Question about Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
 

Is it true that Sonic Youth recorded Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star on the same master tapes as Sister, so if you turn it up loud enough you can hear bits of the older album in the silences? How do I try this? :)

This has been proven true, and proven false. One member of SY says yes, while another says it is a tall tale.

what you do is get EJST&NS, and in the quieter parts, turn your stereo up to 11.

Then, once you hear it, destroy your copy of EJST&NS for you will never have to listen to that boring album again.

Turn the volume up.

They didn't record over the Sister master tapes, they played Sister very low in the mix at some point during recording (or whatever) of the EJST&NS. This was confirmed by Steve Shelley some years ago. You'd have to be insane or stupid to deliberately record over your master tapes. And you'd have to be insane or stupid to believe that they'd record over them too.

EJST&NS is not boring album! Well, of course not the greatest SY-album. I have tried once listen loud specially the parts between songs, I didn´t hear anything (maybe Sister is not in the vinyl? or then I just have become more deaf).

;) ha!

ExpJetSet is in my top 3 90s SY records.

I thoroughly enjoy/ed it. I like it when bands are adventurous and try new things.

I think it´s just SY-Way-R´N´R-album. But anyway I like it!

I never liked this record, but then I realized I never not liked this record. So in that regard

I've always viewed / heard ExpJetSet as being a very important SY release. At the time it had the groups biggest "hit" with accompanying video. Heavily influenced the year prior by Beck's, "Loser" and geared for the 120 Minute television audience.

Not sure if it was on purpose or by accident, but there was no "Lee" tracks this time around and there has been no CD packaging like it since.

Other than Sweet Shine with "hidden noise," all of the others tracks are four minutes or less......believe Dirty has four tracks coming in over five minutes long.

I believe ExpJetSet got something out of their system and convinced them they didn't want to be a "video / hits" band. In other words, there wouldn't be 'A Thousand Leaves' if it wasn't for, ExpJetSet!

hey. it"S a good record. like micro Washing Machine.

I just find it devoid of Sonic Youthiness

as per usual, bytor nails it. experimental... was the catalyst for everything which came after while also acting as the supreme realisation of sonic youth as a viable pop group: strange & subversive to be sure but exceedingly approachable from a songwriting perspective at least. it was this record's approach to sonics and atmosphere which allowed for sy to truly expand on their vision for the first time since daydream, which while in itself an incredible (and almost unquestionably perfect) record served more as a summation and distillation of their strengths as expressed up to that point. it imbued them with a confidence in their craft which meant that washing machine was the most potent expression of the band as a concept ever, irrespective of whether it was their best record, and of course that then led them right down that avant-jam band shitfest era running through to nurse which is probably their best, to me, or at the very least on par with the pre-goo stuff.

I still hate goo.

i don't really like Goo, but i like the Goo demos. esp Disappearer and Dirty Boots. i liked them before they remixed them with Jim.

Everytime I try and tell myself I don't really like Goo I look at the tracklist and think, "Shit maybe this should be in my Sonic Youth Top-5" ;)

Goo is masterpiece, Experimental Jet-Set doesn´t. One reason why I love Goo so much is of course it´s my first Sonic trip. Experimental is first Sy-record I bought right after it´s release (I heard Dirty right after it´s release, but not bought it, just recorded it to the cassette) so of course it´s also important to me.

Goo should have been a mini album with these tracks only:

Tunic
Mote
Disappearer
Mildred Pierce
Scooter & Jinx
Cinderlla's Big Score
Titanium Expose

EJST&NS is awesome! I sing Sweet Shine to myself when I can't sleep and I'm totally going to sing it to my kids (when I have some).

Experimental Jet Set is at least better than A Thousand Leaves, honestly despite Goo having a couple killer tracks I might prefer it to that as well. Only 90s SY records that are markedly better than it are Dirty and Washing Machine, and those are 2 of their best