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Marianne Faithfull attained her pop moment with Jagger-Richards' "AsTears Go By," achieved cult-heroine status with her scabrous 1979 LPBroken English and then settled into a formula that madecynicism its subject and was favored by connoisseurs of rockdivadom. OnStrange Weather (Island), producer HalWillner continues that last trend by putting Faithfull's songwritingon hold and handing her world-weary material, from Jerome Kern's"Yesterdays" to "Hello Stranger," a new one by the Doctors Pomus andJohn. Borrowing backups from Tom Waits and Lou Reed, Willner provesthat pop realism can transcend the blues tradition. Which is not tosay that the two are incompatible? check out Faithfull'sacappella Leadbelly interpretation.
Sonic Youth came up in the postpunk confusion of Los Angeles hard-coreand New York no wave. Dominated by hulking guitarist Thurston Mooreand crazed bassist Kim Gordon, these self-promoting bohemianobsessives developed their bracing guitar sound playing Glenn Branca's"rock symphonies," then cultivated an undisciplined-to-shapelessexpressionism that other bohemians find sexy. Me, I've never gone forSqueaky Fromme. But on 1986's EPStarpower and their new LPSister (both SST), Ihear the point. Gordon's vocal on the tranced-out breakdown "PacificCoast Highway" makes me understand why some guys (and gals) get off onobsessives. Mostly, though, I like this record's sound--and its shape,which permits this skeptic to follow the sound through. LikeStrange Weather, it's a respite from conventional rock 'n' rollthat can make a rock-'n'-roller's day.
Playboy, Dec. 1987
 | Nov. 1987 | Jan. 1988 |  |