the first three albums

Star Power · 02.24.2007, 11:08 PM

Would anyone care to describe Sonic Youth, Confusion is Next, or Bad Moon Rising? I'm ashamed to admit that I've never heard a single song from any of these albums during my 13yrs as an SY fan, and was wondering today what I've possibly been missing out on.

Are they as great as Evol, Sister, and Dirty? Should they be of higher priority on my long list of music to buy??

I've never posted before, by the way, so this is my hello...

k-krack · 02.24.2007, 11:14 PM

Hey Star Power. First off, welcome!
Secondly, 13 years and you don't have the epic first albums?! Where ya been, dude?!?!!?!!?!?!! BUY 'EM NOW!!!

finding nobody · 02.24.2007, 11:17 PM

Hello! Welcome to board
I'd say the first three albums ARE as great as Sister, Evol, and Dirty. Very essintial. Their the most raw.
I think Confusion> Bad Moon> SY EP
Just for a taste... Here's some youtube videos of songs that appear on confusion is next/kill yr idols
http://youtube.com/watch?v=V4uL9fAeoXc
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EgxevKwvbaQ
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LVFQI35EpSE

Here's some BMR stuff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFpvcwENKTU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrZ3opXYpf4

Here's one from the EP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m2a6J1-gFQ

demonrail666 · 02.24.2007, 11:23 PM

Sonic Youth - V different to anything released after. Big funk influence on some tracks. Very 'arty'.

Confusion Is Sex - Not really song based. Almost industrial at times. Very bleak sounding. Similar in some ways to early Swans, Throbbing Gristle and Fall stuff.

Bad Moon Rising - A weird one. Many people here's favourite. Almost entirely freeform in that most 'tracks' bleed into one another. That said it's their most conventionally 'rock' sounding album up to that point. Has a more psychedelic feel, almost Grateful Deadish at times. You'll definitely see the connection with Evol and Sister here.

Given what you already like, I'd start with BMR and work back. All of them are amazing in their own way and combined with Evol and Sister (oh and you must get Daydream Nation too) mark (for me at least) the band's creative peak. I envy anybody the experience of being able to listen to BMR for the first time.

ZEROpumpkins · 02.25.2007, 02:46 AM

BMR is king

nomowish · 02.25.2007, 04:55 AM

Bad Moon Rising is the soundtrack for a punk horror film set in the mid-west. It's more Atmospheric than Evol; it's their most visual.

No Star · 02.25.2007, 09:18 AM

Sonic Youth (First record) is more of a field trip to underground NYC in my eyes it has a great feel of garage punk but it has like a weird sonic mask over all the songs that kinda comes across as if they haven't yet realised they are different to the other punk bands around that time, its worth buying buy buy the other two first.

Confusion is fantastic! great to bounce to and it has some lyrics in there that really make you think.

BMR is king, the guys right.

x

Washing Machine · 02.25.2007, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomowish

Bad Moon Rising is the soundtrack for a punk horror film set in the mid-west. It's more Atmospheric than Evol; it's their most visual.

Couldnt have said it better! Thats almost exactly what I see when I listen to that record.

Seriously Dude you must buy Bad Moon Rising (I assume you have the holy grail that is Daydream Nation). Bad Moon Rising is my second favourite after DDN...its almost painful that you have gone this length of time without hearing it!

hirsute_biped · 02.25.2007, 02:40 PM

yes, all three = necessary

personally, i'd rank confusion third in this list, but that doesn't really matter...

man, i really wish i hadn't sold my copy of gila monster jamboree vhs now. reissue that shit!

Dead-Air · 02.25.2007, 03:00 PM

There are those who don't get into Confusion is Sex and Bad Moon Rising because they don't have the "pop" influences that they began with EVOL (though there is arguably a bit of it in the EP/1st Record). That said, if you want to experience what Sonic Youth are all about you need to listen to these albums!

The first record had a bigger studio than Confusion or Bad Moon, and featured Richard Edson on the drums doing very angular/arty rhythms. It is a lot less "noisy" of a record than the other two, but has some really excellent guitar work. "I Dreamed I Dream" is one of Sonic Youth's best songs ever, and a bit of a foreshadowing of the later more melodic direction they would take after Bad Moon.

At the time Confusion is Sex was recorded, Thurston was quoted as saying that he wanted the band to sound like a cross between Black Flag and Throbbing Gristle. That's a fair assessment of what the record achieved too. It's the definitive statement of art/noise post-punk, recorded with just 8 tracks on a much lower budget than the first record. Sonic Youth were not nearly as happy people when they made this one as they are today, and their angst shimmers on this disc like no other. The guitars at several points literally ring like bells.

Bad Moon Rising is indeed my favorite SY album, but then I was digging it when it was brand new and I was 18. It did completely change my life. I have to dispute the claim somebody made earlier that it was "free form", as it was incredibly focused actually. It's perhaps the most Branca influenced of their albums, despite the fact they hadn't been working with him for a few years. It reminds me greatly of one of his guitar symphonies, though it's like they took one of those and "rockized" it with vocals and slightly more song structure. They had a real studio, unlike on Confusion, so they did some really amazing multi-tracking to make Thurston and Lee sound equal to one of Branca's guitar orchestras. It has a very dark lyrical direction as at this point in their lives they were very caught up in the fall of the "flower power" movement at the end of the sixties typified by Manson and Alatamont. I love EVOL, and I don't blame them for embarking on a new direction after this record, but that's because they had really accomplished a crowning achievement that a lesser band would have chosen to recreate rather than depart from.

Star Power · 02.25.2007, 04:35 PM

Ok, I've read enough-I'm buying BMR. And yeah, I know, it's pretty sad how long it's taken me to do this. I bought all their older stuff that I could find back in 1994 (before the days of online buying) and at the time, I never could find BMR or Confusion....somehow, they slipped through the cracks. What kind of SY fan am I??

Anyway, thanks for the opinions and suggestions as to what order I should listen to them in! And those were some good Youtube SY links.

ZEROpumpkins · 02.26.2007, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomowish

Bad Moon Rising is the soundtrack for a punk horror film set in the mid-west. It's more Atmospheric than Evol; it's their most visual.

Holy shit, that's how I felt about it.

02.24.2007, 11:08 PM	#1
Star Power empty page Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 2	Would anyone care to describe Sonic Youth, Confusion is Next, or Bad Moon Rising? I'm ashamed to admit that I've never heard a single song from any of these albums during my 13yrs as an SY fan, and was wondering today what I've possibly been missing out on. Are they as great as Evol, Sister, and Dirty? Should they be of higher priority on my long list of music to buy?? I've never posted before, by the way, so this is my hello...
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02.24.2007, 11:14 PM	#2
k-krack invito al cielo Join Date: May 2006 Location: On Posts: 7,380	Hey Star Power. First off, welcome! Secondly, 13 years and you don't have the epic first albums?! Where ya been, dude?!?!!?!!?!?!! BUY 'EM NOW!!! __________________ sandwich klub 4 men. Danny is a C.H.U.D.
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02.24.2007, 11:17 PM	#3
finding nobody invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 7,275	Hello! Welcome to board I'd say the first three albums ARE as great as Sister, Evol, and Dirty. Very essintial. Their the most raw. I think Confusion> Bad Moon> SY EP Just for a taste... Here's some youtube videos of songs that appear on confusion is next/kill yr idols http://youtube.com/watch?v=V4uL9fAeoXc http://youtube.com/watch?v=EgxevKwvbaQ http://youtube.com/watch?v=LVFQI35EpSE Here's some BMR stuff http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFpvcwENKTU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrZ3opXYpf4 Here's one from the EP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m2a6J1-gFQ
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02.24.2007, 11:23 PM	#4
demonrail666 invito al cielo Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 18,510	Sonic Youth - V different to anything released after. Big funk influence on some tracks. Very 'arty'. Confusion Is Sex - Not really song based. Almost industrial at times. Very bleak sounding. Similar in some ways to early Swans, Throbbing Gristle and Fall stuff. Bad Moon Rising - A weird one. Many people here's favourite. Almost entirely freeform in that most 'tracks' bleed into one another. That said it's their most conventionally 'rock' sounding album up to that point. Has a more psychedelic feel, almost Grateful Deadish at times. You'll definitely see the connection with Evol and Sister here. Given what you already like, I'd start with BMR and work back. All of them are amazing in their own way and combined with Evol and Sister (oh and you must get Daydream Nation too) mark (for me at least) the band's creative peak. I envy anybody the experience of being able to listen to BMR for the first time.
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02.25.2007, 02:46 AM	#5
ZEROpumpkins invito al cielo Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sydney Posts: 6,157	BMR is king __________________
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02.25.2007, 04:55 AM	#6
nomowish children of satan Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Miami Posts: 373	Bad Moon Rising is the soundtrack for a punk horror film set in the mid-west. It's more Atmospheric than Evol; it's their most visual.
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02.25.2007, 09:18 AM	#7
No Star little trouble girl Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Rotherham,England Posts: 83	Sonic Youth (First record) is more of a field trip to underground NYC in my eyes it has a great feel of garage punk but it has like a weird sonic mask over all the songs that kinda comes across as if they haven't yet realised they are different to the other punk bands around that time, its worth buying buy buy the other two first. Confusion is fantastic! great to bounce to and it has some lyrics in there that really make you think. BMR is king, the guys right. x __________________ *"Whats comes first, the music or the words."*
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02.25.2007, 02:40 PM	#9
hirsute_biped the end of the ugly Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Manta Sonica, California Posts: 1,170	yes, all three = necessary personally, i'd rank confusion third in this list, but that doesn't really matter... man, i really wish i hadn't sold my copy of gila monster jamboree vhs now. reissue that shit!
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

02.25.2007, 03:00 PM	#10
Dead-Air invito al cielo Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Portland OR Posts: 4,300	There are those who don't get into Confusion is Sex and Bad Moon Rising because they don't have the "pop" influences that they began with EVOL (though there is arguably a bit of it in the EP/1st Record). That said, if you want to experience what Sonic Youth are all about you need to listen to these albums! The first record had a bigger studio than Confusion or Bad Moon, and featured Richard Edson on the drums doing very angular/arty rhythms. It is a lot less "noisy" of a record than the other two, but has some really excellent guitar work. "I Dreamed I Dream" is one of Sonic Youth's best songs ever, and a bit of a foreshadowing of the later more melodic direction they would take after Bad Moon. At the time Confusion is Sex was recorded, Thurston was quoted as saying that he wanted the band to sound like a cross between Black Flag and Throbbing Gristle. That's a fair assessment of what the record achieved too. It's the definitive statement of art/noise post-punk, recorded with just 8 tracks on a much lower budget than the first record. Sonic Youth were not nearly as happy people when they made this one as they are today, and their angst shimmers on this disc like no other. The guitars at several points literally ring like bells. Bad Moon Rising is indeed my favorite SY album, but then I was digging it when it was brand new and I was 18. It did completely change my life. I have to dispute the claim somebody made earlier that it was "free form", as it was incredibly focused actually. It's perhaps the most Branca influenced of their albums, despite the fact they hadn't been working with him for a few years. It reminds me greatly of one of his guitar symphonies, though it's like they took one of those and "rockized" it with vocals and slightly more song structure. They had a real studio, unlike on Confusion, so they did some really amazing multi-tracking to make Thurston and Lee sound equal to one of Branca's guitar orchestras. It has a very dark lyrical direction as at this point in their lives they were very caught up in the fall of the "flower power" movement at the end of the sixties typified by Manson and Alatamont. I love EVOL, and I don't blame them for embarking on a new direction after this record, but that's because they had really accomplished a crowning achievement that a lesser band would have chosen to recreate rather than depart from. __________________ FuckBook; My Band; My Radio Show; My Flickr Page; Science Fiction Message Board
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02.25.2007, 04:35 PM	#11
Star Power empty page Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 2	Ok, I've read enough-I'm buying BMR. And yeah, I know, it's pretty sad how long it's taken me to do this. I bought all their older stuff that I could find back in 1994 (before the days of online buying) and at the time, I never could find BMR or Confusion....somehow, they slipped through the cracks. What kind of SY fan am I?? Anyway, thanks for the opinions and suggestions as to what order I should listen to them in! And those were some good Youtube SY links.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|