"Important" doesn't make a lot of difference to me... Their early stuff is very cool and stands up to time, whether I want to hear it on a given day is very much dependent on my mood as the production (due partly to budget and partly to 'tude) is pretty weak. I do like to stone out to their tones, but the darkness of their early work (lyrically, mostly) tends to put me off. What can I say - I'm just not that dark a dude!
"Daydream Nation" eluded me for years after I bought it, then it occurred to me to break the CD up into sides (not literally...) Play it in the original vinyl running order... Songs 1-3, then 4-6, 7-10, and 11-12. Suddenly it all made sense. Great album.
I suspect I'll get into "Sister" and "Goo" when my budget allows for it... Meanwhile I seem to like all their stuff on Geffen/DGC that I've heard (Murray Street, Sonic Nurse and Rather Ripped, with Sonic Nurse being probably my favorite, ESPECIALLY Kim's luscious vocal on "I Love You Golden Blue") and also their improv albums on SYR - really beautiful, if you don't require songs, which I don't always. Although their recent songwriting has been really, really good! In fact I am momentarily obsessed with a song from "Murray Street" called "Disconnection Notice" -
"Did you get your disconnection notice? I received mine yesterday. They seem to think I'm disconnected, don't know what to think or do or say..." Beautiful. And sums up how I feel just at the moment.
Obviously I like this band... Someday it would be fun to see them live. I'm curious what they'll do next, now they're back on Matador and off the Geffen monolith.
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