Sonic Youth: Classic or Dud/S&D?

Theres this one too — https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screaming_Fields_of_Sonic_Love

But I agree — it does seem like a box set of some kind would make sense.

At this point what would that consist of? Most of their best known records have been deluxified and/or padded out (not EVOL and Sister I guess).. Maybe there are some live shows (although I think the three prime era live records are tough to beat...) They seem like a band where you should just buy the record anyway.

The only one that ever got a deluxe edition was Daydream - it got a second disc full of live stuff and some cover tunes from compilations. The SST and Homestead albums haven't ever even been remastered, I don't think, even though the band put out EVOL and Sister on their own Goofin' label in 2015/2016.

They seem like a band where you should just buy the record anyway.

Easy to say if you’re a big fan! They have tons of albums... surely there are ppl who don’t want to buy them all, but would buy a distillation if the “best of” their output (nicely packaged and contextualized)?

I think they're looking for something more like a concise best-of like Forty Licks or the 1990 Zep box, as opposed to even more additional live or unreleased material? Idk, is there still a market for that kind of thing, esp with a m/l cult band? 2xp

The only one that ever got a deluxe edition was Daydream

In a world less yoked to streaming - and were the mood within the band rosier, and were the band more interested in convention - we might have a real compilation.

Agree with Josh. I think Dirty was where the deluxe reissue series stopped. (The Goo/Dirty reissues were Geffen-related, I believe.)

well isn't that partly because the next album's tapes were lost, or something like that? aside from viability of an EJNS deluxe ed.

I think they're looking for something more like a concise best-of like Forty Licks or the 1990 Zep box, as opposed to even more additional live or unreleased material?

Exactly... a collection that could even become the “go-to” SY thing to buy, for new/casual listeners, considering how sprawling their discography is.

Looking at Amazon, it appears the Dirty deluxe was 2003, the Goo was 2005, and Daydream was 2007. They left Geffen not long after, and between that and what went down w/both the band and the business*, I imagine that put the kibosh on any more of them.

*There's probably something up about this on discogs or rateyrmusic, but iirc the Universal "Deluxe Edition" line began to taper off around 2010 or so?

...and there is! Seems like the line remained a thing in Europe until recently, but the stateside releases did slow down earlier in the decade.

there have been two archival releases (the smart bar and the spinhead sessions) since the band called it quits — more of those kinds of things would be awesome. they're both fantastic.

well isn't that partly because the next album's tapes were lost, or something like that?
You might be referring to the claim that EJSTANS was recorded over the Sister master tapes, but I'm pretty sure that was a joke

i knew about that, but i thought i remembered some other claim (here on ilm, even) that no reworking of that album would be forthcoming.

Seems like The Destroyed Room gathered up most of the DGC-era B-sides that weren't on the deluxe editions, which suggests that more of them (post-Dirty, anyway) weren't planned at that point.

On the one hand it seems like a career-spanning SY box set wouldn't sell a lot, but then I recall that Cherry Red is redoing the 50,000 Fall Fans comp from 2004, and I imagine that will sell rather less than a comparable SY set would. It does seem though that for all the marginal SYR releases and whatnot, posthumous releases have been relatively restrained. I wouldn't be surprised if the personalities involved make doing a career retrospective/celebration more trouble than it's worth. Maybe it's just what's in a name, but Sonic Youth seems like a project that doesn't want to call itself finished (not that I'm aware of any recent rumblings on the subject from the people involved).

Oh, I forgot about that Destroyed Room thing. That probably figured into Universal not doing further reissues.

On that tip, I wonder what the sales were on the three they did do? Seems like they wouldn't have been super-high as those things go, certainly not in league with the Nirvana or the heavy canon Classic Rock stuff in that series.

Is that “Screaming Fields of Sonic Love” a good comp? I’ve never heard any of their pre-DN albums; does that CD feature the choice traxx?

It seems crazy to me that in the era of streaming people would need greatest hits/retrospectives of a band like Sonic Youth, when you can audition the canonical albums with little effort and purchase one of those, if you like it. Re: Screaming Fields, the tracklist is good - but SY are one of y favourite bands, and I find it weird to hear songs out of context of their parent albums, as I rarely don't listen to the albums in toto.

MorrisP I recommend you buy Sister because it's front-to-back excellent - EVOL is great too but not as universally loved. Before that, the greatness is patchy (ducks).

Screaming Fields arguably features arbitrary, not-particularly-representative selections from Sister but it's decent enough. Perhaps just get Sister then EVOL if DN floats yer boat.

XP: er, what MatthewK just said.

I'm not a big enough SY fan to go digging through their albums, but I'd definitely buy a 1 or 2CD best of. Did we ever poll SY, if so I'll just compile my own best of by taking the top 15 or 20 songs from that.

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

I bought Screaming Fields at the time of release and it was a great gateway to navigate their pre-Geffen stuff (which was kinda obscure and hard to find where I lived at the time)

I've been spending a lot of time with their "late period" albums, which I wasn't previously familiar with (I stopped at "Washing Machine," back in the day). Just the major albums, not the soundtracks and SYR stuff. The ones I find I like the most are "NYC Ghosts & Flowers," "Rather Ripped," and (especially) "Murray Street." (That last one is just plain great; I'm really glad I did this exercise and "discovered" it!)

The others, maybe not so much... though it's interesting how they settled into a nice groove of trying different approaches/variations/ideas, some of them maybe more "successful" than others, but without knocking themselves out trying to make another "Daydream Nation" or whatever. It's a nice model for a late-career era of a band that has been around a long time and doesn't really have anything left to "prove."

"NYC Ghosts" is an interesting one... if you had just described it to me (beat poetry slams over plinking gtrs), I would have thought "no way"; but there's something oddly nice & relaxing about it. And "Rather Ripped" is really strong -- big, pleasing, anthemic tunes (is it their most "accessible" album?)

Yeah Murray Street is definitely my favorite at this point (tho haven’t listened to it in 10 years)

both SYR 1 and 2 are really worthwhile as well IMO, esp #2

murray st is very very excellent. it was the first SY i ever owned, actually. i didn't give it enough time back in the day because i shortly thereafter "discovered" their classic late 80s stuff, which thrilled me as a teen. but murray st turns out to be the gift that keeps giving

thx, sleeve -- I'll check out SYR 2

at this point I think Sonic Nurse is my fave of the 21st century SY (also maybe their best-recorded album?).

I miss Sonic Youth

Aw, yeah. So great. Murray Street is just straight one of their best ever albums. I really really like Sonic Nurse as well.

I saw the Sonic Nurse tour with Jim O’Rourke, at the Enmore in Sydney, and it was the best sounding show I have ever been to. I love that record to death.

since we're on murray street, let me just say: "Sympathy For the Strawberry". it's a brilliant song that deserves to be mentioned more than once in a sonic c/d thread

seconded. and ms is in my absolute top 4 sy albums, along with bmr, dn and wm

it's my favorite 'late period' album of theirs

late period to me is anything after Dirty

co-sign on Sympathy

Jeez just realised I haven't actually heard Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star. Definitely have the Bull in the Heather on single somewhere though. Today will be fun!

Murray Street and Sonic Nurse are my favourite late period albums. The Jim O'Rourke magic touch.

I remember experiencing Stones on a "Best of 21st Century So Far" mix tape from a different forum in maybe 2006 and it just blew my mind. At that point I only had a few of the 80's albums and hadn't really any idea of 90's - 00's SY.

I saw the Sonic Nurse tour with Jim O’Rourke, at the Enmore in Sydney, and it was the best sounding show I have ever been to.
I went to the second show, and yeah, co-sign.

The Murray Street show in Montreal sounded incredible and they were so tight. Not what I expected after the two previous tours. The album didn't excite at first but it has grown to become one of my favourites.

"Sympathy For the Strawberry". it's a brilliant song that deserves to be mentioned more than once in a sonic c/d thread

Yes, it’s really a standout... if I had walked into a room where it was playing, I’d be like “What is this??”

at this point I think Sonic Nurse is my fave of the 21st century SY (also maybe their best-recorded album?).

― tylerw, Friday,

seconded

Wonder what I’m missing with that one; the songs don’t grab me...

Sonic Nurse is great. One of the few SY releases where I not only like-to-love every tune, but at any given moment could point to one or the other as an album highlight: Pattern Recognition, Stones, I Love You Golden Blue, Peace Attack... so many good ones.

Upon release, Rather Ripped sounded tepid in comparison, but has aged well in its own right.

After A Thousand Leaves I felt like SY shrugged off the chaotic distortion element of their music and became much more about pure musicality (if that doesn’t sound ridiculous). Their late period music has much more in common with CAN which might be why I like it so much.

Rather Ripped (which I think is OK) always sounded to me like the record Geffen probably wish they had made in 1994 — fairly tight, melodic guitar rock, nothing too far out. it might be where thurston's lyrics really start to get not so good.

I was listening to Goo and Dirty the other week and man, did Kim's lyrics get on my nerves. Esp. "Kool Thing" and "Swimsuit Issue," the latter of which I could not hear without thinking of the Ben Stiller parody. Made me think a lot of her book, too, which I really didn't like.

Those albums both still sound awesome, though.

xp that is a very good point tyler

I dig Rather Ripped, "Rapture" and "Rats" are two of my "late period" tunes

("late peroid" is post-Washing Machine for me, it's interesting how subjective this is but I personally place it at the start of the SYR series)