EARLY SY vs. LATE SY
 

this really bugs me, every time i mention to someone i like sonic youth, it brings this kind of square conversation:
(ill be person A)

A "i really like sonic youth"
B "oh yeah, daydream nation is so good, sister as well"
A "well you know, im not really keen on early sonic youth, i prefer a thousand leaves, sonic nurse, NYC ghosts & flowers and their SY series.."
B "really? i havent heard any of those. are they good?"
A "well.. different, VERY different"
B "ok, ill check them out"

(it goes without saying, person B is never going to check them out, because for person B, sonic youth were a great noisy alternative rock band from the eighties, but sonic youth are not making music anymore, and they are simply irrelevant today)

----

so if we divide SY career in
EARLY SY (up to 1990)
and
LATE SY (1998 onwards)
(intentionally leaving out period in the middle, to make this difference even more extreme)

i would really like to find out how many of you on this forum actually love SY for their late period, rather than the early days?

I'm not fussed whether it's early or late, it's all genius to me.

of course it is, but lets choose...polls are fun :)

Okay, I choose early, 'cos that's when I first heard them and I will always have affection for that era because it blew my mind.

see..that was easy :)
same analogy here i guess, ive first heard sonic nurse...and went crazy about it...

I picked early, Rather ripped just ruins the late part for me.

It's the early stuff for me. Bad Moon Rising, EVOL, Daydream Nation has stronger emotional connections in my mind. Dispite the fact that i'm 18 and didnt get into Sonic Youth until Sonic Nurse came out.

Thats not to say I don't absolutely love the new stuff. Murrey Street and Sonic Nurse are 2 of the best recordings in their catalog.

With me the conversation goes more like

A) I really love Sonic Youth
B) Who?

is washing machine early or late??? whats the cut of point for early and late is it like

1983-1995 early
1996-2007 late

??????

also i did a more specific thread on this subject here - http://www.sonicyouth.com/gossip/showthread.php?t=10646

Early. I'd pick middle though.

I'd say Washing Machine belongs to the 'late' era.

As for my vote, I go for early, just because of EVOL and Bad Moon Rising.

Daydream Nation, well what more can be said about it. EVOL however is just one of those albums I hold so dear because its such a shining example of how good music can be. When I talk about EVOL or DNN I can't help but sound over the top. I guess thats why I voted Early.

"my violence is a dream, a real dream"

"I left home for experience, Carved Suk for honesty on my chest"

Tom Violence is my favourite on EVOL. EVOL represents what America should be...youthful, anthamic, dreamy and iconic. Walk around your neighbourhood at 12:00am listening to the record on a shitty cassette it takes on a whole new life.

My friend and I drive up to the woods and the mountains at about 3-4 in the morning and just listen to EVOL. Its great driving music.

love both for different reasons and cannot pick

someone asked about washing machine, i think that would be late SY, sound-wise...i think its much more similar to late albums than earlier ones

whatever period Washing Machine and 1000 leaves belongs to is probably my favourite musically, but the Bad Moon Rising/Evol period sets by far the best mood

I like the "new" LPs just fine thank you, but I keep returning to the early stuff. EVOL was the first SY I heard, (well, the "Halloween" single really) and oh yes, I love the first EP for It's great production (Radio City strikes again.) Recent faves=Murry Street, NYC H & F, and of course, Rather Ripped.

Yeah. Agreed.

I don't like to be in the majority, but I voted "Early" nevertheless.
Confusion is Sex ! Bad Moon Rising ! EVOL ! SISTER ! Daydream Nation !
Easy choice.