A collection of albums that have shaped Thurston Moore’s life
When Thurston Moore moved to New York City in the 1970s, his whole life changed. He began to immerse himself in the punk and no-wave scenes blossoming underground, attending spoken word performances by the likes of Patti Smith and Allen Ginsberg. Moore describes this period as “a completely new world, a new identity of music that was an option for youth culture.”
It wasn’t long before Moore began playing in various bands, heavily inspired by Wire, The Pop Group, The Slits, The Raincoats and other British post-punk outfits, so much so that “I used to have these fantasies in the 70s about leaving New York and coming to London to hang out with Public Image.”
In 1980, Moore met Kim Gordon, and the pair formed Sonic Youth before recruiting Lee Ranaldo, who they had seen play as part of Glenn Branca’s guitar ensemble. By 1982, Sonic Youth had a debut EP under their belt, and the following year they released Confusion is Sex, which featured future Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds member Jim Sclavunous on drums.
Since then, the band have been regarded as one of the most influential alternative bands of all time. Sonic Youth have regularly been praised for their experimental sound and dissonant guitars, with critics frequently claiming that the band “redefined what rock guitar could do.” Moore, Ranaldo and Gordon experimented heavily with unorthodox tunings, modifying their instruments and playing their guitars with objects such as drumsticks and screwdrivers.
Moore’s reinvigorating approach to music was helmed by a deep love and respect for a wide array of artists, spanning 1960s psychedelia, experimental jazz-infused punk, and acid folk. Luckily, over the years, the musician has shared some albums that have shaped him into the person he is today. However, he has listed so many that we couldn’t possibly talk in depth about every single one. However, here are some that he has discussed in detail the most.
An album that brings Moore back to his teenage years is Horses by Patti Smith, the punk poet’s classic debut album that blended intelligent lyricism with raw instrumentation inspired by avant-garde minimalism. He once recalled, “By 1976, I was well into what Patti Smith was doing in New York. I thought Horses was a masterpiece.”
Another record that reminds him of his youth is Jefferson Airplane’s 1968 album Crown of Creation, which was introduced to him by his older brother. Moore said, “Gene’s guitar was stolen from his bedroom while he was out and returned before he returned every day after introducing this record.”
The record that reminds him of being a kid is Kimono My House by legendary pop duo Sparks. Discussing the influence of Sparks, Moore said, “I got Kimono My House when I was around 14. It had all these really fascinating arrangements without being too overblown. The lyrics […] were really humorous but wildly literate, like some kind of art-school mind-blast. It was shockingly great, and I played it to death.”
Another formative listening experience for Moore was Raw Power by Iggy and the Stooges. He recalled that the album “sliced my head off.” He continued, “The aggression and psychosexual imagery were really mysterious and alluring. In a way, it brought me into all those other aspects of music and literature that were really intriguing, like William S. Burroughs and the Beat Generation.”
Moore cites The Ramones, particularly their 1976 debut album, as inspiring him to pick up the guitar and become a proper musician. “All my family was […] bummed out that my father was dying, and I put this record on. I’d never heard the Ramones. I thought it was gonna be like a Stooges record, and it sounded very jaunty to me. Everybody got up and started dancing to it. They just needed to dance.”
A huge inspiration for the early work of Sonic Youth came from the depths of New York’s no-wave scene. Initially, Moore was hesitant to immerse himself in no-wave since “they were anti-Patti Smith, anti-Television, anti-lead-guitar solos.” However, the Brian Eno compilation No New York ended up significantly influencing Moore. “I really heard the music. The Mars songs were a super-direct inspiration for Sonic Youth.”
Thurston Moore’s favourite albums:
- Horses – Patti Smith
- Crown of Creation – Jefferson Airplane
- Kimono My House – Sparks
- Ramones – Ramones
- Raw Power – Iggy and the Stooges
- No New York (compilation) – Brian Eno
- Damaged – Black Flag
- Cut – The Slits
- Here Come the Warm Jets – Brian Eno
- Universal Consciousness – Alice Coltrane
- Y – The Pop Group
- Tudor Lodge – Tudor Lodge
- Metal Box – Public Image Ltd.
- Radio – LL Cool J
