Daydream Nation is the fifth studio album by Sonic Youth, released on October 18, 1988. The band recorded the album between July and August 1988 at Greene St. Recording in New York City, and it was released by Enigma Records as a double album.
After Daydream Nation was released, it received widespread acclaim from critics and earned Sonic Youth a major label deal. The album was ranked high in critics’ year-end lists of 1988’s best records, being voted second in The Village Voice’s annual Pazz & Jop poll. Daydream Nation has since been widely considered to be Sonic Youth‘s greatest work, as well as one of the greatest albums of all time, specifically having a profound influence on the alternative and indie rock genres. It was chosen by the Library of Congress to be preserved in the National Recording Registry in 2005.
Daydream Nation is generally considered an avant-rock, alternative rock, indie rock, art punk, and post-punk album, with the record being notable for its unorthodox guitar tuning and song structure, with many songs concluding with lengthy instrumental sections. The album is especially notable for being a significant influence for later alternative and indie rock efforts and genres, including well-known grunge band Nirvana. Lyrics include topics of burnout, the music industry, and the crack epidemic of the late 1980s.
Daydream Nation‘s title came from a lyric in the song Hyperstation. Sonic Youth had also considered the title Tonight’s the Day, from a lyric in “Candle”, which made reference to Neil Young‘s 1975 album Tonight’s the Night. The cover for Daydream Nation features the 1983 Gerhard Richter painting Kerze (Candle). The back cover art is a similar Richter painting from 1982. The vinyl version’s four sides and the compact disc inner tray contain four symbols each representing one of the members of the band, in an homage to and parody of the four symbols from the fourth Led Zeppelin album. The symbols are infinity (∞) for Ranaldo (referencing his 1987 album From Here to Infinity), female (♀) for Gordon, uppercase omega (Ω) for Moore (referencing Leo, his zodiac sign), and a drawing of a demonic–angelic baby holding drumsticks for Shelley.
Tracklist:
- Teen Age Riot
- Silver Rocket
- The Sprawl
- ‘Cross The Breeze
- Eric’s Trip
- Total Trash
- Hey Joni
- Providence
- Candle
- Rain King
- Kissability
- Trilogy
a. The Wonder
b. Hyperstation
z. Eliminator Jr.
Sonic Youth
Thurston Moore: guitar, vocals, piano, production
Kim Gordon: bass guitar, guitar, vocals, production
Lee Ranaldo: guitar, vocals, production
Steve Shelley: drums, production
Production
Nick Sansano: production, engineering
Howie Weinberg: mastering
Dave Swanson: engineering assistance
Michael Lavine: photography
Matt Tritto: engineering assistance
