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[Diablos]

I own the following SY albums:

-Daydream Nation
-Dirty (Deluxe edition)
-Evol
-Experimental Jet Set, Trash, and No Star
-Goo
-Murray Street
-Nurse
-NYC Ghosts & Flowers
-Sister
-Washing Machine

Is there anything else worth getting? My latest purchases, Experimental Jet Set, Murray Street and Sister are kind of bleh. Does it go downhill from here? I'm not really complaining... Sonic Youth has done a lot of albums, only so many of them are going to appeal to the typical SY fan. Daydream Nation, Dirty, Goo and Nurse are without a doubt their best.

 

[Outdoor Miner]

You can try their SYR recordings. Get 1,2, and definitely 3. AVOID 5 LIKE THE PLAGUE THOUGH.

 

[Diablos]

What about Confusion is Sex?

 

[drohne]

sister is in no way "bleh." in fact it's their best album. give it a little more attention.

 

[Diablos]

Thanks for the suggestions drohne
Sister's ok I guess.
Didn't you say one of your friends had sex with Kim Gordon?

 

[Outdoor Miner]

Sister is Daydream Nation's equal

 

[Diablos]

Really? How do you figure? I don't see it that way. They're too different IMO...

 

[Zilch]

EVOL, Sister and Daydream Nation are the holy trifecta of SY recordings.

 

[bloke]

Everything from Confusion Is Sex to Goo is good, with Sister being arguably their best album. And personally I think they completely lost it after Goo.

 

[Diablos]

EVOL, Sister and Daydream Nation are the holy trifecta of SY recordings.

Then I must be unique, because Daydream Nation, Goo and Dirty are my "holy trifecta" (although I know music journalists and a lot of fans mentioned the three you did as that.)

I'd have to say after Dirty they kind of went downhill, picked up a little bit in 2000 with NYC Ghosts & Flowers, hit a slump again with Murray Street, but then came out with their best release since 1992, Nurse.

 

[Outdoor Miner]

Agreed on them being different. Very much so. They're equal to me for the fact that on most days, I cannot decide which is better. There will be days Sister gets to me better, and days DN sounds an order of magnitude better. And it's remained that way for years.

Sister is nothing short of a classic, you should give it some more time. I'd also go with Confusion Is Sex, simply because you're an SY fan, and you should own everything of theirs (which I admit can be a pain and expensive).

I miss Goo.

I think I'll make it my album of the week. DIRTY BOOTS!!!

Edit- A slump with Murray Street!?! That was their best record in like 12 years. "Rain On Tin" will be on my record player in 30 years.

 

[Zilch]

I GOT A CATHOLIC BLOCK DO YA LIKE TO FUCK
I GOT A CATHOLIC BLOCK I GUESS I'M OOOOUUTTA LUUUUUUCK
*woman screams*

White Man to thread.

 

[Diablos]

Goo is really interesting because it clearly marks their transition from 80's to 90's, and pretty much represnets that for any band in the underground or even mainstream alternative rock movment of last decade. What's also interesting is how it was executed so well. Dirty Boots was clearly more of a "90's" song, but Tunic or My Friend Goo sound like they were recorded in 1985. But then you have Disappearer, Mildred Pierce and Cinderella's Big Score, which fucking own. The only thing I dislike about Goo is Kool Thing. WTF were they thinking? :lol This band was so influential but gets no credit.

As for the period of 1992-2004, I'm not saying the band always sucked, but for the most part their albums had a few really, really awesome songs and the rest were kind of bleh. But like I said, that's not to say they sucked. The Diamond Sea, Washing Machine, Bull in the Heather, Nevermind, Superstar, The Empty Page, etc. are all great songs - The Diamond Sea probably being one of my top 5 SY songs.

 

[Lambtron]

I pretty much love Murray Street. "Karen Revisited" is quite possibly my favorite Sonic Youth song. The whole buildup right before the line "ask me if I care" and then the just huge barrage of swirling distortion and noise is maybe the most perfect moment ever recorded in the history of music. Oh jesus, I'd better turn it on.

And dude, Sister is great. I could barely get into Daydream Nation because I was too hooked on Sister when I got them. Get Confusion is Sex/Kill Yr. Idols, it's hot stuff.

And I still hate Expirimental Jet Set.

 

[Semjaza Azazel]

I own all the SYRs thus far, but I'm not all that big on them. I feel like I hold onto them more for completion's sake.

 

[White Man]

You may as well get all the proper albums. You already have the 2 worst ones (Jet Set and NYC). Your comment on Sister is absolutely revolting.

My (troo) opinion:

Bad Moon Rising >>>>>> all

 

[Diablos]

You may as well get all the proper albums. You already have the 2 worst ones (Jet Set and NYC). Your comment on Sister is absolutely revolting.

My (troo) opinion:

Bad Moon Rising >>>>>> all

:lol
Indie snob status CONFIRMED!

NYC Ghosts & Flowers isn't bad, dude.
Nevermind (What Was it Anyway) is cool.
Is it against the LAW to not like Sister? Why is this so cherished??

 

[Semjaza Azazel]

I think for someone as new to the band as you, the reasons aren't quite as strong as to why Sister should be quite so up there. Certainly it's one of their top few releases, but if you're getting all of these in such a short time period I don't think it's as obvious as to why it's as important as it is as it would be to someone who's been following them for a longer period. That's true of really any group that's been around as long, really. I think the real challenge here is giving everything the time it really needs and I'm sure eventually as you play these more, you'll probably wind up being into Sister far more than you are right now.

Sister pretty much is what signified Sonic Youth's main shift towards what they're at today (and obviously on later records). EVOL is generally considered their first "great" record, but Sister kind of solidified the song-writing side of the group, I think. The layers of sound and such that used to overtake their prior albums and were, effectively, the main focus were turned into more of something that wasn't the main focal point, but really nicely enhanced the overall product. I think they just became more of a solid, cohesive band at this point. The whole album is absolutely excellent as well, which I don't think is necessary to get into here anyway.

That's just my take on it. What do I know? Personally, my favorites are Washing Machine, Daydream Nation and EVOL.

I'd also get that Carpenter's comp "I Wish I Were a Carpenter". It's an excellent tribute album as it is, but the Sonic Youth cover of Superstar is worth the $3 you can find the disc for used nowadays.

 

[Diablos]

I've been listening to SY since like June/July of last year, really started getting the albums a couple months after that, so it's not like I just started listening.

Here is how I'd rank them so far:

1. Dirty
2. Goo
3. Daydream Nation

4. Nurse
5. Washing Machine
6. Evol
7. Sister
8. NYC Ghosts & Flowers
9. Murray Street









10. Experimental Jet Set (Seriously... Bull in the Heather is the only good song on this album. )

Can't wait for White Man's "OMG WTF you call yourself a fan" response.

 

[Semjaza Azazel]

No, I know that. I remember the thread were you were first talking about it.

I just meant they put out so much over such a long period of time that it just seems like a lot to take in as comparatively quickly as you have. Maybe I'm totally wrong, but I don't think that I personally would be able to give every separate thing as much attention as I probably would have to for it to win me over lol. Maybe I just take longer for these things, now that I think about it. I'm not a very focused person.

I hope you didn't take that as some insult along the lines of "you haven't been listening to them as long, so shut up!" because I certainly didn't mean it that way lol.

 

[Lambtron]

I think that like a number of other bands (Ween comes to mind ) all of their output is of pretty equal quality.

But to say that Murray Street is the second worst album Sonic Youth has put out...


Dude.

 

[Diablos]

I think that like a number of other bands (Ween comes to mind ) all of their output is of pretty equal quality.

But to say that Murray Street is the second worst album Sonic Youth has put out...


Dude.

Nurse > Murray Street.

Nurse basically sounds like what they've been trying to perfect since 99-2000.

 

[Zilch]

Diablos, do you have any other comebacks besides "dur hur hur you must be an INDIE SNOB lol"? Cuz I mean, you use it in pretty much every music thread...

 

[Diablos]

Diablos, do you have any other comebacks besides "dur hur hur you must be an INDIE SNOB lol"? Cuz I mean, you use it in pretty much every music thread...

Too bad I was kidding. I think White Man figured that out too or he would've complained about it. I'm sure he doesn't need your help on the internet.

And I certainly don't call people indie snobs in every music thread.

 

[gigapower]

I loved Nurse, would have loved to seen that shit live.

 

[Diablos]

You and me both, man.

 

[White Man]

I've been listening to SY since like June/July of last year, really started getting the albums a couple months after that, so it's not like I just started listening.

Here is how I'd rank them so far:

1. Dirty
2. Goo
3. Daydream Nation

4. Nurse
5. Washing Machine
6. Evol
7. Sister
8. NYC Ghosts & Flowers
9. Murray Street









10. Experimental Jet Set (Seriously... Bull in the Heather is the only good song on this album. )

Can't wait for White Man's "OMG WTF you call yourself a fan" response.

I pretty much completely disagree with your list, although I think it's pretty ballsy in the first place to even try to put the albums in any sort of empirical order based on quality. I have a different favorite on near every listen.

But NYC? Man, that spoken word shit is whack. A Thousand Leaves isn't much better, but there's at least a couple really good songs on it. Those records were released at the height of their whole SYR/experimentalism/post-rocky phase. . .and it's just something that didn't work for this particular band. Luckily, Jim O'Rourke adapted and has found himself a nice niche with the group, and the last 2 albums have been their best work since Washing Machine.

And Dirty at number 1? Dirty's a pretty fun album with some absolutely dope noise explorations (and a guest appearance by one of my favorite musicians -- pro-asshole Ian MacKaye), but it comes the closest of all the SY albums to having what I'd consider filler. Then again, you are a Smashing Pumpkins fan, so you must like that sort of thing.

 

[Star Power]

You're missing the BEST ALBUM EVAR:

The Whitey Album...


After you get that, get the rest of their studio albums (CIS/KYI rawkz) and the SYR EPs if you want some serious avant noise shit. SYR5 isn't bad at all, I don't know why that guy said to avoid it. But, then again, Kim is my favorite SY member.. soo.. yeah.

After that, you can look into their numerous sideprojects. Free Kitten, Text of Light, Mirror/Dash, Dim Stars, etc. But before you do that, you HAVE TO get:

Thurston's solo album, Psychic Hearts. It PWNZ. SECOND BEST ALBUM EVAR.

And as for the question of why Sister is so revered, two words:


STEREO SANCTITY.


bitch.

 

[Star Power]

And yeah, you're 'ranking' is totally fucked. Dirty? I like Dirty, but... "Chapel Hill," "Youth Against Fascism," "Purr," "Orange Rolls.." ugh. Oh god. Dirty has some horrible songs. I don't why they put the afforementioned shit on it (well, Orange Rolls is passable... it's nice for comedic value) when they had killer b-sides like "Hendrix Necro" and "Genetic."

Also, how can you say "Bull in the Heather" is the only good song on EJSTNS? What about "Sweet Shine"... it's the bees knees man. And "Screaming Skull" is pretty good. I agree that Murray Street is kind of meh, it never fully clicked with me.. it's very stiff sounding and kind of boring. Still, "Rain on Tin" is awesome.



And Nurse is in no way, shape, or form better than Washing Machine. TAKE IT BACK.

 

[Diablos]

And yeah, you're 'ranking' is totally fucked. Dirty? I like Dirty, but... "Chapel Hill," "Youth Against Fascism," "Purr," "Orange Rolls.." ugh. Oh god. Dirty has some horrible songs. I don't why they put the afforementioned shit on it (well, Orange Rolls is passable... it's nice for comedic value) when they had killer b-sides like "Hendrix Necro" and "Genetic."

Also, how can you say "Bull in the Heather" is the only good song on EJSTNS? What about "Sweet Shine"... it's the bees knees man. And "Screaming Skull" is pretty good. I agree that Murray Street is kind of meh, it never fully clicked with me.. it's very stiff sounding and kind of boring. Still, "Rain on Tin" is awesome.



And Nurse is in no way, shape, or form better than Washing Machine. TAKE IT BACK.

Fux yuo! Youth Against Fascism is all I played during November and December of 2004

Chapel Hill is awesome, so is Orange Rolls. Purr does suck, though.

 

[White Man]

And yeah, you're 'ranking' is totally fucked. Dirty? I like Dirty, but... "Chapel Hill," "Youth Against Fascism," "Purr," "Orange Rolls.." ugh. Oh god. Dirty has some horrible songs. I don't why they put the afforementioned shit on it (well, Orange Rolls is passable... it's nice for comedic value) when they had killer b-sides like "Hendrix Necro" and "Genetic."

Also, how can you say "Bull in the Heather" is the only good song on EJSTNS? What about "Sweet Shine"... it's the bees knees man. And "Screaming Skull" is pretty good. I agree that Murray Street is kind of meh, it never fully clicked with me.. it's very stiff sounding and kind of boring. Still, "Rain on Tin" is awesome.



And Nurse is in no way, shape, or form better than Washing Machine. TAKE IT BACK.

I'd say Orange Rolls Angels Spit and Youth Against Fascism are two of the better songs on the album. Their probably the two songs on the album that present the most interesting noise freak-outs.

And Ciccone Youth? Best of all? Half of the tracks on it can't even be considered songs. I think Ciccone Youth must've been the result of Thurston Moore and Company buying a new bong the same week that they happened to buy a new, swank 4-track. Psychic Hearts is just kind of uneven, as far as I remember. . .I haven't even listened to it in a number of years.

Also, your favorite SY member is Kim 'Skeletor' Gordon?

 

[Star Power]

I was kidding with calling CY the best evar


But yeah, Kim is my fave. Her songs are pretty much always my faves. I love her vocals.