Sonic Youth

Corporate Ghost — The Videos: 1990-2002 [DVD] (Geffen/UMe)

By Charlotte Robinson
Published: July 1st, 2007 | 2:38pm

When indie stalwarts Sonic Youth signed with the massive Geffen label in 1990, they weren't so much selling out as buying in. Rather than abandoning their arty roots, the group simply used Geffen's considerable money and clout to finance and distribute their eccentric projects. One of the first was a video version of the band's Geffen debut, Goo, that featured a promotional clip for every song on the album. A decade later, the Goo video album is seeing its first DVD release, along with all the subsequent Sonic Youth videos, on Corporate Ghost — The Videos: 1990-2002.

Although these 23 videos were made during what the band humorously calls their "corporate swim," most of them demonstrate a willingness to experiment that is delightfully nonconformist. Always slightly ahead of the curve, Sonic Youth have worked with directors like Tamra Davis, Todd Haynes, Richard Kern, and Harmony Korine, and their videos are peppered with appearances by Spike Jonze, Jason Lee, Macaulay Culkin, Mike Watt, Kathleen Hanna, and Chloe Sevigny. The videos range in budget and scope from mini-dramas like "Titanium Exposé" and "Disappearer" to home movies like "My Friend Goo," and from the Brian DePalma imitation "Dirty Boots" to the experimental camera work in "Mote" and "Sunday." Some of the videos might not float your boat, but you can't say they're boring.

The DVD's menus are a bit disappointing, but the extras are not. Nearly every video has a band commentary, and many feature director and actor commentaries. Bonus features include a short documentary, entries from a Dirty-era fan video contest, a Thurston Moore solo video, and my favorite, a home movie by teenage fan Patty Orsini, who videotaped herself painting the Goo album cover on her wall and sent it to the band in hopes of meeting them. That kind of dedication is not uncommon to Sonic Youth, and after devouring all the goodies on this DVD, you'll feel like the love is mutual.