best Sonic Youth album of the '00s

murray street stands as the victor for me, but i don't figure i'll be inclined to pull it out and listen to it any time soon. when listening to sonic youth these days, i like to relate the music i'm hearing to the band's capacity to innovate freely and influence by virtue of breaking boundaries and setting new parameters. i hear that kind of thing in the earlier records for sure. the 2000s records are a testament to the endurance and longevity of the band and they do plenty of nice things, but mostly just fill in the numbers for me.

Kevin is right except for his mistakenly switching his blurbs for Rather Ripped and The Eternal.

Voted Murray Street at last. Not only one of their best of all times but it is also probably the best record if you wanna introduce SY to someone, which is kind of an odd combination.

Sonic Nurse, not even close. My second-favorite of theirs, actually, after the inevitable Daydream Nation. But yes, I like all these records to varying degrees, most a lot. Rather Ripped is my least-fave, maybe because "Incinerate" sounds so much like a great single that the rest kind of drifts away for me. But I bet I'd like it if I played it again.

But I bet I'd like it if I played it again

This is the case with most SY, methinks. I really dislike Washing Machine, and am comfortable saying so, but I don't want to replay it because I know I'll change my mind.

Kevin is right except for his mistakenly switching his blurbs for Rather Ripped and The Eternal.

― My name is Kenny! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, June 25, 2009 7:32 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

if you are saying The Eternal has a "sleepier second half" you are nuts, most of the best songs are toward the end!

I prefer the sequence from "Anti-Orgasm" to "What We Know."

i've gotten closer and closer to wanting to change my vote from MS to SN since starting this thread

anyway for me "Malibu Gas Station" and "No Way" are the immediate winners from the new one, although the first is growing on me too

Upthread somewhere I was talking about my dislike for what I'd heard of this era of SY, but that with multiple recommendations I'd give Murray Street a spin. After 4 or 5 listens, I have come to a decision - I really like it, with one giant caveat. I hate, hate, hate the mix. The songs are wonderful, but the vocals nearly ruin it. The songs drift in and out, instruments rising and falling in the mix, but their voices (except Lee's) just roar over top. As the vocals are, in my opinion, the worst part of any SY tune, it just ruins the effect. I think I'd rather hear live versions where the voices are less distinct.

Of course, this mixing problem I have goes back to at least Goo. I probably shouldn't say I'm a fan if I like roughly 5 years of a 25 year career.

Maybe I should just listen to the SYR releases. More up my alley.

Man, that Murray Street tour was great. They played most of the album when I saw them, and everything came across really well (their live sound is usually pretty great, though I am not a hardcore audiophile, so take my opinion as just that). Vocal mixes are often odd to me on a lot of records, as well, so I think I have learned to just adjust my listening somewhat.

I really dislike Washing Machine, and am comfortable saying so, but I don't want to replay it because I know I'll change my mind.

Plz to explain teh logic behind this 1?

No.

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.

Yeah I understand what Alfred is talking about completely...in my mind WM is one of their lesser records and there are a few songs I dislike, or at least dislike the idea/memory of, but when I actually put it on it's very listenable. Same goes for most of the SY albums I wouldn't rate very highly.

Murray Street - Great record until Lee shouts "Karen!"...

It's a shout-out to Len's "Steal My Sunshine"

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. Otherwise, the band has been utterly fantastic this decade- I guess I'll vote for Murray Street but it's really a coin toss.

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.

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 ...

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.

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.

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."

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.

um..who said that?

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

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.

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.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

really curious to see how many votes the (probable) bottom 2, NYC Ghosts and The Eternal, get.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Still don't get the Sonic Nurse love, but whatevs.

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.

This poll got way more voters in general than most. no surprise I guess, but still.

I thought I wld be the lone NYC ghosts voter.

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

results more or less otm

i voted for nycbff. i'm not sure i stand by my reasons tho.

this is kinda interesting commentary about these albums:
http://music.newcity.com/2009/06/23/preview-sonic-youthvic-theatre/

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.

The "mediocre" rating for Murray Street aside, I agree with that statement pretty much.

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.

yeah, and "contemporary relevancy" .... ZZZZZzzzzz

How can The Eternal be a "return to form" if Rather Ripped had already "sparked them back into contemporary relevancy"?

ha! you guys are interested . . .
btw they rocked the shit at the vic last sunday night
rather ripped a silver rocket!
and played my favorite part of daydream nation: the sprawl > 'cross the breeze

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.

waht

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.

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?

they're ok but nothing revelatory. i much prefer the "Flower"/"Halloween" 12" myself.

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