Album thread: Made In Usa
 

I don´t know how good idea this is or have you already done these, but what you think if we make a thread for every Sonic Youth album? Of course there can be threads also e.p:s and singles. I mean I´d like to read when people has bought certain album and what memories associated with the album. There can be all the stuff, that associated the album, if somebody know something about the album that isn´t on discography pages, that is also very welcome information. And of course people can say their opinions about the album.

I want to start in Made In Usa, because it is quite amazing story, how I get it. When the album was realised, I lived in north Finland. Maybe one time a year I made a trip to the south in main town Helsinki to buy albums (In Helsinki naturally have much more record shops than in north). One of these trips I saw "Made In Usa"-vinyl. I hadn´t heard anything about it and I thought it was some kind of noise side project of them. I hadn´t had also so much money then, so I didn´t bought it. Somehow I didn´t forget the album, maybe partly because I liked the package and the clear vinyl. I thought I bought it next year, but it wasn´t there anymore. Two years ago I read the text about the album in discography pages and I felt so shamed that I didn´t bought it when it was realised. Of course it wasn´t available anymore when I asked it for my local record retailer. About half year after that moment there was a big record happening in my hometown (that is the biggest in Finland, two times a year). I went there in the end of it and there is time only half hour. You can announce there an album you want. I made an announcement, but no retailer didn´t reply it. I started to walk one line, maybe watched one or two boxes of vinyls and then came to retailer where I found Sonic Youth LP:s. And there it was!!! Second hand "Made In Usa"-vinyl in a very good condition and not even that expensive as a thought!!!

I think the story of the album is also quite amazing. Some unknown edit-jobbers ask Thurston to make a music for a Hollywood movie, all that glamour in the middle of it, and in the end only one of two songs are in the movie!! I have thought does this happen a lot in the western countries and is this kind of thing one reason to the world economic depressions. I mean somebody pay some people for something that in the end nobody uses.

And last for the music: I think like Chris that the album is very great and very much underrated!!! I can reach from the album some very original feelings about the America, kind of feelings about the continent when there were only Indians, maybe even not them. I mean I got the same feelings that are in the picture of the cover. The album is really I weird compromise between avantgarde and Hollywood glamour!!!

I also like that album very much. It's one that I don't have yet. I've seen it once in record flea market happening, but it was so expensive that I couldn't buy it. I've been waiting for that deluxe edition re-release, hope they make it some day and also in vinyl.

I own this album, but I don't really remember much about it. I've only listened to it a few times. All I remember about it is that Secret Girl is on it. At least I think it is.

Yes, it is on it. Secret Girl was the kind of start of the whole project. That was the song that the young edit-jobbers was excited about and want it to the movie. And it´s the only one with Tuck n Dar that is on the final movie. In the album there are also three other "versions" of the Secret Girl: the Velvet Plug, Tulip Fire 2 and O.J.`s gloves or what. There is also 2 other themes in the album that have different "versions". I think you should listen the album again, but do it in the right moment. And that is then when you can just listen the album and doing nothin else. I have found the album very meditative.

I own the VHS tape of the film.
I kinda get used to it to listen to it instead of the album including the dialogue. meshes nice together. thought about capturing the whole "soundtrack" for my version.

the information here is incorrect. much of the music on the Made in USA album is in the film.

I have the VHS. Somewhere. I think.

Anyway, I really love this album. I consider it the companion to EVOL. Which I'm sure you all know is my favorite album ever.

I like it. It's great background music when I'm cleaning or playing with my cat.

+, Thurston's liner notes are hilarious. Alone they are infinitely more interesting than the actual music of Rather Ripped.

Good for them.

Recorded in the same studio as Motley Crue's first record, dude. haha

"I recently found the video for $3.99 at a video closeout store and watched it and was kind of bummed when I saw how much of our music was cut from the final edit. I guess our vibe was too weird and edgy. But that's what we liked about the earlier version of the film, so... to each his own, I guess. The music on this soundtrack is interesting in that it's an odd compromise between New York City avant-gardsters and Hollywood hit men."

Here´s Thurston´s text from the film. I understood about that text, that there isn´t not much Sonic Youth music on the film. And in the official film soundtrack album there is only "secret girl".

Ten or more years ago I rented the film and watched it once to take note of all the SY music in the film -- I know I shared w/ alt.music.sonic-youth but don't think I have a copy anymore...I seem to recall there was a bit of SY score every few minutes, generally buried, often elements of 'Secret Girl', but that many of the tracks from the soundtrack were incorporated somehow. I remember the climax of the film involves the last 2 songs on the soundtrack, including that stark cut from the end of "Webb of Mud 3" into "Bachelors in Fur!".

True, only "Secret Girl" made the original motion picture soundtrack from '87/'88, so we're very fortunate that SY made their score available in '95. I don't think it's any secret that this is one of my top SY releases of all time, for reasons I can't even explain...something about the sound and the atmosphere (and the intriguing melodies) just takes me to another place. Another time, perhaps.

I absolutely love it. It was the first Sonic Youth album I ever bought actually.

I found my old notebook where I tracked all of the SY content in the film...here you go:

00:04:14 - Score Composed and Performed by SONIC YOUTH

00:09:45 - 'Secret Girl' piano theme plays underneath scene til 00:10:40
- becomes whammy stuff, back to SG w lyrix 00:11:00
- fades out 00:11:35

00:12:22 - 'Tuck N Dar' style theme

00:12:46 - 'Moustache Riders'

00:14:15 - 'Cork Mountain Incident' - 00:14:55

00:31:05 - harmonics => 00:32:30 "Moon in the Bathroom"

00:32:34 - SG piano w/ whammy 00:33:15

00:42:24 - "Lincoln's Gout" => 00:44:12

00:48:20 - "Coughing up Tweed" 00:48:54

00:49:27 - "Hairpiece Lullaby" 00:50:36

00:51:21 - "Hairpiece Lullaby" => 00:52:28

00:52:30 - "Pre-Poured Wood" => 00:52:58

00:54:05 - "Tuck N Dar" 00:54:39

01:05:55 - "Pre-Poured Wood" => 01:06:35

01:10:31 - "Pocketful of Sen-Sen" => 01:11:36

01:11:45 - "Webb of Mud" => 01:12:11

01:12:37 - "Webb of Mud" => 01:14:00

01:15:07 - "Webb of Mud" => 01:15:37

01:15:41 - "Bachelors in Fur!" => 01:16:34

01:16:48 - "Mackin for Doober" => 01:17:28

SECRET GIRL as performed by SONIC YOUTH
Courtesy of SST/Blast First Records
Written by Sonic Youth
Copyright 1986 Savage Conquest Music

TUCK AND DAR as performed by SONIC YOUTH
Written by Sonic Youth
Copyright 1986 Euphonius Music/Savage Conquest Music


----

...I wonder what the "Euphonius Music" credit is?

huh, so in a curious search for 'euphonius music' online i stumbled across my old a.m.s-y post, captured for posterity on my very own website...who knew.

http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/lp/vid55.html

I also think that Made In Usa is very unique in Sonic albums. When I first time began to listen the album, then when Secret Girl came I was sure I really had Sonic Youth album (I really wondered, did I get accidentely some other band album in Sonic Youth album cover). Even the album sounds are so different and a long time a thought, that in "Tuck n Dar" there is someone quest singing.

Of course it sounds like Sonic Youth, when I have listened it a lot. But I think they´ve taken some elements lot more far away as in any other album. Of course there´s lot´s of Sonic songs in their cataloque, where is kind of timeless feeling. But in this album almost every song has that kind of feeling. Truly the album takes you into another place and time. Maybe syr1 is the only "album" that is near of Made In Usa.

I live in rural Japan and I saw it at this one record store for like 15 bucks. Japanese version. I'm guessing I should pick it up and try to sell it on ebay (or to someone on the board that would be interested???) It's the cd version.

I just recently bought a copy of Made In USA. There was a pretty heavy-duty adhesive on the tab of the clear plastic cover so I removed the gunk before I even took the vinyl out to look at it. Once I got the record out I could see that the previous owner wasn't too careful. There are adhesive smears all over both sides of the record. Anyone else have this problem? Any ideas for an effective and safe way to remove it?

I bought a vinyl of 'Made in USA' on Fri.March26/1999 at a record store in Ontario for maybe $15. That record store is no longer around.
I've only played the record maybe twice. I remember one track standing out that might be 'Secret Girl' as it was melodic and good. The rest of the albumn I can't remember much but I don't remember it sounding like a regular albumn. Lots of sound clips as compared to actual songs.

Late at night on obscure TV this movie came on and I watched it, basically only for the soundtrack because the movie itself was shit. I dare say it would have been better if they had just cast the band too ;)

It would have been MUCH better had they cast the band. I can say that with absolute confidence, even not having seen this movie.

Does anyone know is there any plans to make a reissue of this album, maybe deluxe edition...

There has been rumours of it also here in this gossib, but what´s reality of it, I think no-one knows...

I just got this album today in vinyl! I had to pay pretty much of it, but this sure is one of the best Sonic Youth albums ever! Definitely in top 5.

I wish there was a live version of "Tuck N Dar"

Let's go, I don't wanna stay any longer

If we could just know where we come from
Maybe we could figure out something to do
All I know now is we're together
And something tells me we might live forever

So let's go, go away, go
Let's go, I don't wanna stay any longer

Everytime I look at you I wonder what to do
Everytime I look at you I wonder what to do
Everytime I look at you I wonder what to do
Everytime I look at you I wonder what to do
Everytime I look at you I wonder what to do
Everytime I look at you I wonder what to do
Everytime I look at you I wonder what to do
Everytime I look at you I wonder what to do
Everytime I look at you I wonder what to do
Everytime I look at you I wonder what to do

I was told they may have played "Tuck n Dar" once, maybe if that EVOL tourfilm ever surfaces... (note: I have no knowledge of it being in the EVOL film, I just assume it would have been played on the Oct/Nov '86 tour, if at all.)

Speaking of that EVOL film - I used to see it on people's trade lists in the mid-90s and just never asked because it took up several VHS tapes. Was it common pre-internet tradebait that never fell into the right hands to ensure it ended up on Youtube along with everything else in the modern world?

Very great you found it!

Yeah! I was able to buy album with help of my friend who lives in the States nowadays. Record store didn't want to sell album overseas so my friend bought it on my behalf and sent it to me.

I remember that too. Hmm.

When the EVOL Deluxe reissue w/ tourfilm DVD comes out, I hope the liner notes say something like "here ya go, noise!"

Quite odd somebody doesn´t want to send some album overseas these Discogs & Paypal days! Well, maybe this album has really become rare. It was not long time I still saw it into that vinyl happening of my hometown, but I think it hasn´t been there at least two last years.

http://www.discogs.com/Sonic-Youth-M...release/789824

Watched it from the discogs after my last message. As you can see, there are 22 for sale and most of them are not very expensive.

The one I bought was new (still factory sealed). I've had couple of bad experiences in buying used vinyls without seeing them first, so I don't usually do that anymore.

OK, really great finding! I´m not also very fond of buying second hand through internet (I have bought only one vinyl from Discogs, that was good experience).

Just to mention, we are working on an expanded release of the sessions that produced this soundtrack music...
--L

yeah!

I got lucky when a good friend of mine gifted me the clear vinyl of this soundtrack back in da day. he knew I am a giant SY junkie.

Great!

Great to hear this, waiting the release with big interest!

Lee, you just made my year!

fucking right!

is this still happening?

serious?





I didn't know much SY back then when I got Made In USA somewhere in Greece. such a great/weird and unknown album for me back then.