Sonic Youth on National Register in US
 

‘Blueberry Hill’ hits the Historic 50

National Recording Registry's '06 picks include Fats Domino, Sonic Youthvar cssList = new Array();getCSS("3053751")

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Updated: 10:32 a.m. ET April 11, 2006

WASHINGTON - A high school band plays Beethoven. President Calvin Coolidge delivers his inaugural address. Fats Domino turns “Blueberry Hill,” which had been a hit for Glenn Miller, into a rock ’n’ roll classic.
They’re among the 50 records that the Library of Congress has deemed worthy of preservation this year.
“The National Recording Registry represents a stunning array of the diversity, humanity and creativity found in our sound heritage, nothing less than a flood of noise and sound pulsating into the American bloodstream,” Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said in announcing the choices for 2006.ad_dap(250,300,'&PG=NBCNE6&AP=1089');
The Modesto, Calif., High School band did well in competitions of the 1920s and 1930s. But the library noted that few high school bands were recorded until the late 1940s, making the Modesto school’s 1930 version of Beethoven’s “Egmont Overture” a rarity.

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Coolidge, known as a man of few words, spoke for 47 minutes in the first broadcast inaugural address. A circuit of 21 radio stations was put together for the event in 1925.
Domino recorded his relaxed version of “Blueberry Hill,” adding Creole cadences, in Los Angeles in 1956. He was inspired by a Louis Armstrong version of the song, which Miller had taken to No. 1 in 1940.
Other rock classics being inducted include Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be the Day,” both from 1957; the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s “Are You Experienced?” from 1967; and Sonic Youth’s landmark noise-rock album “Daydream Nation,” from 1988.
Other sounds to be preserved include a radio broadcast by Clem McCarthy of Joe Louis’ first-round knockout of Max Schmeling in 1938. The audience was estimated at 70 million. “The symbolism of an African-American defeating a citizen of the political state that proclaimed the superiority of the white race was lost on no one,” the library commented.
Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” was performed the same year by the NBC Symphony, led by Arturo Toscanini. The library noted that the work has been called the “American anthem for sadness and grief.”
Every year since 2000, the library has registered recordings “that are culturally. historically or aesthetically important and/or inform or reflect life in the United States.” Last year it unveiled newly discovered tapes of Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane from 1957 — a discovery that yielded one of the top-selling jazz CDs of 2005

I think this is the biggest honor in SY's career. It is something they should be incredibly proud of. I would hold this over any imminent stinkin' nomination to the rock 'n fool hall of fame.

The NAtional recording registry site's article says that Daydream Nation is Sonic Youth's third LP:

“Daydream Nation,” Sonic Youth (1988)

Pioneer members of New York City’s clangorous early 1980s No Wave scene, Sonic Youth are renowned for a glorious form of noise-based chaos. Guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo had previously performed with Glen Branca’s large guitar ensembles, and their alternative guitar tunings and ringing harmonies attest to this apprenticeship. On “Daydream Nation,” their third album, the group’s forays into outright noise always return to melodic songs that employ hypnotic arpeggios, driving punk rock rhythmic figures and furious gales of guitar-based noise. Bassist Kim Gordon’s haunting vocals and edgy lyrics add additional depth to the numbers she sings.

Good description though, I think.

That is such a great thing I think, that someone looks at your work as being historically significant in such a way. That it joins a prestigious list of landmark recordings not just in music, but along presidental speeches, or some other historical piece of recording.

yea, i just read about this. this is really cool.

yeah, i was wondering about the 3rd album thing. i get 5th, even if you don't count s/t, sonic death, and the whitey album.

maybe they thought it was 3rd because of the whole evol/sister/ddn mythology?

--edit-- just emailed the nat'l. recording registry about the error. hopefully it should be corrected.

Yea i just read that/ Proves that sonic youth are important... anyone who thinks different can be told to shut up.

The news hits Pitchfork:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/0...tml#sonicyouth

Wow! this is excellent! (If you read the Pitchfork news piece, notice who its written by, Amy Phillips. The writer who wrote that famous 'Murray Street' review in which she pleaded for Sonic Youth to break up....)

This is an amazing honor. The only problem I have is with the other songs on the list. The songs were supposed to have been socially relevant and aesthetically important, yet I've only heard of a few of the songs in the list. It seems that a lot of them are by German composers that I am not familiar with. And they have the balls to put Sonic Yout last! They should have been higher up in the list, ahead of Fats Domino and Stevie Wonder.

they put sy last because ddn was chronologically last among the entries.