Catch all Sonic Youth fred

[Chet]

Anyone listened to this by way of the Buy Early Listen Now scheme?

I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I mean, I'm pretty sure I like it, but at this point a latter day Sonic Youth album is really just Sonic Youth. There's some interesting stuff going on, they've dropped the slick, pop work outs of Rather Ripped (which btw what is everyones opinion of that, because a lot of SY fans seem to shit on it but I really liked it) more extended run outs, some sexy as fuck call and response vocals between Kim and Thurston, and of course, Lee's contribution is brilliant.

After a couple of listens it probably stands somewhere between Murray Street and Sonic Nurse for me, in terms of 00s Sonic Youth.

The one absolute stand out is Anti-Orgasm. It's fucking brutal.

[davy]

I chanced upon a free copy of Rather Ripped and it brought me closer to SY fandom than I'd been in 10 years. I dig that album.

[donblood]

Yeah, I've always appreciated a little SY here and there but Rather Ripped is straight-up great.  This may be a SY n00b m0ve 2 tha ghey or whatever.  That record does seem a bit tighter than a lot of their other stuff.

[Chet]

Yah, by a lot of people I really mean I was just lurking on the SY board and a lot of them were dissin Rather Ripped and getting really excited about this.

I liked Rather Ripped a lot, it took the clean, pretty sounding, Television esque meandarings of Murray Street and Sonic Youth to the extreme, and I've always liked that aspect of SY. I think RR was maybe just a little too welcoming for a lot of SY fans.

[Maaik]

I liked it Rather Ripped quite a lot--and I'm a long-time SY novice (I own a bunch of their albums, but I've never felt I've devoted the time to them that some of them deserve).  And hey, it's the perfect season now to put it on in the car and drive around with the windows down!  I'ma have to do that.

I'll have to look into this new stuff

[Andrew_TSKS]

I've been a fan of Sonic Youth for 20 years (since I was 13), and I thought "Rather Ripped" was great. I don't know what's up with the longtime SY fans hating on it, that makes no sense to me. They've been in the midst of a late-career renaissance ever since "Murray Street," so I personally endorse any Sonic Youth records from this decade.

But so this album leaked? DULY NOTED. I'll return to this thread by tomorrow or so.

[Chet]

I've been a fan of Sonic Youth for 20 years (since I was 13), and I thought "Rather Ripped" was great. I don't know what's up with the longtime SY fans hating on it, that makes no sense to me. They've been in the midst of a late-career renaissance ever since "Murray Street," so I personally endorse any Sonic Youth records from this decade.

But so this album leaked? DULY NOTED. I'll return to this thread by tomorrow or so.

It may have leaked. But you can get a code to stream it online if you pre-order it from certain places or the matador website. I think it's just with the bonus editions tho.

http://www.buyearlygetnow.com/info/7/

http://www.matadorrecords.com/store/

or yeah, you can probably just steal it at this point.

This one is growing. I'm of the opinion that this period of SY from Murray Street onwards has been their most consistent since the Bad Moon Rising/Evol/Sister/DDN run.

[Benmont Tench]

I'm still waiting for Insound to give me my code. Where is my code, Insound?

[Maaik]

This one is growing. I'm of the opinion that this period of SY from Murray Street onwards has been their most consistent since the Bad Moon Rising/Evol/Sister/DDN run.

Sister is still my favorite SY album.

[Andrew_TSKS]

Chet, I totally agree about this being their best period since the one you mentioned.

And uh, yeah, it definitely leaked.

[Chet]

This one is growing. I'm of the opinion that this period of SY from Murray Street onwards has been their most consistent since the Bad Moon Rising/Evol/Sister/DDN run.

Sister is still my favorite SY album.

I have had many favourites, usually swings between those four mentioned, but I think Sister has probably been my favourite more than any other. A Thousand Leaves sometimes gets there or there abouts too.

You know, besides NYC Ghosts and Flowers and Experimental Jet Set... I honestly don't believe they've put out a less than 8/10 record. I don't really think those two are as bad as people like to make out either.

[Andrew_TSKS]

I'm not hot on either of those two records, though Experimental Jet Set has a few good songs. But I'd say the same about Washing Machine and A Thousand Leaves as well. That four-album period is the nadir of their career so far, and I could probably condense them all into one hour-long album full of highlights, fill the CD up with "The Diamond Sea," and never miss anything that I cut.

[jebreject]

Fuck that and fuck you, Washing Machine is great.

[Benmont Tench]

I find Dirty to be somewhat overrated, and actually prefer Goo over it.

[Maaik]

Drove around tonight with RR on in the background.  Quite nice.  I haven't listened to Dirty in a while either.  Think I might go put that on now.

[diesel_powered]

That four-album period is the nadir of their career so far...

...We all should be so lucky.

When it comes to SY, I kind of feel like the U2 fans that love the rock stuff as much as the dance stuff. It seems like there's a group of SY fans that love the noodley guitar stuff (Bad Moon Rising, A Thousand Leaves) and then there's people who like their more organized, poppy stuff (Daydream Nation, Rather Ripped), and obviously there's some who like both, but whichever the new record tends towards, one side of the either/or other group complains.

Personally, my opinion of Rather Ripped was that Jim O'Rourke was an important member of the band in terms of their artistic process, but that the artistic process wasn't always ready for prime time. The stuff he played on was always interesting, but not always good, while RR was tight and excellent throughout. While I think the band benefitted from his input in terms of experimentation, their output improved after he left. Much like Trent Reznor, it seems like SY could be a little more judicious with what they put out, even though I'm a complete SY cultist and find every record they've made redeeming in some way. It's just that in some of their records, "interesting" vast outweighs "good".

[Maaik]

"Theresa's Sound World" just started.  I'm liking this album more now than I did when I got it back in high school.

[Maaik]

Oh shit, the noodly guitar part in "Sugar Kane" that twirls around through the chorus is fucking awesome! 

Also: the drums here sound great.

...ahh, the song's hit it's breakdown and it's just spiraling now.  Jesus, this is good stuff.  Guys, if you got it, put this album on now.  Track 7.  Sheeeeeit.

[Ignatius]

I was momentarily confused as to what album you were referring to, since the thread is supposedly about The Eternal.

[Killdozersnakeboy]

I'm a complete SY cultist and find every record they've made redeeming in some way.

I can agree with this up to a limit. NYC Ghost & Flowers is a fucking terrible album any way I look at it. Experimental Jetset has Bull In The Heather which is one of their best songs so get a pass. I can’t quite put my finger on why I dislike Washing Machine (excpt for Diamon Sea obvs) but just can’t get into that album at all. Rather Ripped is great and is particularly good on a summer day. I tend to flip between Daydream and Goo as my favourite SY albums. Goo mostly because I heard them for the first time when it came out.
I’m looking forward to the new one.

[Maaik]

Okay, finished relistening to Dirty.  I don't think it's overrated at all.

[Black Amnesia of Heaven]

Goo is my favorite SY album on the merits of "Mote" alone, but really it is a sonic journey through the guts of a catchy machine gun that is half as long as Daydream Nation (which is lovely but loooong).

Lately though I've been preferring the SYR stuff over the recent Geffen studio releases. The former is always interesting, while the latter has been trending toward holding pattern as of late (Rather Ripped had its tight-as-fuck moments though).

[ellaguru]

I don't mind Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star. I mean, yeah, it sticks out coming after Sister, Daydream Nation, Goo and Dirty. It's a bit of a stumble, sure, but I don't think it's a failure.

[WhereTheSlimeLive]

Sonic Nurse is really my favorite Sonic Youth album.  I love every song on that album.  If I ever loose faith of in electric guitar, all I need to do is listen to Sonic Nurse.

 Anyways...I had no idea there was a new album coming out.  Woo hoo!

[Andrew_TSKS]

Goo is my favorite SY album on the merits of "Mote" alone, but really it is a sonic journey through the guts of a catchy machine gun that is half as long as Daydream Nation (which is lovely but loooong).

Two things in response to this:

1--I'm pretty much of the opinion that the songs Lee Ranaldo sings are always the best Sonic Youth songs. "Mote," "Eric's Trip," "Karen Revisited," "In The Kingdom #19," "Pipeline/Kill Time," "Rain King," "Wish Fulfillment"... it just goes on and on.

2--"Goo" isn't half as long as "Daydream Nation," it's only about 18 minutes shorter. 51 mins and 69 mins respectively. That said, it has almost as many songs, so I guess on a song by song basis the ones on "Goo" are significantly shorter.