TS: Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking vs Sonic Youth

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This seems more apt to me. Both from roughly the same era, both seem to represent a synthesis of a particular post-punk aesthetic with more proggy/classic-rocky epic ambitions (if the balance is maybe not the same on either side), both paid tribute to Zeppelin (Sonic Youth at least in the use of the 4 symbols on the disc and the "Satan's daughter" line; Jane's in, well, do we need to start?), both featured noise-heavy dazzling guitar heroics, both became touchstones for a generation of guitar bands (if not always the same ones). Also, both seem to contrast the gentle with the brutal and the light and tossed-off with the epic.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Saturday, 23 October 2004 06:27 (twenty-one years ago)

At 10, "Mountain Song" totally scared me but I thought "Teenage Riot" was totally fun and cute. I don't know if that says anything.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Saturday, 23 October 2004 06:30 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm more familiar with "Daydream Nation" ... I rarely feel the need to listen to Jane's these days. It took me a while to grow into both bands -- in 1990, when I became familiar with both of them, I disliked both (of course, that was at the time of the follow-ups to the albums we're considering here).

Paraphrasing a comment from the GnR vs Jane's thread, "Ted, Just Admit It" is probably better than anything on DN (well, except for "Total Trash"), but otherwise, DN is the stronger album.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 23 October 2004 06:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmm. Now this one bothers me a bit. I was far more enamoured with Nothing's Shocking at the time, but yet Daydream Nation made me want to play it more than I thought it would. Certainly was the first time I'd really given much thought to SY. Damnit why don't I have it now to play?

― Bimble (bimble), Saturday, 23 October 2004 08:41 (twenty-one years ago)

For whatever faults they may have had, JANE'S ADDICTION NEVER INSPIRED THE YAWNS IN ME THAT SONIC YOUTH SO EFFORTLESSLY DID.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 23 October 2004 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Now, if you'd had Ritual..., instead of Nothing's Shocking, upagainst Daydream Nation then you'd have tested me. I appreciate there would then be a two-year gap between the respective candidates, but as it is DN runs away with it

― DJ Mencap0))), Saturday, 23 October 2004 14:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Daydream was the last Sonic Youth album I bought and the one I've listened to least. I keep meaning to go back to it but can't be arsed cos my turntable's crap.

Nothing's Shocking I haven't heard since the late 80s, but at the time I thought it was a big cartoony squall of happy metal fun, so I'll vote for that one.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Saturday, 23 October 2004 14:26 (twenty-one years ago)

happy metal fun

hmmm.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 23 October 2004 14:32 (twenty-one years ago)

One of my least favorite Sonic Youth records vs. one of my least favorite records period. There has never been a band I've cared about less than Jane's Addiction.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Saturday, 23 October 2004 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

You don't think there's a kind of up-beatness about Perry's take on decadence and destruction, Alex?

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Saturday, 23 October 2004 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

For Perry, maybe, but I'd never call Jane's Addiction "happy metal fun", personally.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 23 October 2004 15:22 (twenty-one years ago)

When i think "happy metal," tend to think of indefensible crap like Bon Jovi and Warrant (countdown to Miccio appearance....10....9...8....7.....6....)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 23 October 2004 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

they both "changed my life" around the time. Now Jane's Addiction is only good for some nostalgia, while Sonic Youth is ESSENTIAL. I like Jane's Addiction, both Nothing's Shocking and Ritual, but it's a cheap pleasure, all surface, makes me think of how when I was young I thought it was really trippy, "spiritual" stuff. Teenage Riot still rocks me like it did when I was 15. I can't even explain, that record just opened my eyes, my ears, my mind etc. no contest.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Saturday, 23 October 2004 16:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Agreed, though I wasn't a rock kid, so I've never liked Jane's Addiction.

― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 23 October 2004 17:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Nothing's Shocking rocked me and still does...DN is a snoozer.

― shookout (shookout), Saturday, 23 October 2004 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

'Daydream Nation' is an important-sounding album that I'm actually prepared to go along with, which is rare.

― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 23 October 2004 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll concede that Daydream Nation is Sonic Youth's most enjoyable album (well...I did also like Bad Moon Rising), but they are superchampions of elephantine dullness when compared to Jane's Addiction, sorry.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 23 October 2004 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd like to thank this thread for reuniting me with Daydream Nation. I wouldn't say it was my favorite of theirs, but still it had slipped through the cracks for me and I need to have it on hand.

― Bimble (bimble), Saturday, 23 October 2004 18:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Nothing's Shocking is dynamic and bombastic.

― shookout (shookout), Saturday, 23 October 2004 18:44 (twenty-one years ago)

oh god...

― mattp, Saturday, 23 October 2004 20:29 (twenty-one years ago)

SY: no argument.

― The TAO that can be Posted is not the TAO! (The Tao that can be Posted is), Saturday, 23 October 2004 22:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I must be imagining all those earlier posts then.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Saturday, 23 October 2004 22:33 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't listen to either much any more, and don't feel a need to. if i had to pick, though, it would be daydream nation. for no other reason than most nu-metal is inconceivable w/t jane's addiction which is a BIG strike against nothing's shocking.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 23 October 2004 22:42 (twenty-one years ago)

for no other reason than most nu-metal is inconceivable w/t jane's addiction which is a BIG strike against nothing's shocking.

I'd sooner blame, say, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More and Rage Against the Machine than point this particularly smelly finger at Jane's Addiction.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 23 October 2004 22:53 (twenty-one years ago)

'Nothing's Shocking'. It was bad enough having technoheads constantly hector me re 'there's only so much you can do with guitars' without Sonic Youth sounding like they'd unintentionally proved it.

― dave q, Saturday, 23 October 2004 23:51 (twenty-one years ago)

dave: What did you mean by that? Do you mean that they sounded like they'd shown the limits of traditional uses of the guitar by showing how much more you can do with alternate tunings, preparations, etc? Or do you just mean it as an insult, that they sounded really limited in what they were able to do with guitars (maybe compared to Sonny Sharrock or Fred Frith or someone?)? Since you picked Jane's maybe you meant it the second way.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Sunday, 24 October 2004 22:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, if System Of a Down is inconceivable w/o Jane's, that's a score for them AFAIC;) But Eisbar, remember also Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden (who I think you like?) would be inconceivable w/o them.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Sunday, 24 October 2004 22:38 (twenty-one years ago)

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TS: Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking vs Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation