Walls Have Ears
Walls Have Ears is a Sonic Youth bootleg live recording from 1985. It was released on 2x12" vinyl in 1986 without the consent of the band. Content. Tracks 1-7 were recorded live on October 30, 1985 in London. Track 8 was recorded live on November 8, 1985 at Brighton Beach in Brighton. Tracks 9-17 were recorded live April 28, 1985 in London. The April tracks were recorded with members Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, Kim Gordon and Bob Bert. The remainder featured new drummer Steve Shelley replacing Bert. Response. Critics. In his book "Psychic Confusion: The  Sonic Youth Story", author Stevie Chick wrote, "[A case is made] that the best illicit releases prove that artists sometimes aren't the best judges of their own artistic output. "The Walls Have Ears" is such an album; unloved by its creators, but a crucial and electrifying document of the group at their live best, playing with violent and ecstatic abandon". The band. According to Moore, "Our creative control was put on the spot by this guy. We were kinda livid".