In 2005 it was time for Sonic Youth to record a new album to bust out for 2006. Before they did they revisited awesome Japan, toured the boroughs of New York, rollicked at the first Arthurfest in LA, and released the special deluxe edition of ‘Goo’. After one final gnarl out in Brazil with the Flaming Lips, the Stooges and others Jim o’Rourke decided to concentrate full-time on his Japanese studies of language and film and Sonic Youth was subsequently back to it’s original nucleus of Kim-Thurston-Lee-Steve. Songs were written, Jim recommended engineer TJ Doherty and J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr) recommended mix engineer John Agnello and South Youth created ‘Rather Ripped’. The whole deal was recorded in the waning hours of 05 into the dawn sunshine of 06 at the venerable sear sound studios in NYC’s fading theatre district. Partially mixed there and at Hoboken, NJ’s Water Music by the golden juice ear of John Agnello it exhibits Sonic Youth in positive vibration mode. 12 songs of forward motion and harmonic / melodic surprise. vocals shared by the frontline of Thurston, Kim and Lee with Steve groove gluing the rhythms into rock ‘n’ roll infection. They bust out o’ the sonic barn with ‘Incinerate’ and ‘Reena’ then contemplate holy war mind games with ‘Do You Believe in Rapture?’ and keep cruising strong with track after track of risk-laden rock jammers until floating out with the curious ‘Or’. This is a straight-up Sonic Youth field on fire, with a compact potency of rock ‘n’ roll enlightenment.