[screamingskull]

Who’s better, not who’s your favourite, but who is the better band?



Sonic Youth are my favourite band, they have been for 5 years and they probably always will be, but I do think that the flaming lips are a better band. I have seen them both live, I own all the albums both bands have put out and I think as they started around the same time (1981-83) they can be compared quite nicely.
The Flaming Lips have put out 11 albums in 24 years, Sonic Youth 17 albums in 26 years (22 albums if you include the SYR’s). But where as the Flaming Lip’s albums seem to be consistently great! Sonic Youth seem to be more hit and miss for me, Take their most recent albums Rather Ripped and At War With The Mystics, I prefer at war with the mystics to be honest, It has some fantastic songs on it and even the songs in between the fantastic ones are great. There really is not a song on that album that I don’t like. Rather Ripped is a good album, it’s a little to polished and clean and poppy for my taste, but I did love Murray Street.
Maybe its because the Flaming Lips take lots of time to put out an album? They took 4 years to do At War With The Mystics and 3 Years to do Yoshimi. Where as SY do an album every 2 years as it seems.
The Flaming Lips have had a lot of different band members, but have stayed the same since 1996, I think the influence of these other musicians has helped them to grow and change as a band, if you were to listen to Hit to death in the future head then Clouds Taste Metallic then Yoshimi you wouldn’t think it was the same band, Their sound has changed, it hasn’t gotten better as it was already amazing!, its just changed and I love it.
Sonic Youth have had the same line up since 1986, Thurston, Kim and Lee are all hugely creative people that have not only put out sonic youth albums but also done their own side projects, something the flaming lips haven’t. But Sonic Youth have just cleaned up for me, their sound has gotten slicker cleaner and tighter. They can put as much feedback as they want on Rather Ripped but it still comes out sounding slick because its been recorded on fantastic equipment.
When Sonic Youth do a good song its REALLY REALLY good, but how often does that happen now? It’s like the Flaming Lips are consistently a 7/10 and Sonic Youth can write an album that has two 10/10 songs on it and the rest are 4/10. So maybe the flaming lips are better at writing albums and sonic youth are better at writing songs. Sonic youth are past their best now, its hard to admit that, but they are, they were at their best in the late 1980’s. That when they could write a REALLY REALLY good album.
Live the flamings lips are the most amazing thing in the world, they really try hard, and it pays off, its like going to the most amazing church service ever, Wayne speaks his gospel and you come out a changed person. They play the songs the fans want to hear and make it an interactive fun time! I don’t think I have ever had more fun than at a flaming lips gig.

 

 

Sonic Youth are a good live band, I wouldn’t put them in my top 5 live bands. some bands are just good live like the Brian Jonestown Massacre. When sonic youth play a song live that I know really really well I am always disappointed at it doesn’t sound exactly the same. For the flaming lips a lot of the songs are now created on a keyboard so they are easier to play exactly like the sound on the album, for Sonic Youth the songs are so layered and harder to play live harder to recreate. I could talk about how influential both bands have been and I think Sonic Youth would win that contest but I have already written enough.

This is just my opinion, Sonic Youth are still my favourite band because like I said, when they are good they are really really good. But I think the Flaming Lips are the better band.

Discuss.

[Rob Instigator]

i WISH i COULD VOTE A billion TIMES FOR THE SHEER GENIUS OF SONIC YOUTH AGAINST TE PSYCHEDELICALLY EMBELLISHED CLASSIC ROCK OF THE FLAMING LIPS!

[Trasher02]

I don't really like the flaming lips so I voted for SY.
However when I saw sy they were quite boring (probably because they only played RR songs) so I do get your point.

[Savage Clone]

I am happy for the success the Flaming Lips have had, but truthfully I have not enjoyed any of their music starting with The Soft Bulletin. Too sugary for me. I loved them in the early and mid 90s though.

[Rob Instigator]

sonic youth make skronk. me likey skronk. me love skronk.

[SynthethicalY]

I haven't really listened to the flaming lips to vote on this.

[atari 2600]

Well, I only just liked 'em in the early to mid '90s
as they were never worthy of my love at any point.

This thread is gettin' crazy with the cheez-whiz...
a little too cuckoo for cocoa puffs for my tastes.

[screamingskull]

 

me in the Statue of Liberty crown at the front seeing the Flaming Lips, i feel sorry for you if you cannot see the genius of the flaming lips!

[gmku]

I've only recently picked up on the Flaming Lips. While I like them, I don't think they have quite the range of artistic ideas as Sonic Youth. My nod goes to SY, but just barely. It's a slight nod. So slight, in fact, that if you were not watching for it, you might miss my nod.

[Rob Instigator]

I enjoy their music but innterms of MUSIC and musical ideas, sonic youth takes the cake like a motherfucker. in terms of live shows, I prefer just people with instruments and no extraneous shit. The Lips, like Phish, put on fantastic live shows, for the acid eaters in the crowd, and while that is appreciated, it is nothing more than the shit madonna does in concerts with 20 dancers and set pieces and stage craft.
pompous rock stage shows nearly killed rock before punk came around.

[drrrtyboots]

FL put on a fancy show but SY got da soul.

[youthoftomorrow]

it's pretty close. FLs are great, but SY wins.

the REALLY close one for me is SY or Lightning Bolt.

[drrrtyboots]

Originally Posted by youthoftomorrow

it's pretty close. FLs are great, but SY wins.

the REALLY close one for me is SY or Lightning Bolt.

LB better live show hands down. At least these days. SY is obviously past their prime as far as performances go. Crowds have gotten worse and worse, everyone just stands still with little or no movement for the entire set. LB on the other hand, if you're not dancing when they're playing you shouldn't be there.

[cryptowonderdruginvogue]

i like them both, i prefer sonic youth though

[jon boy]

sonic youth. they have just created more moments of amazingness for me.

[val-holla-ing]

the flaming lips bore me. sy wins.

[youthoftomorrow]

Originally Posted by drrrtyboots

LB better live show hands down.

agreed. i saw them last weekend; best show i've ever been to.

when it comes to records, though, the Youth have an advantage through numbers; they just have more amazing records than LB (Wonderful Rainbow, Hypermagic Mountain vs. EVOL, Sister, DDN, WM, Nurse, etc.), so i'm not going to pass judgement on that yet.

[Torn Curtain]

SY.

[screamingskull]

did anyone even read any of what i wrote??? i think Rob might have.

[Rob Instigator]

hell yeah I read what you wrote.