Monday, June 16, 2008

Brave Men Run

The first track on Sonic Youth's second LP "Bad Moon Rising" is called "Brave Men Run.

The band began production for Bad Moon Rising in September 1984 and ended towards the end of October at Martin Bisi's studio Before Christ. The album utilized a 24 track tape machine which was a step up from the 4-track machine used for Confusion Is Sex. The record would also be released by atleast 3 different labels, Blast First and Rough Trade in Europe and Homestead in America.

"Brave Men Run" sounds like an epic intro to a record. The song is only 3:37 long but bashes away an intro that 1:37 leaving Kim's vocal performance at the end.  The song uses a typical Sonic song approach by creating a large build up and then crashing it down at the end with only the low hum of the bass.

The song represents one of the first songs written in an alternate tuning, F#F#F#F#eb. Many more songs for years to come would be presented in this tuning. 

The song was debuted in Europe in '84 but has not seen the light of day since October 1985.

This video is from the Gila Monster Jamboree in the Mojave Desert 1-5-85.





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