Sonic Youth: Classic or Dud/S&D?

I definitely remember seeing Stereolab opening for them. The only time I ever saw Stereolab.

According to the setlist on the page tylerw linked, you're right. We probably just got there in time for SY then.

Sounds like we missed a good opening set, based on this thread.

I'm still working my way through the SY catalog. Whoever said Dirty would be up my alley was spot-on - I think it even beats out Sister. Just really consistent and focused, great sound, even the bonus tracks.

I didn't like Goo apart from a couple tracks, even though there's a stylistic similarity with Dirty. I can't explain why some Goo tracks sound grating where similar Dirty tracks don't. But kinda feeling sarahell's pov, because every album has had at least one or two incredible songs (I'll single out "Dirty Boots" and "Disappearer" on Goo)

― Vinnie, Monday, October 7, 2019 8:28 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

Interesting, I think Dirty is my least favorite of their "good albums." Can't really explain it. (I also think "Mote" is the strongest track on Goo, tho, so what do i know).

agree with you table. Thanks to all who sent me back to NYC Ghosts - haven't listened in years, it's not in my top ten but I like its low-key spacious beatnik vibe.

Goo is their worst album, and Mote is the best track on it (closely followed by Disappearer).

No way, nyc g&f is insufferable, Goo is pretty good.

I would have agreed that it was insufferable but I listened this morning and tried to think of it like a SYR release. I've mellowed toward it considerably.

I returned to NYCG&F over the weekend for the first time in probably a decade ... and realized that it's actually a lot better than I'd thought, with some unusual textures and directions.

Goo is great, Kool Thing and Dirty Boots and Tunic are some of their best songs

also really like NYCG&F, not so much for the individual songs as the whole mood of the album

as Raymond said

the eternal is their worst album, until such time as i start really liking it

Goo was huge for me as a kid. Never warmed to Dirty despite some wonderful moments. Mostly lost track of them after EJST&NS, although I just picked up A Thousand Leaves cheap so I’ll be giving that a few spins soon.

My band in high school used to cover Mote; it’s a great pop tune.

Mote is really good

will have to listen to The Eternal again. they were alway my favorite band but I started losing interest at the end

I do love Goo as well, and when I dip into it these days it’s for “Disappearer”which is absolutely massive when you crank it. I find it really unsettling, deep sense of dread throughout.

agree about Disappearer

yep - accompanying video also made that song more vivid for me

so kim's new lp is really interesting and for me surprisingly enjoyable. major Suicide and occasionally Fall vibes.

big soft spot for the sound and textures of NYCG&F, and it's probably the last thing by them i was really into. it also has maybe my favorite cover and inner sleeve art of any sy album.

Just me or is this new Kim album a wee bit industrial?

yeah initial thoughts on a few tracks were actually NIN/Ministry, but then i figured she was probably going for more of a Suicide vibe.

need to stop saying vibe/vibes

Bits of it reminded me more of "The Unutterable" era Fall or the Von Südenfed record, the whole record is great

Loving the Kim record so far

gut kinda says that Kim would find Ministry/NIN really dorky/suburban/embarrassing but who knows?

Hungry Baby is very Fall

so do i need to listen to this then?

if you want to rock out and have a good time, yes

need to check out the new kim. the new thurston is pretty happening too!

whoa thx for the heads up y'all

yes

She's signing today at Amoeba H'wood (7pm), if anyone wants to bring their copy of the Ciccone Youth vinyl.

Dirty's just too long.

But there's no cutoff point; it's got good tunes everywhere.

Unpacking now after a move and I have 20 SY cds!? I love them but cringe at points of each of their solo careers (though Steve is unimpeachable). SY is comfort food at this point and I still listen at least weekly. Going to listen to Kim's record today though Murdered Out and Air BnB were not my bag.

Dirty's just too long

You can think an album is too long without using it as the sole measure of quality.

(This food is too salty. What, so saltiness is your measure of how good good is?)

I’ve been blasting Goo a bunch the last several days, it’s been a blast

;)

The Kim sings on Dirty sound too much like she's puking into the microphone.

*songs

9 minutes of goodness, what more can you ask for?

A shorter album produced by Jake.

You can think an album is too long without using it as the sole measure of quality

(This food is too salty. What, so saltiness is your measure of how good good is?)

the tipping point from which a meal changes from tasty to oversalted is more or less the same for most people. but length as criterion to judge music is very subjective, what is too long depends completely on the listener.

[returns back to listening to the zero years poll tracks]

Songs I like on Dirty: "Theresa's Sound-World," "Youth Against Fascism," "Purr," "Wish Fulfillment," "Swimsuit Issue," 'JC," "Chapel Hill," "Drunken Butterfly," "Sugar Kane."

xp. that are quite a lot of songs. but that means you only like raisins in your cake. i think there also should be not so good songs on albums to make the other ones stand out even more.

anyways length as a reproach in respect to dirty is quite bizarre. the songs on dirty are very succinct in comparison to more prog-rock works of sonic youth like the diamond sea (bad example as i like it but i think you get the gist) e.g. and other meandering tracks. it does not make sense to me. dirty is quite diversified which can't be said of all of sonic youth's output.

i think i meant cherry-picking, in german it is raisin-picking...

Dirty reportedly would have been one track longer, but they had to edit for length, and Lee almost quit the band over them axing his song.

"Why are you so mean-o?"

Just finished listening to the Kim album. I feel like if I listen to it again, a few things might pop out, but overall it's like she's opted for icon-hood over progress. Like, the guy who worked on the album with her put some tracks together and she just Kim Gordon-ed over the top of them for a couple of minutes each. The lyrics are so oblique they're forgettable, they're like phrases that slide through your brain while you're dreaming and when you wake up they're gone. I do like that she called a song "Murdered Out," because it amuses me that a 66-year-old woman knows that; it's like when William Gibson drops some bit of Tokyo street culture into a line of dialogue and then never mentions it again. The first track, which sounds like a collaboration with Prurient, and the last one, which has the drifting hazy quality of my favorite SY tracks with her (and Body/Head), were my favorites. And the giant bass and the drum machine on "Murdered Out" sound almost like Godflesh. I'll give it another listen in a few days, maybe, if I can squeeze it in between things I need to listen to for assignments.

I most recently encountered Kim onstage at the Greek Theatre, joining opening act Malkmus/Jicks for a song, and wearing a BETO t-shirt (this was leading up to last year’s midterms).

re: album length vs food, wouldn’t the analogy be closer to “the food here is great but the portions are huge; I walk out feeling overstuffed if I try to eat everything on the plate”?