Sonic Youth - "Murray Street" C/D

Jim: "Well, we could always try....." (hijinks ensue)

Still, I'm looking forward to the new one - have ppl heard it on Audiogalaxy or something? I'm such an old fart, I like to wait until I can hold it in my hands.

I like NYCG+F too btw. But then I like Dirty best so what do I know?

There was a ten minute programme on C4 (in UK) in early hours called pioneers. They did one on SY and EP was there and he talked abt SY and their connections to GD.

Haven't read review. In canada they are only selling John Oswald issue!

Ghosts and flowers was OK but the vocals were awful! The poetry was fucking garbage and I hate Jim O'rouke!

OH GOD, please, gimme some Borbetomagus reissues. Now theres a truly great band from NYC.

Did you know SENEGAL just beat FRance! Its a shocker people!!!

The review's not too bad in context - it's a lot like a MM review from the early 90s: all those adjectives!

Now for the Blevin Blechdom review...

Dirty = SY goes metal = greatest rock album of 90s. ("Wish Fulfilment" = #1 monster power ballad smash in parallel universe).

!!!

(But yes, it is better than most of the stuff 'Da Yoof' have released in the 90s).

if that's the case the so be it!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, while I absolutely appreciate the wealth of live shows they've put up on bandcamp, this band could absolutely benefit from an ongoing archival physical release of live shows, ala Dick's Picks or something, with photos and liner notes. Maybe the Brooklyn show could be a start.

that brooklyn show is so good.

I used to love the Sonic Death live CDs Austin and Venlo... I wish they'd do more of those but... you know, CDs. Am I crazy, or is vinyl a dumb format for full live shows?

Nah, I think it’s dumb too, for the most part. I’m sure it works for some artists, but I really don’t like the breaking up of the flow in most cases. Like the vinyl fetishization craze has reached jamband land where Phish and the Grateful Dead are literally breaking up 40+ minute jams to slap them on vinyl. I’m the case of
Phish they have an entire series of vinyl releases that are literally one slab with half of the same jam on each side. Quality judgments about that sort of music aside, the last thing I’d want to do is hafta flip a vinyl right in the middle of a show that is designed to flow with an intentionality to the setlist. But clearly, given sales figures, I’m in a minority on that count.

But yeah, I’m all in on ongoing CD archival live shows from these guys. Instant pre-order when one gets announced, just like the Can and Les Rallizes Dénudés archival live stuff.

You’re not crazy!

Not to pry, but does anyone know what the health condition is?

I absolutely cannot abide split tracks over vinyl sides, I will buy CD or digital instead

Not a Sonic Youth fan but I've never got the animosity towards this guy. People have affairs, people leave their spouses. It happens and it's not something to be condemned.

― lord of the rongs (anagram), Wednesday, October 11, 2023 10:09 AM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

I've been cheated on via a long term affair and and am still processing a lot of trauma from it. It's very hard for me, and I'm sure for others, to just casually accept stuff like this when you read about it happening to other people. Not saying that's the case for everyone who was up in arms about this, I know the internet outrage machine loves to whir into gear, but just saying there is another, very painful and personal, view that some might take when reading about affairs.

For fucks sake

Not to pry, but does anyone know what the health condition is?

I haven't seen anything specific, seems likes its being left purposefully vague at the moment. What's interesting is that he seems to have only canceled his US book tour, seems like the UK stops might still be on? Maybe something that travelling far would make worse.

Read somewhere it’s a heart condition, so yes, I can imagine overseas travel would not be wise. Wonder if playing at volume might also be out of the question for the foreseeable. GWS TM.

Sometimes heart issues can keep you from flying on airplanes (or even go over altitudes > 1500m). It's all circumstantial until if or when we hear something more official. Also fwiw, my only surprise on the dissolution of the band (as it transpired) was that it didn't happen earlier.

Thread revival reminded me of a great SY show at Terrastock 5 in Boston where they played Murray Street in full. I went looking for it on slsk, and ran across a great six CD bootleg set called The Jim Years_ Live 2000-2005. Here's the details and the track listing:

Sonic Youth
The Jim Years: Live 2000-2005

This is a personal compilation made from fan-circulated recordings from lossless SBD, FM and AUD sources. There is no overlap with the official Sonic Youth Archive releases on nugs.net or bandcamp. I chose from some of my favorite performances across the time period that Jim O'Rourke was a member. Five and a half hours with (almost) no repeats!

Mastering was undertaken to provide continuity. While I wasn't necessarily trying to make it all sound like one big fake show, the intention was that there be no bad edits, abrupt cuts, cut-off notes or stage comments, wild volume jumps, repeated banter (who knows how many times Thurston said "hot and nasty" onstage in 2002? I have some idea) or songs being introduced that you aren't about to hear. Other than that, I didn't try to mess with the sound of the original recordings to any great extent.

There were a few instances where I chose a more interesting performance over a better-sounding one. I highlighted interesting moments of improv wherever I could. Much love and respect to all the tapers who made such great recordings in this era. Sound quality is broadly excellent, with maybe 1 or 2 moments of suboptimal quality.

First assembled in 2017, and circulated privately, now revised (twice) in 2020, so call this v3.0. Included in a separate text file is lineage data for every source used. All files are fully tagged with source data in the "comment" field.

Presented as five "discs" running between 60-80 minutes each

01 Tom Violence - 2002-08-15 Koolhaus, Toronto
02 Drunken Butterfly - 2002-08-15 Koolhaus, Toronto
03 Eric's Trip - 2002-08-15 Koolhaus, Toronto
04 Plastic Sun - 2002-08-15 Koolhaus, Toronto
05 Kissability - 2002-08-15 Koolhaus, Toronto
06 The Empty Page - 2002-08-15 Koolhaus, Toronto
07 Karenology - 2002-08-15 Koolhaus, Toronto
08 Shadow Of A Doubt - 2002-08-15 Koolhaus, Toronto
09 Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style - 2002-08-15 Koolhaus, Toronto
10 Cotton Crown - 2002-08-15 Koolhaus, Toronto
11 Bull in the Heather - 2002-08-03 Tippitina's, New Orleans
12 Candle - 2002-08-27 Fillmore, San Francisco
13 Rain on Tin - 2002-08-27 Fillmore, San Francisco
14 Skip Tracer - 2002-08-03 Tippitina's, New Orleans
15 Sympathy for the Strawberry - 2002-08-03 Tippitina's, New Orleans

01 Improv > Four6 - 2001-06-14 Montjuich 2Sonar Festival, Barcelona
02 1234 - 2003-02-22 Drum Logos, Fukuoka JP
03 She Is Not Alone - 2003-06-27 Central Park Summerstage
04 Making the Nature Scene - 2002-08-27 Fillmore, San Francisco
05 Silver Rocket - 2002-08-27 Fillmore, San Francisco
06 Free City Rhymes - 2000-06-11 Phoenix Center Ampitheatre, Pontiac
07 Nevermind (What Was It Anyway) - 2000-06-11 Phoenix Center Ampitheatre, Pontiac
08 Sunday - 2000-06-11 Phoenix Center Ampitheatre, Pontiac
09 NYC Ghosts & Flowers - 2000-06-11 Phoenix Center Ampitheatre, Pontiac
10 Hoarfrost - 2001-04-22 Syracuse University
11 Lightnin' - 2000-06-23 Tabernacle, Atlanta
12 I Wanna Be Yr Dog - 2000-06-11 Phoenix Center Ampitheatre, Pontiac
13 Kill Yr. Idols - 2003-02-22 Drum Logos, Fukuoka JP

01 I Love You Golden Blue - 2004-07-15 Crystal Ballroom, Portland
02 Total Trash - 2003-06-20 Newport Music Hall, Columbus OH
03 (I Got A) Catholic Block - 2003-06-20 Newport Music Hall, Columbus OH
04 Peace Attack - 2003-06-28 Penn's Landing, Philadelphia
05 Mariah Carey & The Arthur Doyle Handcream - 2004-07-18, Glass House, Pomona
06 Paper Cup - 2004-07-15 Crystal Ballroom, Portland
07 Schizophrenia - 2004-07-18, Glass House, Pomona
08 Dripping Dream - 2003-11-08 ATP, Queen Mary, Long Beach
09 100% - 2004-08-02 Majestic Theater, Detroit
10 Brother James - 2004-07-30 The Rave, Milwaukee
11 Mote - 2004-08-14 Avalon, Boston
12 White Kross - 2004-07-29 Vic Theatre, Chicago
13 Death Valley '69 - 2000-06-20 9:30 Club, DC

01 Teenage Riot - 2004-08-30 Paradiso, Amsterdam
02 New Hampshire - 2004-08-30 Paradiso, Amsterdam
03 Burning Spear - 2004-08-14 Avalon, Boston
04 Disconnection Notice - 2004-08-14 Avalon, Boston
05 Sugar Kane - 2004-08-04 Metropolis, Montréal
06 Dude Ranch Nurse - 2004-08-14 Avalon, Boston
07 Kool Thing - 2004-08-02 Majestic Theater, Detroit
08 Inhuman - 2004-08-02 Majestic Theater, Detroit

01 Sleepin' Around - 2005-08-16 NASA Reykjavic, Iceland
02 Rain On Tin - 2004-10-23 Bridge School Benefit, Mtn View CA
03 Stones - 2004-08-30 Paradiso, Amsterdam
04 Pattern Recognition - 2004-08-30 Paradiso, Amsterdam
05 Unmade Bed - 2004-08-30 Paradiso, Amsterdam
06 Pacific Coast Highway - 2004-08-30 Paradiso, Amsterdam
07 Expressway To Yr Skull - 2004-08-30 Paradiso, Amsterdam
08 Isolation - 2005-10-27 Cité de la Musique, Paris

track notes:

"Sleepin' Around" 2005-08-16: this is the only occasion I know of where SY debuted post-Nurse material with Jim still in the band, and is thus included in spite of fairly poor sound quality.

"Rain on Tin" 2004-10-23: I allowed myself a song repeat for this unique and bracing acoustic version.

I easily found it on slsk, don't know of any other sources.

Also here: https://archive.org/details/sonic-youth-jim-years-live

Also too: https://archive.org/details/SY_Death

Death to Our Friends, a 7xCD compilation covering the entirety of Sonic Youth's career, assembled thanks to some passionate fans from the SYG forum. Six discs are dedicated to chronological order and specific eras, and the last captures leftovers and oddities.

Track listing (all tracks in lossless unless *marked otherwise):
Disc 1: 1981 - 1985
1 The Good and the Bad [New York rehearsals, 7-xx-1981]07:162 Where the Red Fern Grows [New York rehearsals, 7-xx-1981]05:543 The Burning Spear [New York rehearsals, 7-xx-1981]03:284 (She's in a) Bad Mood [Carrboro, 11-14-1982]06:395 Confusion is Next [Carrboro, 11-14-1982]03:116 Shaking Hell [Dearborn, 12-12-1982]04:307 The World Looks Red [Venlo, 11-27-1983]04:188 Halloween [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]06:359 Death Valley '69 [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]06:2510 Brave Men Run (In My Family) [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]04:1211 I Love Her All the Time [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]07:2012 Brother James [VPRO-FM, 4-01-1985]03:4013 Flower [VPRO-FM, 4-01-1985]04:1814 Kill Yr Idols [VPRO-FM, 4-01-1985]02:3915 Satan is Boring [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]09:2516 Expressway to Yr Skull [demo from 1985 broadcast on John Peel, 5-18-1986]05:1517 White Kross [Washington, 7-25-1986]02:4618 Shadow of a Doubt [Washington, 7-25-1986]04:1119 Starpower [Washington, 7-25-1986]03:1020 Death to Our Friends [Washington, 7-25-1986]02:4121 Green Light [Washington, 7-25-1986]02:5922 Beauty Lies in the Eye [VPRO-FM, 6-10-1987]02:1823 Kotton Krown [VPRO-FM, 6-10-1987]04:3224 Stereo Sanctity [VPRO-FM, 6-10-1987]04:2725 Schizophrenia [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]04:2226 Tom Violence [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]03:2227 Tuff Gnarl [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]02:5628 The Sprawl [Washington, 12-11-1988]06:1329 'Cross the Breeze [Washington, 12-11-1988]06:2830 Ruben's Beard [BBC Session, 3-12-1989]02:3931 Major Label Chicken Feed [BBC Session, 3-12-1989]02:5132 Hey Joni [Washington, 12-11-1988]04:0433 Kissability [Washington, 12-11-1988]03:3034 The Wonder [Vienna, 3-29-1989]05:4435 Hyperstation [Vienna, 3-29-1989]06:4136 Eliminator Jr. [New York, 12-13-1988]06:2637 Teenage Riot [Bremen, 8-27-1991]04:5738 The Burning Spear [BBC Session, 7-20-1992]02:3039 Kill Yr Idols [Irvine, 11-03-1990]02:4840 Silver Rocket [Irvine, 11-03-1990]05:0041 Genetic [Binghimton, 10-17-1992]03:5642 Dirty Boots [Bremen, 8-27-1992]05:1243 Youth Against Fascism [BBC Session, 7-20-1992]03:2744 100% / Kool Thing [Melbourne, 1-24-1993]07:4045 The World Looks Red [Berlin, 9-16-1990]04:4846 Mote [Bremen, 8-27-1991]04:1347 Candle [Lisbon, 7-14-1993]04:5048 Stereo Sanctity [Lisbon, 7-14-1993]03:5749 Sugar Kane [Rennes, 12-04-1992]07:2450 Purr [BBC Session, 7-20-1992]04:5451 Theresa's Sound-World [London, 12-14,1992]05:5652 Crème Brûlée [BBC Session, 7-20-1992]02:1653 Expressway to Yr Skull [Bremen, 8-27-1991]09:5354 Stil [Sessions at West 54th, 6-12-1997]08:3655 Bull in the Heather [Tibetan Freedom Concert, 6-16-1996]03:3756 Starfield Road [Tilburg, 3-18-1996]02:3857 Washing Machine [Tilburg, 3-18-1996]08:1958 Interview [MTV Studios, 4-15-1996]03:0159 Junkie's Promise [MTV Studios, 4-15-1996]04:0460 Saucer-Like [MTV Studios, 4-15-1996]04:1861 Becuz [MTV Studios, 4-15-1996]04:2262 Self-Obsessed and Sexxee [Jon Stewart Show, 9-16-1994]05:4663 Hits of Sunshine (for Allen Ginsberg) [Sessions at West 54th, 6-12-1997]07:5064 Shadow of a Doubt [Los Angeles, 5-29-1998]03:2165 Karen Koltrane [Los Angeles, 5-29-1998]06:5466 Blonde Redhead [Lisbon, 2-19-1999]03:2967 Skip Tracer [Tilburg, 3-18-1996]03:3568 The Diamond Sea [Sydney, 12-31-1995]12:2469 Kotton Krown [Toronto, 8-15-2002]05:2870 Kissability [Toronto, 8-15-2002]03:4871 The Empty Page [Last Call, 9-26-2002]04:2572 Pattern Recognition / Unmade Bed [Saint-Brieuc, 6-03-2005]12:4273 100% [Last Call, 9-26-2002]03:4174 Eric's Trip [Toronto, 8-15-2002]04:0075 Rain on Tin [Seattle, 9-01-2002]08:2476 Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style [Toronto, 8-15-2002]04:3277 Stones [Boston, 8-14-2004]06:3278 I Love You Golden Blue [Boston, 8-14-2004]07:3679 She is Not Alone [Ghent, 6-10-2001]09:2780 Nevermind (What Was It Anyway?) [Carrboro, 8-05-2000]05:5281 Drunken Butterfly [Toronto, 8-15-2002]03:5982 Making the Nature Scene [Toronto, 8-15-2002]03:1783 Brave Men Run (In My Family) [Brooklyn, 8-12-2011]05:0784 Death Valley '69 [Brooklyn, 8-12-2011]05:5685 No Way [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]03:5786 Sacred Trickster [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]02:1387 Incinerate [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]05:1188 Hey Joni [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]03:4689 Leaky Lifeboat (for Gregory Corso) [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]06:2990 What We Know [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]03:5391 Shaking Hell [Portland, 7-01-2006]03:4492 Jams Run Free [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]03:4493 The Sprawl [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]09:0794 Poison Arrow [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]03:3595 Starfield Road [São Paulo, 11-14-2011]03:0296 Flower [São Paulo, 11-14-2011]04:0097 Pink Steam [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]08:1898 Teenage Riot [São Paulo, 11-14-2011]11:3699 Schizophrenia [Melbourne, 1-24-1993]04:56100 Catholic Block [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]03:15101 Pacific Coast Highway [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]04:10102 Brother James [Bremen, 8-27-1991]03:00103 Shoot [Binghamton, 10-17-1992]06:32104 Anagrama [Sessions at West 54th, 6-17-1997]07:46105 Screaming Skull (Rap Damage Version) [Jet Set Rough Mix]02:44106 Swimsuit Issue [NYC, 7-04-1992]03:57107 Karenology [Toronto, 8-15-2002]09:09108 White Kross [Bremen, 8-27-1991]03:19109 Unwind [New York, 10-20-1995]05:41110 Corporate Ghost [BBC Session, 3-20-1989]04:53111 Total Trash [Stratford-upon-Avon, 7-16-1993]07:44112 Skink [Tilburg, 3-18-1996]04:19113 Expressway to Yr Skull [Boston, 08-14-2004]12:07114 Starpower [Acoustic, Gossip Girl]02:59

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audio Sonic Youth - Death to Our Friends [1981-2011] [Bootleg]
by Sonic Youth

Topics sonic youth, noise rock, bootleg, flac
A 7xCD compilation covering the entirety of Sonic Youth's career, assembled thanks to some passionate fans from the SYG forum. Six discs are dedicated to chronological order and specific eras, and the last captures leftovers and oddities.

Track listing (all tracks in lossless unless *marked otherwise):
Disc 1: 1981 - 1985
The Good and the Bad [New York rehearsals, 7-xx-1981]
Where the Red Fern Grows [New York rehearsals, 7-xx-1981]
The Burning Spear [New York rehearsals, 7-xx-1981]
(She's in a) Bad Mood [Carrboro, 11-14-1982]
Confusion is Next [Carrboro, 11-14-1982]
Shaking Hell [Dearborn, 12-12-1982]
The World Looks Red [Vienna, 6-23-1983]
Halloween [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]
Death Valley '69 [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]
Brave Men Run (In My Family) [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]
I Love Her All the Time [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]
Brother James [VPRO-FM, 4-01-1985]
Flower [VPRO-FM, 4-01-1985]
Kill Yr Idols [VPRO-FM, 4-01-1985]
Satan is Boring [Amsterdam, 3-31-1985]
Disc 2: 1986 - 1989
Expressway to Yr Skull [demo from 1985 broadcast on John Peel, 5-18-1986]
White Kross [Washington, 7-25-1986]
Shadow of a Doubt [Washington, 7-25-1986]
Starpower [Washington, 7-25-1986]
Death to Our Friends [Washington, 7-25-1986]
Green Light [Washington, 7-25-1986]
Beauty Lies in the Eye [VPRO-FM, 6-10-1987]
Kotton Krown [VPRO-FM, 6-10-1987]
Stereo Sanctity [VPRO-FM, 6-10-1987]
Schizophrenia [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]
Tom Violence [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]
Tuff Gnarl [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]
The Sprawl [Washington, 12-11-1988]
'Cross the Breeze [Washington, 12-11-1988]
Ruben's Beard [BBC Session, 3-12-1989]
Major Label Chicken Feed [BBC Session, 3-12-1989]
Hey Joni [Washington, 12-11-1988]
Kissability [Washington, 12-11-1988]
The Wonder [Vienna, 3-29-1989]
Hyperstation [Vienna, 3-29-1989]
Eliminator Jr. [New York, 12-13-1988]
Disc 3: 1990 - 1993
Teenage Riot [Bremen, 8-27-1991]
The Burning Spear [Peel Session, 7-20-1992]
Kill Yr Idols [Irvine, 11-03-1990]
Silver Rocket [Irvine, 11-03-1990]
Genetic [Binghamton, 10-17-1992]
Dirty Boots [Bremen, 8-27-1991]
Youth Against Fascism [Peel Session, 7-20-1992]
100% > Kool Thing [Melbourne, 1-24-1993]
The World Looks Red [Berlin, 9-16-1990]
Mote [Bremen, 8-27-1991]
Candle [Lisbon, 7-14-1993]
Stereo Sanctity [Lisbon, 7-14-1993]
Sugar Kane [Rennes, 12-04-1992]
Purr [Peel Session, 7-20-1992]
Theresa's Sound-World [London, 12-14-1992]
Crème Brûlée [Peel Session, 7-20-1992]
Expressway to Yr Skull [Bremen, 8-27-1991]
Disc 4: 1994 - 1999
Stil [Sessions at West 54th, 6-12-1997]
Bull in the Heather [Tibetan Freedom Concert, 6-16-1996]
Starfield Road [Tilburg, 3-18-1996]
Washing Machine [Tilburg, 3-18-1996]
Interview [MTV Studios, 4-15-1996]
Junkie's Promise [MTV Studios, 4-15-1996]
Saucer-Like [MTV Studios, 4-15-1996]
Becuz [MTV Studios, 4-15-1996]
Self-Obsessed and Sexxee [Jon Stewart Show, 9-16-1994]
Hits of Sunshine (for Allen Ginsberg) [West 54th Street, 6-12-1997]
Shadow of a Doubt [Los Angeles, 5-29-1998]
Karen Koltrane [Los Angeles, 5-29-1998]
Blonde Redhead [Lisbon, 2-19-1999]
Skip Tracer [Tilburg, 3-18-1996]
The Diamond Sea [Sydney, 12-31-1995]
Disc 5: 2000 - 2005
Kotton Krown [Toronto, 8-15-2002]
Kissability [Toronto, 8-15-2002]
The Empty Page [Last Call, 9-26-2002]
Pattern Recognition > Unmade Bed [Saint-Brieuc, 6-03-2005]*
100% [Last Call, 9-26-2002]
Eric's Trip [Toronto, 8-15-2002]
Rain on Tin [Seattle, 9-01-2002]
Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style [Toronto, 8-15-2002]
Stones [Boston, 8-14-2004]
I Love You Golden Blue [Boston, 8-14-2004]
She is Not Alone [Ghent, 6-10-2001]
Nevermind (What Was It Anyway?) [Conan O'Brien, 7-18-2000]
Drunken Butterfly [Toronto, 8-15-2002]
Making the Nature Scene [Toronto, 8-15-2002]
Disc 6: 2006 - 2011
Brave Men Run (In My Family) [Brooklyn, 8-12-2011]
Death Valley '69 [Brooklyn, 8-12-2011]
No Way [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]
Sacred Trickster [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]
Incinerate [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]*
Hey Joni [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]*
Leaky Lifeboat (for Gregory Corso) [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]
What We Know [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]
Shaking Hell [Portland, 7-01-2006]
Jams Run Free [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]*
The Sprawl [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]*
Poison Arrow [L'Album de la Semaine, 10-27-2009]
Starfield Road [São Paulo, 11-14-2011]*
Flower [São Paulo, 11-14-2011]*
Pink Steam [From the Basement, 8-23-2007]*
Teenage Riot [São Paulo, 11-14-2011]*
Disc 7: Outtakes and Oddities
Schizophrenia [Melbourne, 1-24-1993]
Catholic Block [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]
Pacific Coast Highway [Chapel Hill, 9-15-1987]
Brother James [Bremen, 8-27-1991]
Shoot [Binghamton, 10-17-1992]
Anagrama [Sessions at West 54th, 6-12-1997]
Screaming Skull (Rap Damage Version) [Jet Set Rough Mix]*
Swimsuit Issue [NYC, 7-04-1992]
Karenology [Toronto, 8-15-2002]
White Kross [Bremen, 8-27-1991]
Unwind [New York, 10-20-1995]
Corporate Ghost [BBC Session, 3-20-1989]
Total Trash [Stratford-upon-Avon, 7-16-1993]
Skink [Tilburg, 3-18-1996]
Expressway to Yr Skull [Boston, 8-14-2004]
Starpower [Acoustic, Gossip Girl]
EDIT: it seems likely that this isn't the original bootleg, and is instead a reassembled version using alternative sources of the tracks - this would explain the multitude of changes in volume, why I had to convert the mess it was originally in, and why the discs don't all fit on one CD. It should still be alright for you, though?

Formatting schmormatting.

Turns out Thurston's prognosis is 'very good' -- am I a bad person for thinking that someone made the original announcement intentionally vague to drum up some interest in the new book? Or am I just saying that because I ordered a copy when I otherwise probably would have hardly known about it or cared to see if I had any interest in reading it?

as thurston's atrial fib buddy (© ilxor Jordan s/t (Jordan)) i can attest that the prognosis can be very good and the meds of the moment (viz beta blockers) can still leave you quite physically fatigued, esp in the evneing, esp when the dosage is newly upped (as it might be for entirely non-alarming reasons) -- i've never embarked on a major european tour myself for any reason but i have sometimes had to pause for a while on the way back from e.g. M&S, and TM is actually two years older than me

micro-details here!: the thread of ATRIAL FIBBING

thanks for the Jim Years link! re: topic, I haven't listened to Murray Street enough so I'm going back in!

yeah thanks for posting about that; I'm not really a 'collect live shows' person in general and for lots of bands I just don't care all that much about live recordings but given how much I liked that Brooklyn final show and how much I'm liking this collection Sonic Youth may be one of the exceptions for me.

deep in a hopeless SY hole for the past... two weeks now with no sign of abatement, so this is the perfect time for that link to cross my path. thanks.

jim legit bridging gastr del sol (and others) and late peak sonic youth debunks this pitchfork bullshit after all, i have to think

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/7342-nyc-ghosts-flowers/

Read book one (about 20%) of the new memoir. I’m in a weird place as a fan because Sonic Youth blew open the doors for me as a youth, the same way Patti Smith or whatever did for Thurston, but I have very little interest in much of their post-80s career (I do like A Thousand Leaves and NYC Ghosts and Flowers though) and would normally care less about any Sonic Youth trivia (never even once considered reading Kim’s book) until the PR that got drummed up around TM’s health scare made it sound like it was gonna be more interesting than I’d thought, skipping some of the interpersonal drama and focusing on the music and scene.

It’s an extremely quick read, but despite all of his romanticism of the more literary side of the 70s NYC scene and his glorification of the Beats and all that, Thurston is not a good writer. The descriptive prose lacks any hint of the effortless poetry of his idols whatsoever. Sonic Youth’s lyrics pretty much all fell on a scale of passable to outright embarrassing, so I wasn’t totally shocked there.

I didn’t realize that early pre-no wave punk played as much of a role in his musical foundation as it did, so that was somewhat enlightening, but otherwise the story of coming of age relating to the Velvets, the Stooges, MC5, Television (among countless other usual suspects) while your peers are having their minds blown by radio rock has been told a million times by now and it’s not any fresher told from Moore’s perspective. I was hoping for a little more about him, how it felt to be there, what made him tick, and all that, and a little less of a running list of every concert he ever attended (and somehow remembers with mindblowing accuracy nearly 50 years later).

Still not up to the formation of SY yet, so will see how the rest goes.

Haven't cracked it yet, but seems like a lot of people are disappointed that he doesn't spend a lot of time on the affair and divorce. Which I kinda get, but at the same time I didn't want to read 50 pages of his self-justifications about it.

Eh, that I don’t care about. Apparently Kim’s book covers it and I mean that’s not a story that absolutely needs to be told to the public regardless. I’m obviously not there yet but apparently the last like 15% of the book covers the 90s and beyond, which does seem a bit quick (apparently his submission had to be pretty massively edited down, but not sure why they’d leave in a description of every time he saw the Ramones/Patti Smith/the Damned etc and reduce entire decades to nearly a postscript)

If only I could find a way to say “apparently” a few more times

I'm with you, I don't need to read his side of it at all, just surprised how many people apparently did (see Pitchfork's article about the book today). It does sound disappointing that he essentially stops with 2009 though, I think he's done some interesting work since SY worth reading more about.

Thurston is not a good writer. The descriptive prose lacks any hint of the effortless poetry of his idols whatsoever.

This has been my biggest takeaway from the excerpts I've seen. His prose is absolutely poisoned by rock journalist pseudo-poetics. He should have hired Byron Coley as a ghostwriter, at least we'd have gotten some unexpected adjectival choices.

I’ve read this book. His writing is a bit better than I expected, and it’s fine. (But maybe I haven’t read as many books about the years and scenes he’s focusing on as others, and as such a not as disappointed.)

Am not as disappointed

otherwise the story of coming of age relating to the Velvets, the Stooges, MC5, Television (among countless other usual suspects) while your peers are having their minds blown by radio rock has been told a million times by now and it’s not any fresher told from Moore’s perspective

And he's shared those particular stories a ton of times in interviews and other books already. Something he & Kim have in common is finely tuning anecdotes early on and then repeating them verbatim for decades.

Long conversation between Thurston and Marc Masters on Marc’s Music Book podcast
https://themusicbookpodcast.buzzsprout.com/2120946/13813342-020-thurston-moore-on-thurston-moore

Thurston gets into the background of why the book is the way it is and deflects on what people were perhaps mistakenly expecting. Not much SY talk but plenty on discovering that the only library that has a complete run of the Village Voice is in Ft. Lauderdale.

see Pitchfork's article about the book today

Just read this… jeez, it sure takes him to task for “ignoring” details of the split.

Yeah, that pitchfork writer is not happy about TM deciding not to air his dirty laundry:

“If I got too much into that, that would be a critical focus, as it is with any memoir,” he recently told the New York Times. It’s hard to imagine that he’d think ignoring it would be any less grounds for critique.

Also, even if it may be ultimately self-serving, it's kind of hard to not acknowledge that saying he didn't want to profit off the personal pain of people in his lives is a decent recent not to go into it.

But in the end, his affair is pretty much the least interesting thing about his life and career and the last thing I want to read more about.

I’m looking forward to:

-Lee’s book (if he writes one)
-Steve’s book (if he writes one)
-A comprehensive unauthorized account of this band by a journalist

There are two unauthorised ones, by David Browne (can't recall if it is decent) and a really good one by our own Stevie called Psychic Confusion iirc, however, it was published a few years prior to their disbandment.

i have a copy of "Goodbye 20th Century" from some 10+ years back - can't remember if it was authorized or not. my memory of it seems that it covered a lot of what kim/thurston's books went into at this point, prior to the band breakup.

It's been a long time since I read the Browne one, but I recall thinking it was pretty good. My favorite book was Alec Foege's Confusion is Next, which is positively ancient at this point (coming out in 1994) but it was really key in how hard I fell for the band in '94-'95.

Ohhh I didn't know there was a third one

I’ve read at least two of those, and they’re pretty good.

But I’m thinking more something in-depth, post breakup, that does the thing of delving into every album and assorted minutiae.

To be fair, I have not read it since 1995, so my fond memories of it might be inextricably tied to my deep dive into SY's back catalog at the time so maybe rose colored glasses and all. Did just order a used copy to give it another go though.

I just started Jesse Rifkin's 'This Must Be The Place' which is the second book I've read about NY Music scene(s) named after a TH song, which so far has been really interesting, I'm hoping it'll arrive at SY and Chatham/Branca/Swans/The Kitchen/No Wave/Arthur Russell etc

The Browne book is quite good.

But in the end, his affair is pretty much the least interesting thing about his life and career and the last thing I want to read more about.

― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 26 October 2023 14:22 (three hours ago) link

OTM, even Kim talks about it as an almost embarrassingly boring cliche, if I recall correctly.

Honestly it feels like some of the reviewers wanting more "dirt" are unhappy they were denied something to get mad about, or maybe lost the ability to be able to write a more scathing review about he's a toxic narcissist or something.

Which he might be for all I know... I just know if I'm reading a book from any of the Sonic Youth folks I want to read about music, not necessarily about the details of romantic tribulations

sorry to end on an "It's all about the music MAN!!!!" note

Kim Gordon remains something of a mystery throughout your book. Someone ultimately unknowable to the reader.

I suppose so. I think I purposefully muted certain aspects of our relationship. I didn’t want to give it any more value than my relationship with the rest of the band. I wanted the book to be very band-centred. I didn’t want to talk about our romantic relationship. I didn’t want to get into the intricacies of our marriage…

https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/stories/sonic-youths-thurston-moore-interviewed/?fbclid=IwAR2CwvoOJeNMq5JBD7xn5XwoKjFYga1Op8oS4eXiPliYitHx-2E-rMWgisw

Curious what kind of treatment Jim gets (if at all)? Or Mark for that matter...

(meant O'Rourke but also Sclavunos I guess lol)

Audiobook for https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/666348/?refId=40886&detailsLocale=US&refId=77121&gclid=CjwKCAjwnOipBhBQEiwACyGLuiBEdMDg82aihtj0c4l3pnMpB6XUvPczV3ITkOJmbf3JDgEM9MKgyhoCLcUQAvD_BwE2.50, read by T

The David Browne book is definitely very good and IIRC totally authorized. Lee published an 80s tour diary at one point, I enjoyed it. It would be great if Steve wrote a book! Just from interviews he seems to have a fantastic memory for the SY days.

audiobook for $12.50 that should say, and say so less strangely