Back in 1985, Smart Bar Chicago was barely three years old and Sonic Youth was in its infancy as a band. More than 27 years later, the band is finally releasing an album recorded in the basement club of The Metro, "Smart Bar – Chicago 1985."
Pitchfork reports that singer/guitarist Lee Ranaldo told BBC Radio 5 last month that the band will tackle several archival projects during its "indefinite" hiatus.
On Monday, the band released a preview of the album: a stream of the live recording of "Intro/Brave Men Run (In My Family)." (Listen to the track below.)
The mid-'80s stop to Smart Bar came on the heels of the band's sophomore album, "Bad Moon Rising," whose tracks comprise most of "Smart Bar — Chicago 1985;" the record also features early performances of "Secret Girl" and "Expressway to Yr Skull." Recorded on 4-track, the album will also have a never before released live rendition of "Kat ‘N’ Hat."
An excerpt from the liner notes featured on the band's website reads:
“Having now listened to this tape maybe 100 times, I can say this: it’s a killer show. The material was mostly released on the studio album Bad Moon Rising. The album is brilliant, but the material is also so visceral and improvisatory that it greatly benefits from the additional perspective offered by a live recording."
Sonic Youth will release the record on Nov. 13 on their own label, Goofin' Records as a double LP and in CD and digital formats.