[Hip Priest]

Considering its artistic merit, and its relatively recent release date, SYR6 doesn't get discussed much around these parts.

From somewhere or other on the web:

...The recording begins with timpani tones so quiet that a cough peeps through in the opening minute before scattered and random percussion creeps in and nervous rustling slowly escalates the composition. An amplifier hum swells to introduce the performance's first major pattern - two chords repeating with some clarity atop a rhythmic accompaniment slowly gaining a feeling of order - that departs as quickly as it's recognized. Throughout the recording, many segments, typically no longer than a few minutes, develop and fade through brief repetition. After twelve minutes of directionless clutter, the guitarists launch into meandering and interweaving patterns that give the composition an increased sense of movement, even when the dynamics pull into restraint. As the stringed instruments cascade into a thunderous din, the chaos resumes, and the composition's ambient qualities are quickly engulfed by the familiar squeals and grinds that sonic experimentalists Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo and Jim O'Rourke are capable of conjuring.

...The second track, the shortest of the three, weaves industrial sounds as bassist Kim Gordon moans free-associative phrases and sounds in her monotone yelp.

...the final track, the longest of the three at twenty-seven minutes, briefly incorporates sampled noises and what sounds like a fire alarm to its constantly changing faces and releases a violent fury of fluttering, brushed snare drum, rapid-fire cymbal strikes and a wall of reverberating guitars. Unifying the entire performance is the underlying emphasis on free and occasionally structured percussion, which gains prominence (thanks to Tim Barnes and drummer Steve Shelley) aside the expected presence of Sonic Youth's guitar noodling...

[Hip Priest]

I like all the stuff that's going on in part three, by the way.

[whorefrost]

at first i liked the first movement the best... it seemed to have the most going on.. but i love the broody atmosphere of the second part.. for me, the third is the least interesting (although there is still some awesome stuff going on)
SYR 6 definitely stands alongside SYR 3 as the most convincing, fully realised SYR

[sonicl]

I'll vote this evening.

[Toxa]

1st

[Hip Priest]

Although the whole is somewhat eclectic and certainly lovable, I think part three is eclectic within itself, with bits of sampled stuff and the snares. Maybe that's why I prefer it.

[Hip Priest]

Originally Posted by Nefeli

was this close -right now- to vote for 3rd, just for that alarms.

It's a nice moment. I've always loved sampled sounds and stuff. I think as a young teenager, I was getting into serious music (as opposed to strightforward pop) just as the sampling thing was starting. IN fact even some chart bands of the time, such as Big Audio Dynamite and Sigue Sigue Sputnik, were using them a lot. So it all seemed rather new and different and exciting.

It's really pissing me off that the title of the thread is 'syr6' rather than 'SYR6'. Drat.

[Hip Priest]

I know what you mean. Feedbac's a great thing to hear. When I was 14, I got a free 7" with a magazine. One of the tracks was 'Taste of Cindy' by The Jesus and Mary Chain. That was the first time I'd heard that kind of noise, and it was pretty much that track that led me to seeking out more proper 'alternative' music.

[acousticrock87]

I love the third one. It's much more enrgetic and noisy. Don't get me wrong, I love the mellow percussion and chimey sounds of the other two, but I hold noise in preference.

[krastian]

I think SYR 6 is one of their best.....my favorite since the third one. I like all three tracks, but if I had to pick a favorite then I'd say the second one.

[sonicl]

I didn't get round to sitting down and listening to the CD until this morning, but having done so, it was part one that I enjoyed the most.

Ask me again tomorrow, though, and you may get a different answer.

[greenlight]

i'm voting for demonlover's superdead, hehe.
no serioussly, i love sy when they do instrumental stuff. they're best in it.

[toxic johnny]

I missed this poll first time around!... I enjoy the second track the most... but each one has it's own individual treasure trove.
The alarm bell on the third track always makes me smile...

[terminal pharmacy]

i can't make a decision to seperate the three, because to me they all flow along together so well.

[Hip Priest]

Part two seems to have it aced with 50% of the track-specific vote, but it's a close tie for second between parts one and three. It's all hotting up, isnt it...of f*** it, I mean

bump.

[Forensic Scene]

What does it soundlike? Is SYR6 more ambient and soundscaping? Is it fuzzy?

[whorefrost]

broody ambient soundscaping with explosive shards of noise... this is quite a good description by David Keenan:


"Long-awaited sixth volume in Sonic Youth's privately-pressed series documenting their furthest orbits of the map. Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui consists of a live recording from a benefit show held at New York's Anthology Film Archives on April 12 2003 where the quintet line-up was bolstered by the addition of percussionist Tim Barnes (Tower Recordings et al). The performance is one of their most fully-dilated navigations of zoned free improvisation, with extended breaths of silence cut up with explosive string action and clusters of magnetic silhouette. Last track is one of the most ferociously locomotive slow-burners of their entire career, with an almost Charalambides level of heavy gravity cut up with tortuous peaks of Evol-style grime while Shelley and Barnes harvest huge snowballs of rhythm. Best SYR outing to date and highly recommended."

[Hip Priest]

^ Excellent general description.

There's been another vote for part three, I see. Splendid stuff.