Why is NYCG&F regarded as one of their best?
 

Like I'm genuinely interested. I've never seen the appeal in it. Only thing I ever hear on it is "the title track is Lee's best song", yet that song kind of bores me. What is it about the album that you enjoy, for anyone who is in love with it?

i love the mood of the album. it has 2 of my favourite songs on it. it has a beautiful abstract quality. i love the way that i hated it for ages, then one day picked it up again and it all clicked. i love the way that it sounds like no other band i know of. it has an amazing cover!
it is also one of the only albums which i enjoy every song, every time i listen to it. Not even a thousand leaves or even washing machine has that

This is a bizarre question since I've heard more people speak ill of it than in favor.

Are you referring to the general Sonic Youth fanbase or just the SYG?

Meh, to me its sonic youth losing what made them different from the other bands of their ilk, and that's actual song-craft. Sonic Youth put brilliant melodies and/or really hard, rocking riffs within a noisy and raw setting.
NYCG&F is, to me, a not-as-good shift to emphasis on the noisy side, which is great, but when they try to put it in song context as they do here, its just kind of annoying. Thurston's lame lyrics and annoying delivery don't help much... but the real thing with this album is that it sounds like you have a band that's neither here nor there, and isn't commited to what they usually do.
The same way Rather Ripped's shift towards the song and melody and dismissal of experimentation and noise was off-putting to some, the shift from experimental yet listenable song song structure to just experimental with song tacked on is off-putting to others.
I love it when Da Yoof get radical and make sheer noise and/or experiment/jam with different sounds and structures, but that just doesn't work too well when you try to put those elements into the setting of a bland rock song that just comes off as a pretentious mess.

Death poems for the living gods of America.


I love NYCG&F's lyrics.

NYCGF is like the last full studio album where SY had something fresh to offer, from 1000 leaves to echo canyon studio to SYR series and goodbye 20th century; possibility to improvise.

i love it caus its their best. simple. i couldnt explain, but i try:

1. the sound of the guitars. its electric, but you always hear the finger touching the string, you can hear the material of the strings. this reminds me of arabic folk singers, such as rabbi abou khalil.

2. how the noise-effects come together with the guitars. On the eternal, they do not fit. on nycgf, its a unit.

3. the groove.

4. the simplicity.

5. steve.

6. In my own words, which no one understands except myself: the materialism of sound. you can pick it up with your fingers and then look through it as if it was piece of broken glass. see how the sunshine reflects on it?

it's not regarded as their best at all. Some might think it is, but the general consensus is it's a pretty weird minimal LP with two notably excellent tracks (Free city... & title track). Also, it's a grower.

Great atmosphere, inventive songwriting, great guitar tones, etc. Just a great album.

It sounds INSPIRED.

It blew me away instantly when it came out. And remember "Nevermind" on Conan?

just because it's actually their best album

The most difficult of Sy's records. at the first listening, I judge it boring. At the 100st, I like it. Free city rhymes is my favourite Sy song

wtf? Do you think taste is democratic? Who cares about how music "is regarded" or about the "general consensus"? Both have no place in music, but on MTV, or in Proppaganda maybe. I say: nycgf is the best Album theyve done, and i dont care, what you say - but i RESPECT the fact, that you might have a different taste - since Art is not a case of a 'general consensus'. right? :-)

Ever heard GOODBYE 20TH CENTURY???

Someone mentioned the mood of the album, the atmosphere, and I think that's absolutely right on the nose. For me, it's always been one of my favorites for the imagery it conjures up in my own mind, that endless summer night heat and being amongst the weirdos and strange circumstances that you can only get from being out in the world.

Doesn't have to be NYC, but the album still brings about my memories of the times I've been there. But what's great is that I know people who have completely different views on the album and what it means to them. It's impressive stuff for an album to be so specific to a single person and still have a broad ability for others to come along and take a completely different experience from listening to it.

NYC is one of the most poetic and beautiful albums of S.Y career. Burroughs was great inspiration, the balance between lirics and sound it's very creative.

I'm answering the initial question and my post was not about my own tastes (re-read it). I don't give a flying fuck about consensus and i couldn't care less about what others think. I personally think it's an OK LP but maybe their weakest with RR, but not in the same way. I actually find it rather UNinspired. But i like to listen to it pretty often as i find it quite intriguing and i LOVE the lyrics on this, although they might sound goofy, but not to me.

well NYCGF caused "j'accuse ted hughes" also.

I love it just because it's so different. Maybe not to everyone one, but for me, I've never heard another album like it. I think it's just so beautifully made. And it flows together perfectly. I use to dislike the album, but damn, it sure did grow on me.