Sonic Youth, Man

Violent & Funky · 01-26-2011, 04:51 PM

I haven't heard more than five Sonic Youth albums, but besides how awesome Daydream Nation is, I love Dirty. I think '100%' is one of the best alternative songs of the 90s...

clutnuckle · 01-26-2011, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dankrsta

All right, going to find them now.
I also love their late 90s period, Washing Machine and A Thousand Leaves along with SYR 1 and 2. And NYC Ghosts & Flowers is pretty underrated. It may not be among their best work, but it's kinda unique, transitional in a way. 'Free City Rhymes', for example, is among my favorite SY songs. But, I agree, after that, while still good, 00s albums are just not that strong and essential like their earlier ones.

Have you heard Silver Session for Jason Knuth? Pure guitar feedback noise and yet somehow pretty atmospheric. Powerful stuff.
Here's a taste for those who haven't heard it. Vintage Sonic Youth!

Oh I should've mentioned there are definitely a couple albums from the late 90s-early 00's that I dig of theirs, specifically NYCG&F and Murray Street.

Will definitely check that album out, sounds right up my alley.

dankrsta · 01-26-2011, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Violent & Funky

I haven't heard more than five Sonic Youth albums, but besides how awesome Daydream Nation is, I love Dirty. I think '100%' is one of the best alternative songs of the 90s...

It' funny how we experience the same album differently. I've never liked '100%'. But I like 'Sugar Kane' and 'Wish Fulfillment' for example. What albums have you heard?

Violent & Funky · 01-26-2011, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dankrsta

It' funny how we experience the same album differently. I've never liked '100%'. But I like 'Sugar Kane' and 'Wish Fulfillment' for example. What albums have you heard?

I've heard Evol, Daydream Nation, Dirty, and Goo. I like Daydream Nation the best by far, but the only other one I find myself listening to from time to time is Dirty. Besides '100%', I find myself listening to 'Chapel Hill' quite often. Evol was just too experimental for my ears, at least upon first listen...

dankrsta · 01-26-2011, 05:47 PM

Then you have to hear Sister. It's more rock oriented compared to Evol, but it's still noisy, maybe even more but in a noise-rock manner and not so experimental. 'Schizophrenia' is there, you probably heard that song somewhere. Sister perfectly sits between Evol and Daydream Nation, so there's a good chance you will like it.

Buzzov*en · 01-26-2011, 06:08 PM

One of my favorite alternative bands along with Nirvana and Dinosaur Jr. Always listen to them at least once a day.

Howard the Duck · 01-26-2011, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Violent & Funky

I haven't heard more than five Sonic Youth albums, but besides how awesome Daydream Nation is, I love Dirty. I think '100%' is one of the best alternative songs of the 90s...

Dirty is brilliant.

OccultHawk · 01-27-2011, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dankrsta

^Well, trying to look objectively, I believe Daydream Nation is a better album overall and it presents the high point of previous development of their sound towards more rock friendly music. But, I love Bad Moon Rising more with all its flaws and searching in the dark. It's a transitional album, rough around the edges, not knowing always where it's going. But that makes it all the more daring and I find that fascinating. That's why I couldn't decide which one to rate higher.

And yes I like Washing Machine more than Sister (not much more though) and that's purely subjective. I can't quite explain why. I guess I like Sonic Youth more when they are less rocking and more psychedelic.

Bad Moon Rising doesn't have any flaws and it isn't searching, it's found. It's the pinnacle of the marriage of punk and Branca. It's the ultimate masterpiece not a stepping stone to being more 'rock friendly'. The rock friendly sound comes from not making the right decisions about where to go after that (although EVOL and Sister still work the same format very well). Daydream Nation is where they went from late period Coltrane level brilliance and started to sound like, well, friendly was a huge step in the wrong direction. Starting with the Goo the mediocrity continued for much too long until it was thankfully relieved by the SYR series. Goodbye 20th Century is a work of true heroics! In the same way I must forgive Miles for making records that sounded like he wanted to be on commercial FM jazz stations I have to forgive Sonic Youth for sounding like they wanted air time on MTV.

dankrsta · 01-27-2011, 04:35 PM

What you say about pinnacle of the marriage of punk and Branca, that's how I see Confusion Is Sex. That album is found, Evol is found, Bad Moon Rising is searching. And it does it magnificently. I was just listening to it, and, man how I love it. So it's pretty hard for me to now try and prove why it isn't perfect, in the sense of not being rounded and complete. It reaches for a new territory not knowing what and where it is.

You have a problem with not agreeing with the direction they took. I said it myself that I love their early period the most. But that doesn't prevent me from seeing what a great, found, rounded album Daydream Nation is, regardless of it being rock friendly or not. It's a pinnacle of marriage of melody and noise, and traces of that melody (or pop sensibility if you will) slowly creeping into walls of noise can be heard all the way to Bad Moon Rising.

Evol actually knew how to incorporate it into a more rounded structure. It doesn't have to be a song structure to be rounded, just that you don't misunderstand me. But that's the problem with Bad Moon Rising. It struggles with any structure, be it droney walls of noise of one Glenn Branca or song form. It's somewhere in between, searching for a resolution to this tension. And that tension works in its favor, actually, on another level, the inner one. That's why it's so fascinating and daring and adventurous. But that prevents it from being perfect.

Well, damn, here's one of my favorite songs from it (this one is actually perfect

)

clutnuckle · 01-27-2011, 04:46 PM

My personal favorite off of BMR is "Society is a Hole", which is also arguably my favorite Sonic Youth song ever (bar "'Cross the Breeze"). That whole album sounds like one long trip through the mind of a demented, brilliant child.

01-26-2011, 04:51 PM	#251 (permalink)
Violent & Funky FUNky Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Midland, MI Posts: 2,482	I haven't heard more than five Sonic Youth albums, but besides how awesome Daydream Nation is, I love Dirty. I think '100%' is one of the best alternative songs of the 90s... __________________ http://www.last.fm/user/ohio0808 sometimes I don't thrill you sometimes I think I'll kill you just don't let me fuck up will you 'cause when I need a friend it's still you

01-26-2011, 05:47 PM	#255 (permalink)
dankrsta ... Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,776	Then you have to hear Sister. It's more rock oriented compared to Evol, but it's still noisy, maybe even more but in a noise-rock manner and not so experimental. 'Schizophrenia' is there, you probably heard that song somewhere. Sister perfectly sits between Evol and Daydream Nation, so there's a good chance you will like it. __________________ Last.fm

01-26-2011, 06:08 PM	#256 (permalink)
Buzzov*en Anxiety Hangover Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Gardenia Posts: 501	One of my favorite alternative bands along with Nirvana and Dinosaur Jr. Always listen to them at least once a day. __________________ Save the environment, shoot yourself in the head. And when there is no hope I'll smoke some crack I'll shoot some dope.

01-27-2011, 04:35 PM	#259 (permalink)
dankrsta ... Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,776	What you say about pinnacle of the marriage of punk and Branca, that's how I see Confusion Is Sex. That album is found, Evol is found, Bad Moon Rising is searching. And it does it magnificently. I was just listening to it, and, man how I love it. So it's pretty hard for me to now try and prove why it isn't perfect, in the sense of not being rounded and complete. It reaches for a new territory not knowing what and where it is. You have a problem with not agreeing with the direction they took. I said it myself that I love their early period the most. But that doesn't prevent me from seeing what a great, found, rounded album Daydream Nation is, regardless of it being rock friendly or not. It's a pinnacle of marriage of melody and noise, and traces of that melody (or pop sensibility if you will) slowly creeping into walls of noise can be heard all the way to Bad Moon Rising. Evol actually knew how to incorporate it into a more rounded structure. It doesn't have to be a song structure to be rounded, just that you don't misunderstand me. But that's the problem with Bad Moon Rising. It struggles with any structure, be it droney walls of noise of one Glenn Branca or song form. It's somewhere in between, searching for a resolution to this tension. And that tension works in its favor, actually, on another level, the inner one. That's why it's so fascinating and daring and adventurous. But that prevents it from being perfect. Well, damn, here's one of my favorite songs from it (this one is actually perfect ) __________________ Last.fm

01-27-2011, 04:46 PM	#260 (permalink)
clutnuckle Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: -_-_-_-_~__~-~_-`_`-~_-`-~-~ Posts: 1,276	My personal favorite off of BMR is "Society is a Hole", which is also arguably my favorite Sonic Youth song ever (bar "'Cross the Breeze"). That whole album sounds like one long trip through the mind of a demented, brilliant child.