Corporate Ghost is loaded to the gills, and if you want to know what's in it, you'll have to trudge through the extensive readmore that we've provided. What I will say about this collection of Sonic Youth material is that it's got treasures and kool commentaries that you won't be able to find anywhere else but on this DVD. A very well thought out visual history of the band that's an extremely tough find on the interweb.
From Sonic Youth:
Sonic Youth's first official DVD release! A compilation of their Geffen-era videos from 1990-2002, released on the same day as "Sonic Nurse". The title is taken from a track recorded for a late 80's Peel Session. The cover features X-rays of two guitars, Lee's 12-string Deimel and the ever popular Eterna. After the obligatory corporate logos, Corporate Ghost begins with a flurry of SY's Geffen-era LP covers, cleverly computer processed, set to the driving "Kool Thing" intro riff, and eventually exploding into the menu, which consists of clips from various videos containing many, many very small pixels, each ALSO containing rapid fire images from all of the videos on the set. It's a pretty cool effect, and "Kool Thing" plays until the middle section before it fades and loops. There are three menu options, "PLAY" (which plays all of the 'main' videos continuously), "VIDEOS" (access to menus where you can select the different commentaries for the individual songs), and "BONUS" (the bonus features, of course, which you'll find information on below).
Videos Included:
Dirty Boots
Tunic (Song for Karen)
Mary-Christ
Kool Thing
My Friend Goo
Disappearer
Mildred Pierce
Cinderella's Big Score
Scooter & Jinx
Titanium Expose
100%
Sugar Kane
Youth Against Fascism
Bull in the Heather
Superstar
Little Trouble Girl
The Diamond Sea
Sunday
Hoarfrost
Nevermind (What Was It Anyway)
The Empty Page
Disconnection Notice
Note: All videos include commentary
The first 11 are the "GOO" album in its entirety, as previously available on the Goo VHS compilation (but w/ a notable increase in picture and sound quality!). The rest of the videos were pretty much unavailable in any accessible fashion, including three from "Dirty", one from "Experimental Jet Set...", one from the "If I Were a Carpenter" tribute LP, two from "Washing Machine", two from "A Thousand Leaves", one from "NYC Ghosts & Flowers", and two from "Murray Street". Up until "Sunday", most of these videos (aside from the "non-single" Goo tunes) aired on tv at some point, perhaps even with some regularity, but "Hoarfrost" "Nevermind" "Empty Page" and "Disconnection Notice" are pretty much unique to this collection. Extensive DVD credits run silently after "Disconnection Notice".
If you choose "BONUS", "Sugar Kane" leads a path to your bonus feature options:
"Drunken Butterfly" - the fan-made winning video for the 1992 MTV "120 Minutes" contest. This is an insanely well-choreographed sock-puppet rendition of the Dirty rocker complete w/ mini-screwdrivers in the guitars! Sonic Youth also do an audio commentary for this video.
"Swimsuit Issue" - the runner-up to the MTV video contest, featuring a pack of men removing their shirts and smoking. Lots. Note: this wasn't actually the runner-up, SY wanted to include a video for "Nic Fit" that featured a TV bearing the MTV logo being demolished! No commentary.
"Disappearer (Director's Cut)" - rough footage of Todd Haynes' original edit of the video, which was later re-edited by Tamra Davis. It's mostly the same footage, in a different order. No commentary.
"Ono Soul" - clip from Thurston's solo LP "Psychic Hearts", featuring Thurston w/ Steve & Tim Foljahn. No commentary.
"Spike's Eye" - an 11-minute segment showing various Spike Jonze photographs of the band, with Spike's commentary overtop. Most of the photos are from the video shoots for "100%" and "Bull in the Heather".
"Sonic Spiel" - a 19-minute montage of interview footage with the folks who provide commentaries, recalling some favorite sonic moments. Around 11 and a half minutes in, the recollections become interspersed with live footage of "She Is Not Alone" from the March 17th, 2002 "All Tomorrow's Parties" festival in Los Angeles. This continues in the background under the interviews.
"My Sonic Room" - a fascinating 8-minute mini-film submitted to Sonic Youth by young Patty Orsini, that pretty much can't be described! This video was filmed in the "Goo" era, and following the release of the "Corporate Ghost" DVD, Patty sent the band a sequel that offered an update on her life and some background on the original video. The band posted "My Sonic Room 2" on their news page for viewing or download.
"Personal Playlist" - offers the option of programming your own playlist order using the 23 main videos on the collection.
Though commonly advertised as containing two easter eggs, only one is to be found, Thurston's "Rock the Vote" PSA from 1992. This is accessed by going to the "Personal Playlist" menu (before the screen w/ the actual list of songs), highlighting "BONUS", and pressing the right arrow four times. It can also be directly accessed by choosing title 57. Though featured in the credits, the "Clap Interview" easter egg was not included on the DVD. Early European pressings, I believe, even had issues w/ the "Rock the Vote" PSA not being included, and instructions were placed in the credits of the next pressing? Can somebody please clarify this?
All in all, Sonic Youth went above and beyond in delivering a comprehensive compilation of their Geffen era videography, complete with fascinating, insightful audio commentaries on almost every video (a task previously accomplished by Lance Bangs on Pavement's "Slow Century" DVD), and some rarely seen extra features.
Technical Information:
Title: Corporate Ghost- The Videos: 1990-2002
Artist: Sonic Youth
Year: 2004
Source: DVD9- Retail
Pro-shot: Yes
DVD Format: NTSC
DVD Size: DVD9
Container: .ISO + MDS
Size: 7.66 GB
Length: 1:43:29
Programs used: ImgBurn
Resolution: 720x480
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Video: mpeg-2 @ 6800 kb/s
Frame Rate: 29.97 fps
Audio 1: Dolby AC3, 2 Channels, 16-bit, 48000 Hz @ 192 kb/s
Audio 2: LPCM, 2 Channels, 24-bit, 48000 Hz
Audio 3: Commentary- Dolby AC3 English @ 192 kb/s
Subtitles: No
Menu: Yes
Video: Untouched
DVD extras: Commentary and hidden bonus features
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