All the way back in 1985, before the band issued their iconic Evol LP, Sonic Youth was touring the U.K. While performing these shows, the band recorded three shows and pieced together a live album titled Walls Have Ears. Due to a creative disconnect between the band and their manager at the time, the album was never officially released. However, the aforementioned manager did distribute bootleg tapes of the album to fans. On February 9, Sonic Youth will officially release Walls Have Ears and you can now hear the pre-Evol live version of the band’s classic “Expressway to Yr. Skull”.
The live album was recorded during the band’s second trip to Britain. The album captures Sonic Youth at a creative turning point as the album is promising blaring experimentation and sonic risks that shaped the future of the wildly imaginative band. Walls Have Ears will feature never-before-heard live cuts of tracks like “Green Love”, “I Love Her All The Time”, and “Burning Spear”. On February 8, this long-lost snapshot of Sonic Youth’s evolution will finally be yours to enjoy freely.
Check out the live version of “Expressway to Yr. Skull” below and pre-order Walls Have Ears here. You can also watch a trailer for the new LP below.
