
Sonic Life
A Memoir
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Narrated by:
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Thurston Moore
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By:
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Thurston Moore
About this listen
From the founding member of Sonic Youth, a passionate memoir tracing the author's life and art—from his teen years as a music obsessive in small-town Connecticut, to the formation of his legendary rock group, to thirty years of creation, experimentation, and wonder
"Downtown scientists rejoice! For Thurston Moore has unearthed the missing links, the sacred texts, the forgotten stories, and the secret maps of the lost golden age. This is history—scuffed, slightly bent, plenty noisy, and indispensable."—Colson Whitehead, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and Harlem Shuffle
Thurston Moore moved to Manhattan’s East Village in 1978 with a yearning for music. He wanted to be immersed in downtown New York’s sights and sounds—the feral energy of its nightclubs, the angular roar of its bands, the magnetic personalities within its orbit. But more than anything, he wanted to make music—to create indelible sounds that would move, provoke, and inspire.
His dream came to life in 1981 with the formation of Sonic Youth, a band Moore cofounded with Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo. Sonic Youth became a fixture in New York’s burgeoning No Wave scene—an avant-garde collision of art and sound, poetry and punk. The band would evolve from critical darlings to commercial heavyweights, headlining festivals around the globe while helping introduce listeners to such artists as Nirvana, Hole, and Pavement, and playing alongside such icons as Neil Young and Iggy Pop. Through it all, Moore maintained an unwavering love of music: the new, the unheralded, the challenging, the irresistible.
In the spirit of Just Kids, Sonic Life offers a window into the trajectory of a celebrated artist and a tribute to an era of explosive creativity. It presents a firsthand account of New York in a defining cultural moment, a history of alternative rock as it was birthed and came to dominate airwaves, and a love letter to music, whatever the form. This is a story for anyone who has ever felt touched by sound—who knows the way the right song at the right moment can change the course of a life.
©2023 Thurston Moore (P)2023 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Fall by Vogue, The Chicago Tribune, and The Guardian
"Downtown scientists rejoice! For Thurston Moore has unearthed the missing links, the sacred texts, the forgotten stories, and the secret maps of the lost golden age. This is history—scuffed, slightly bent, plenty noisy, and indispensable." —Colson Whitehead, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Underground Railroad and Harlem Shuffle
"I thoroughly enjoyed Thurston Moore's trip down the gauntlet of memory lane, dodging beer bottles and pools of blood as he balances the demands of art and survival. Plus I'm a sucker for anyone who name-checks Saccharine Trust. A raw, rollicking document." —Nell Zink, author of Avalon and Doxology
“Thurston Moore’s all-embracing memoir Sonic Life works the way Sonic Youth did, with raging appetite for experience, with velocity and nerve, with a total devotion to making art from the resolute stance of starry-eyed fan and unabashed permanent novice. His recall is as amazing as his generosity.” —Jonathan Lethem, National Book Critics Circle Award–winning author of Motherless Brooklyn
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The result of this Roger Daltrey's introspection is a remarkable memoir, instantly captivating, funny and frank, chock-full of well-earned wisdom and one-of-kind anecdotes from a raucous life that spans a tumultuous time of change in Britain and America. Born during the air bombing of London in 1944, Daltrey fought his way (literally) through school and poverty and began to assemble the band that would become The Who while working at a sheet metal factory in 1961.
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Wonderful storytelling
- By Martin B. Forstner on 11-08-18
By: Roger Daltrey
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Under a Rock
- A Memoir
- By: Chris Stein, Debbie Harry
- Narrated by: Chris Stein, Debbie Harry, Dennis Boutsikaris, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Debbie Harry defined iconic band Blondie’s look. Chris Stein—her performing partner, lover, and lifelong friend—was its architect and defined its sound. “Parallel Lines”, their third album, catapulted to #1, sold 20 million copies, and launched singles like “Heart of Glass”, "Hangin' On the Telephone," and “One Way or Another”, providing the beat when Bianca Jagger and Halston danced at Studio 54 and the soundtrack to every 1970’s punk-soundtracked romance.
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This Blondie fan LOVED IT
- By Harlowgold on 09-18-24
By: Chris Stein, and others
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It's So Easy
- And Other Lies
- By: Duff McKagan
- Narrated by: Christian Rummel
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1984, at the age of 20, Duff McKagan left his native Seattle - partly to pursue music, but mainly to get away from a host of heroin overdoses then-decimating his closest group of friends in the local punk scene. In LA only a few weeks and still living in his car, he answered a want ad for a bass player placed by someone who identified himself only as "Slash." Soon after, the most dangerous band in the world was born. Guns N' Roses went on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide.
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This book just may save a life.
- By Katrina Hamilton on 10-16-16
By: Duff McKagan
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Lou Reed
- The King of New York
- By: Will Hermes
- Narrated by: Will Hermes
- Length: 20 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Since his death ten years ago, Lou Reed’s living presence has only grown. The great rock-poet presided over the marriage of Brill Building pop and the European avant-garde, and left American culture transfigured. In Lou Reed: The King of New York, Will Hermes offers the definitive narrative of Reed’s life and legacy, dramatizing his long, brilliant, and contentious dialogue with fans, critics, fellow artists, and assorted habitués of the demimonde.
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Best Biography I’ve Ever Read
- By Sammy Criscitello on 11-21-24
By: Will Hermes
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Nonbinary
- A Memoir
- By: Genesis P-Orridge, Tim Mohr - contributor
- Narrated by: Paul Bee Hampshire
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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In this groundbreaking book spanning decades of artistic risk-taking, the inventor of “industrial music”, founder of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV, and world-renowned fine artist with COUM Transmissions, Genesis P-Orridge (1950-2020) takes us on a journey searching for identity and their true self. It is the story of a life of creation and destruction, where Genesis P-Orridge reveals their unwillingness to be stuck—stuck in one place, in one genre, or in one gender.
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The Cut Up applied to life
- By A Flores on 12-05-23
By: Genesis P-Orridge, and others
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The Name of This Band Is R.E.M.
- A Biography
- By: Peter Ames Carlin
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 16 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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In the spring of 1980, an unexpected group of musical eccentrics came together to play their very first performance at a college party in Athens, Georgia. Within a few short years, they had taken over the world–with smash records like Out of Time, Automatic for the People, Monster and Green. Raw, outrageous, and expressive, R.E.M.’s distinctive musical flair was unmatched, and a string of mega-successes solidified them as generational spokesmen.
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Sometimes good guys win
- By Roger D. Plothow on 11-27-24
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Rebel Girl
- My Life as a Feminist Punk
- By: Kathleen Hanna
- Narrated by: Kathleen Hanna
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Kathleen Hanna’s band Bikini Kill embodied the punk scene of the 90s, and today her personal yet feminist lyrics on anthems like “Rebel Girl” and “Double Dare Ya” are more powerful than ever. But where did this transformative voice come from? In Rebel Girl, Hanna’s raw and insightful new memoir, she takes us from her tumultuous childhood to her formative college years and her first shows. As Hanna makes clear, being in a punk “girl band” in those years was not a simple or safe prospect.
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Instant Classic
- By Images of Ikonn on 05-19-24
By: Kathleen Hanna
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Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
- The Wild, Definitive Saga of Rock's Greatest Supergroup
- By: David Browne
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 21 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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The first and most complete narrative biography of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, by acclaimed music journalist and Rolling Stone senior writer David Browne.
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Comprehensive, but how did they the Music?
- By charles wartelle on 06-03-19
By: David Browne
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Some New Kind of Kick
- A Memoir
- By: Kid Congo Powers, Chris Campion - contributor
- Narrated by: Kid Congo Powers, Raphael Corkhill
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Kid Congo Powers has been described as a “legendary guitarist and paragon of cool” with “the greatest resume ever of anyone in rock music." That unique imprint on rock history stems from being a member of not one but three beloved, groundbreaking, and influential groups—Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Cramps, and last but not least, The Gun Club, the wildly inventive punk-blues band he co-founded. Some New Kind of Kick begins as an intimate coming-of-age tale.
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What a life!
- By Aulton Ritch on 05-01-25
By: Kid Congo Powers, and others
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Punk Paradox
- A Memoir
- By: Greg Graffin
- Narrated by: Sean Patrick Hopkins, Greg Graffin
- Length: 12 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Greg Graffin is the lead vocalist and songwriter of Bad Religion, recently described as “America's most significant punk band.” Since its inception in Los Angeles in 1980, Bad Religion has produced 18 studio albums, become a long-running global touring powerhouse, and has established a durable legacy as one of the most influential punk rock bands of all time. Punk Paradox is Graffin's life narrative before and during L.A. punk's early years, detailing his observations on the genre's explosive growth and his band's steady rise in importance.
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"SOMETIMES THE MOON AND STARS WILL CATCH YOU BY SURPRISE"
- By Anthropocentric on 11-27-22
By: Greg Graffin
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The Greatest Band That Ever Wasn't
- The Story of the Roughest, Toughest, Most Hell-Raising Band to Ever Come Out of the Pacific Northwest, the Screaming Trees
- By: Barrett Martin
- Narrated by: Barrett Martin
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1992, the Screaming Trees were expected to become the next big band to come out of the Seattle music scene during the heyday of grunge. Except it never happened. It wasn't because the band didn't have great songs—indeed, the Trees were revered for their ability to write a great song that was both artistically original and commercially viable, which is no easy task. Other Seattle bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden were fans of the Screaming Trees, playing shows with them and collaborating on albums, long before their own bands broke through into the mainstream.
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Not Quite the Whole Story
- By Gorgatron on 09-18-24
By: Barrett Martin
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Rocks
- My Life in and out of Aerosmith
- By: Joe Perry, David Ritz
- Narrated by: Joe Perry
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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In Rocks, Joe Perry exposes his unrepentant, unbridled life as the lead guitarist of Aerosmith. He delves deep into his volatile, profound, and enduring relationship with singer Steve Tyler and reveals the real people behind the larger-than-life rock gods onstage. The nearly five-decade saga of Aerosmith is epic, at once a study in brotherhood and solitude that plays out on the killing fields of rock and roll.
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Discover Your Passion and Love With A Full Heart
- By Royce Phillips on 01-31-15
By: Joe Perry, and others
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Never Understood
- The Jesus and Mary Chain
- By: William Reid, Jim Reid
- Narrated by: William Reid, Jim Reid
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
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William and Jim Reid, brothers and founding members of The Jesus and Mary Chain—a band that bridged the gap between the punk explosion and the emergence of grunge and Britpop—chronicle the chaos, confusion, and stories behind their music.
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A huge amount of complaining throughout the book. I love JAMC but, sheesh, there is a fair amount of "woe is me"
- By R. on 11-19-24
By: William Reid, and others
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When Giants Walked the Earth
- A Biography of Led Zeppelin
- By: Mick Wall
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 18 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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They were the last great band of the '60s and the first great band of the '70s. They rose, somewhat unpromisingly, from the ashes of the Yardbirds to become one of the biggest-selling rock bands of all time - and eventually paid the price for it, with disaster, drug addiction, and death.
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Very annoying but tolerable for serious fans.
- By M. Allen on 08-14-19
By: Mick Wall
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Heavier than Heaven
- A Biography of Kurt Cobain
- By: Charles R. Cross
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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When Kurt Cobain died by his own hand in April 1994, it was an act of will that typified his short, angry, inspired life. Veteran music journalist Charles R. Cross fuses his intimate knowledge of the Seattle music scene with his deep compassion for his subject in this extraordinary story of artistic brilliance and the pain that extinguished it.
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Great story - missing chapter 12
- By Mick on 02-15-07
By: Charles R. Cross
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Leon Russell
- The Master of Space and Time's Journey Through Rock & Roll History
- By: Bill Janovitz
- Narrated by: Bill Janovitz, Jason Culp
- Length: 24 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Leon Russell is an icon, but somehow is still an underappreciated artist. He is spoken of in tones reserved not just for the most talented musicians, but also for the most complex and fascinating. His career is like a roadmap of music history, often intersecting with rock royalty like Bob Dylan, the Stones, and the Beatles.
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A dream come true for Leon Russell fans!!
- By William Straten on 03-15-23
By: Bill Janovitz
What listeners say about Sonic Life
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- David Beale
- 11-09-23
I feel like I just lost my new best friend
After 18 hours of hearing one of my most admired idols in music and art waxing poetic about his life and practice, I feel like I just lost my new best friend. Equally a love letter to punk rock and NYC, two establishments close to my own heart, this is as much a memoir as it is a manifesto to living in the image of one’s art.
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- Alec Stieve
- 12-19-23
Very Informative and Interesting
As a Sonic Youth fan I really enjoyed it, but as a black metal fan it was disappointing that Thurston didn’t even acknowledge his time in the black metal supergroup Twilight in the early 2010s
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- Jeremy Williams
- 05-20-24
Sonic life forever!
The mental sonic toothpaste for your sonic tooth the sonic you booked we needed and deserved this covers. Everything highly recommended!
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- Sam Berger
- 03-19-24
Fantastic in every way!
Thurston takes you through possibly the most thorough, personal trip of new and alternative on the edge music scape of the last 40+ years better then anybody else has, ever. If you love music you need to read this.
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- Nicole
- 11-18-23
Overwhelmed with gratitude for this person
This artfully catalogued and written memoir is a masterclass in music history. An absolute must read. A reminder that being there are is kind of a super power. I hope he writes another book.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-27-23
Treasure trove memoir of lore from Punk’s Waldo
I am delighted by how nerdy this book is it’s genuinely charming the adoration and romance in Thurston’s writing. Reminds me a bit of his hero Patti Smiths humble poetic style in the excellent Just Kids memoir.
Better than this band is your life, not quite as good as please kill me this purely in regards to its status as a condensed punk history which are two great books that’s high praise. This is all from personal anecdotes not interviews or second hand accounts.
Which that I could see how the reverence can read annoying, but rules imo I’m a geek and love sonic youth. Reassuring to know one of my musical heroes is as obsessive and passionate as his fans still.
Thurston’s specificity is charming not annoying to me as a music geek and his monotone pretentious delivery I wouldn’t have it any other way. Just finished the whole book audiobook in like 2 days was a delight. Hari Krishna
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- Anonymous User
- 01-07-25
important 70’s/80's NYC scene history
Moore's autobiography functions more as history of the music and art scenes he was in than a typical autobiography. This makes for a fascinating listen for rock and roll dipshits like myself.
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- Damian Konopka
- 11-30-23
Completely blown away again
Just like Sonic Youth did for my taste in music, Thurston double triple strums this epic book to life. His writing like his lyrics is ethereal. All the stories about famous bands and musicians and artists made this a hard book to even pause.
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- aaron crace
- 05-09-24
Just wonderful
It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a book this much. Just finished and I feel like hitting play again.
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- b. mccann
- 06-06-24
Sonic Book
This is the Sonic Youth book I’ve been waiting for! So much better than that “Girl In A Divorce” one, or whatever it was called. “Sonic Life” is actually about the band!
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