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Originally Posted by evollove
The distiction between "influential" and "inspiring" is often overlooked.
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I think this is really the meat of the matter right here. And it was said so early on that it kind of makes the discussion a moot point. People see SY, or hear SY, and are inspired by the fact that a band that's totally doing its own thing can be successful. They think, "hey, maybe I can do that too!"...
Then they pick up guitars and write derivative music that's nowhere near as good.
Bands really have failed to acknowledge the best thing about Sonic Youth: their music. Instead, they try to replicate their image and their ethos. That's not to say that Sonic Youth's image and ethics regarding industry aren't admirable, because they are, but those things do not make them the great band they are.
So many bands cite SY as influences, and so many critics reference them as influences, but very few bands have actually taken
musical cues from Sonic Youth. Very few bands have ever attempted to actually
sound like them, but hundreds have tried to be like them in other ways.