sonic youth

edith head

i can see why people hate them but i love the early stuffdiscuss?

ayres

SoulOnIce

I came very close to dropping $35 on the Teenage Daydream 4 LP box.

That album is fantastic.

Sonic Youth are great, just a little old and not bringing
much new to the table. Thurston Moore's Psychic Hearts
album is 90's GOLD.

crossings

thurston plays the guitar with a drumstick. what else can i say?

JimBeam

Sonic Youth are great, just a little old and not bringing
much new to the table.

[fanboy status revealed]dude. plaese to silence that nonsense. I ride for their whole catalog. I can't decide if they're my favorite band ever, but they're up there.[/fanboy status revealed]
Really though- I find that the albums chronologically show nothing but movement in the right direction. I'm constantly amazed with their output.

cas

I'm constantly amazed with their output.

_______________----insert joke of your choice here.

JimBeam

right when i hit 'submit' i was thinking: shit, cas is online...

SoulOnIce

Really though- I find that the albums chronologically show nothing but movement in the right direction. I'm constantly amazed with their output.

I'll admit that maybe I just stopped caring a while back and
may have just assumed it to be true from what little I've heard.
I do know that their live show did not change in the 4 times I
saw them over a 15 year period.

I'm a fan.

JimBeam

if you haven't heard the new LPs, they're easy to find streaming or in the used bin. But, you may want to take me w/ a grain of salt on this one. I've been geeking to this band since I was 14.

edith head

thurston plays the guitar with a drumstick. what else can i say?

so did jimmy page

hcrink

I just stopped caring a while back

This is my official position too.

They are one of those groups that as I got more and more into record collecting their influences became pretty transparent and some of the magic was lost. I mean don't get me wrong, I grew up a huge fan and saw them a buttload of times and all that and they'll always be cool, but they've done some crap. Hadn't played a SY record in ages till I recently found a copy of Daydream Nation and put it on. It's aged pretty well.

SoulOnIce

I recently found a copy of Daydream Nation and put it on. It's aged pretty well.

I honestly think it's their peak.

I know this is debatable, many would insist on earlier SST
stuff like Sister or Evol, or maybe even Geffen-era stuff like
Dirty (which is an awesome album) - but I just think Daydream Nation
comes at that perfect point in their sound where they really had it
all together and could finally all play their instruments
but hadn't gone for MTV/radio status yet.


Also, bonus points for the Ciccone Youth EP - "Burning Up"
was a mixtape standard of mine for years!

hcrink

I recently found a copy of Daydream Nation and put it on. It's aged pretty well.

I honestly think it's their peak.

I will definitely agree. I used to be all about the harshed stuff like Confusion is Sex, but I can't play that shit anymore. Daydream Nation and Sister are the ones can still get with. Experimental Jet Set is a good one too. I didn't like it when it came out, but it's really grown on me.

crossings

thurston plays the guitar with a drumstick. what else can i say?

so did jimmy page

i knew he used a violin bow, but i didn't know about the drumstick... it's not like it's THAT HARD to come up with anyway... just sayin

The_Hook_Up

yeah Daydream Nation is the peak...I saw them on that tour and it was easily one of the best shows I have ever seen...

This past March I was diggin at Mystery Train Records in Ahmherst,MA... I looked over and saw that the dude next to me had on the exact same coat I had on and noticed he was a bit taller than me (Im 6'5") and all of sudden it dawned on me, "hey, thats Thurston Moore!" Nice dude.

Mad Drama Teacher

I loved "Sugar Kane" back in the day. I guess that's off of Dirty.

I have Daydream Nation and like it. The internets tells me that Chuck D guests on Goo. I'm not sure what I'am trying to say.

hcrink

Goo.

I have never liked this album at all.

holmes

I have to agree that Daydream Nation is for me their best. That being said though, for some reason my cassette of that Kill Yr Idols/Confusion stuff ends up being played in my car a hell of a lot, I probably listened to that one more now that I really think of it. I had a couple of flatmates at different stages that were OBSESSED with Sonic Youth.

Mad Drama Teacher

Goo.

I have never liked this album at all.

Reason being?

karlophone

ill ride for various parts of their output. the last 2 things i really liked was the thurston solo jernt and washing machine. got the hits package (on LP!) earlier this year cuz it had a 30 min 'diamond sea' on it. they do wear their avant/NYC influences but they got skillz.

hcrink

Goo.

I have never liked this album at all.

Reason being?

I'm tempted to say SUCKITUDE.

Mad Drama Teacher

Goo.

I have never liked this album at all.

Reason being?

I'm tempted to say SUCKITUDE.

Just wasn't your thing, huh?

hcrink

Goo.

I have never liked this album at all.

Reason being?

I'm tempted to say SUCKITUDE.

Just wasn't your thing, huh?

The irony is that this was the new/current Sonic Youth album when I first started listening to them and it's the first one I ever bought. I just don't think it really stacks up with the better stuff though.

Mad Drama Teacher

Indeed.

hcrink

Do you like it?

Mad Drama Teacher

I do like that album.

DrWu

When I went to college in 88, this was the band that everyone wished they were in. In November of 86 fIREHOSE, Dino Jr and SY had played a legendary show in the cafeteria at my school. During 'Starpower' everyone dog piled on Mike Watt, blowing his knee out of its socket. He played the rest of the show on a stool in unbelievable agony. People talked about this show like it was the indy rock Woodstock. That year I bought Sonic Death, which is from the early 80s and is basically unlistenable noise, Evol, which, beyond 'Starpower', I didn't think much of and Daydream Nation, which floored me. Providence is still one of my favorite songs. Watt phone messages gasping about lost bags of drugs insterspliced with weepy piano and guitar feedback. Genius. I never bought another one of their albums. Though I did buy my friend that Dick Hell/Thurston Moore record, Dim Stars. That was pretty good.

I saw them once in 92 and thought they were terrible and then again in 2004 and had a totally different experience. Over the years they have really refined their approach. Right now they are a great punk jam band. Lots of punk groove without to much of the abstraction that made my head hurt when I first saw them. I would highly recommend seeing them if they come your way.

If you have DLs of their stuff from the last 15 years I would love to hear this stuff.

cpeetz

I like the idea of Sonic Youth, more than actually having to listen them,
if that makes sense. I'd take Dinosaur Jr. or the Pixies over them anyday.
That said everytime I hear a SY track lately, I'm all "this is pretty good".
Like a few bands over the years, maybe I wasn't ready for them the first time.

Frank

This was one of my favorite bands in the 80s. I've first seen them in Zurich on the tour for the Sister LP which looking back still probably is my favorite album by this group. The show was amongst the top 5 most increadible shows I've ever seen, together with a Louis Tillet & Beasts of Bourbon double show, Laughing Hyenas in '87, Nick Cave with die Bad Seeds & die Haut and this Gallon Drunk show that I can't remember where it was.

I had so many records Sonic Youth records... tons of promos releases, live bootlegs that sometimes were really good. Even used to sleep on a Daydream Nation pillow case... haha...
I enjoyed Goo a little bit but Dirty was a big turn-off for me, this was the first Sonic Youth record that I didn't buy and I haven't bought one since.

kala

evolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevolevol

and thurston's free jazz record collection please

Snagglepus

The new Deluxe 2 disc version of Daydream Nation is meaty and delicious: