Sonic Youth is fuckin amazing!

[tragabigzanda]

[Kevin Davis]

I rank things for fun and to encourage discussion, and also to kill time. I'm not too tied to the outcome; if i change my mind and think "Yea, Unmade Bed and Brave Men Run really are two of their best songs," no big deal, and I'd say the exercise has already proven its merit.

Oh, I don't disagree that it can give rise to some great discussion. And it can certainly be a thought-provoking exercise in my own mind -- if I'm not just flippantly listing things on RM, the exercise can get to the root of what I really value in a record, what things matter to me that may not to others, etc. All I mean to say is that I understand the cynicism surrounding the internet's obsession with ordered lists. That said, I will be making my year-end list soon, probably after New Year's, when the year has actually ended.

[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

[darth_vedder]

And while we're at it, I just want to publicly state that Murray Street is my favorite Sonic Youth album. I bought it in France the week it came out and it's been on repeat for me ever since. "Rain on Tin" is a top 3 SY song for me.

God I love that song so much

[darth_vedder]

I think Unmade Bed is my favorite SY song. I think.

Great choice. Effing amazing, that one. A four-minute epic. From the gentle, bittersweet beauty of the intro to the scuzz-prog freakout in the bridge, it's many of their greatest strengths packed into a tight little song.

Another great one. I love how Steve Shelly is kinda going crazy but Lee (maybe Thurston, I don't know) is playing slow. Calm chaos is how I used to describe some of their songs.

[darth_vedder]

Playing 'A Thousand Leaves' now, Sunday is another really good one.

[Kevin Davis]

"Rain on Tin" is wonderful -- my favorite song on "Murray Street" for sure. The guitar jam following the "main" part of the song is just sublime -- nigh on telepathic interplay.

[matt reeder]

"Rain on Tin" is wonderful -- my favorite song on "Murray Street" for sure. The guitar jam following the "main" part of the song is just sublime -- nigh on telepathic interplay.

It was a monster live, too. It's a shame they dropped it for the most part after 2003 or so (it hung on somewhat in 2004-2005, but disappeared when Jim O'Rourke left the band). They opened with it when I saw them in Chicago in 2003 and it just set the tone for what was an absolutely mind-blowing evening (and they closed with "Expressway"... ).

[tragabigzanda]

[chewm]

I really should listen more to this band.
Ive only listened to a few albums, Daydream Nation is my favorite.

[tragabigzanda]

[Kevin Davis]

It's just kind of a jumble for me -- I think the two opening songs are kind of soggy, bog-standard Thurston tunes, pretty in their way but not exceptional and definitely not back-to-back. Likewise, the Kim songs at the end don't do much for me -- pretty rote stuff, to my ears. The three songs in the middle I really like, but they all feel like standalone things to me -- not coherent pieces that really contrubute to a satisfying album "feel." This is a beloved album though so I always feel like I'm missing something.

[tragabigzanda]

[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

[Kevin Davis]

It's just kind of a jumble for me -- I think the two opening songs are kind of soggy, bog-standard Thurston tunes, pretty in their way but not exceptional and definitely not back-to-back. Likewise, the Kim songs at the end don't do much for me -- pretty rote stuff, to my ears. The three songs in the middle I really like, but they all feel like standalone things to me -- not coherent pieces that really contrubute to a satisfying album "feel." This is a beloved album though so I always feel like I'm missing something.

It's all about the guitar interplay for me. They had been moving away from the big, droney chords of Daydream Nation and Goo, into the more scuzzy guitar work of Dirty and EJST&NS, and then had begun experimenting with cleaner guitar lines, single notes or diads, and their whole sound had really started to shift. I think it began with Washing Machine, sort of picked up steam on NYCG&F and ATL, and the idea was fully realized on Murray Street. Here was a SY that sounded pretty, sad, meditative. It took some of my favorite ambient guitar parts from earlier in their career (Shadow of a Doubt, the intro to Candle), and developed them into songs that could go from something very understated into something very complicated and emotionally charged. They became a more dynamic band, and as a guitar player I was hugely inspired by that record.

See, to me, this describes "A Thousand Leaves," probably a top three SY record for me. To me that's an extremely deep and immersive record, and capable of holding my attention across a pretty lengthy running time. There are elements of that in "Murray Street" (in "Rain on Tin" for sure), but just not enough for me.

[tragabigzanda]

[epilogue]

I rank things for fun and to encourage discussion, and also to kill time.

Trag gets it.

[darth_vedder]

I rank things for fun and to encourage discussion, and also to kill time.

Trag gets it.

[darth_vedder]

I had a productive re-listen of SY this week team. It's been years since I've dived into the albums, instead my SY listening the last few years has been just whatever random plays, or seeking specific songs. It's been fun to listen to the albums again, and I'll probably play some more next week.

This week's list:

EVOL
Daydream Nation
Sister
A Thousand Leaves
Rather Ripped

Next week, I'm gonna try for:

Washing Machine
Goo
Dirty
Experimental Jet Set
The Eternal
NYC Flowers & Ghost

[darth_vedder]

It's just kind of a jumble for me -- I think the two opening songs are kind of soggy, bog-standard Thurston tunes, pretty in their way but not exceptional and definitely not back-to-back. Likewise, the Kim songs at the end don't do much for me -- pretty rote stuff, to my ears. The three songs in the middle I really like, but they all feel like standalone things to me -- not coherent pieces that really contrubute to a satisfying album "feel." This is a beloved album though so I always feel like I'm missing something.

It's all about the guitar interplay for me. They had been moving away from the big, droney chords of Daydream Nation and Goo, into the more scuzzy guitar work of Dirty and EJST&NS, and then had begun experimenting with cleaner guitar lines, single notes or diads, and their whole sound had really started to shift. I think it began with Washing Machine, sort of picked up steam on NYCG&F and ATL, and the idea was fully realized on Murray Street. Here was a SY that sounded pretty, sad, meditative. It took some of my favorite ambient guitar parts from earlier in their career (Shadow of a Doubt, the intro to Candle), and developed them into songs that could go from something very understated into something very complicated and emotionally charged. They became a more dynamic band, and as a guitar player I was hugely inspired by that record.

See, to me, this describes "A Thousand Leaves," probably a top three SY record for me. To me that's an extremely deep and immersive record, and capable of holding my attention across a pretty lengthy running time. There are elements of that in "Murray Street" (in "Rain on Tin" for sure), but just not enough for me.

Yes, and I totally could've had the same experience with 1000 leaves – – but for whatever reason, I didn't really connect with that record when it came out; that came later.

I think it finally happened with me this week I really enjoyed 'Leaves' more than I remember. I may listen to again next week as well.