Their latter years, yes
 

I still think the best is yet to come. We had NYCGF come out for all the art noise people and Jim was a big part of that production, then came Murray Street which will be remembered as a landmark record, although Kim was interestingly absent for most of the record, which was a refreshing thing.

Nurse comes out and it sounds like shit until you listen to it about ten times, then it's suddenly amazing. Kim sounds like Nico and belts out this amazing shit and it makes you want to blow your load all over a vinyl copy of Washing Machine.

You listen to Rather Ripped and you hate it because it sucks, you truly truly hate it. The Eternal sounds like a return to form yet you don't listen to it as much as you thought you would.

COME OUT OF THE CLOSET, FUCK OUR EARS PLEASE AND THANK YOU.

sounds like you're from jersey

I'm from Oklahoma City, breathe the cow shit out and let it in.

are you wayne coyne or barry sanders?

I'm a giant 6'7 skinny man that enjoys cock more than half the time who lives in an almost dreamlike society of ultra-religious christians.

I miss the era of Murray Street... Listening to that record makes you think anything is possible, that they could go anywhere. They went somewhere with Nurse but god damn it bring the feeling back! And I know they will, before they are done.

Muray street "went" to take a nap.

fuck that shit

sonic nurse blows it out the water

the best is yet to come...

It seems like Jim contributed a huge amount to the band. I mean their records are still good, but compare the last two to Murray Street and Nurse. They just aren't in the same class in my opinion. RR was step 1 and The Eternal was step 2, they are getting there...

I think I'm going to go listen to Camoufleur.

murray street > nurse

it drags it into the water

Kim Gordon doesn't sound anything like Nico. Sonic Nurse and Rather Ripped are both weak records with one good song on each. I like The Eternal but it's really a rock record. Maybe this wanting to be acknowledged as a proper rock band, which showed its face first on MS, should finally come to an end now.

1. how was she absent? Do you just mean vocally?
2. why would Kim's absense be "refreshing"?

I like Nurse and RR a lot, but I do think they are weak compared to Murray St and Eternal. I love Eternal, but I do think it sounds like they said "okay, what should a SY Matador album sound like?" If that makes sense.

makes a lot of sense, and is maybe the reason why its not my favourite...

The Eternal is an accomplishment of sort, take or leave a couple of songs, because it's the closest they'll ever get to make a SY record that has quality songs on it with all the weirdness that made them the household name that they are toned down to the maximum. Now it would be good for them to make the sort of record that draws from the myriad side projects but still retains a unified SY front.

if sonic youth were a world cup team they'd be england, 15 or 20 years ago they used to be for real but now they just want to be in the hall of fame

Agreed with every word.

They used to be a band that amazed the listener without effort. Now they merely want to please their audience and that feels plain wrong.

i think they just want to please themselves

And by doing that they've become a crowd-pleasing band not in a good way.