Sonic Youth Album Advice
 

I was wondering if one of you could give me a good starting place for a Sonic Youth album. I caught a show about a year back, and was blown away and have been meaning to pick up a cd since then, and now I'm going to do it.

Below are some of the bands I find myselef listening to the most, so hopefully this will provide some guidance as to which album to suggest. Thanks again!

I listen to:

Widespread Panic
PJ Harvey
Beastie Boys
Wilco
Ryan Adams
Dinosaur Jr.
Grateful Dead
Miles Davis (Bitches Brew, Tribute to JJ -- era)

Hmmm, I started with Dirty, but I say start with Daydream Nation or Goo, and then work your way to their newer stuff, and then to their really old stuff like the amazing Whitey Album

Pretty nice list of bands there. If you like Dinosaur Jr, you'll most likely enjoy the SY. I'd also say start with Daydream Nation.

Inhuman:

That's the same record I started listening to SY w/. I think it's the perfect starting place for anyone.

Highway 61:

Does your name have any connection to Bob Dylan's song, "Highway 61"?

Yeah Dirty is a great place to start. Swimsuit Issue, 100%, Wish Fulfillment, and Sugar Kane are perfect songs for introducing. For me, I never actually liked it until about 2 weeks after I bought it. I find that with most SY albums, they grow on you a lot.

Hell, I loved every song from the moment I heard it. But I do know what you're saying though. It takes a little while to understand the magnitude of SY.
Well, I got the "Dirty" deluxe edition on LP before I bought the original releasing of "Dirty". Maybe that's why I liked it so quickly.

Yeah, Dylan is probably my all time favorite.

if you're enjoying electric period miles, you may find a nugget of enjoyability in the syr series.

other than that, i'd say start with sister, daydream nation, and/or goo. after that, just start grabbing wildly at whichever album's cover art gets you going.

For me it was a pretty big leap in musical taste, so it took a little to adjust. I went from bands such as.... well...Linkin Park and stuff like that until my brother fixed me up and gave me some good bands. Now after a year, it changed my music taste completely and I'm much more musically mature, and now like artists like Einstuerzende Neubauten, 23 Skidoo, and Dalek.

of course, start with NYC Ghosts and Flowers.

Dirty is a good place to start... I think Daydream Nation is a little confusing as a first album; I remember it took me a while to be able to put my brain around it.

Since Sonic Youth has had very little song structure (until Sonic Nurse) I would also say that starting with their new stuff and working backwards through the catalogue would be an interesting way to get to know them.

I would go for Goo
not sure why though

Last year?, well...they released "Sonic Nurse" in 2004, so they were playing a lot of song of that record and maybe some "Murray Street" (2002) songs, if you liked that show then start with something like Sonic Nurse or Murray Street.

Yea, I'd go with Sonic Nurse since those songs you heard live were probably mostly from that record. Then either Daydream Nation or Dirty.

I started with 'Goo', so I'd recommend that one. It's the perfect intro to their sound, I think. 'Daydream Nation' is probably too sprawling and epic an album to pop your SY cherry with, much as I adore it. That said, if you hear 'Teenage Riot' for the first time and don't fall in love there's something wrong with you.

that's insulting.

Is it? In what way?

TEENAGE RIOT!
SKRONK!

If you listen to teenage riot and you don't instantly fall in love then there's something wrong with you!

Sonic Nurse or murray street are probably the best starting place.

Since you tend to like more mellow music, I wouldn't start off with Dirty. I'd go with Daydream Nation. Give it a few listens and you'll really get into it. It's generally considered their best album.

I agree with Murray Street being a good place to start.

I'd say Sister or Dirty.

I'd say get Rather Ripped, eventhough i haven't heard it
you can supposedly find it on soulseek so that means it will cost you nothing though it maybe frowned upon by the band, many "fans" here seem to enjoy it and also seem to enjoy telling everyone how they do!

so be the asshole, the first on your block to hear and download the sucker...
and let us all know how much of a pro-pop rock song album it is, good, bad or indifferent.

i'd go with experimental jetset, trash and no star. i think it is there most accessible album as far as song structure goes.

You should listen to the cds in the order they came out.

Inhuman, the same thing happenned to me about 2 years ago. I'd start with Daydream Nation, Goo, Sister, or Murray Street.

dont listen to this person, they clearly have some kind of mental deficiency ;)

abe said where you want this killin done? god said over on highway 51!

the song and the album both pimp very hard

do not forget - Washing Machine

Washing Machine may not be the best album to start off with, but it's definitely one to get early on. Getting DDN, Washing Machine and Murray Street all at the same time would be my reccomendation, and then depending on which you enjoy most explore around that era...though all of SY's stuff is worth a listen to eventually. Can't say they've every really made a BAD record yet.


From my experience I've found that the key with listening to SY for the first time though is to have patience...to be honest there have been very few SY records that I loved instantly on hearing them for the first time. They all take time to grow on you (especially some of the less accessible stuff), but give the stuff a chance...most of it's very good

Ditto.

sorry ikara, i will cease to have any opinion at all, i hope your omnipotence is working well for you

I started on the very early stuff.....well after i got Daydream nation....i got Bad moon rising - loved that..Then i think EVOL...bla bla....So yer...id get their early records 2 be blown totally away.

I would say start with 'Dirty' then move on to 'Sonic Nurse' and then of course you will be able to appreciate their signature 'Daydream Nation' album (coolest album cover ever!). Don't touch the early stuff, at least not until your are truely versed in SY's sound and style. If I had got 'Sonic Youth', 'Confusion is Sex' or 'Bad Mood Rising' as start off albums (as brilliant as they are) I would probebly not have gotten into sonic youth! Same goes for the SYR series!

i started with Washing Machine,

but i would wait for Rather Ripped------......------

I agree.

It's best to sart with their pop works first, to ease you into their world. So I suggest either Sonic Nurse, Murray Street or A Thousand Leaves. BUT I also recommend that you listen to Daydream Nation or Sister as well. It's your call beacuase they are all great albums. Daydream and Sister are their landmark albums, the band's creative height, but are more experimantal and lesss mainstream/pop oriented.

buy em all, most of em are lowprice now anyway...;)