As a heads up to potential complainers -- I left out the self-titled EP (which will show up in some dude's comp/EP/live/misc. poll) as well as Made in USA, which is not a true SY studio album.
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 17:54 (fourteen years ago) link
Sister (1987) 36Daydream Nation (1988) 35EVOL (1986) 15Bad Moon Rising (1985) 9Confusion Is Sex (1983) 3Sonic Youth (1982) 2Made in USA (1986) 0
this is my ranking except move "confusion is sex" above BMR
― congratulations (n/a), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 17:55 (fourteen years ago) link
gotta be boring and vote for DN. it is a totem.
― some dude, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 17:56 (fourteen years ago) link
EVOL 4 all time
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 17:59 (fourteen years ago) link
Bad Moon Rising by leaps and bounds, then Evol, and Sister close together, with another huge drop to Confusion Is Sex and Daydream Nation, and far in the rear The Whitey Album.
― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:03 (fourteen years ago) link
This is going to be really boring if everyone votes Daydream Nation.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:05 (fourteen years ago) link
Seems weird to not include "made in the u.s.a." because it's not a proper SY album, then include the whitey album, which was released under a totally different name and included different people, but you know, quibbles.
― congratulations (n/a), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:05 (fourteen years ago) link
sister without a second thought
otm
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:06 (fourteen years ago) link
Confusion is Sex - not being contrarian, I really think this is the most raw, exciting record they ever made
― Soukesian, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:10 (fourteen years ago) link
EVOL always and forever.
― He was only 21 years old when he 16 (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:15 (fourteen years ago) link
No Sonic Death option?
^ probably more of a live alb, no?
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:18 (fourteen years ago) link
EVOL is one of my favorite albums by anyone.
― kind-hearted, sensitive keytar player (Abbott), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:27 (fourteen years ago) link
Sister today.
― My name is Kenny! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:28 (fourteen years ago) link
"^ probably more of a live alb, no?"
Doesn't specify studio up above, plus it's not like it's a straight live recording of a show ala Walls Have Ears. It's pretty heavily chopped up IIRC.
― He was only 21 years old when he 16 (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:29 (fourteen years ago) link
EVOL OBV
― ♥/b ~~~ :O + x_X + :-@ + ;_; + :-/ + (~,~) + (:| = :^) (Lamp), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:30 (fourteen years ago) link
VBO LOVE
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:31 (fourteen years ago) link
i love evol, but -- and this is going to upset the evol lovers (or should that be evol srevol) -- I'm not crazy about some of the production, mainly the drums.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:32 (fourteen years ago) link
BMRILU
― ❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉Plaxico❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉ (I know, right?), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:33 (fourteen years ago) link
Sonic Death/Made In USA/self-titled/Kill Yr Idols/Hold That Tiger/Walls Have Ears/Master Dik/etc. will be in my miscellaneous poll later on fwiw
― some dude, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:34 (fourteen years ago) link
The correct answer is: any tape/CD with "Death Valley '69," "Expressway To Yr Skull," "Green Light," and "Kotton Krown" back to back.
― My name is Kenny! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:34 (fourteen years ago) link
I can't believe user name ilxor forgot that option
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:37 (fourteen years ago) link
completely arbitrary reason for voting EVOL: i listened to it on the first day of HS (in reality, it's a close tie btwn that and sister)
― all we hear is lady o'gaga (donna rouge), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:37 (fourteen years ago) link
hold that tiger is utterly amazing
― goole, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:38 (fourteen years ago) link
Screaming Fields Of Sonic Love has 3 of those songs in close succession so I'll make sure that's an option on the miscellany poll.
― some dude, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:39 (fourteen years ago) link
xpost
yesssss Hold That Tiger = my favorite SY 80s recording. Will vote for that in the live albums poll.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:41 (fourteen years ago) link
oh man, there is nothing more disappointing than googling song lyrics and discovering that the "Death Valley '69" lyric you thought went "kill her" actually says "hit it"
― suddenly, everything was dark and smelly (HI DERE), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:44 (fourteen years ago) link
sister > bad moon rising > evol >>>>> whitey album > daydream nation > confusion is sex
― mark cl, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:56 (fourteen years ago) link
that seems fair, never "got" EVOL tho, and I'd definitely rate Bad Moon Rising above Sister. More than most it sounds like the pale, surfacing corpse of some stadium rock epic that has drowned.
― ❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉Plaxico❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉ (I know, right?), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 18:59 (fourteen years ago) link
yea i go back and for between BMR and sister. also, i mainly like sister for the 1st half, which is pretty much perfect. i could even narrow that down to 'schizophrenia' and 'catholic block.' possibly the best thing they've ever done IMO. same goes for 'intro' into 'brave men run' on BMR
― mark cl, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 19:04 (fourteen years ago) link
"Kotton Krown" is my very favorite SY bask-in-sound-for-its-own-sake moment ("Theresa's Sound-World" is second).
― My name is Kenny! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 19:06 (fourteen years ago) link
xp reason I don't rate Sister so highly is because those peaks kinda tower too much, I only really listen to them when I put it on.
― ❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉Plaxico❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉ (I know, right?), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 19:10 (fourteen years ago) link
Whenever I think about this, it always makes me a little sad since Confusion, Bad, and Evol seem to represent three very distinct, very interesting ways that the band could have gone. Then Sister tightens up Evol, for what's generally my vote for strongest album, though you could kind of feel the world catching up with them on that.
By Daydream Nation, it's pretty clear what's going to happen to the band going forward. And the noisy bits are starting to sound obligatory, and much less "composed" than they used to.
The one I listen to the most nowadays isn't on the poll (first EP), so, strongest album of these is probably Sister. Most interesting road not taken is Bad Moon Rising (wish to hell they'd kept working w/tape loops tying things together and w/the more rhythmic stuff). Best sustained (bad) mood is Confusion, which is also a lot more melodic and structured than people give it credit for.
Evol sorta sits as their Sgt. Pepper (clearly the first one where their iconography goes all psychedelic).
Have to sit in the thinking chair to decide which aspect adds up to "best."
― dlp9001, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 19:41 (fourteen years ago) link
EVOL and Sister are basically equally good, but EVOL was more personally important to me (first album I really fell in love with.)
― He was only 21 years old when he 16 (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 19:50 (fourteen years ago) link
EVOL
full ranking would go EVOL > DN > Sister > Whitey > BMR > Confusion
― Beanbag the Gardener (WmC), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 19:53 (fourteen years ago) link
Sister, but only by a very, very narrow margain over EVOL.
Actually, no, not really that narrow. Sister is the best album SY ever did.
― Violent In Design (Masonic Boom), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:06 (fourteen years ago) link
I used to think Sister was best, but for the last 10 years I've been an Evol guy.Evol>Sister>Bad Moon Rising>Daydream Nation>Confusion.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:08 (fourteen years ago) link
sister never stuck with me, i find it's too awkward. i mean all sonic youth is awkward, but on sister methinks it goes a bit too far. i can't help imagine them standing, knees wobbling, holding their guitars in lanky arms and singing these bad lyrics really clearly so you can hear all the words perfectly. maybe the vocals are too high in the mix? obv catholic block and schizophrenia and hotwire my heart are still amazing though.
― samosa gibreel, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:11 (fourteen years ago) link
Evol fans should check out the Austin TX 1986 show where they debut a bunch of that album -- loose, but in the best way.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:11 (fourteen years ago) link
^ great boot
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:12 (fourteen years ago) link
prefer the paradiso boot from the same era
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:14 (fourteen years ago) link
xpost did they sorta semi-officially release that one? fan club style? i'll have to check out the paradiso one, haven't heard that ...
― tylerw, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:15 (fourteen years ago) link
you should put some of their boots (Walls Have Ears esp. please!) up on yr blog, tyler.
xps
― Ioannis, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:15 (fourteen years ago) link
can walls have ears really be considered a boot?
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:16 (fourteen years ago) link
well, it ain't officially available to buy is it?
― tylerw, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:17 (fourteen years ago) link
but yeah, i'll get around to posting some SY soon! there are some excellent shows from all eras ...
― tylerw, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:18 (fourteen years ago) link
it was an "official" bootleg put out on Blast First sublabel NOT.
― (*゚ー゚)θ L(。・_・) °~ヾ(・ε・ *) (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:19 (fourteen years ago) link
good point, interesting ideas, i'm picking up what you're putting down
ya lost me
― some dude, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:20 (fourteen years ago) link
i only have it on vinyl, with no way to convert to digital. *sob*
― Ioannis, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 20:20 (fourteen years ago) link
looking forward to those.
voting Daydream Nation.
― sonderangerbot, Saturday, 18 July 2009 16:52 (fourteen years ago) link
Some ZZ Top, maybe
― dowd, Saturday, 18 July 2009 19:15 (fourteen years ago) link
SisterDaydream NationEVOL
― nicky lo-fi, Saturday, 18 July 2009 20:18 (fourteen years ago) link
Daydream Nation is going to win though, because it sounds like REM.
― Soukesian, Friday, July 17, 2009 6:48 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
o_O
― walter amirite (rip) (some dude), Monday, 20 July 2009 13:28 (fourteen years ago) link
love those weird tunings on Everybody Hurts
― ❊❁❄❆❇❃✴❈plaxico❈✴❃❇❆❄❁❊ (I know, right?), Monday, 20 July 2009 13:30 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah a mix of the 70s roots of SY would be cool - obv. would need branca/chatham/theoretical girls
― tylerw, Saturday, July 18, 2009 11:23 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark
red transistor ftw
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Monday, 20 July 2009 13:30 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah. Sister always reminded me of Jody Watley.
― Heric E. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 20 July 2009 13:31 (fourteen years ago) link
also in the sy influences corner, monitor's "in terrae interium" and "I saw dead jim's shade"
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Monday, 20 July 2009 13:37 (fourteen years ago) link
and The Breakfast Club's "Right On Track."
― Heric E. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 20 July 2009 13:44 (fourteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Saturday, 25 July 2009 23:01 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKAunVtF-xshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojRgNfBRR4g
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Sunday, 26 July 2009 15:31 (fourteen years ago) link
tbh i was kind of bummed that the last time I saw them most of the token '80s songs (Tom Violence, Death Valley, Shadow Of A Doubt) were the same ones they were playing when i started seeing them live a decade ago.
― soulja boy antebellum (some dude), Sunday, 26 July 2009 15:43 (fourteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Sunday, 26 July 2009 23:01 (fourteen years ago) link
awesome results!!! glad bad moon rising got so many votes too. these days i would far rather hear evol/sister/bad moon rising ahead of daydream.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Sunday, 26 July 2009 23:06 (fourteen years ago) link
in honor of this momentous occasion, i just posted a great Sister-era SY show on my blog: http://doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com/
― tylerw, Monday, 27 July 2009 00:22 (fourteen years ago) link
Do you know what town that show was in? I saw a bunch of the Sister shows, and it was interesting how half-formed the performances of the songs were at the start, even though the record was already recorded. Pacific Coast Highway fell apart so much at the Electric Banana, they didn't even finish it, IIRC. By the end of the year, they were killing it though.
― bendy, Monday, 27 July 2009 00:51 (fourteen years ago) link
It's from a show at the Cat's Cradle in North Carolina ... http://www.luxnet.at/sonic-youth/record-180.html (i only posted the 1987 tracks, there are bonus tracks from later on)
― tylerw, Monday, 27 July 2009 00:58 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hsXXEcIwM0&feature=related
― nicky lo-fi, Monday, 27 July 2009 01:20 (fourteen years ago) link
i think that whole gig must be on youtube
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Monday, 27 July 2009 12:37 (fourteen years ago) link
that's a lot of votes. I think I agree with the order, except with Confusion is Sex above Bad Moon Rising. I've never heard Made in USA, which is odd since a late teenage obsession finds me owning about 40 Sonic Youth releases, a good number of which I'll probably never listen to again.
When I was about 18 Confusion is Sex was my favourite, I can't remember if I was being a silly contrarian or if it was because it tapped into something that I had wanted for years but in my limited knowledge didn't know actually existed.
― Akon/Family (Merdeyeux), Monday, 27 July 2009 13:01 (fourteen years ago) link
fascinating lookback from original sy drummer richard edson, beautiful detailed portrait of early 80s downtown nyc scene in the bargain.
http://www.salon.com/2015/11/28/growing_up_in_sonic_youth_partner/
― an emotionally withholding exterminator (m coleman), Sunday, 29 November 2015 14:45 (eight years ago) link
My memory isn't perfect. I know I've read that anecdote about Thurston bleeding all over the drums, but part of my brain keeps thinking that I read it in an interview with Jim Sclavunos (maybe in BB Gun). I could be completely wrong. My old zines got destroyed in a flood, so checking would be a pain. Does anyone have access to the source material?
― dlp9001, Sunday, 29 November 2015 19:17 (eight years ago) link
Wait, so the parking valet in Ferris Bueller's Day Off was the original drummer in Sonic Youth? *mind blown*
― Vast Halo, Monday, 30 November 2015 08:44 (eight years ago) link
fun read, but even better is that it made me listen to Konk. never heard them and they're great.
― expertly crafted referential display name (Jordan), Monday, 30 November 2015 18:28 (eight years ago) link
― goole, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 17:52 (6 years ago) Permalink
I didn't vote, but yup
― RAP GAME SHANI DAVIS (Raymond Cummings), Monday, 30 November 2015 19:18 (eight years ago) link
Tbh, the huge amounts of love EVOL gets at the top of this thread kinda makes my day
― Drugs A. Money, Monday, 30 November 2015 20:00 (eight years ago) link
EVOL is one of the greatest albums of the 80s, absolutely monumental
― Master of Treacle, Monday, 30 November 2015 23:32 (eight years ago) link
^cosign
― Drugs A. Money, Tuesday, 1 December 2015 16:03 (eight years ago) link
kind of stunned at the idea of there being 200 ilxors who know all these albums well enough to vote. not a zing or anything - just don't think of there being that many people here at all, let alone that much consistent overlap in listening taste, but i probably hang out on the wrong threads. or is this lurker vote syndrome?
― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 1 December 2015 16:18 (eight years ago) link
i don't know any of these albums btw. i own murray street and i remember liking sonic nurse when my roommate would play it, as with jim o'rourke's insignficance. does 80s sonic youth deliver the same goods or am i good with the 2000s stuff?
― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 1 December 2015 16:20 (eight years ago) link
does 80s sonic youth deliver the same goods or am i good with the 2000s stuff?
Yes, it delivers a great deal of goods. Daydream Nation is as good as advertised. Sister too.
― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 1 December 2015 16:23 (eight years ago) link
Different goods, but I mean if you like those 2000s records you should go listen to the earlier incarnation. Every single 80s SY album has at least 2-3 absolutely killer songs (though that is a low estimate, I like way more than 2-3 songs on each album, just feel that there are 2-3 UNDENIABLE songs on each one).
If "Murray Street"/"Sonic Nurse" worked for you, head immediately to "Expressway To Yr Skull" form EVOL and "Schizophrenia" from Sister and see if they wet your whistle. Obviously everyone on here would have their own songs to throw in, but those are pretty good gateways to the early-ish days. Certainly two songs that do not get old for me.
― grandavis, Tuesday, 1 December 2015 16:29 (eight years ago) link
cool, thanks! will check 'em later. i remember being surprised by those albums and how song-y and melodic they seemed. my impression had previously been that sonic youth were more of like a wall of random aggressive noise or something.
― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 1 December 2015 16:36 (eight years ago) link
what's a good sister-era show to get a recording of? liking the brixton academy show (post-dirty) and i wish i could hear more of the sister songs in non-album performances
(and is there really no sister thread?!?)
― j., Tuesday, 19 June 2018 01:18 (five years ago) link
"Hold That Tiger" was available thru their website for a time:
▸ A1 Intro 0:43▸ A2 Schizophrenia 4:30▸ A3 Tom Violence 2:43▸ A4 White Cross 2:57▸ A5 Kotton Krown 4:05▸ A6 Stereo Sanctity 3:27▸ A7 Brother James 3:22▸ A8 Pipeline / Kill Time 4:03▸ A9 Catholic Block 3:55▸ B1 Tuff Gnarl 3:26▸ B2 Death Valley '69 4:50▸ B3 Beauty Lies in the Eye 2:40▸ B4 Expressway to Yr. Skull 4:32▸ B5 Pacific Coast Highway 4:59▸ B6 Loudmouth 2:01▸ B7 I Don't Wanna Walk Around You 1:33▸ B8 Today Yr. Love, Tomorrow the World 2:00▸ B9 Beat on the Brat 2:41
― Hideous Lump, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 02:58 (five years ago) link
oh yeah i used to have that somewhere
any other bootlegs?
― j., Tuesday, 19 June 2018 03:54 (five years ago) link
Be My Sister In Death?
― Stanley Therapy (stevie), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 11:46 (five years ago) link
"Hold That Tiger" is really good imo. I am sure there are copies out there if you want it, but a good set list and good quality recording.
― grandavis, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 13:44 (five years ago) link
I sold my Hold That Tiger CD a few years ago, only got a few quid for it so it's not rare if you want a physical copy (I did rip it first)
― Colonel Poo, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 13:59 (five years ago) link
there's a few shows from Maxwell's in early 87 when they're debuting the Sister material that's a great listen - everything's falling apart, Thurston starts playing Crucifucks songs, they've got TVs up on stage with them that cause tons of hum, etc. I don't have a copy anymore unfortunately, but I'll take a look around and see if it's still up somewhere. Sister's my favourite album period, so over the years I've heard most of the shows.
― whitehallunity, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 17:51 (five years ago) link
https://www.themckenzietapes.com/tapes/2018/4/24/0trmkz2yal6ct5d4xusp9s1swy4eym
https://www.themckenzietapes.com/tapes/2018/4/24/sonic-youth-at-maxwells-04-23-1987
― tylerw, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 17:53 (five years ago) link
^ this guy oughta wear a trench coat with wares hanging from the inside
― j., Tuesday, 19 June 2018 17:59 (five years ago) link
I knew Tyler would know exactly what I meant, which is half the reason I didn't bother to look it up first, haha. Thanks man.
― whitehallunity, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 18:16 (five years ago) link
Hold That Tiger is on Spotify, btw (not if this fact was implied in the above convo)
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:43 (five years ago) link
*not sure if...
(btw - I'm not a big SY fan, but I'm enjoying this particular live album!)
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:52 (five years ago) link
the ramones covers on Tiger are wonderful
― Stanley Therapy (stevie), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 21:22 (five years ago) link
my fave version of Today Your Love