Bad Moon Rising is the second studio album by the rock band Sonic Youth, released on March 29, 1985, by Blast First and Homestead Records. The album is loosely themed around the dark side of America, including references to obsession, insanity, Charles Manson, heavy metal, Satanism, and early European settlers’ encounters with Native Americans.
Released to strong reviews from the underground music press, Bad Moon Rising was the band’s first album to combine experimental material with transitional pieces and segues. The album was preceded by the single “Death Valley ’69”, which did not chart in either the US or UK (the track was re-recorded for the album and released again as a single in June 1985). The album was named after the 1969 song “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Sonic Youth was formed in New York City in 1981 by guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo and bass guitarist Kim Gordon. The band signed to Glenn Branca‘s Neutral Records, releasing the Sonic Youth EP in March 1982. As Sonic Youth released a number of albums and EPs to increasing critical acclaim, including Confusion Is Sex and Kill Yr. Idols in 1983, several drummers joined and left the band. Bob Bert rejoined Sonic Youth after the Confusion Is Sex tour in mid-1983. The New York press largely ignored Sonic Youth (as well as the noise rock scene in the city), until after a disastrous London debut in October 1983 that actually received rave reviews in British papers Sounds and NME. When they returned to New York, the queue at CBGB for the band’s concerts went around the block.
By mid-1984, Sonic Youth were playing almost weekly in the city, but its members started to realize that there was little future in their musical approach; Moore later said, “it was getting to the point of overkill”. They retreated to the rehearsal room, retuned their guitars and changed their equipment so that they were unable to play their old songs, and began writing new material.
Tracklist:
- Intro
- Brave Men Run (In My Family)
- Society Is A Hole
- I Love Her All The Time
- Ghost Bitch
- I’m Insane
- Justice Is Might
- Death Valley ’69 (Featuring Lydia Lunch)
- Satan Is Boring
- Hallowe’en
- Flower
- Echo Canyon
Sonic Youth
Thurston Moore: guitars, prepared guitar, lead vocals, production
Kim Gordon: bass guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals (“Death Valley ’69”), production
Lee Ranaldo: guitars, percussion (“Ghost Bitch”), backing vocals (“Death Valley ’69”), production
Bob Bert: drums, production
Additional personnel
Lydia Lunch: lead vocals and production on “Death Valley ’69”
Production
Martin Bisi: engineer, producer (all tracks except 10–11)
Ethan James: engineer (tracks 10–11)
John Erskine: producer (all tracks except 10–11)
