I understand that, but they can't make a pre-Jim record, because Jim has been in the band, so anything would be post-Jim.

And I'm not just saying that to be smart; I know what you mean, and it sounds like I am arguing semantics. What I'm saying though is that Jim is now a part of SY's evolution. I love their earlier stuff, but I wouldn't ask them to keep making the same music forever. Evolution is what has made SY so great, the fact that they are constantly changing, constantly staying ahead of the game. We may come from a group that knows their amazing past, but there are probably many who will pick this up as their first SY album, only having heard the name "Sonic Youth" before, but never knowing their sound. This album will inspire many more musicians to do what they want to do, just as Sonic Youth has does with each album since they began making music.

RAMBLE RAMBLE RAMBLE, I know...

http://www.sdcitybeat.com/cms/story/..._reviews/8129/

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20...029958/-1/NEWS

http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/disc...content=169758

http://www.vueweekly.com/article.php?id=12169

Let's face it... everyone is waiting for the Pitchfork review (aren't they?).

Who gives a shit about Pitchfork? Their reviews are so weird and inconsistent. They gave Boris's Pink this glowing review, but their very next major release, Smile, trashed them all over the place. They don't make very much sense.

I'm not waiting for it because I respect and follow their opinion but I'm curious as to how they approach it.

They'll give it a.. oh... let's see, how much ad space did Matador buy from them this week? I'd say they'll give it a 7.9. And they'll say something along the lines of "Mixing Rathered Ripped's pop experimentation with a noisier edge, recalling their (pardon the pun) 'sonic youth'... freed from major label constraints" blah blah blah blah "...The band sounds more energetic and revitalized..." blah blah blah "Very consistent [mentions and half-apologizes for NYC Ghosts and Flowers' original review]" blah blah blah and finally, "Sonic Youth is back!"

There ya go!

Assuming every "blah blah blah" in your post is equal to 200 words of unnecessary filler, I'd say you pretty much nailed it.

oh oh oh, i haven't heard a song off it yet!1!!
any good traxks'n 'tunes there?

I'll go along with that haha (definitely a mention that it's a concept album of their past, with the 'no wave' of Anti-Orgasm) - I've yet to see a review of The Eternal which has convinced me that the reviewer has actually listened to it (or listened to it properly and more than once). Apart from maybe the suprisingly generous NME one (8/10).

Haha, oh man you're right, I should've mentioned that. "Exploring their roots, the no wave 'Anti-Orgasm' is an appropriate choice for the lead-off track, incorporating all the elements of classic SY skronk with a pop hook. 'I want you to levitate me' Kim Gordon intones over alternate-tuned guitars. New bassist Mark Ibold plays a catchy bassline and makes the band sound fuller and more confident than they have in years."

I've also read that it's the 1st album after O'Rourke leaving.

here it is: http://www.culturedeluxe.com/news_item.asp?id=5966

You gotta keep in mind though that average indie music fans do not typically know a lot about a band or it's background, they just sort of know what's new and whatnot, so Pitchfork is just catering to their needs. If you want something more in depth, you obviously should look else where.

From normanrecords.com


I am champion of the staff Sonic Youth prize draw! Master of all things chance based! It is I who hath received a free copy of the yoof’s ‘The Eternal’ on a sexy slab of heavy weight vinyl!!! It is I who hath received the bonus Sonic Youth Live L.P and Dennis Tyfus illustrated poster you get if you were savvy enough to pre-order the L.P!!! It is I who hath been privy to a sneaky peak at the album pre-release thanks to Matador’s Buy Early Get Now scheme that lets you stream the album online. Jealousy levels?? Gloating aside it’s always a pleasure to get my mitts on new Sonic Youth stuff. I’m chuffed to bits that Mark Ibold (Pavement) is playing bass nowadays and the shift to Matador appears to have reinvigorated and inspired the group to kick out some party jams, taking the tunefulness of ‘Rather Ripped’ and rockin’ that shit out 1991 style. Nothing on ‘The Eternal’ breaks new ground, rather it revisits and reinterprets past themes with rigorous enthusiasm and joy. You get elements of the fucked up pop grunge stuff of Dirty/Goo/Sister/Evol (Sacred Trickster, Anti-Orgasm and the awesome Thunderclap For Bobby Pyn), you get space rock outings (Calming the snake), sweet indie pop anthems (Poison arrow) and an epic final track that tips the hat to Washing machine’s stand-out tune ‘The Diamond sea’. The production is too smooth to really invoke the true spirit of the aforementioned tunes (the fact that some douche bag stole all their best equipment a few years back probably doesn't help either) but you get a hint of past glories and that’s enough. I can hear a little of Pavement in ‘No Way’ and the psyche-pop jam of ‘Walking Blue’ and the wonky riff on ‘Malibu Gas Station’ is one of my fave yoof riffs in recent memory. I am a big fan of the later Sonic Youth records so I’m not gonna say something crazy like ‘it’s their best record in 15 year’ but I will commit to ‘their most consistently rocking record in sometime time’ and say that I am loving it right about now yo!! Peace!

They barely talked about the music. Instead they just talked about what Sonic Youth used to do and what they wish they sounded like.

Ah, hell hath no fury like an SY fan scorned...

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13153-the-eternal/

I agree with them on this one, but I don't like how it's written.