Sonic Youth is fuckin amazing!

[VinylGuy]

I miss SY dont get me wrong, but it was a good moment to end the band. Not a good reason at all, but a good moment.

[tragabigzanda]

[VinylGuy]

Even the band stated that it was difficult for them to do something new. We all pretty much know what to expect.

They were amazing live though.

[Birds in Hell]

Yea, The Eternal was the first SY record that I would call predictable.

Yeah, I still find it really boring.

[matt reeder]

I agree -- I would prefer to not know any of this stuff. I think the reason it bothers me is because (beyond the fact that I think Kim is amazing and beautiful and Thurston was lucky to have her) when I hung with Thurston and Lee one night in 2010, they both struck me as very art-snobbish; I count meeting those two as among my least-favorite interactions with famous musicians. And his attitude since then just continues to support my notion that he considers himself really hot shit.

This surprises me not at all. But I kind of expect this from musicians, and this is why I prefer not to meet people I respect and admire. Sometimes they're cool, and sometimes they aren't. I'm sure Thurston and Lee (and Kim, and Steve) are standup individuals in the right context. But that context is hard to find most of the time.

Yea, The Eternal was the first SY record that I would call predictable.

Yeah, I still find it really boring.

Agreed. I've come back to it while I work on this bootleg mix I'm making and I've found that I would rank it near the bottom of their albums, along with NYC Ghosts and Flowers and (don't shoot me for this) Goo. I just never connected to those three albums and subjectively speaking I think The Eternal and NYC Ghosts and Flowers are their two worst albums.

I've also discovered that I seriously underrated Jet Set and Bad Moon Rising, which shot up to near the top of my favorite SY albums list. I won't bother ranking them as it's impossible.

[darth_vedder]

I hear ya @matt reeder - I've never connected with Goo either, and that's like sacrilegious in SY terms. That's not to say I don't like the album. I do. There are also a few of my all time favorite SY songs on it, but as a whole, I've never been drawn to it the same way I am with: Sonic Nurse, Dirty, Sister, Experimental Jet Set, Murray St, and Washing Machine. Of that lot, I typically listen to Sister and Nurse the most. Nurse could very well be my favorite SY album. I it so much.

re: The Eternal, I haven't listened to it in like 4 years. I remember really liking Anti-Orgasm, but outside of that I don't remember much. I do remember that I didn't like the sound...it's like really muddy or something, like the opposite of 'Rather Ripped' (which is a bit underrated IMO).

[tragabigzanda]

[matt reeder]

I have similar problems with Goo, and also Dirty. Where Daydream Nation works perfectly as a cohesive whole, Goo has too many tracks I'm not really into. And being that EJST&NS was the first SY album I latched on to, it was tough to go back to Dirty, because it sounds like a more cluttered version of EJST&NS.

I love Dirty but you're absolutely right. It would have been better as a 11-12 track album with the strongest tracks (and "Genetic"). They could have just released a B-sides EP (they kind of did, actually) the year after with the leftovers.

[Birds in Hell]

I love, love, love Goo but I have the same issues with Dirty. Some great material but the album isn't cohesive at all.

I'm a pretty big fan of everything they did, though I'm relatively cool on Murray St compared to most fans, but I think the EVOL, Sister, Daydream Nation, Goo run of albums is absolutely astonishing. That's the band's golden period for me.

Glad to see Rather Ripped getting repped, I think it's heavily underrated.

[matt reeder]

I love, love, love Goo but I have the same issues with Dirty. Some great material but the album isn't cohesive at all.

I'm a pretty big fan of everything they did, though I'm relatively cool on Murray St compared to most fans, but I think the EVOL, Sister, Daydream Nation, Goo run of albums is absolutely astonishing. That's the band's golden period for me.

Glad to see Rather Ripped getting repped, I think it's heavily underrated.

We feel the opposite about Sonic Nurse and Murray Street, but Murray Street is one of my favorite albums by anyone ever. It came out at a really interesting, lively time in my life and I fell in love with it immediately while I was going through some fascinating times. I will never stop loving it ("Rain on Tin" in particular) and there are days in which it's my favorite Sonic Youth album. I love Sonic Nurse but I have trouble listening to it all the way through. The album peaks for me over the first two tracks and everything afterwards is good, but not as good as the first two.

I love Rather Ripped. It's not as good as the two albums before it but it's still really, really good.

What a great fucking band.

[matt reeder]

Honestly, the most amazing thing about Sonic Youth is that they peaked multiple times, and that they released albums that only sounded like Sonic Youth. Their greatest strength is that everybody has a different favorite era of the band, and a different favorite album. While Daydream Nation is justifiably known as their greatest album, everybody seems to have a different favorite, and especially a different second-favorite album. I'd probably go Daydream Nation > Murray Street > Washing Machine > Bad Moon Rising for my top 4.

The bootleg mix is almost done. I'm going to attempt making art but I don't ever print that stuff out so I might not bother.

[tragabigzanda]

Top 10 maybe?
Hello Morning
Close Captioned
The Kill
Place/Position
Do You Like Me?
Latest Disgrace
Recap Modotti
Nightshop
Break
Life & Limb

I'd maybe bump Life & Limb for Epic Problem

[WaitingForBluey]

I keep forgetting how enjoyable Rather Ripped is, but it still doesn't touch the cream of the crop: Dirty, Sister, Daydream Nation, Washing Machine and Sonic Nurse (top 5, in no particular order)

[darth_vedder]

I want 'Sister' to the get the remaster / deluxe treatment that Daydream got.

[darth_vedder]

I keep forgetting how enjoyable Rather Ripped is, but it still doesn't touch the cream of the crop: Dirty, Sister, Daydream Nation, Washing Machine and Sonic Nurse (top 5, in no particular order)

I need to revisit RR, it's been long while.

[matt reeder]

I'm not quite ready to unleash the bootmix but here's the tracklist:
================================================
SONIC YOUTH
Death to Our Friends
Seven Sick Discs

Disc 1: 1981 - 1985
01 - The Good and the Bad [New York rehearsals, 7-XX-1981]
02 - Where the Red Fern Grows [New York, 7-XX-1981]
03 - Burning Spear [New York Rehearsal, 7-XX-1981]
04 - She's In A Bad Mood [Carrboro, 11-14-1982]
05 - Confusion Is Next [Carrboro, 11-14-1982]
06 - Shaking Hell [Dearborn, 12-12-1982]
07 - The World Looks Red [Vienna, 6-23-1983]
08 - Halloween [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]
09 - Death Valley '69 [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]
10 - Brave Men Run (In My Family) [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]
11 - I Love Her All the Time [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]
12 - Brother James [VPRO-FM, 4-01-1985]
13 - Flower [VPRO-FM, 4-01-1985]
14 - Kill Yr Idols [VPRO-FM, 4-01-1985]
15 - Satan is Boring [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]

Disc 2: 1986 - 1989
01 - Expressway To Yr Skull [demo from 1985 broadcast on John Peel, 5-18-1986]
02 - White Kross [Washington, 7-25-1986]
03 - Shadow of a Doubt [Washington, 7-25-1986]
04 - Starpower [Washington, 7-25-1986]
05 - Death to Our Friends [Washington, 7-25-1986]
06 - Green Light [Washington, 7-25-1986]
07 - Beauty Lies in the Eye [VPRO-FM, 6-10-1987]
08 - Kotton Krown [VPRO-FM, 6-10-1987]
09 - Stereo Sanctity [VPRO-FM, 6-10-1987]
10 - Schizophrenia [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]
11 - Tom Violence [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]
12 - Tuff Gnarl [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]
13 - The Sprawl [Washington, 12-11-1988]
14 - Cross the Breeze [Washington, 12-11-1988]
15 - Ruben's Beard [BBC Session, 3-12-1989]
16 - Major Label Chicken Feed [BBC Session, 3-12-1989]
17 - Hey Joni [Washington, 12-11-1988]
18 - Kissability [Washington, 12-11-1988]
19 - The Wonder [Vienna, 3-29-1989]
20 - Hyperstation [Vienna, 3-29-1989]
21 - Eliminator Jr [New York, 12-13-1988]

Disc 3: 1990 - 1993
01 - Teenage Riot [Bremen, 8-27-1991]
02 - Burning Spear [Peel Session, 7-20-1992]
03 - Kill Yr Idols [Irvine, 11-03-1990]
04 - Silver Rocket [Irvine, 11-03-1990]
05 - Genetic [Binghamton, 10-17-1992]
06 - Dirty Boots [Bremen, 8-27-1991]
07 - Youth Against Fascism [Peel Session, 7-20-1992]
08 - 100% [Melbourne, 1-24-1993]
09 - Kool Thing [Melbourne, 1-24-1993]
10 - The World Looks Red [Berlin, 9-16-1990]
11 - Mote [Bremen, 8-27-1991]
12 - Candle [Lisbon, 7-14-1993]
13 - Stereo Sanctity [Lisbon, 7-14-1993]
14 - Sugar Kane [Rennes, 12-04-1992]
15 - Purr [Peel Session, 7-20-1992]
16 - Theresa's Sound World [London, 12-14-1992]
17 - Creme Brulee [Peel Session, 7-20-1992]
18 - Expressway To Yr Skull [Bremen, 8-27-1991]

Disc 4: 1994 - 1999
01 - Stil [Sessions at West 54th, 6-12-1997]
02 - Bull In The Heather [Tibetan Freedom Concert, 6-16-1996]
03 - Starfield Road [Tilburg, 3-18-1996]
04 - Washing Machine [Tilburg, 3-18-1996]
05 - interview [MTV Studios, 4-15-1996]
06 - Junkie's Promise [MTV Studios, 4-15-1996]
07 - Saucer-Like [MTV Studios, 4-15-1996]
08 - Becuz [MTV Studios, 4-15-1996]
09 - Self-Obsessed and Sexxee [Jon Stewart Show, 9-16-1994]
10 - Hits of Sunshine [West 54th Street, 6-12-1997]
11 - Shadow of a Doubt [Los Angeles, 5-29-1998]
12 - Karen Koltrane [Los Angeles, 5-29-1998]
13 - Blonde Redhead [Lisbon, 2-19-1999]
14 - Skip Tracer [Tilburg, 3-18-1996]
15 - The Diamond Sea [Sydney, 12-31-1995]

Disc 5: 2000 - 2005
01 - Kotton Krown [Toronto, 8-15-2002]
02 - Kissibility [Toronto, 8-15-2002]
03 - The Empty Page [Last Call, 9-26-2002]
04 - Pattern Recognition [Saint Brieuc, 6-03-2005]*
05 - Unmade Bed [Saint Brieuc, 6-03-2005]*
06 - 100% [Last Call, 9-26-2002]
07 - Eric's Trip [Toronto, 8-15-2002]
08 - Rain On Tin [Seattle, 9-01-2002]
09 - Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style [Toronto, 8-15-2002]
10 - Stones [Boston, 8-14-2004]
11 - I Love You Golden Blue [Boston, 8-14-2004]
12 - She Is Not Alone [Ghent, 6-10-2001]
13 - Nevermind [Conan O'Brien, 7-18-2000]
14 - Drunken Butterfly [Toronto, 8-15-2002]
15 - Making the Nature Scene [Toronto, 8-15-2002]

Disc 6: 2006 - 2011
01 - Brave Men Run [Brooklyn, 8-12-2011]
02 - Death Valley '69 [Brooklyn, 8-12-2011]
03 - No Way [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]
04 - Sacred Trickster [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]
05 - Incinerate [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]*
06 - Hey Joni [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]*
07 - Leaky Lifeboat (For Gregory Corso) [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]
08 - What We Know [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]
09 - Shaking Hell [Portland, 7-01-2006]
10 - Jams Run Free [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]*
11 - The Sprawl [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]*
12 - Poison Arrow [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]
13 - Starfield Road [Sao Paolo, 11-14-2011]*
14 - Flower [Sao Paolo, 11-14-2011]*
15 - Pink Steam [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]*
16 - Teenage Riot [Sao Paolo, 11-14-2011]*

Disc 7: Outtakes and Oddities
01 - Schizophrenia [Melbourne, 1-24-1993]
02 - Catholic Block [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]
03 - Pacific Coast Highway [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]
04 - Brother James [Bremen, 8-27-1991]
05 - Shoot [Binghamton, 10-17-1992]
06 - Anagrama [Sessions at West 54th, 6-12-1997]
07 - Screaming Skull (Rap Damage Version) [Jet Set Rough Mix]*
08 - Swimsuit Issue [NYC, 7-04-1992]
09 - Karenology [Toronto, 8-15-2002]
10 - White Kross [Bremen, 8-27-1991]
11 - Unwind [New York, 10-20-1995]
12 - Corporate Ghost [BBC Session, 3-20-1989]
13 - Total Trash [Stratford-upon-Avon, 7-16-1993]
14 - Skink [Tilburg, 3-18-1996]
15 - Expressway To Yr Skull [Boston, 8-14-2004]

All tracks from lossless sources except for tracks marked with a *. These tracks have no lossless source circulating.
===================================================
The final set will come out soon enough, once I at least try to make artwork and maybe tweak a few recordings a bit.

[bada]

Exciting!

[tragabigzanda]

[VinylGuy]

Sonic Youth is one of those bands were i just cant seem to really find a bad album. Sure, there are favorites but every album seem to speak to me in a different moment. Thats why im always coming back to them...its like PJ...Having said that, Sonic Nurse was the last one were i felt like, omg these guys peaked again...But i listened to The Eternal a few months ago and i remember feeling pretty good about it.

[Birds in Hell]

Looks fantastic, Matt.