Album thread: Rather Ripped
 

I listened Rather Ripped almost next after Sonic Death and it sounded again so good, even it is very opposite if you compare it Sonic Death (diversity is one thing I like in Sonic Youth). So I wanted to start an album thread about it. This is only for you who love/like or at least think it´s ok album. All of you who hate this album have said it too many times (you can tell me reasons you hate it if you want).

Since Murray Street every 2000 Sonic album has made a lot of pleasure to me. But when I put Rather Ripped to my record player and sweet sounds of Reena came up, I was in heaven at the first moment! And that feeling continued with next songs. Then I began to think that Sonic Youth has made an album that I could recommend to my friend who didn´t like the band at all and I thought the reason was that Sonic Youth have too much noise. But then I thought that noise in Jams run free and turquise boy would still be too much for him. Altough I think Rather Ripped is the most popsy album of Sonic Youth, it is very far from mainstream music.

Nobody has ever tell me in this gossip why they hate that album so much (somebody has mentioned the lyrics, but I think in Sonic Youth music has always been much more important than lyrics). I suppose that it associated with that thing that there isn´t as much noise in Rather Ripped as there is other albums. But why Sonic Youth can´t do just a beautiful album? They have already made so many with dischords and noise.

There is only one thing I don´t like in Rather Ripped. I bought it straight when it was published but there wasn´t that lyric book. Now it seems that any extras that are with Sonic albums never comes to Europe. And that´s wrong!!!

I love every Rather Ripped song, maybe Or isn´t very strong song but I like the feeling in it and it closes the album perfectly.

you are rare. the truth of the matter most SYG folks are such haters and indy-snobs they don't even like Sonic Nurse. many folks here want SY to have played three decades worth of chordless thrash and no-wave.

I for one, also ridiculously enjoyed Rather Ripped, and the Rather Ripped tour, but most SYG folks vehemently disagreed :)

Whether someone likes RR or not probably comes down to what it was that they liked about SY in the first place.

Do you mean that if you heard Sonic Youth first time at eighties or nineties, you don´t like Rather Ripped? My first album that I heard was Goo and I love also all before albums. And I love also Rather Ripped. I know there is many fans that don´t want their favorite bands doesn´t change at all. I think that attitude is very boring. It would have been very boring if for example Dead Kennedys had made fresh fruit many times. Of course you don´t have to like all the albums you´re favourite band has made. But to me it´s very important that bands made what they want, not what their fans wants.

So this "rather ripped case" confirms what I have noticed how people acts. Most of the people wants to belong in some community and they don´t want to say their real opinions, if they have to disagree with the community persons that have strong opinions. I truly believe that in this gossip there is persons who hates Rather Ripped only because the most of the gossip members hate it.

I like some of it but honestly most of the songwriting just feels really flat

Most of the people on here don't even listen to sonic youth.
True fact.

To my ears there has happened anything radical in Sonic Youth´s songwriting since EVOL. Of course you can say that Sleepin Around or Or is superficial song, but so are for example Eric´s Trip and Mary-Christ. They all are a little superficial songs that are spised with noise. But I like them all. And there is also lots of profound material in Rather Ripped (for example Reena, What a Waste, Jams Run Free, Rats, Turquise Boy, Pink Steam) like there is also in Daydream Nation and Goo.

Why they are here? I didn´t like Red Hot Chili Peppers latest album although I like their other albums. I haven´t never been Chili Peppers gossip, but if I go there someday, I won´t waste my time to tell all the time, how lousy album Stadium is. And I don´t hate that album although I don´t like it.

Well, it's not like all those who don't listen to their "more modern" output go around saying the newer records are bad, I just meant that some won't talk about theese records coz they'd rather talk about something else music-wise.
For what it's worth, I don't think RR is a "bad" album (I do love some of the songs, rats for example), but it sure doesn't strike me as deep as other ones (nurse or eternal, to name a couple "recent" ones). I liked the live versions of songs off RR quite a lot, though, which is a definite plus.
I think it overall feels like a "half step" in a direction, it's not that radical of a change nor too close to what came first, but it's being in the middle of the road doesn't win consensus. I know some will want to crucifix me for saying this, but it sounds to me like a sort of "son of murray street" (which incidentally gets praised quite a lot on here).
I can't express better what I mean, uff, weird morning.

I don´t think it is not very far away to compare Rather ripped and Murray Street. Maybe the main difference is caused by Jim is on Murray and not in Rather. I think Murray is a little bit experimental and maybe a little darker and also quieter than Rather ripped that is lighter and also stronger. But they both have a lots of melodic stuff.

I don't if its entirely attributable to group-think dynamics as much as inability to accept progress/evolution/change, nostalgic idealism, and a dash of hipster "more artistic integrity than thou" snobbishness..

A lot of SY fans really enjoyed the early years, but could not necessarily embrace the later years, and in their inability to accept change, they instead of still embracing the bands new directions decided to fight against it as the torch bearers, the flag wavers of the by-gone era. This is quite common in many music scenes, and people have this right to a preference, so long as they are not assholes about it, and many in SYG in regards to the new albums unfortunately have been nothing but assholes.

For my two-cents, I came into SY in 1998 on the 1000 Leaves era, and I adore most the art-rock, experimental, jamming yet chord driven ambient sounds of the 1998-2005 era of SY where they combined the noise and experimentation of the early 80s with the structure and musicality of the post-day dream nation era..

BUT, this does not mean I do not also love things like Sonic Death, because as much as I prefer the more ambient SY, I also love the noise/no-wave stuff on its own level. But I am a bit more eclectic and diverse in my musical tastes than others on SYG, I go from roots to soul to crust to metal to yay area hip hop to delta blues to traditional Ethiopian mezmur to no-wave to riot grrl to the Grateful Dead (live only) so I might not be exactly representative of SYG as a whole :)

I love Rather Ripped, and this is coming from someone whose favorite is Bad Moon Rising. Yes, I would feel ambivalent about playing it for someone who didn't know them, just because it is not at all representational of their larger body of work. I just take it for what it is - a light, positive album to dance around to a bit.

That said, I do quite dislike Sleeping Around and The Neutral.

For me Rather Ripped is kind of bland, but sometimes it really hits the spot.

Rather Ripped might as well have been the Decemberists or some shit.

Sucked.

I don't understand why the album is so hated. i mean.. obviously its no confusion is sex/sister/BMR etc. but theres still pretty cool songs on it (Reena, Rats, What a Waste, Pink Steam) i think its a decent album. definitely nothing horrid. the worse SY album ive heard would be "the eternal"

Me thinking it sucks has nothing to do with the fact that it didn't sound like an 80's SY album. Matter of fact, two of my top 3 SY albums were released after the 80's (Bad Moon Rising, A Thousand Leaves, Sonic Nurse). It just sounded uninspired/lazy. Or maybe they were (as has been suggested) hoping to do something a bit more commercially acceptable in hopes of leaving Geffen with a hit. Who knows? All I know is that the album boggled my mind the first time I heard it...I didn't like it when it was released, and despite several attempts of listening to it, I still don't like it.

Rats and Pink Steam are my favorite songs on the album, but I can barely bring myself to even sit through those.

As far as the Eternal...I've got mixed feelings on some of it, but for the most part I think that album kicks ass. Way better than Rather Ripped in my opinion.

it depends on personal preference. i was just pointing out that compared to other SY albums it is disappointing. but i was able to enjoy a few tracks on it, i dont relate to others when they say its "horrible", which isnt a bad thing really. pretty cool that you have sonic nurse in your top 3 by the way, i wasnt expecting that.

Sonic Nurse is nothing short of being totally amazing! Stones, I Love You Golden Blue, Peace Attack...the whole album, really. I can't think of a single aspect of that album that I do not like.

I Love You Golden Blue, to me, is Kim's absolute best vocal performance. I love the noisy/ambient build up and how that little riff just sneaks it's way in there....so beautiful.

As lame as it might sound, that record holds a very special place in my heart....which I think is part of the issue w/ the Youth for me. They've written some of the most brutal/thought provoking/beautiful music I've ever heard, and whenever I hear something new from them I have very high expectations (well, I did...). Rather Ripped was a let down....

I don't have high expectations for too many things in this world, but I always have when it comes to music...esp. those select few bands I consider to my favorites. Like, I know the next SY record is going to be great...just in the sme way that I knew Rather Ripped was going to be great (of course, I was wrong). I just know what some are capable of doing.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to ann ashtray again