book jam-packed with information about the band, the band members and the band's contemporaries, not forgetting their encounters with the likes of Neil Young and Iggy Pop and others, then this is the book for you. I'll stop now as I'll risk sounding sycophantic and boring (which I hope I'm not).