Best Trio of Sonic Youth Albums?

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I find it easier to break their back catalogue up into threes.

Poll Results

OptionVotes
The mesmerizing sonic bliss of their "best" three -- EVOL, Sister, Daydream Nation 34
The grab for the big time -- Goo, Dirty, Experimental Jet Set Trash & No Star 24
The mildly bored musings of the grandparents of the rock underground -- Murray Street, Sonic Nurse, Rather Ripped 21
The no wave period -- Sonic Youth, Confusion Is Sex, Bad Moon Rising 9
The three albums that proceeded to offload all of the alt-rock good will -- Washing Machine, A Thousand Leaves, NYC Gho 3


I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Sunday, 2 August 2009 06:31 (sixteen years ago)

Not sure why NYC Ghosts & Flowers was chopped off there... I think you get the idea.

I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Sunday, 2 August 2009 06:32 (sixteen years ago)

First three -- in your words, the "no wave" period.

Reatards Unite, Sunday, 2 August 2009 06:49 (sixteen years ago)

EVOL, Sister, Daydream Nation duh

Fela Cruti (latebloomer), Sunday, 2 August 2009 07:00 (sixteen years ago)

Bad Moon Rising, EVOL, Sister

:-(

StanM, Sunday, 2 August 2009 10:13 (sixteen years ago)

^^^ This.

Calamari Merkin (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 2 August 2009 10:20 (sixteen years ago)

Option two wins overwhelmingly, scattered holdouts for one and four, fewer for five. I predict three will do really badly, which seems a shame as 'Goo' and 'Dirty' were actually pretty enjoyable albums from a band I thought I'd finished with. Still going to vote option one, though.

Soukesian, Sunday, 2 August 2009 10:48 (sixteen years ago)

two or five, although I don't think rather ripped is nearly as good as the other two

akm, Sunday, 2 August 2009 14:04 (sixteen years ago)

Bad Moon Rising, EVOL, Sister

:-(

― StanM

^^^ This.

― Calamari Merkin (Noodle Vague)

^^^ This.

EZ Snappin, Sunday, 2 August 2009 15:05 (sixteen years ago)

The mildly bored musings of the grandparents of the rock underground -- Murray Street, Sonic Nurse, Rather Ripped.

Heric E. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 2 August 2009 15:12 (sixteen years ago)

OH LOOK ANOTHER SONIC YOUTH POLL

again, i apologize for kickstarting all this

some dude, Sunday, 2 August 2009 15:37 (sixteen years ago)

clever way to group them, though, props

some dude, Sunday, 2 August 2009 15:38 (sixteen years ago)

Perhaps I'm overthinking this, but I resent the implication that grandparents are mildly boring, especially when no wave kids can be excrutiatingly boring.

Heric E. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 2 August 2009 15:43 (sixteen years ago)

Oh -- thanks to Al and the other poll starters, I got EJTANS a couple of weeks ago. I'm totally amused that we consider this part of their grab-for-the-big time; it's their most dissonant record since the no wave days.

Heric E. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 2 August 2009 15:47 (sixteen years ago)

yeah Jet Set was definitely the beginning of their drift away from trying to get any bigger, but since it still got a single on the radio and was their highest-charting album at the time, it makes sense as part of their 'mainstream' era

some dude, Sunday, 2 August 2009 15:54 (sixteen years ago)

I'm another one who'd have voted BMR, Evol and Sister. I'm also one who likes EJTANS, or at least has fond memories of it.

unperson, Sunday, 2 August 2009 17:55 (sixteen years ago)

thats my 3 fave albums too

pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Sunday, 2 August 2009 19:12 (sixteen years ago)

We need a 'Bad Moon Rising' VS 'Daydream Nation' to settle some of the innuendos that have been floating around in these SY threads. I love BMR too, but come on.

nicky lo-fi, Sunday, 2 August 2009 20:32 (sixteen years ago)

Results 1 - 10 of about 136 for "gaydream nation". (0.44 seconds)

Calamari Merkin (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 2 August 2009 20:33 (sixteen years ago)

Isn't that the one with the erect candle?

StanM, Sunday, 2 August 2009 20:35 (sixteen years ago)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nVrf9YP2-s4/SdTL_nUcv0I/AAAAAAAABUM/PlmI1Oojz1w/s400/2.jpg

nicky lo-fi, Sunday, 2 August 2009 20:39 (sixteen years ago)

Results 1 - 10 of about 23,500 for fag moon rising

nicky lo-fi, Sunday, 2 August 2009 20:42 (sixteen years ago)

I voted No Wave but I really meant the first 3 proper albums. Confusion, Bad Moon, Evol.

Nate Carson, Sunday, 2 August 2009 21:10 (sixteen years ago)

"fag moon rising" is the title of a nicely-package early SY bootleg I'd be ready to buy right away.

Soukesian, Sunday, 2 August 2009 22:10 (sixteen years ago)

Voted like Nate - the self-titled ain't an album.

EZ Snappin, Sunday, 2 August 2009 22:18 (sixteen years ago)

These group better as pairs than trilogies.

bendy, Sunday, 2 August 2009 22:50 (sixteen years ago)

These trios make more sense to me:

*Sonic Youth, Confusion Is Sex, Live Death

*Bad Moon Rising, EVOL, Sister

*Daydream Nation, The Whitey Album, Goo

*Dirty, Experimental Jet Set, Washing Machine

*A Thousand Leaves, NYC Ghosts & Flowers, Murray Street

*Sonic Nurse, Rather Ripped, The Eternal

EZ Snappin, Sunday, 2 August 2009 22:55 (sixteen years ago)

Just been digging through the wikipedia discography - all my SY stuff is vinyl, except 'Sonic Death' on cassette. There's a bunch of stuff I haven't heard on the CD reisssues, notably the add ons to the first EP - I only know 'Burning Spear' from apocalyptic versions at live shows and on 'Walls have Ears'.

Does this change the game for me? Well, no, but I got "Kill Yr Idols" before "Confusion is Sex" - most people hear them as one CD now - and that has to be the single most mind bending slab of vinyl I've ever been passed across a counter.

Soukesian, Sunday, 2 August 2009 23:09 (sixteen years ago)

Big love for Kill Yr Idols. Wish I still had that one. Brother James!!!

Nate Carson, Monday, 3 August 2009 00:27 (sixteen years ago)

In their prime:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Foc2KjNzIdc

EZ Snappin, Monday, 3 August 2009 01:08 (sixteen years ago)

I resent the implication that grandparents are mildly boring

I actually said "bored," not "boring" -- there's a big difference!

I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Monday, 3 August 2009 02:05 (sixteen years ago)

The mesmerizing sonic bliss of their "best" three

This is honestly one of the last periods of Sonic Youth that I got into and I completely agree...it's the best one.

gman59, Wednesday, 5 August 2009 05:48 (sixteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Saturday, 8 August 2009 23:01 (fifteen years ago)

I think the group should be

NYC, Murray Street, Sonic Nurse

In my mind they form a set anyway. Post-millennial SY, Jim O onboard, still relatively experimental.

I think these three together would be their highest quality trio of albums.

Rather Ripped belongs with The Eternal.

VahRehVah (fields of salmon), Saturday, 8 August 2009 23:38 (fifteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Sunday, 9 August 2009 23:01 (fifteen years ago)

Uh, surprise.

claws of jungle red (Stevie D), Sunday, 9 August 2009 23:19 (fifteen years ago)

Bad Moon Rising, EVOL, Sister

:-(

― StanM

^^^ This.

― Calamari Merkin (Noodle Vague)

^^^ This.

― EZ Snappin, Sunday, August 2, 2009 4:05 PM (1 week ago)

❊❁❄❆❇❃✴❈plaxico❈✴❃❇❆❄❁❊ (I know, right?), Sunday, 9 August 2009 23:21 (fifteen years ago)

neer neer Daydream Nation won a SY poll.

Kevin John Bozelka, Sunday, 9 August 2009 23:28 (fifteen years ago)

piggybacked its way to the top tho jus sayin

❊❁❄❆❇❃✴❈plaxico❈✴❃❇❆❄❁❊ (I know, right?), Sunday, 9 August 2009 23:29 (fifteen years ago)

^ otm

pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Monday, 10 August 2009 00:43 (fifteen years ago)

Poll results like this make me just wanna go listen to Led Zeppelin and Radiohead and give up.

Nate Carson, Monday, 10 August 2009 08:48 (fifteen years ago)

OK, I was totally wrong. Nice to know other people like 'Goo' and 'Dirty'

Soukesian, Monday, 10 August 2009 09:51 (fifteen years ago)


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