How much do you love them?
Or how much do you hate them?
Are they the greatest thing ever to come out of New York City?
Or are they an over-rated, over-hyped bunch of pretentious hipsters who disguise very simplistic ideas with extended noise freak outs and junk beatnik poetic nonsense lyrics?
For the record, I love them.
Who else does?
Who else doesn’t???
I used to like some of their stuff, especially “Daydream Nation” and “Goo” and some other stuff around the later 80’s. And I casually (I was in college so everyone listened to Sonic Youth) listened to their mid-90’s stuff by default (roommates, parties, etc).
I’ve no idea if they’ve done anything of note in the last 15 years, though.
The last good album was A Thousand Leaves (1998).
Everything they’ve done since then is either so-so (like Rather Ripped) or blatantly shithouse (like Murray Street and NYC Ghosts & Flowers).
I’m betting that Grmpysmrf hates them!
I’m betting that Grmpysmrf hates them!
How sweet your thinking about me.
well I’ve only heard one song of theirs it was 100% and yeah I wasn’t impressed so I’ve felt no need to seek any more out from them. I haven’t heard enough to hate them but don’t really care to keep listening to form an opinion.
Late,
grmpysmrf
I have a lot of respect for Sonic Youth. That having been said, the best they’ve ever done for me is be tolerable. None of it blows me away on a visceral level.
The collab with Mats Gustafsson and Merzbow is pretty dope, though.
I think they can be really great. A shortlived Swedish guitarist for Nursing Home who was crashing at my place turned me on to them.
‘Bad Moon Rising’ would please the elitist post-Industrial snobs on this forum.
I also like the shit they did as Ciccone Youth. I tend to like their darker noisier stuff (what a shock…)
There is something ethereal a kind of wistful melancholy yet beautiful tensionabout their sound that to me embodies the vibe of New York City. Same with Swans to a lesser extent but in my opinion Sonic Youth really nails it. And old Velvet Underground.
These were probably my favorite Sonic Youth songs back when I gave a crap.
“Silver Rocket”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Igs7l4rr7I
“Dirty Boots”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igwCSA0Es9Y
well I’ve only heard one song of theirs
Dude, what the fuck?!?!
[reply]well I’ve only heard one song of theirs
Dude, what the fuck?!?![/reply]
Yeah, you read it right.
Late,
grmpysmrf
Best line from Juno:
“I bought another Sonic Youth album and it sucked! it’s just noise!”
Best line from Juno:
I nominate this as the gayest phrase of the month.
In order of greatness -
Bad Moon Rising
Sister
Daydream Nation
EVOL
Washing Machine
Confusion Is Sex
Dirty
A Thousand Leaves
Rather Ripped
Sonic Nurse
Murray Street
NYC Ghosts And Flowers
In order of greatness -
Bad Moon Rising
Sister
Daydream Nation
EVOL
Washing Machine
Confusion Is Sex
Dirty
A Thousand Leaves
Rather Ripped
Sonic Nurse
Murray Street
NYC Ghosts And Flowers
I…actually agree with this. A lot. But, I would put Murray St above Sonic Nurse. That’s gotta be the most SY by numbers record ever.
And Sonic Death is a good piece too!
‘Bad Moon Rising’ would please the elitist post-Industrial snobs on this forum.
In order of greatness -
Bad Moon Rising
What did I tell you?
The interesting thing about SY is that their influences and backgrounds are way outside the mainstream, yet they know how to do mainstream music so well that it hurts (Dirty, Rather Ripped). Glenn Branca taught guitar to Thurston Moore, while the others were influenced by the no-wave scene and music like Stockhausen and The Fall…and that definitely shows in the releases that DON’T sound mainstream (NYC Ghosts & Flowers, the SYR series, Sonic Death).
So, for every radio-friendly thing they do, they can easily put out something that is equivalent to wanking off and there’s still fans out there for both audiences.
I knew Kim was an old crusty bird, but, DANG, that hag is about 60 now! Does anyone know what she was doing before SY?
Does anyone know what she was doing before SY?
She was in a band in the late 70’s with two other girls or something. I believe she was also the “editor” of a punk fanzine.
And yeah she’s freakin old.
I thought I read some where she was 6 or 7 older than thurston and he’s in his mid 50s. Its not so much being old and she looks weathered
Late,
grmpysmrf
She was born in 1953.
And yes, she’s got about 7 years on Thurston.
She’s looked weathered for quite some time, though.
She was a really crusty looking forty-something.
But I think as a 60 year old (based on a photo I just saw) she’s better than average.