my ranking:
Daydream Nation/Sister (to pick one of these is just about impossible)Bad Moon RisingEVOLConfusion is sexWhitey
― sonderangerbot, Wednesday, 15 July 2009 16:22 (fifteen years ago) link
Bad MoonSisterDaydreamEvolConfusion
― ian, Wednesday, 15 July 2009 17:02 (fifteen years ago) link
daydreamsisterbad moonconfusionevol
― (*゚ー゚)θ L(。・_・) °~ヾ(・ε・ *) (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 17:03 (fifteen years ago) link
i think there are songs on bad moon/confusion/evol that are among sonic youth's best, but as albums, daydream and sister work as stronger statements.
― (*゚ー゚)θ L(。・_・) °~ヾ(・ε・ *) (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 17:04 (fifteen years ago) link
Yeah the earlier albums are hella lopsided imo. I love the idea of Evol but "Tom Violence" bores me to hears.
― the fool boy Shiplo (some dude), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 17:07 (fifteen years ago) link
Top 10:
1. Sister2. Walls Have Ears3. Confusion Is Sex4. Evol5. Bad Moon Rising6. Daydream Nation7. Kill Yr Idols8. Sonic Youth 9. Master-Dik Beat On The Brat10. The Whitey Album
Never heard Made In The USA
― xhuxk, Wednesday, 15 July 2009 17:17 (fifteen years ago) link
I have a hard time choosing between BMR and EVOL, but I went with the former.
― BusDriverStu (Bus Driver Stu), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 17:47 (fifteen years ago) link
what the heck:
1. Walls Have Ears / Sister3. Daydream Nation4. Confusion Is Sex5. EVOL 6. Bad Moon Rising7. The Whitey Album (as Ciccone Youth)
― Ioannis, Wednesday, 15 July 2009 19:35 (fifteen years ago) link
i used to have loads of SY 80s boots. Probably got them on a dvdr somewhere. They were on an external hd with loads of other bootlegs from bands that died last year.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 16 July 2009 00:52 (fifteen years ago) link
what bands died last year
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Thursday, 16 July 2009 01:45 (fifteen years ago) link
Daydream NationSister
The rest
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 16 July 2009 01:52 (fifteen years ago) link
Confusion SisterEvolBad Moon
Ciccone
Daydream
― dlp9001, Thursday, 16 July 2009 01:57 (fifteen years ago) link
There were supposed to be more spaces between Ciccone and Daydream...
― dlp9001, Thursday, 16 July 2009 01:58 (fifteen years ago) link
the code auto-detects challops
― (*゚ー゚)θ L(。・_・) °~ヾ(・ε・ *) (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 16 July 2009 02:07 (fifteen years ago) link
There are bivalves on ilxor?
― dlp9001, Thursday, 16 July 2009 02:53 (fifteen years ago) link
sisterdaydreamevolconfusionbad moon
― dan, Thursday, 16 July 2009 03:58 (fifteen years ago) link
I love EVOL's ominous quietness, and its breakthrough quality remains intact, at least for me. I still listen to it more often than the inarguably boss Sister and Daydream Nation. Confusion Is Sex would be a close second.
― DLee, Thursday, 16 July 2009 21:24 (fifteen years ago) link
― kornrulez6969,
Finally some sanity!!
― Kevin John Bozelka, Thursday, 16 July 2009 21:49 (fifteen years ago) link
Leaving aside the fact that I like Confusion best of all, there can't be many bands where most people really seem to think album number six is actually the best.
― Soukesian, Thursday, 16 July 2009 22:24 (fifteen years ago) link
KJB you mad
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 16 July 2009 22:26 (fifteen years ago) link
evol or daydream
― akm, Thursday, 16 July 2009 22:28 (fifteen years ago) link
Forgot how cool EVOL is. I'll go with that one.
― slagterm, Thursday, 16 July 2009 23:37 (fifteen years ago) link
The Beatles?
― My name is Kenny! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 16 July 2009 23:44 (fifteen years ago) link
Yeah I don't think its as uncommon as you'd think it is.
― He was only 21 years old when he 16 (Alex in SF), Thursday, 16 July 2009 23:46 (fifteen years ago) link
Sclavunos for life!
― Nate Carson, Friday, 17 July 2009 02:00 (fifteen years ago) link
"Leaving aside the fact that I like Confusion best of all, there can't be many bands where most people really seem to think album number six is actually the best."
Plenty of folks out there love Sabotage, British Steel, Somewhere in Time, Angel Rat, etc.
― Nate Carson, Friday, 17 July 2009 02:01 (fifteen years ago) link
Physical Graffiti... Painful...
― Beanbag the Gardener (WmC), Friday, 17 July 2009 02:10 (fifteen years ago) link
what about a "best sonic youth record of the 70's"?now that is challenging poll!
― Zeno, Friday, 17 July 2009 13:10 (fifteen years ago) link
i was trying to think songs by other bands that sound exactly like Sonic Youth songs for a poll ... but I wasn't getting far.
― tylerw, Friday, 17 July 2009 14:29 (fifteen years ago) link
there can't be many bands where most people really seem to think album number six is actually the best.
You'd be surprised...
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Friday, 17 July 2009 15:01 (fifteen years ago) link
How about a Best Band Overtly Influenced by Sonic Youth poll?
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Friday, 17 July 2009 15:06 (fifteen years ago) link
It could be done. Metal Machine Music, No New York, Et Cetera, Sand, some free jazz, etc.
― Kevin John Bozelka, Friday, 17 July 2009 17:55 (fifteen years ago) link
Sonny Sharrock would pwn that poll.
― Beanbag the Gardener (WmC), Friday, 17 July 2009 17:56 (fifteen years ago) link
No way. All about Hawkwind.
― He was only 21 years old when he 16 (Alex in SF), Friday, 17 July 2009 18:00 (fifteen years ago) link
Oh yes Hawkwind! Forgot about them. Maybe Cosmic Jokers too.
― Kevin John Bozelka, Friday, 17 July 2009 18:03 (fifteen years ago) link
Listen to the guitar playing on "Whippings and Apologies" by Sparks, there are some total SY guitarisms there (and it is just a great great song). Thurston is a professed fan, so perhaps some direct quoting.
― grandavis, Friday, 17 July 2009 18:04 (fifteen years ago) link
no love for s/t :(
― Snop Snitchin, Friday, 17 July 2009 20:42 (fifteen years ago) link
I think it's being counted as an EP.
― He was only 21 years old when he 16 (Alex in SF), Friday, 17 July 2009 20:51 (fifteen years ago) link
I am a Bad Moon diehard, all the way. Nothing sounds better to me, it is so much more loose and unstructured than the others.
― sleeve, Friday, 17 July 2009 22:08 (fifteen years ago) link
what about a "best sonic youth record of the 70's"?
MX-80 Sound - Hard Attack amirite?
― Joerg Hi Dere (NickB), Friday, 17 July 2009 22:30 (fifteen years ago) link
Voting for Confusion Is Sex here. For a record I've heard a zillion times, it still sounds tense and exciting.
― Joerg Hi Dere (NickB), Friday, 17 July 2009 22:32 (fifteen years ago) link
great to see so much love for the early records. BMR is fantastic. Daydream Nation is going to win though, because it sounds like REM.
― Soukesian, Friday, 17 July 2009 22:48 (fifteen years ago) link
It didn't win the original poll so I hope not.
― He was only 21 years old when he 16 (Alex in SF), Friday, 17 July 2009 22:55 (fifteen years ago) link
Daydream Nation is my LEAST favorite of these. De-evolution in practice.
― Nate Carson, Saturday, 18 July 2009 04:16 (fifteen years ago) link
Fascinated by Zeno's "Best Sonic Youth Album of the 70's" idea - a mix should be assembled!
I reckon some Chrome is needed, perhaps 'ST37' of 'Alien Soundtracks', along with suitable tracks from the other artists cited above.
― Soukesian, Saturday, 18 July 2009 12:01 (fifteen years ago) link
yeah a mix of the 70s roots of SY would be cool - obv. would need branca/chatham/theoretical girls
― tylerw, Saturday, 18 July 2009 15:23 (fifteen years ago) link
What KISS track to include, though?
― Soukesian, Saturday, 18 July 2009 15:52 (fifteen years ago) link
"Strutter," obv. Sampled on Master=Dik
― da croupier, Saturday, 18 July 2009 16:32 (fifteen years ago) link
my 70s Sonic Youth album would include Helen Fordsdale by Mars and The Helicopter Spies by Swell Maps, a song who's intro has always sounded amazingly Sonic Youth-y to me. It would also be smart to license Computer Dating by Theoretical Girls and something off Branca's The Ascension. Send all inquiries to me.
Actually, a Sonic Youth curated influences/back to mine kind of thing would be pretty awesome.
― dan selzer, Saturday, 18 July 2009 16:49 (fifteen years ago) link
I can practically smell the mixes brewing across ilx-land.
― Beanbag the Gardener (WmC), Saturday, 18 July 2009 16:51 (fifteen years ago) link