"Kool Thing" is a song by American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of th ...

, released in June 1990 in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

(as a

promotional single A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...

) and September 1990 in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

, as the first single from their sixth studio album ''

Goo Goo or GOO may refer to: Arts and media * ''Goo'' (album), by the band Sonic Youth * Goo (''Gumby'' character), a character on ''The Gumby Show'' * Goo (''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends''), character on ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friend ...

''. The song was inspired by an interview bassist/singer

Kim Gordon Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the bassist, guitarist, and vocalist of alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Born in Rochester, New York, she was raised in Los Angeles, Califor ...

conducted with

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...

for ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

''. Although he is never mentioned by name, the song's lyrics contain several references to LL Cool J. Gordon's lyrics that make reference to several of the

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

's works, including the single "

I Can't Live Without My Radio "I Can't Live Without My Radio" is the lead single from LL Cool J's debut album, '' Radio''. It was released in 1985 for Def Jam Recordings and was both written and produced by LL Cool J and Rick Rubin. It is a love song to the boombox. The so ...

" and the album ''

Walking with a Panther ''Walking with a Panther'' is the third studio album by American hip hop recording artist LL Cool J, released June 9, 1989, on Def Jam Recordings. Background While his previous album ''Bigger and Deffer'' (1987) was produced by The L.A. Posse, ...

''. She also repeats the line "I don't think so", which appears in LL Cool J's " Going Back to Cali".

Chuck D Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), known professionally as Chuck D, is an American rapper, best known as the leader and frontman of the hip hop group Public Enemy, which he co-founded in 1985 with Flavor Flav. Chuck D helped crea ...

also contributed spoken vocals to the song.

Critical reception

David Fricke David Fricke is an American music journalist who serves as the senior editor at '' Rolling Stone'' magazine, where he writes predominantly about rock music. One of the best known names in rock journalism, his career has spanned over 40 years. ...

of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' referred to the song as "sexually charged," praising

Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American musician best known as a member of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label. M ...

and

Steve Shelley Steven Jay Shelley (born June 23, 1962) is an American drummer. He is best known as the longtime drummer of the alternative rock band Sonic Youth, for whom he played from 1985 until their 2011 disbandment. Biography Shelley was born in Midland, ...

's guitar and drum work, respectively. Also from ''Rolling Stone'', Matthew Perpetua designated the song as a "feminist anthem." Jason Ankeny of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

believed the song "teeters on the brink of a cultural breakthrough but falls just shy of the mark."

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

praised

's performance on the song, citing "Kool Thing" as a standout track from ''

''.

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...

for "Kool Thing", released on June 4, 1990, was the band's first for a major label. The video was directed by

Tamra Davis Tamra Davis (born January 22, 1962) is an American film, television and music video director. Early life Davis was born the second out of four children in Studio City, California. She was exposed to the media industry at an early age by her gr ...

. The video focused on Gordon's fascination with 1960s radicalism (particularly

Patty Hearst Patricia Campbell Hearst (born February 20, 1954) is the granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. She first became known for the events following her 1974 kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army. She was found a ...

and the

Black Panthers The Black Panther Party (BPP), originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was a Marxist-Leninist and black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in October 1966 in Oakland, Calif ...

), and featured the band wearing glam style clothing. The video was stylized after LL Cool J's " Going Back to Cali" video, down to the black-and-white camera and

go-go dancers Go-go dancers are dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at nightclubs or other venues where music is played. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s at the French bar Whisky a Gogo located in Juan-les-Pins. The bar's name was take ...

. Gordon initially wanted to wear a beret and carry an

Uzi The Uzi (; he, עוזי, Ūzi; officially cased as UZI) is a family of Israeli open-bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns and machine pistols first designed by Major Uziel "Uzi" Gal in the late 1940s, shortly after the establishment of t ...

, as a self-described "

poseur A poseur is someone who poses for effect, or behaves affectedly, who affects a particular attitude, character or manner to impress others, or who pretends to belong to a particular group.

-leftist girl lusting after Black Panthers concept". However, Geffen vetoed the plan. Chuck D appeared in the video. ''

'' designated the video as one of the greatest music videos of 1990.

Live performances

On July 29, 1992, Sonic Youth performed "Kool Thing" on ''Hangin' with MTV'' in New York City.

Legacy

Brian Molko Brian Molko (born 10 December 1972) is a Belgian-born Scottish-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist of the band Placebo. He is known in particular for his distinctive nasal, high-pitche ...

Placebo A placebo ( ) is a substance or treatment which is designed to have no therapeutic value. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like Saline (medicine), saline), sham surgery, and other procedures. In general ...

said that "Kool Thing" was the first song he ever heard by Sonic Youth, adding that if it were not for them, his own band would never have existed. "Kool Thing" has also been frequently featured in TV shows, films and

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

s, including '' Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock'', ''

Simple Men ''Simple Men'' is a 1992 American film written and directed by Hal Hartley and starring Robert John Burke, Bill Sage, Karen Sillas, and Martin Donovan. It was the debut film of actress Holly Marie Combs, in a supporting role. It was entered int ...

'', ''

Gilmore Girls ''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham ( Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel ( Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flag ...

'', '' True Crime: New York City'', ''

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in ...

'' and ''

Mr. Robot ''Mr. Robot'' is an American drama thriller television series created by Sam Esmail for USA Network. It stars Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and hacker with social anxiety disorder, clinical depression and dissociativ ...

'' in addition to appearing as downloadable content for ''

Rock Band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two gui ...

''.

Track listings and formats

*7" vinyl and cassette single #"Kool Thing" (LP version) – 4:04 #"That's All I Know (Right Now)" – 2:30 *12" vinyl #"Kool Thing" (LP version) – 4:04 #"That's All I Know (Right Now)" – 2:30 #"Kool Thing" (8 track demo version) – 4:13 *CD single #"Kool Thing" (LP version) – 4:07 #"That's All I Know (Right Now)" – 2:18 #"

Dirty Boots "Dirty Boots" is a song by American rock band Sonic Youth from their sixth studio album ''Goo'' (1990). It was released as the third and final single from the album in April, 1991, by DGC Records. The song was written and produced by Sonic You ...

" (Rock & Roll Heaven version) – 5:26 #"Kool Thing" (8 track demo version) – 4:13

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel are adapted from the ''Goo'' album liner notes. Sonic Youth *

– guitar,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

Lee Ranaldo Lee Mark Ranaldo (born February 3, 1956) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, guitarist, writer, visual artist and record producer, best known as a co-founder of the alternative rock band Sonic Youth (guitar and vocals). In 2004, ''Rolling ...

– guitar, vocals, production *

– vocals, bass guitar, production *

– drums, percussion, production Guest musicians *

– additional vocals Technical *

Nick Sansano Nick Sansano (born 1963 in The Bronx, New York City) is an American record producer, engineer, and musician. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, he began his career at Greene St. Recording, where he recorded and mixed for a variety of groun ...

– production, recording, additional percussion *

Ron Saint Germain Ron Saint Germain (alternate spellings Ron St. Germain, Ron Saint-Germaine and similar) is an American record producer, audio engineer, and Mix engineer, mixer born in post-war Frankfurt, Germany, into a career United States Air Force, Air Force ...

– production,

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

, mixing * Nick Sansano – additional engineering * Dan Wood – assistant engineering * John Herman – assistant engineering * Judy Kirschner – assistant engineering *

Howie Weinberg Howie Weinberg is an American audio mastering engineer with over 2,257 mastering credits, three TEC Awards, 21 Grammy Awards, two Juno Awards, and one Mercury Prize. Career Weinberg mastered Herbie Hancock's 1983 album ''Future Shock''. Other ...

– mastering

Charts

References

External links

* {{Authority control Sonic Youth songs 1990 singles Grunge songs Music videos directed by Tamra Davis 1990 songs Geffen Records singles