SONIC YOUTH
 

We are now in year 31 of the great SONIC YOUTH experiment.
If the last few years and releases have shown us anything is that all the members of Sonic Youth continue to be vital, creative, involved people, fully invested in their lives and art.
What it has also shown us clearly is that the individuals in SY are more invested in their own personal projects, whatever they may be, than they are in the collective entitiy called SY. Thurston has been writing most of the songs alone, on a fucking acoustic guitar of all things, and then he hands out lyrics to Kim. They do not spend the time it takes together to influence each other's ears and minds, creating new sounds. Between his folk-soft shit (which I swear I will LOVE if I make it to retirement age) and his writing, publishing, etc. T's time is pretty used up.
Lee has been busy with intimate solo performances and art pieces, and crafting new solo songs FINALLY, that there is no way he can be as invested in the SY.
Steve is in 8 bands, as I have said before. A great drummer is always in demand and Steve will only grow in his skillz and subtlety. He has a lot of music in his future.
Kim has been busy raising a daughter, writing songs with other people besides the Youth, and getting even more heavily involved with the Haute Couture and Fine Art worlds. She has said in interviews that what she looks forward to as far as the SY go, are the live performances. She has also said that it is a heavy drain on her and her hands, even after her switch to "rhythm guitar" and Ibold on bass.

As one gets older, (and I hit 38 a couple months ago so I can see the future), one's creative focus can narrow in an introspective way. Painters, musicians, writers, we all go through it. The communal creative experience just loses some importance. The personal, the stuff that is original to onesself as an individual human, that is what begins to fascinate, to feed the fire of one's art.

For all the great tunes on the last 3-4 SY albums, if you are honest with yourself, you will see that they are basically SY-Lite. They lack a cohesion of force. It may be my own opinion but that is what it feels like. The last album I was 85% in love with was Sonic Nurse. The Eternal seems like a collection of half-assed SY, much like what I felt during the EJST&NS era. I thought that SY was done then. They mended the fences and continued on with great stuff, but the end was near. It could be felt.

SY have outlived so many other bands. SY have made so many fantastic records. They have created some of the most intense songs ever. They have shown how to be a proper BAND. I love them so much.

SY are worth hours, days, years of my life. They are worth travel, expense, collecting all their shit, and my undying love.

but all good things must end, and I would rather they end before they release anything truly embarrasing.

I felt like this was going to be something to read, but I lost interest here: "on a fucking acoustic guitar of all things"

Don't worry NR, Rob will always continue to make close-minded blanket statements like that.

The second quoted paragraph I should not have to say I cosign with all my heart.

The first paragraph I humbly disagree with, and I take umbrage with "if you're being honest with yourself." Well then. Being 100% honest with myself, I think "The Eternal" is their best record since "A Thousand Leaves." As good as? No. But it's a light year or so ahead of "Rather Ripped."

As always though, Rob, I admire your passion. I also look forward to 2015, when I will be able to see the future. Oh shit, "Skip Tracer" lyric mystery solved.

just sayin what I feels.

I love sonic youth more than is healthy.

I want the skronk which they used to provide, but i get that from other sources now.

what is musical fandom if not individual blanket statements?
I hated when Nirvana did Unplugged. I still hate it. It is my choice to do so. Playing acoustic versions of songs whose main draw for me was their pummelling onslaught just doesn't appeal to me.

so what?

all instruments are NOT created equal.

I felt like this was going to be something to read, but I lost interest here: "on a fucking acoustic guitar of all things"

so you're being closeminded about being closeminded? sensitive about acoustic instruments much?



We (the SYG) are all talking around the inevitable and why not face it? I really do not want to see SY in 10 years playing the halftime super bowl, or whatever sad shit rotten meat like the rolling stones have to do.

I love all SY music, even that which I badmouth, but I also love the IDEA of SONIC YOUTH, that a band can do what they have done, and for two of them to do it as a long-standing marriage, with the ability of all to do side projects as they saw fit, always exploring, always trying new shit. Never really making music for mass consumption and regurgitation.
That idea lives forever for me, regardless of band breakup, Kim Thurston break up.


Nothing lasts forever

Nothing stays great forever either. Sonic Youth have not crossed the UN-greatness line yet. I hope they never do.

I would expect nothing less, J to the B.

I myself am deeply fond of about 85% of Rather Ripped we like what we like.
no deal.

Thurston will keep on Neil Youngin' it for a while, I will buy all the albums, save them for when I am in the mood for them, and enjpy them then. I know they are quality, like Neil Young's stuff, but I know right now it is not what I want to hear from him. T RAWKS harder than most anyone alive when he feels it. I hope he feels it again.

ok, you want me to talk real talk. I don't want my favorite band to break up. At all. If they stayed together 10 yrs, they would not be invited to play the super bowl. They'd be doing smething interesting on their own terms, just like the last 30 yrs. I'm devestated by the prospect of losing that annual "what will SY release THIS year" thing. They're the only band I care about in such a way. And the only band I have cared about in such away for so many years (more than a third of my life). The truth is, I'm not good with change -- in any way really. And this to me is just sad. I'm all for "facing it" if that means not having all the stupid fucking threads that have been started about it ad having something honest instead. I'm all for honesty. But my facing it is not embracing it. I don't want it, nor do I think it's a good thing or that it's them avoiding embarrassment. My facing it is just admitting how sad it will make me.

Kim doesn't put up with that kumbaya shit either, Rob, why should we?

go back to Camp Minifukfuk, you dirty hippies!!!

God...all of this SY talk is REally getting me down. I am a newbie fan by your guys' standards. I mean...I've only been listening for about 8 years now and they have been my favorite thing since then. They've opened up my world in more ways than jsut musically. And...I wish I can continue but I have errands to run. maybe later. see you doods.

NYCG&F??? C'mon, admit it people. Seriously.

admit what? I love NYCG&F.

I don't want them to break up either man. I don't. I wish that the ideal wuld happen, that the 5 (ibold too) could all rock forever.


As my brother said once
"All my heroes are dead"

They have to blow our minds at least once this decasde. XCOMCE ON SCONCI YOUTRH@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~

I disagree with Rob about the quality of Rather Ripped and Eternal and Thurston Solo´s, but agree about that it´s better to split than make something embarrasing (I don´t believe SY ever do that, but of course I could be wrong). If SY will split, I think it would be the great end with the Eternal (or SYR9 whatever you liked to see it).

how can it be assumed they will make anything so "embarassing" as to be considered their "worst", if they do proceed with another album?

remember "assume"-ing can really just make an "ass-out-of-you-and-me"

Was thinking about SY compared to REM, who formed basically at the same time, and how much more consistent SY are. And REM's split has generally been accepted as the right thing to do. But then REM, who I love, have released some things that are truly embarrassing. *sigh*

^^^this, exactly as far as i'm concerned.

Finally some posts I find interesting to read. Rob seems to vaguely hint at something about SY which I don't see discussed on this forum much: Their relationship with visual arts. I do wonder if I would have been a fan of theirs for so long if it wasn't for this aspect of the band. That's why to suggest Kim Gordon is a replaceable member of SY is downright insane. She is as intengral to the band Sonic Youth as any other member. Also, her presence is strongly felt on many of their greatest songs.

I dont feel that any of the 4 are replaceable. Steve to me was the last piece ofthe puzzle. As you know, Evol is my favorite record.

"and now Sonic Youth gon' break up
and everyday I wake up
somebody got a problem with Noise..."

:(

oh, let's do it HERE.

I feel exactly the same. EVOL is my favorite Youth album and one reason is because it's Shelley's first album and I honestly think no one could've done it better....not even Steve Shelley.

Evol is ridiculously perfect. It's my favorite album of all time.

Totally agreed. Sonic Y without Kim is like the Stooges without Iggy, or the Ramones without Joey. Just dumb in my opinion. She's vital not only as a musician but also as one of the faces of the band.

Love and agree with most of everything here. Must say though I like the inclusion of acoustic songwriting. I was kind of hoping they'd do an acoustic record, just because it would be a step, possibly, into a different direction. Sonic Youth have always been willing to change things up a bit, add new ingredients to the formula. And while some of the Eternal stuff was weak, I thought, maybe, it could symbolize things to come. I don't know.

Yeah. I remember you saying something a couple years ago about how it will be a sad day when the Sonic ship finally sinks..and that day seems to be approaching (if it isn't already here and we just don't know it for a fact yet).

Whatever.

No doubt there is plenty of material in the vaults that will be released periodically/etc.

Not a single member od Sonic Youth seems overly excited about the band these days. I look forward to hearing what each one does on their own terms. Specifically excited about Lee, but I'll follow all of 'em.

Time for a coffee break.

Love ya, Rob. You've always been one of my favorite posters. I don't think yr close minded as some others seem to think, just that you have a solid opinion which is something I think tends to happen to most of us as we age. People like what they like. Ten years ago I would have given myself so much shit for half the stuff I listen to now.

Seems to me they've been winding down for some time, what with other projects - Kim with her art & fashion, Lee's audio-visual things with Leah, Thurston's endless side projects & increased solo song-based output & tours, Steve jus' kickin' out the jams with whoever the hell he fancies because he's Steve fucking Shelley and everyone wants him to be in their band. The gaps between releases has been steadily increasing and the group chemistry seems stilted: I really didn't rate The Eternal and from the gig reviews I've read it seems as though on stage they haven't been too hot either. I mean, before you even factor in the whole K & T split, the music seems to have been laboured for a a while now.

As shit as it seems, perhaps it's time for them to call it a day. True, there won't be any more Sonic Youth product (other than God knows how many hours worth of archival material for repackaging), but they will still play music together: Steve has appeared on Thurston's solo stuff and is set to play on Lee's album, Thurston and Lee have recorded non-SY bits together, ie: with Connors. I suppose the one who may be more out of sight is Kim. Her solo/other musical endevours have been with other women generally and haven't tended to included any of the other SY members.

I suppose that what I'm trying to say in a roundabout way is that I'm sort of coming to terms with the more-than-likely-death of my favourite band.

I'm not. I'm still just really hoping it doesn't end.

Sonic Life