A Thousand Leaves is the tenth studio album by the rock band Sonic Youth, released on CD and cassette on May 12, 1998, by DGC Records. A double LP vinyl issue had been released three weeks earlier (April 21, 1998) on My So Called Records. It was the band’s first album recorded at their own studio in Lower Manhattan, which was built with the money they had made at the 1995 Lollapalooza festival. Since the band had an unlimited amount of time to work in their studio, the album features numerous lengthy and improvisational tracks that were developed unevenly. The highly experimental extended plays Anagrama, Slaapkamers met slagroom, and Invito al ĉielo were recorded simultaneously with the album.
A Thousand Leaves reached number 85 on the US Billboard 200 and number 38 on the UK Albums Chart. It received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised the lengthy, quiet guitar interplay between band members Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo. However, some criticized the forced vocal delivery of member Kim Gordon and found several tracks to be unnecessarily long and poorly constructed. The song Sunday was released as a single with a music video directed by Harmony Korine and starring American actor Macaulay Culkin.
Tracklist:
- Contre le sexisme
- Sunday
- Female Mechanic Now on Duty
- Wildflower Soul
- Hoarfrost
- French Tickler
- Hits of Sunshine (For Allen Ginsberg)
- Karen Koltrane
- The Ineffable Me
- Snare, Girl
- Heather Angel
Sonic Youth
Thurston Moore: guitar, vocals, production
Kim Gordon: guitar (all tracks except 1, 2 and 7), bass (2, 7), vocals, production
Lee Ranaldo: guitar, vocals, production
Steve Shelley: drums, production
Technical
Wharton Tiers: production
Don Fleming: additional production
Greg Calbi: mastering
Frank Olinsky: sleeve art direction
Mark Borthwick: sleeve photography and typography
Marnie Weber: cover artwork
