murray street ftw
― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 14:46 (fourteen years ago) link
Might be my fave SY album, period.
thats what I love about Sonic Youth, you can never really count on any kind of consensus.
^^^^. A friend says they went downhill when Steve Shelley joined.
― Bud Huxtable (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 14:49 (fourteen years ago) link
That person does too many drugs.
― Kevin John Bozelka, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 14:51 (fourteen years ago) link
first half of Murray Street is perfect. Combine that with the best tracks from Sonic Nurse and you got yrself an album!
― tylerw, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 14:53 (fourteen years ago) link
(i like the other 00s albums, but I think that stuff is my fave)
― tylerw, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 14:54 (fourteen years ago) link
however, the Brakhage SYR release is awwwwwwesome
tylerw otm
― best of the badman log (some dude), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 14:55 (fourteen years ago) link
Nineties SY vs Oughties SY should be a good poll.
― Bud Huxtable (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 14:55 (fourteen years ago) link
that would be a toughie. i need to revisit thousand leaves ... never really decided whether i liked it or not.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 14:56 (fourteen years ago) link
I love it – my favorite of the nineties albums – but in the wrong mood the contemplative and screechy parts don't gel.
― Bud Huxtable (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 14:58 (fourteen years ago) link
This poll is a really hard one. But voted for Sonic Nurse., which has one of my favorite Lee Ranaldo-tunes, Paper Cup Exit. Also, Peace Attack has one of their better instrumental crescendos.
All in all I agree that the 00's were a much better SY-era than the 90's. They seemed really inspired.
Haven't heard The Eternal yet, but I'm willing to bet that I'm gonna like it.
― Marty Innerlogic, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 14:58 (fourteen years ago) link
I like SN and RR a lot, but possibly RR just pips it for being more concise and hooky.
― Sickamous Mouthall (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 14:59 (fourteen years ago) link
thousand leaves has some amazing moments, but is kind of dry and hard to love as a whole, i find.
― the style and grace of a greased rhinoceros in a bed bath & beyond (stevie), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:02 (fourteen years ago) link
Isn't that the story of lots of failed SY albums?
― Bud Huxtable (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:02 (fourteen years ago) link
This is between Sonic Nurse and Rather Ripped for me. Am leaning toward the latter.
― Bianca Jagger (jaymc), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:07 (fourteen years ago) link
A friend says they went downhill when Steve Shelley joined.
― Bud Huxtable (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, June 17, 2009 10:49 AM (17 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
― Kevin John Bozelka, Wednesday, June 17, 2009 10:51 AM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark
ha, guilty on both counts
I wouldn't say steve shelley caused them to go downhill (my favorite sy alb is EVOL after all) but the timing was right
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:10 (fourteen years ago) link
^^ suggest ban
― Bud Huxtable (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:12 (fourteen years ago) link
nah they just became (or started becoming) a different band when shelly joined, that's all
― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:14 (fourteen years ago) link
unfortunately it was a band I didn't like
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:15 (fourteen years ago) link
not for lack of trying either
can't count how many times I spun daydream nation and goo trying to figure out whether it was them or me
I finally decided things weren't going to work out between us
so the only album I've heard in this poll is rather ripped
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:19 (fourteen years ago) link
you went back for a quickie, didn't you
― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:20 (fourteen years ago) link
murray street, hands down. havent heard the eternal yet though.
― Michael B, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:22 (fourteen years ago) link
yes! our original relationship was so hot I can't stay away
but as of late our trysts just leave me feeling used and unfulfilled
xp
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:31 (fourteen years ago) link
I'm with Edward here - they peaked on Bad Moon Rising, though Evol is so close it is hard to pick. Very slow decline for a few years, then the wheels fell off.
I've heard two of these '00s albums - NYC Ghosts & Flowers and Rather Ripped - and didn't find either remotely interesting.
― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:45 (fourteen years ago) link
I remember when Sonic Youth used to be the most far out weird thing I listened too. This wasn't in the 00s.It's probably me more than the band. Voted Sonic Nurse, without much conviction. I like them all.
― Popture, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:53 (fourteen years ago) link
Sonic Nurse is the best thing they've released in the past 20 years. All good albums to some degree, though.
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:56 (fourteen years ago) link
Sonic Nurse>>Murray Street>>>>>NYC Ghosts & Flowers>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Rather Ripped, which is why (along with "Sacred Trickster") I'm dragging my feet on hearing The Eternal.
― da croupier, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 15:59 (fourteen years ago) link
Rather Ripped is the first album where I really wondered why they fucking bother
― da croupier, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:00 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah? i like Rather Ripped. Maybe a bit slight? But pretty enjoyable.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:03 (fourteen years ago) link
I like Rather Ripped less and less every year, and "Sacred Trickster" does nothing for me, but The Eternal is overall pretty solid and I'd reccomend it highly to someone that likes Sonic Nurse.
― best of the badman log (some dude), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:07 (fourteen years ago) link
I think on the Rather Ripped thread I called it Rather Tepid. Just seemed like they were going through the motions.
Strangely, I'd still see them live, as they've never failed to put on a good show. Just can't be bothered to follow their studio work.
― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:07 (fourteen years ago) link
Weird, I think of Rather Ripped as kind of a pinnacle, taking the same basic formula of Sonic Nurse and whittling it down into these great three- or four-minute gems. The Eternal sounds more like a band going through the motions to me.
― Bianca Jagger (jaymc), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:09 (fourteen years ago) link
MURRAY STREET, PEOPLE (that's what i voted, anyhow)
― Beatrix Kiddo, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:10 (fourteen years ago) link
with Rather Ripped a close second
xpost Too slight for me. I liked the direction they were going with O'Rourke, and without that groovier bottom and prettied up guitars you just had past-prime pros with shitty voices writing by-the-book "songs" as if that was ever what they were good at.
― da croupier, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:10 (fourteen years ago) link
this is all between Sonic Nurse and Murray Street, and it's not a easy pick. every track on MS really sticks out and has a way of its own, where SN is more this thick, sprawling monster all the way through.
can't say that i dislike Rather Ripped or The Eternal but it's still very remote to me that anyone would pick either of them here. then again, like said, that's part of the charm with this band
― sonderangerbot, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:11 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah I'm not sure how their one album of the decade that actually sounds different from the others is "going through the motions." You might not like it but I think you have to recognize it as an attempt to shake things up a little.
― congratulations (n/a), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:12 (fourteen years ago) link
I would have really liked rather ripped if the material was on par with the tone, everything sounds great but they are playing absolutely nothing
apparently you have never heard experimental jet set trash and no star
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:13 (fourteen years ago) link
people sure are weird
― congratulations (n/a), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:14 (fourteen years ago) link
experimental jetset is my go-to album for evidence of sy not giving a frig
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:15 (fourteen years ago) link
NYC G&F sounds pretty different from the rest, n/a! That and Experimental Jet Set sound like patchwork goof-offs, and their peaks did more for me than anything on Ripped.
― da croupier, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:16 (fourteen years ago) link
Does Gerard Cosloy still run the show at Matador at all? I thought it was pretty LOL that the dude who said in Spin he was tired of SY in 1988 would be signing them 20 years later.
― da croupier, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:17 (fourteen years ago) link
I like EJSTANS! I mean, yes, it was the first one I ever heard, so I have some sentimental attachment, but I think it's a pretty interesting album -- lots of echoey space, acoustic guitar, etc.
― Bianca Jagger (jaymc), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:19 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah I don't like the whittling down on RR because for the most part they were whittling away the best parts of the 2 previous albums. the average track lengths for these albums really bears out the fact that i like the longer tunes:
NYC Ghosts - 5:17Murray Street - 6:31Sonice Nurse - 6:17Rather Ripped - 4:19The Eternal - 4:42
― best of the badman log (some dude), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:20 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah Jet Set was the first for me too and still really intrigues me -- like it's the closest they've ever come to actually reinventing their sound, and they managed to do it with the same producer they had on Dirty.
― best of the badman log (some dude), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:21 (fourteen years ago) link
i'll save my Jet Set argument for after this thread runs its course and i do a best of the '90s poll, though.
― best of the badman log (some dude), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:25 (fourteen years ago) link
Murray Street for me...one of their best albums ever, I think. Sonic Nurse would be second, with the others way below.
― Dan S, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:57 (fourteen years ago) link
Still haven't EJSTANS, but it's no problem finding a cheap used copy.
― Bud Huxtable (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 17 June 2009 17:01 (fourteen years ago) link
tylerw otm above re. Murray Street (and the one I voted for). "Rain On Tin" is my favorite SY song.
― Euler, Wednesday, 17 June 2009 17:08 (fourteen years ago) link
Most SY albums since 1990 are at least okay (never heard EJTANS)
it's the best! the songs are short and striking, really wild but not too noisy. the noise is used actually pretty differently than in their other stuff, really going for contrast and jarring transitions rather than texture or throbbing weirdness. lee had quit the band for the album, and while usually that would suck thurston and kim just wrote way better songs than they usually do and it totally makes up for it. it's the most "punk" SY album i've heard and definitely one of my favourites.
― samosa gibreel, Friday, 26 June 2009 07:44 (fourteen years ago) link
Re-listened to NYC Ghosts and Flowers today for the first time in years and it's even more of a pile of shit than I remembered.
yeah I did not dig this when it came out
Murray Street got my vote ... then Rather Ripped ... then Sonic Nurse ...
― dmr, Friday, 26 June 2009 21:52 (fourteen years ago) link
while i'd like to say samosa's post is OTM and we should totally continue discussing Jet Set more when i do the 90s thread after this one, i should point out that this
lee had quit the band for the album
is rong, i'm pretty sure. afaik, he quit briefly during the making of Dirty because of "Genetic" being cut from the album, but was back to tour that album and record the next one -- just happens that he doesn't sing on any songs on Jet Set. he's credited in the liner notes and there are photos of him all in it, etc.
― some dude, Friday, 26 June 2009 22:09 (fourteen years ago) link
cool! i'm glad to hear it, and yeah lee's absense wouldn't make much sense since there are obviously two guitars and the guitar parts fucking kiiiilll.
― samosa gibreel, Friday, 26 June 2009 23:38 (fourteen years ago) link
Experimental Jet Set is a biiiig favorite of mine. Yes, their "punkiest"--their version of lo-fi bedroom pop. "Screaming Skull" is a particular fave: love the full-on Rolling Stones groove they get into at the end. Also love "Androgynous Mind" and "Bull in the Heather" and "Skink."
― Matos W.K., Saturday, 27 June 2009 09:32 (fourteen years ago) link
i love y'all and all but NYC G&F is the best of SY's 00s albums by about a thousand miles? it might even be their best album? what is with you people.
― la belle dame sans serif (c sharp major), Saturday, 27 June 2009 10:55 (fourteen years ago) link
um..who said that?
― Kevin John Bozelka, Saturday, 27 June 2009 11:20 (fourteen years ago) link
i always find the criticisms of NYC G&F a little baffling: there's no songs and some of it sounds a bit embarrassing — they never wrote good 'songs' & they're always embarrassing
like, the chorus to anti-orgasm is the campest thing on record this year surely
― thomp, Saturday, 27 June 2009 12:08 (fourteen years ago) link
The thing about NYC G&F is that besides containing an amazing opening track, it's at least sonically (ha) interesting all the way through. The others in this poll are awfully forgettable. So it's not that I exactly love G&F, but it's the one I keep listening to with interest. The others make ok background and that's about it.
Also, production on G&F is radically better than the others, probably due to extra band member.
― dlp9001, Saturday, 27 June 2009 21:25 (fourteen years ago) link
Most SY albums since 1990 are at least okay (never heard EJTANS), so it wouldn't surprise me if I relistened to WM and thought it was more than that.
No no, I get that. What I don't get is why you'd avoid listening to it if you think it'll be better than you presently recall it to be.
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Sunday, 28 June 2009 20:40 (fourteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Monday, 29 June 2009 23:01 (fourteen years ago) link
really curious to see how many votes the (probable) bottom 2, NYC Ghosts and The Eternal, get.
― still crazy after all deeznuts (some dude), Tuesday, 30 June 2009 00:58 (fourteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Tuesday, 30 June 2009 23:01 (fourteen years ago) link
Still don't get the Sonic Nurse love, but whatevs.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 30 June 2009 23:08 (fourteen years ago) link
man, "New Hampshire"! "I Love You Golden Blue"! "Unmade Bed"! "Dripping Dream"! it's a great album.
totally happy w/ these results, although i'd like to think that in time The Eternal will be thought of as better than Rather Ripped.
― big bank cank (some dude), Tuesday, 30 June 2009 23:56 (fourteen years ago) link
This poll got way more voters in general than most. no surprise I guess, but still.
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Tuesday, 30 June 2009 23:57 (fourteen years ago) link
I thought I wld be the lone NYC ghosts voter.
― kind-hearted, sensitive keytar player (Abbott), Wednesday, 1 July 2009 03:06 (fourteen years ago) link
i had a feeling it would have a decent lil voting bloc, especially since it's kind of counterprogramming to put it up against the 4 albums after it
― some dude, Wednesday, 1 July 2009 03:15 (fourteen years ago) link
results more or less otm
― Beatrix Kiddo, Wednesday, 1 July 2009 12:52 (fourteen years ago) link
i voted for nycbff. i'm not sure i stand by my reasons tho.
― thomp, Wednesday, 1 July 2009 13:20 (fourteen years ago) link
this is kinda interesting commentary about these albums:http://music.newcity.com/2009/06/23/preview-sonic-youthvic-theatre/
― jdchurchill, Wednesday, 1 July 2009 19:31 (fourteen years ago) link
Some could argue that shortly after 1992’s fantastic “Dirty” the band consistently churned out mediocre work, until 2000’s “NYC Ghosts & Flowers,” which was just bad. The following “Murray Street” and “Sonic Nurse” saw the band in mediocre territory again, and then “Rather Ripped” sparked them back into contemporary relevancy.
I don't think "interesting" is the word I'd use to describe this commentary.
― da croupier, Wednesday, 1 July 2009 19:34 (fourteen years ago) link
The "mediocre" rating for Murray Street aside, I agree with that statement pretty much.
― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 1 July 2009 19:37 (fourteen years ago) link
Even if you agree, "they were great and then they were mediocre and then they were bad and then they were mediocre and now they're great again" is about as far from "interesting" as commentary gets.
― da croupier, Wednesday, 1 July 2009 19:38 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah, and "contemporary relevancy" .... ZZZZZzzzzz
― tylerw, Wednesday, 1 July 2009 19:39 (fourteen years ago) link
How can The Eternal be a "return to form" if Rather Ripped had already "sparked them back into contemporary relevancy"?
― great gabbneb's ghost (jaymc), Wednesday, 1 July 2009 19:41 (fourteen years ago) link
ha! you guys are interested . . .btw they rocked the shit at the vic last sunday nightrather ripped a silver rocket! and played my favorite part of daydream nation: the sprawl > 'cross the breeze
― jdchurchill, Wednesday, 1 July 2009 19:52 (fourteen years ago) link
damn! reverse the order maybe? voted for NYCG&F--their most gorgeous work ever, sonically speaking--just to spite pitchfork, basically. but pretty much love 'em all to one degree or another. i really dig Lee's "bad" beat poetry, even. and wtf, Kevin, the Karen songs are the highlight's of the respective albums they're each sandwiched amidst.
Bad Moon Rising is their worst ever, fwiw.
― Ioannis, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 09:08 (fourteen years ago) link
waht
― Colonel Poo, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 09:19 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah yeah yeah, i know. but "DV '69" aside i don't really get that one. Walls Have Ears smokes both Bad Moon Rising and Evol, imho.
― Ioannis, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 09:29 (fourteen years ago) link
There is a great version of Death Valley '69 on Walls Have Ears, yeah.
But Brave Men Run, I Love Her All The Time... no?
― Colonel Poo, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 09:31 (fourteen years ago) link
they're ok but nothing revelatory. i much prefer the "Flower"/"Halloween" 12" myself.
― Ioannis, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 09:33 (fourteen years ago) link
there are 3 songs on bad moon rising: side A, 3/4 of side B, and "death valley 69"
the first 2 songs are awesome
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 14:25 (fourteen years ago) link
but thanks for yr challops, ioannis
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 14:26 (fourteen years ago) link
I love "Brave Men Run" and the bonus tracks, and "Death Valley" is a lot of fun live, but yeah Bad Moon is way down among my 2 or 3 least fave SY albums. But then, I'm not a huge fan of the pre-Shelly stuff and my favorite release from that era is Sonic Death.
― swag me to hell (some dude), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 14:39 (fourteen years ago) link
and wtf, Kevin, the Karen songs are the highlight's of the respective albums they're each sandwiched amidst.
Well, I agree with you on "Karen Koltrane."
― Kevin John Bozelka, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 15:23 (fourteen years ago) link
no problem.
― Ioannis, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 19:40 (fourteen years ago) link
murray street: 7 songs, half epics, jim o'rourke
― flappy bird, Friday, 21 April 2017 03:10 (seven years ago) link