CORPORATE GHOST
THE VIDEOS: 1990-2002
   
 

Sonic Youth's first official DVD release! A compilation of their Geffen-era videos from 1990-2002, released on the same day as "Sonic Nurse". The title is taken from a track recorded for a late 80's Peel Session. The cover features X-rays of two guitars, Lee's 12-string Deimel and the ever popular Eterna. After the obligatory corporate logos, Corporate Ghost begins with a flurry of SY's Geffen-era LP covers, cleverly computer processed, set to the driving "Kool Thing" intro riff, and eventually exploding into the menu, which consists of clips from various videos containing many, many very small pixels, each ALSO containing rapid fire images from all of the videos on the set. It's a pretty cool effect, and "Kool Thing" plays until the middle section before it fades and loops. There are three menu options, "PLAY" (which plays all of the 'main' videos continuously), "VIDEOS" (access to menus where you can select the different commentaries for the individual songs), and "BONUS" (the bonus features, of course, which you'll find information on below).

If you choose "PLAY", you will see the following videos:

  • Dirty Boots
  • Tunic (Song for Karen)
  • Mary-Christ
  • Kool Thing
  • My Friend Goo
  • Disappearer
  • Mildred Pierce
  • Cinderella's Big Score
  • Scooter & Jinx
  • Titanium Expose
  • 100%
  • Sugar Kane
  • Youth Against Fascism
  • Bull in the Heather
  • Superstar
  • Little Trouble Girl
  • The Diamond Sea
  • Sunday
  • Hoarfrost
  • Nevermind (What Was It Anyway)
  • The Empty Page
  • Disconnection Notice

    The first 11 are the "GOO" album in its entirety, as previously available on the Goo VHS compilation (but w/ a notable increase in picture and sound quality!). The rest of the videos were pretty much unavailable in any accessible fashion, including three from "Dirty", one from "Experimental Jet Set...", one from the "If I Were a Carpenter" tribute LP, two from "Washing Machine", two from "A Thousand Leaves", one from "NYC Ghosts & Flowers", and two from "Murray Street". Up until "Sunday", most of these videos (aside from the "non-single" Goo tunes) aired on tv at some point, perhaps even with some regularity, but "Hoarfrost" "Nevermind" "Empty Page" and "Disconnection Notice" are pretty much unique to this collection. Extensive DVD credits run silently after "Disconnection Notice".

    If you choose "VIDEOS", you cycle through the following menus:

  • "Dirty Boots" thru "Mildred Pierce", w/ "Mildred Pierce" clip playing
  • "Cinderella" thru "Superstar", w/ "Scooter & Jinx" clip playing
  • "Little Trouble Girl" thru "Credits" w/ "Diamond Sea" clip playing

    Each song is clickable and accesses a separate menu that plays the audio from that song, accompanied by a still from the video, with the option to "play video" or, if applicable, access one of the band or director commentaries. The following audio commentaries are available:

  • "Dirty Boots" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Dirty Boots" - Tamra Davis commentary
  • "Tunic" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Mary-Christ" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Kool Thing" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Kool Thing" - Tamra Davis commentary
  • "Mote" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "My Friend Goo" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "My Friend Goo" - Mike Watt commentary
  • "Disappearer" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Disappearer" - Todd Haynes commentary
  • "Mildred Pierce" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Mildred Pierce" - Dave Markey commentary
  • "Cinderella's Big Score" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Cinderella's Big Score" - Dave Markey commentary
  • "Scooter & Jinx" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Scooter & Jinx" - Richard Kern commentary
  • "Scooter & Jinx" - Mike Watt commentary
  • "Titanium Expose" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Titanium Expose" - Phil Morrison commentary
  • "100%" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "100%" - Tamra Davis commentary
  • "100%" - Mike Watt commentary
  • "100%" - Jason Lee commentary
  • "Sugar Kane" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Youth Against Fascism" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Bull in the Heather" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Bull in the Heather" - Tamra Davis commentary
  • "Bull in the Heather" - Kathleen Hanna commentary
  • "Superstar" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Superstar" - Dave Markey commentary
  • "Little Trouble Girl" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Little Trouble Girl" - Mark Romanek commentary
  • "The Diamond Sea" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "The Diamond Sea" - Dave Markey & Lance Bangs commentary
  • "Sunday" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "The Empty Page" - Sonic Youth commentary
  • "Disconnection Notice" - Tom Surgal commentary

    In several cases, while viewing with commentary, the video will end, and cut to a live shot of the band member finishing their thought while recording.

    If you choose "BONUS", "Sugar Kane" leads a path to your bonus feature options:

  • "Drunken Butterfly" - the fan-made winning video for the 1992 MTV "120 Minutes" contest. This is an insanely well-choreographed sock-puppet rendition of the Dirty rocker complete w/ mini-screwdrivers in the guitars! Sonic Youth also do an audio commentary for this video.

  • "Swimsuit Issue" - the runner-up to the MTV video contest, featuring a pack of men removing their shirts and smoking. Lots. Note: this wasn't actually the runner-up, SY wanted to include a video for "Nic Fit" that featured a TV bearing the MTV logo being demolished! No commentary.

  • "Disappearer (Director's Cut)" - rough footage of Todd Haynes' original edit of the video, which was later re-edited by Tamra Davis. It's mostly the same footage, in a different order. No commentary.

  • "Ono Soul" - clip from Thurston's solo LP "Psychic Hearts", featuring Thurston w/ Steve & Tim Foljahn. No commentary.

  • "Spike's Eye" - an 11-minute segment showing various Spike Jonze photographs of the band, with Spike's commentary overtop. Most of the photos are from the video shoots for "100%" and "Bull in the Heather".

  • "Sonic Spiel" - a 19-minute montage of interview footage with the folks who provide commentaries, recalling some favorite sonic moments. Around 11 and a half minutes in, the recollections become interspersed with live footage of "She Is Not Alone" from the March 17th, 2002 "All Tomorrow's Parties" festival in Los Angeles. This continues in the background under the interviews.

  • "My Sonic Room" - a fascinating 8-minute mini-film submitted to Sonic Youth by young Patty Orsini, that pretty much can't be described! This video was filmed in the "Goo" era, and following the release of the "Corporate Ghost" DVD, Patty sent the band a sequel that offered an update on her life and some background on the original video. The band posted "My Sonic Room 2" on their news page for viewing or download.

  • "Personal Playlist" - offers the option of programming your own playlist order using the 23 main videos on the collection.

    Though commonly advertised as containing two easter eggs, only one is to be found, Thurston's "Rock the Vote" PSA from 1992. This is accessed by going to the "Personal Playlist" menu (before the screen w/ the actual list of songs), highlighting "BONUS", and pressing the right arrow four times. It can also be directly accessed by choosing title 57. Though featured in the credits, the "Clap Interview" easter egg was not included on the DVD. Early European pressings, I believe, even had issues w/ the "Rock the Vote" PSA not being included, and instructions were placed in the credits of the next pressing? Can somebody please clarify this?

    All in all, Sonic Youth went above and beyond in delivering a comprehensive compilation of their Geffen era videography, complete with fascinating, insightful audio commentaries on almost every video (a task previously accomplished by Lance Bangs on Pavement's "Slow Century" DVD), and some rarely seen extra features.

    RELEASE INFO

    DVD

    RELEASE DATE
    ORIGIN
    LABEL
    CATALOG #
    06/08/04
    US
    Geffen
    B000075409
    NOTES: DVD w/ PCM Stereo 48K/24-bit audio
    06/04
    Europe
    Geffen
    LC07266
    NOTES: DVD w/ PCM Stereo 48K/24-bit audio. Made in the EU / 0602498627341
     
    INFO NEEDED FOR THIS RELEASE

  • Need info on non-US releases, please...
  • Please write me w/ anything that's missing!

    • covers


    inside cover bottom


    inside cover top


    inside credits


    inside credits continued


    case liner


    DVD disc


    ukraine dvd back


    ukraine dvd disc