POLL YR. IDOLS: The official SONIC YOUTH RESULTS thread!

"Intro/Brave Men Run" is the omission I regret the most; "Stereo Sanctity" #2.

I shared this on the other thread and I don't think it got deleted but I made a playlist out of my ballot:
http://grooveshark.com/#!/playlist/Sonic+Youth+Tracks/86318775

1. Stereo Sanctity
2. Drunken Butterfly
3. Wildflower Soul
4. Shaking Hell
5. The Diamond Sea
6. 'Cross the Breeze
7. The Burning Spear
8. Becuz
9. Sugar Kane
10. Tokyo Eye
11. Brave Men Run
12. In the Mind of the Bourgeois Reader
13. Mildred Pierce
14. Dude Ranch Nurse
15. Shoot
16. Pattern Recognition
17. Master=Dik
18. Schizophrenia
19. Washing Machine
20. The Ineffable Me
21. Karen Koltrane
22. Rain on Tin
23. Protect Me You
24. Anagrama
25. Brother James
26. Kill Yr. Idols
27. Justice Is Might
28. On the Strip
29. StreamXSonik Subway
30. Antenna

"Justice Is Might" is a jam, deserved better.

Might have voted for the "Mildred Pierce" on the Goo demos.

Full album results:
01. Daydream Nation (107 points, 30 votes)
02. Sister (91 points, 29 votes)
03. Evol (71 points, 20 votes)
04. A Thousand Leaves (35 points, 12 votes)
05. Murray Street (34 points, 13 votes)
06. Bad Moon Rising (33 points, 10 votes)
07. Sonic Nurse (29 points, 12 votes)
08. Washing Machine (27 points, 9 votes)
09. Confusion Is Sex (26 points, 8 votes)
10. Dirty (25 points, 7 votes)
11. Goo (23 points, 10 votes)
12. Rather Ripped (8 points, 4 votes)
13. Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star (7 points, 2 votes)
14. SYR9 (5 points, 1 vote)
15. (TIE) Smart Bar Chicago 1985 (4 points, 1 vote)
15. (TIE) Sonic Youth (4 points, 1 vote)
17. Kill Yr Idols EP (3 points, 2 votes)
18. (TIE) NYC Ghosts & Flowers (2 points, 1 vote)
18. (TIE) Sonic Death (2 points, 1 vote)
18. (TIE) The Whitey Album (2 points, 1 vote)
21. (TIE) Goodbye 20th Century (1 point, 1 vote)
21. (TIE) Hits Are for Squares (1 point, 1 vote)
21. (TIE) Silver Session (For Jason Knuth) (1 point, 1 vote)
21. (TIE) SYR3 (1 point, 1 vote)
21. (TIE) The Eternal (1 point, 1 vote)

― ArchCarrier, Saturday, May 11, 2013 4:16 PM (6 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

to contrast with this, these are the album rankings based on point totals of songs in the top 100:

01. Daydream Nation (3301 points, 14 songs)
02. Sister (2655 points, 8 songs)
03. Evol (2182 points, 8 songs)
04. Dirty (1646 points, 8 songs)
05. Goo (1399 points, 7 songs)
06. Washing Machine (1303 points, 6 songs)
07. Bad Moon Rising (1227 points, 6 songs)
08. Murray Street (886 points, 4 songs)
09. A Thousand Leaves (857 points, 5 songs)
10. Confusion Is Sex (752 points, 6 songs)
11. Sonic Nurse (502 points, 6 songs)
12. Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star (442 points, 4 songs)
13. Kill Yr Idols EP (357 points, 2 songs)
14. Rather Ripped (324 points, 4 songs)
15. Flower b/w Halloween (240 points, 2 songs)
16. The Whitey Album (177 points, 2 songs)
17. NYC Ghosts & Flowers (173 points, 2 songs)
18. SYR1 (60 points, 1 song)
19. (TIE) The Eternal (0 points, 0 songs)

in short: Dirty and Goo hugely vindicated, A Thousand Leaves taken down several pegs.

awww ;_;

The quiet, unsettling parts of A Thousand Leaves are more sophisticated iterations of those quiet, unsettling guitar ripples in "Shadow of a Doubt."

― A deeper shade of lol (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, May 17, 2013 9:53 AM (15 minutes ago)

???

"sophisticated" is meaningless unless unpacked. you mean you like the ATL tracks more?

― controversial vegan pregnancy (contenderizer), Friday, May 17, 2013 5:11 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I think what Alfred is suggesting (or at least what I got out of it) is that they integrated the sound of "Shadow of a Doubt" in a really subtle (or sophisticate) way over the album, and of course they were a much more advanced version of the band at that point (better is relative, but I don't think it can be argued that SY spent most of its post-Dirty maturing and streamlining ideas they touched on on the earlier records). "Snare, Girl" is definitely a song that captures some of that feel, but I didn't take it as him saying it was "better" per se, just that they return to that feel in some really cool ways. I agree with him and it's a A! Big reason I am gonna spend a lot more time with that record following the rollout.

my ballot:

1. Rain On Tin
2. JC
3. Eric’s Trip
4. Schizophrenia
5. Shadow Of A Doubt
6. Tokyo Eye
7. Dirty Boots
8. Kissability
9. Theresa’s Sound-World
10. Brave Men Run (In My Family)
11. Skip Tracer
12. Catholic Block
13. Blink
14. Purr
15. ‘Cross The Breeze
16. Genetic
17. Reena
18. Hoarfrost
19. Bull In The Heather
20. Brother James
21. Free City Rhymes
22. Titanium Expose
23. Halloween
24. I Dreamed I Dream
25. Pacific Coast Highway
26. Malibu Gas Station
27. Sweet Shine
28. Anagrama
29. Unmade Bed
30. Shaking Hell

silverfish's ballot is king of slept on 90s deep cuts, love "Bourgeois Reader" and "On The Strip" and "Shoot"

Two later-period songs I also think deserved a little more run were "Sympathy For The Strawberry", which I think is a lovely lovely song, and "Dripping Dream", which admittedly has an embarrassing name and some corny lyrics but has, in my mind, just a great great instrumental section. Best jam on Sonic Nurse for me.

I think what Alfred is suggesting (or at least what I got out of it) is that they integrated the sound of "Shadow of a Doubt" in a really subtle (or sophisticate) way over the album, and of course they were a much more advanced version of the band at that point (better is relative, but I don't think it can be argued that SY spent most of its post-Dirty maturing and streamlining ideas they touched on on the earlier records). "Snare, Girl" is definitely a song that captures some of that feel, but I didn't take it as him saying it was "better" per se, just that they return to that feel in some really cool ways.

yes!

My ballot:

Titanium Expose - 40
Androgynous Mind - 36
Catholic Block - 33
Tom Violence - 30
The World Looks Red - 28
The Neutral - 26
Mote - 25
Youth Against Fascism - 24
Bull in the Heather - 23
Schizophrenia - 22
Tuff Gnarl - 21
Teen Age Riot - 20
Jams Run Free - 19
Sunday - 18
Wish Fulfillment - 17
Tunic (Song for Karen) - 16
The Burning Spear - 15
Halloween - 14
Brother James - 13
The Empty Page - 12

I think they all made it (though I didn't see Mote's reveal, I have to assume it showed up at some point while I was away from the thread).

"Mote" was #9 I believe, pretty close to yr ballot

Great poll and a great rollout. Thanks, AC!

1. Expressway to Yr Skull
2. Wish Fulfillment
3. Macbeth
4. Hey Joni
5. Mote
6. Titanium Expose
7. Disappearer
8. Eric's Trip
9. Death to Our Friends
10. Schizophrenia
11. Teen Age Riot
12. Starpower
13. 'Cross the Breeze
14. Shadow of a Doubt
15. Tunic (Song for Karen)
16. Death Valley '69
17. Cinderella's Big Score
18. The Diamond Sea
19. Sugar Kane
20. Stereo Sanctity
21. Catholic Block
22. Pacific Coast Highway
23. Tom Violence
24. Unmade Bed
25. Tremens
26. Superstar (Carpenters cover)
27. Karen Koltrane
28. (She's in a) Bad Mood
29. Confusion Is Next
30. Malibu Gas Station

ALBUMS:
1. Goo
2. Sister
3. EVOL
4. Daydream Nation
5. Silver Session (For Jason Knuth)

Side Projects/Solo Albums/Collabs
1. East Jesus (Ranaldo)
2. Ambient Loop for Vancouver (Ranaldo)
3. From Here to Infinity (Ranaldo)

Least Ugly Cover
The Whitey Album

I ranked the albums after a multi-day diet of nothing but SY, late at night, half-conscious. Part of me looks at Goo as my #1 and thinks WTF?! and the other part thinks "hell yeah."

Silver Session is the album I voted for after hearing it for the first time.

inyl, with the lock-groove repeating for 10 minutes or so, is the only way to experience Expressway.

― What makes a man shart fire? (WilliamC), Friday, May 17, 2013 9:56 AM (14 minutes ago)

yeah, i was listening to it in the car the other day and was MUCH BUGGED by the lack of lock groove lullaby.

I can replay this in my head on command due to having listened to it so much, I like that.

Loved following the rundown! Thanks Arch. My ballot:

01. Schizophrenia
02. Sunday
03. Bull in the heather
04. What a waste
05. Becuz
06. Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle handcream
07. Karen revisited
08. Paper cup exit
09. Saucer like
10. Disconnection notice
11. The neutral
12. Theresa's sound world
13. Drunk butterfly
14. Reena
15. Catholic block
16. Teenage riot
17. Tunic
18. Sympathy for the strawberry
19. Beauty Lies in the eye
20. Swimsuit issue
21. Candle
22. Pattern recognition
23. The diamond sea
24. Massage the history
25. Plastic girl
26. Sacred trickster
27. Pacific coast highway
28. 100%
29. Little trouble girl
30. Sugar Kane

my ballot:

1. I'm Insane
2. I Love Her All The Time
3. Expressway To Yr Skull
4. Making The Nature Scene
5. Eric's Trip
6. Society Is A Hole
7. Shadow Of A Doubt
8. Tom Violence
9. The Burning Spear
10. Flower
11. Lee Is Free
12. Schizophrenia
13. Brother James
14. Candle
15. Star Power
16. (I Got A) Catholic Block
17. Tuff Gnarl
18. White Kross
19. Death Valley '69
20. Loud And Soft

Top 5 Albums
Bad Moon Rising
Smart Bar Chicago 1985
EVOL
Sister
Confusion Is Sex

^^ my kinda ballot although I rate the Dirty tracks a lot higher

Definitely a fun poll. Little disappointed 'Pink Steam' didn't show, but I understand why.

Here's my ballot:
1) The Diamond Sea
2) Teen Age Riot
3) Disappearer
4) Schizophrenia
5) Unmade Bed
6) Madonna, Sean and Me (Expressway to Yr Skull)
7) Pink Steam
8) I Dreamed I Dream
9) Rain On Tin
10) Shadow of a Doubt
11) Peace Attack
12) Jams Run Free
13) Tom Violence
14) Hit of Sunshine (for Allen Ginsberg)
15) Total Trash
16) Unwind
17) Free City Rhymes
18) Into the Groove(y)
19) I Love You Golden Blue
20) Incinerate
21) Disconnection Notice
22) Brave Men Run (In My Family)
23) The Empty Page
24) Sugar Kane
25) Or
26) Theresa's Sound World
27) Antenna
28) Trilogy
29) The World Looks Red
30) Sweet Shine

Goo cover is cool in a "major label record with Raymond Pettibon cover, fuck yeah" way, but he had so many better covers. the "Disappearer" CD single is full of great Pettibon art.

Two later-period songs I also think deserved a little more run were "Sympathy For The Strawberry", which I think is a lovely lovely song, and "Dripping Dream", which admittedly has an embarrassing name and some corny lyrics but has, in my mind, just a great great instrumental section. Best jam on Sonic Nurse for me.

― grandavis, Friday, May 17, 2013 1:39 PM (18 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

otm. "Dripping Dream" is for me one of their biggest gaps between "whatever song, amazing instrumental bridge."

Thanks for running, AC!

My ballot:

Hits of Sunshine
Into the Groove(y)
The Diamond Sea
Death Valley 69
Ca Plane Pour Moi
'Cross the Breeze
Slaapkamers met Slagroom
Tokyo Eye
Karen Koltrane
Silver Rocket
The Empty Page
Eric's Trip
Bull in the Heather
The Sprawl
Expressway to yr Skull
Tuff Gnarl
I Dreamed I Dream
Hyperstation
Dirty Boots
Shaking Hell
Youth Against Fascism
Sugar Kane
Eliminator Jr
Having Never Written a Note for Percussion
Female Mechanic Now on Duty
JC
Ticket to Ride/Master-Dik (version)/Introducing the Stars
Snare, Girl
Tom Violence
Piano Piece #13

ALBUMS
1. A Thousand Leaves
2. Daydream Nation
3. Bad Moon Rising
4. Murray St
5. Goodbye 20th Century

SIDE PROJECTS
1. Lee Ranaldo - Between the Times and the Tides
2. Loren Mazzacane Connors, Jean-Marc Montera, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo - mmmr
3. Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy

I didn't get much out of Silver Session at the time and ended up selling it. WilliamC's ranking makes me want to reconsider it.

xposts "Dripping Dream" is for me one of their biggest gaps between "whatever song, amazing instrumental bridge."

OTM.

I haven't heard that LM Connors project: interested.

I like some dude's ballot a lot, considering that it's fairly different from mine.

i had it on vinyl, never struck me as an especially good SY improv side project (and enjoyed the Connors solo stuff i've heard more), but haven't listened to it in over a decade (xp)

i like your ballot! wish i had voted for "New Hampshire" too

Ha, actually it's not all that different, looking over it again.

xpost Ha, thanks.

"New Hampshire" is a good song, could have voted for it.

The recent Thurston Moore/Loren Connors record is actually really good imo, there is a good video of the live set on the record from The Stone as well.

Here's my ballot:

1. Expressway To Yr Skull
2. Schizophrenia
3. Theresa’s Sound World
4. Rain On Tin
5. ‘Cross the Breeze
6. Hey Joni
7. Silver Rocket
8. Shadow of a Doubt
9. Pacific Coast Highway
10. Dirty Boots
11. Brave Men Run (In My Family)
12. Death Valley '69
13. Teen Age Riot
14. Tunic (Song For Karen)
15. NYC Ghosts& Flowers
16. Tom Violence
17. Tuff Gnarl
18. Brother James
19. Hyperstation (would have voted for the trilogy)
20. Kissability
21. Sugar Kane
22. Mote
23. The Burning Spear
24. The Diamond Sea
25. Hits Of Sunshine
26. Skip Tracer
27. Washing Machine
28. Paper Cup Exit
29. Karen Koltrane
30. Dripping Dream

Only voted for favorite member, which was Lee (though Steve is the nicest, have talked to him several times and he is great).

yeah i interviewed Steve once and talked to him a couple other times, incredibly nice guy

I interviewed him for my radio station, and I was terrible! I think he was psyched that I asked him about the Lee Hazlewood reissues, but I was so unprepared and awkward that it must have been somewhat of a chore for him. He was incredibly gracious about it though, downright enthusiastic about a lot of it actually.

That was the last interview I ever attempted, it was very evident that I should not be interviewing anyone.

Two later-period songs I also think deserved a little more run were "Sympathy For The Strawberry", which I think is a lovely lovely song, and "Dripping Dream"

^^definitely

yeah great track. i'm gonna do a playlist of awesome songs that somehow missed the top 100.

my ballot - only one track didn't make it!

1. The Diamond Sea
2. Karen Koltrane
3. Sunday
4. Schizophrenia
5. Expressway To Yr Skull
6. Kool Thing
7. Starpower
8. Death Valley 69
9. Karen Revisited
10. Sugar Kane
11. Mote
12. I Love You Golden Blue
13. Teen Age Riot
14. Wish Fulfillment
15. Cross The Breeze
16. Androgynous Mind
17. Kotton Krown
18. 100%
19. Stereo Sanctity
20. Screaming Skull
21. Theresa's Sound-World
22. Silver Rocket
23. Shadow Of A Doubt
24. Skip Tracer
25. Brave Men Run
26. Kill Yr Idols
27. Dirty Boots
28. Bull In The Heather
29. She's In A Bad Mood
30. Flower

Regret somewhat not voting for "Flower" and "(She's In A) Bad Mood".

they did place, though!

True. A top 100 sure gives one a feel-good relationship to their ballot for the most part.

Mainly I'm relieved and impressed most of you love or have grown to love 2000s-era SY.

Cool ballot, da croupier. Somehow I expected your ballot to be more popist, ha.

1. Candle
2. Catholic Block
3. Kotton Krown
4. Teenage Riot
5. My Friend Goo
6. Hoarfrost
7. Winner's Blues
8. Theresa's Sound-World
9. Green Light
10. Total Trash
11. Kool Thing
12. Youth Against Fascism
13. Dirty Boots
14. I Love You Golden Blue
15. Rain on Tin
16. Incinerate
17. Androgynous Mind
18. Schizophrenia
19. Death Valley '69
20. Sunday
21. Pacific Coast Highway
22. Peace Attack
23. Pink Steam
24. Swimsuit Issue
25. Cross The Breze
26. Shadow of a Doubt
27. Paper Cup Exit
28. Or
29 Hits of Sunshine (For Allen Ginsberg)
30. Tunic

ALBUMS

Sister
Daydream Nation
A Thousand Leaves
Dirty
Sonic Nurse

As usual, abbreviated--the five songs I really love from the six or seven albums I've got:

1. "Teen Age Riot" (40)
2. "Kotton Krown" (36)
3. "Theresa’s Sound-World" (33)
4. "Kool Thing" (30)
5. "Superstar" (27)

I would have bet money on "Teen Age Riot" finishing first, which is why I think "I Feel Love" should be in the disco poll--you never know.

Shit! We're done?

Gotta get caught up....

Good luck. Definitely will make work a little "easier" next week having this behind me.

Good ballot by the way Alfred. Looks very much like a personal take on the band, which is cool. Wonder how many other "My Friend Goo" votes there were?

Thanks! Can't think of any other way to poll.

Yeah, me neither, but when I look at my ballot I still see a lot of stuff that is not very unexpected.

Lastly, it just really set me down the road of thinking that there may never be a band like Sonic Youth again, and perhaps they are utterly singular even now, in regards to maintaining a quality and consistency to their catalogue over as long a stretch of time as they have. They never stopped putting out records that didn't suck (in my opinion of course, but at this point I at least like to love every damn one of them) for pretty much 30 years, which is truly just nuts.

grandavis sounding presidential here