100% verse noise
 

Just wondering what you guys think. After early 1995, they stopped playing noise (or Thurston stopped, rather) during the verses of 100%. Kind of minor, but I thought I'd see if you guys have any thoughts as to why there is no more noise during the verses when played live.

no idea. 100% is prolly my fave tune they penned.

cuz they fucking suck? seriously, i can't believe how fucking awful this song sounds since they "revived" it in 2000. drop the needle on 'dirty' sideA..that shit KILLS. watch letterman 92--FUCKIN RIGHTEOUS. and now? i dunno, they did a pretty solid version opening for pearl jam a couple years back, but it still had nothing on those classic versions.

maybe they just wanna keep it bare nowadays. i dunno. i still remember them workin' it out again @ soundcheck in providence, and then i saw a video from backstage at ATP 3 or 4 years later and they still can't remember how to play it! 3 notes!

sorry. i love you sonic youth. "100%" is a killer tune but i think the slightly reduced speed + greatly reduced 'noise' on the 21st century live versions has greatly hindered a powerful track.





oh, and bring back the harmonics on 'bull in the heather' or don't bother.



(then again, it always strikes me when i hear these songs live that they really do energize the crowd, so maybe there's something to them being singles? i mean, bull in the heather is a fucking seriously classic song but the LP version is *untouchable*, just a perfect recording, and as much as i love hearing that big G kick in live, i don't get that much of a thrill from it. but it seems like the crowds do. so thats good!)

Word!!!
Ok, who jacked Chris Lawrence's account!?!?














You do make a point though.

chris, i have to agree. ive thought the new version of 100% is somehow almost a piss take. it always seems a tad like trying to sprint through 6 inches of snow on a field made of semi molten tar whilst weighed down by leasd weights whilst running into a force ten gale. it seesm like you want to get up on stage and actually push the song forward. yknow that feeling when you try to overtake someone going up a hill and that drop down a gear just doesnt seem to work......

again i say, i love you sonic youth and far be it for me to critisise your standards of playing but rock it out some more!!!!!

lately I've always seen it too like a sort of weird "relax rocking song" rather than a wild stomping assault like it used to be. ha ha , we all love you Sonic Youth, except for some boarders ha ha.

Chris L... which Providence show were you at a few years ago? I was at the infamous SonicYouthLightningBolt 3-song-madness show, if that's the one you're talking about?

chris' post here is just like hearing him talk offline, actually. him, me and patrick
got into a whole thing after the '06 Seattle gig about whether or not SY were fucking up BITH and 100%, with chris and i agreeing that the band was shortchanging the songs live and patrick playing devil's advocate. to which i say, pantos, you like a wussy version of "100%, FINE. good one on ya. some of us want the squeal and crunch, the cranking raunch.

must add though, any sins committed in the name of Bull in the Heather
could be absolved if they teamed it with Starfield Road, like back in the
old days.

Although I like how they do it live, I'd like for them to do "She Is Not Alone" as they did it back on Sonic Death sometime.

I agree with Chris/Jenn. I don't like live 100% nowadays, and starfield road is totally rockin

PREACH

I get so pissed when they play it at just about every show I go to and I love that song!!! It just gets progressively worse every time I hear it live....it was great on the NYCG&F tour I have to say. They could be playing Sunday or something instead!!!

hahah

no, obviously i love sonic youth, but i feel well versed enough in their musicology to be able to comment on my very rare beliefs of their 'shortcomings' (or y'know, create a whole bunch of goddam web-bibles, one of which has a shiny new jacket on the way within days...). the conversation jenn refers to was hilarious, and a highlight of my sonic concert-going history, for sure! i don't know many other people who fully appreciate SY, so it was supercool to have a huge sonic nerd discussion w/ people who get it. after a fucking fantastic show (my first expressway!), if i may say so.

and yes, i considered mentioning it in my initial post but figured i'd quit while i was behind, but of course the constant presence of 'starfield road' would be a 100% endorsement of the 'bull' frequency. i really do wonder why they never did that one, especially w/ jim.

providence was june 16 2000---first '100%' in 4 years, which at that time felt like an eternity. wish i'd been @ that lightning bolt gig!