Bad Moon Rising

Bad Moon Rising is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. It was released on vinyl in March 1985, through record label Homestead. The album is loosely themed around the dark side of America, and includes references to obsession and insanity, Charles Manson, heavy metal, Satanism and early European settlers' encounters with Native Americans. Each side of the original vinyl was a mostly continuous cycle of songs, except for the album's closer, "Death Valley '69". Released to strong reviews from the underground music press, Bad Moon Rising was the first Sonic Youth album to combine the band's experimental material with transitional pieces and segues. The album was preceded by the single "Death Valley '69", which did not chart in either country (the track was re-recorded for the album and released again as a single in June 1985).