Sonic Youth have made some great music
 

My name is Crystal and I'm a SY addict.
So I've been lurking around here for a while, observing the scene from the shadows, and here's my assessment: You guys hardly ever talk about the music. Yeah its good to hear about how important they are and how theyve influenced most of the civilised world, and its interesting to know yr top 5 albums ETC, people seem to forget the reason that were all here in the first place-(see thread title).
So cmon, share with the group, WHAT ARE YR FAVOURITE SY MOMENTS?, when do they make you dance, make you sing along, make you smile uncontrollably make you forget where you are and what the hell yr doin there? If there was ever architecture worth dancing about, this is it.
Heres a few moves to get things rolling:

-the 'aooowww!' scream during Catholic Block (?), suggesting that they were havin just as much fun as we are

-about 4-5 minutes into Teen Age Riot when the main 'riff' returns like a big alt-rock fanfare

-the gorgeous 'i'll wait, ill wait all day' group chorus in wildflower soul

-the eerie beauty of kim's bit in schizophrenia (obvious I know). (oh yeah and the bits directly preceding and following kim's bit)

-the intangible, awesome nonchalance of the first part of 'the sprawl'. And then the blissed out ending, where it seems that kim's character has ascended to heaven cos she's just too cool to stick around here.

-'hello, 2015!!'

your turn.

YES! Let us talk about the music. enough talk about the minutiae of sonic life!

some of Rob Instigator's fave sonic moments

-The "Rraaaaaaarrgghhhhhhhhhh!!!" that starts of Death valley 69. That is sonic genius for me. I never ever fail to get insane when I hear that.

-when thurston starts chanting "complete inhuman, complete inhuman, complete inhuman...."

-when kim starts singing on Reena

-the FAT ASS guitar riff after the third time that kim sings I LOVE YOU WHAT'S YOUR NAME? on Drunken Butterfly

-the entirety of MOTE and wish fulfillment.

Nice thread. Very nice indeed
-When the electric lead guitar comes in on Pink Steam it just hits me really hard
-As CHOUT brought to my attention, the very last second of Brother James is amazing
-"Ask me if I care Karen
Miss communication
Karen
Karen" part of Karenology blows my mind time and time again
-The very beginning of Sonic Nurse. They don't waste any time to start rocking
-Kim's repeated saying of "Fucking Youth" on I Dreamed I Dream just feels so right

First thing that comes to mind:

The World Looks Red - the intro, and the "No it isn't, yes it is" outro on some live versions.

- everything about skip tracer
- everything about stereo sanctity
- the weird bendy guitar stuff in brother james
- the guitar interplay in bull in the heather (try just listening to the left or just the right channels to see how crazy it sounds)
- the last few minutes of she'd in a bad mood
- the heroic intro to brave men run
- the ugly sassy grunge riffs in waist
- the opening of white cross
- the instrumental part in death valley 69 when the guitars and the drums come together.. it's hard to describe, but it does it right before the vocals come on.. that "dun dun dun dundudndundun dun dun dun dundundundun" .. and then the high pitched riff in that song that goes "duuuuuuuuuuuun dun dun dundun dun duuuuuuun". heh.
- the end of the song nyc ghosts and flowers
- the guitar versus the fuzzed out bass in mildred pierce
- the long instrumental part at the end of dirty boots
- the firecrackers in in the kingdom #19

My favorite sonic youth moment, though, was the first time i heard cross the breeze... my jaw dropped.

That's cuz CROSS THE BREEZE is fucking awesome man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah yeah! it's my favorite song

when Kim says "Fuck You!" in The Sprawl
when The Wonder smoothly flows in Hyperstation.
when Lee sings "Memory Disease Across United States" in Paper Cup Exit.
ending of In The Mind of the Bourgeios Reader.
last seconds of Small Flowers Crack Concrete.

-sugar kane, live at later with jools holland, '92. it single handly made me a sy fan.
-the intro to jc
-the fact that they covered "nic fit"
-the guitars at the end of she's in a bad mood
-freezer burn/i wanna be yr dog, from start to end
-the part in confusion is next when the song goes faster.
-brother james live
-the harmonics in society is a whole
-marilyn moore, everything
-thurston and kim harmonizing in kotton krown
-thurston's vocals in catholic block
-the last part of 'cross the breeze
-the riff from total trash
-dirty boots, everything
-mote live (extended)
-the diamond sea (extended and live)
-hits of sunshine
-syr4
-silver sessions
-lightnin'
-the part in rain on tin where the drums stop and the guitars are playing.
-the fact that the working title for rain on tin was "celtic frost"
-the instrumental part of the dripping dream
-the segue between pattern recognition and unmade bed
-the fact that they have been into music and have kept on with what's happening around them
-sonic youth live, anytime, anywhere.

-Hyperstation emerging from The Wonder
-Lee's bit in the beginning of Renegade Princess
-The hypnotic chanting of "I got your cotton crown"
-The hypnotic chanting of "Becuz of you..."
-The unison riff in Pink Steam ("don't you know you need no other...")
-KYI version of Shaking Hell (Kim screaming "SHAKE!!!")
-The anticipation of I Wanna Be Yr Dog during Freezer Burn
-When the steady drums kick in on Anagrama
-The breakdown in Theresa's Sound World
-Kim's overdubs on Radical Adults
-This was already said, but the intro to JC where the bass starts to shape the song
-The intro and transition to verse in Golden Blue
-Intro (from BMR)
-That feedback right before "Did lightning keep you up all night" on NYCG&F
-The outro of Mote
-The lead guitar riff in PCH's middle part
-The variation of the riff in Kool Thing right after Chuck D
-"Hold me tight down on me knees, so I don't go burning 'cross the breeze" ...anytime Kim. ;)

the breakdown into noise and then the breakdown of the noise and back to the song.. silver rocket

the beauty of unwind

the steve drum hero shelley bit in chapel hill

the stinkin bass line of thursts in inhuman

the entirity of daydream

the texture in nycg&f

the abandonment of expressway

mote

the can rip off of she is not alone

the intensity of diamond sea

burnin inside, we cross our heart ....................................

the diversity andoriginality and love of sonic youth.......

the firecrackers in in the kingdom #19 .....
yes!!!!

Good call.

that was the song that made me want to listen to Sonic Youth. my brother had a bunch of their stuff and i didn't think much of them until i heard 'Cross the Breeze. that was almost four years ago.

welcome crystalline

silver rocket woulod be my all time fav. when the noise section starts its transition back to the song and you hear steve's hats start to build the whole band back in... pure genius

the starting riff of dirty boots, when ever i hear it at a party it always brings a fantastic smile to my noggen

and the verse in wish fullfiment - whats real yada yada i see your face in a magazine

and g-force

That entire song is amazing, but I particularly love the shift that occurs right around the 2:19 mark, shortly before Kim starts singing. It's mind-blowing and unlike anything else I've heard from SY.

- The dying shrieks of the Jazzmaster as Thurston slits it's throat at in the last minute of 'The Diamond Sea'

- The opening riffs to 'Sweet Shine'

- The guitar war that begins 'Bone' as Kim's bassline referees (sonic note: Kim doesn't play bass in that song, her gtr's top string is tuned down very low)

- "Your life and my life, they don't touch at all... and thats no way to be"

- Lee and Thurston's descent into madness in 'Disappearer' before the last verse and chorus

- The wonderful reverb soaked harmonics in 'Shadow of a Doubt'

- The WHOLE of 'In The Kingdom #19', arguably the best song on EVOL

- "He's got a fatal erection, home in bed"

- The culmination of 'Rain on Tin's riffage, just after the bass is left on it's own towards the end

- When every instrument announces itself at the second start of 'Teenage Riot'

- "Gene Simmons is an ugly muthafucka... ssssshiowwww"

- 'Brave Men Run's wonderful poppish melody at the beginning when the guitars come in

- The bassline for 'Rats'

The middle section of Cotton Crown

The part of Kissability right around the 2:09 mark after the "guitar solo," but before Kim starts singing again.

In Cinderella's Big Score, the transition that occurs right around the 3:40 mark. Again, this is just after the "guitar solo," where the song starts to return to the intro riff.

The end of Catholic Block

Too many to name...

Damn right.

I can't think of any other band that has made such great music for so long.

Oh, oh;

- The royally fucked up guitar sounds in SY's rendition of 'Simpsons Theme'.

My fav SY moment is the 'rise' of Thurston's Mu-tron during Washing Machine. From there until when it leads into Kim's quarter rap and the note someone (Lee) plays after that.

The drop of the guitar at he end "Winner's Blues" kicks ass as well...

Oh yeah, great ending, that is.

Its that bit in Cross The Breeze where it sounds like jumping off a cliff. You know the bit.
And the first note of pattern recognition where its in tune but not
And the instrumental bit of Rain on Tin that makes the sun come out.
And the transition bit of Im insane that sounds like being taken back to the woods in medieval times and being burned for witchcraft.
And "we kissed, time split, hard edged, tight lipped, see you sometime, ask me if i care"
And "My violence is a sleeping head, nodding out to rising bliss, i left home for experience, carved suk for honesty on my chest"
And of course, the Washing Machine Tshirt. Its better than the album.

This is a great thread, and I'll name as many as I can, but these are not the only things I enjoy by any means:

-Harmonics / Kim & Lee's dissonant voices in I Dreamed I Dream
-Steve's added percussion on the live versions of "Shaking Hell"
-Just about all of Brother James
-World Looks Red live
-Droning sound/Lee's acoustic in Ghost Bitch
-"fuck. the word is... love"
-Intro to Tom Violence
-Harmonics and Kim's whispers in Shadow of a Doubt
-basically all of Starpower
-Intro of Green Light
-Kim's part of Schizophrenia
-Midsection of Catholic Block
-all of Beauty Lies
-all of Stereo Sanctity
-not to sound super cliche, but pretty much all of Daydream. seriously. especially the riff in the beginning of The Sprawl which sounds kind of like the guitar part during "I wanna know" in 'Cross the Breeze and the verse guitar part of Candle
-Outro of Dirty Boots, all of Tunic, koolness of Kool Thing, crazy part of Disappearer
-Bass lines in 100%, Youth Against Fascism, all of JC
-harmonics / all of Becuz, outro of Unwind, Bass line of Panty Lies
-Intro to Sunday, all of Hoarfrost/Karen Koltrane, Bass line in Hits, most of Heather Angel
-Crazy scratches in Lightnin', intro part of Free City Rhymes, all of NYC G&F
-just about all of Murray save plastic sun
-guitar madness in Pattern, especially intro, harmonics in Unmade Bed, riffs in Stones, dreaminess of ILYGB
-Midsection of Reena, bass line in Rats, when the guitars/bass kick in on Pink Steam

-Stil

I like HELLOOO part in the beginning in one of the evol songs.

The moment when the Indro to Bad Moon Rising falls into Brave Men Run, I'm obsessed with that.
The whole of Disappearer, makes me feel all warm inside.
Every last second of EVOL, especially the doors shutting? in Secret Girl and springy guitar noises, ah magic
Shadow of a doubt, so beautiful and insane at the same time.
Brother James, Love Kims vocals on that!
Teenage Riot, Perfection, great to dance to (especially when you are on your own!)
Expressway to your skull, Full volume and off onto another planet! Wahoo!
Death Valley 69 cos it scares some of my friends!
The Goo videos i love, the silliness of it all
Wish Fullfillment, One of my favourite Lee songs
I'm done for the moment

Oh and the lyrics to I Love Her All The Time
You would think they were outta place with the rest of the album, but thats why i love it!

Ah yes, I've always thought that about the Sprawl.

And actually I've got this feeling too at the end of Cross' the breeze, when that sound of "elevator" starting at 6:20 finally takes her to some higher place.

-Mote's insane riffs and disturbingly brilliant noise part at the end
-Thurston's voice in Tom Violence and the little "PING" you hear in the middle noise part
-The intro of Kill your idols
-The intro of Teenage riot "Miss me don't dismiss me"
-The ending of Dirty Boots
-The brilliant solo in Patter Recognition
-The fucked up lyrics in Sugar Kane and Hyperstation
-The noise in the beginning of Dripping Dream
-Kim's beautifull voice in I love you Golden Blue

yeah, tom violence, one of my fav. sonic youth songs.

one i wanted to add but forgot is the GODLIKE music being played during the song washing machine... the lyrics, especially in the first part, is not really my thing, but the music is just unbelievable.

Sister, the whole album :
Catholic block intro and stampede, Stereo Sanctity's riff, Tuff Gnarl 's end, White Kross... I can listen to it every day without growing weary (I know I'm mad).

- the scary guitar in the beginning of "she's in a bad mood"
- The noise part in the begining of "brave men run" where it seems that the studio is collapsing
- When the riff came back after the noise in "silver rocket"
- Larsens from "No queen Blues" intro
- The way Kim sings "Halloween"
- The bass in "rats"
and so much things ...

My violence is a dream, a real dream.
The noise part in the middle is insane.

i forgot the stupidity of their version of nic fit

the irreverence of their versions of the youth brigade song on tv shit

the inherent beauty of silver session

the selfishness and indulgence on the syr series has to be respected

the ability to work hard 365 days a year and still have happy family lives

thei approach towards their fans, always friendly allegedly, i can only vouch for steve, a gentleman!

ciccone youth, the comedy and the riffs.....

and their love of contemporary music of all genres

i think ive covered everything....

sorry to nit pick rich but the fall????????????

sy are more consistent tho.....

They were consistently very good up to Sonic Nurse. After that, I've lost interest but I have still the most respect for them . My focus is on how they survived the business of making music in an incredibly hostile world for so many years. The cracks seemed to show on Sonic Nurse, but the longevity and the quality of their music is a slap in the face to most rock bands that do the rounds, this or other days. Noone else did it, and in the well estlablished outerdom of most western music, they did. Credit where it's due.

i was thinking about starting exactly the same thread for a while..
i have countless favourite sy moments but heres my top 5
- everytime kim blows her trumpet - invito al cielo especially
- in washing machine when kim sings ' And then I looked up at her
I looked up...' and then thurstons guitar comes in - ah man thats just pure beauty - and the whole song of course
- 3 part sectional love seat - probably my fav sonic instrumental
- second part of marylin moore (actually the whol song)
- the first ten minutes of radio amatoroj

I only have three obsessions in my life: Sonic Youth,The Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol.