Guitar World's top 100 Guitar Albums, and SY
 

I forget what issue this was, but for those of us studious guitar players that read Guitar World, would have noticed the 'top 100 guitar albums' issue. Specifically, besides the Jimi albums which fucking rock, Sonic Youth made something like #80 with their album Goo. And I say... what the fuck?

Goo wasn't a bad album, but why not Daydream Nation? There are 5 albums I think of right of the top of my head that should be above Goo on SY's best guitar albums.


Anyone agree or any dumbass disagree?

Goo was the one for which Guitar Player gave Thurston Moore a Guitarist of the Year for also (snubbing Lee completely)...go figure.

So it seems as if GW's selection of that album is sort of based on GP's award.

I'd have put Sister in Goo's place or Sonic Nurse. I really like the guitar playing on both of these records. At least they got on the list though.

You have to understand that the there is no unbiased guitar magazine available to some people far away in the distant jungles, like Oregon.

I'm saying Thurston is an amazing guitarist, but why should he be given credit for something that wasn't his best, and no credit for his best?

I'm just saying magazines like that don't really talk about SY anymore. It's cool they at least got mentioned instead of not at all.

That's very true.

I wonder how much looking like Arto Lindsay plays into this somewhat (not completely, but somewhat) lofty assessment.

Yeah, totally true.

But then again, because Darwin didn't slap a fish with legs on the back of a Tercel, means that someone did. And since I'm saying that you or I didn't put Goo on the top 100, the editors at Guitar World did and they should take off that metal rubbish and put some albums up that... you know... had an impact.

... thanks to metal rubbish.

My point exactly.

Goo had an impact, but it didn't affect mainstream. Daydream Nation had an impact, and it DID affect mainstream. And in my opinion was better than Goo guitar wise, and sonically speaking.

Lee seems to be in general underacknowledged for what he's contributed in the band and the press' attention has been more towards Thurston. Lee wrote Mote, which is my favorite song off Goo.

Ever hear of... Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh, NIRVANA?!?!, any other bands that STARTED THE ALTERNATIVE MUSIC GENRE? Yeah.

Daydream Nation set the standard and pathway for all of indie/alternative to come. Countless bands have tried to copy and duplicate the sound on Daydream Nation, especially songs like Silver Rocket, Candle, Eric's Trip, and Teen Age Riot. The album shook the American underground, which in turn brought immense changes to the consumer end, or mainstream, of rock and roll and things to come.


And yes, Lee is totally underrated, but he is known for all of his art (songs, poetry, film, books, etc.) not just his guitar playing.

Also, you have to remember that when Goo came out it was hailed by Joe Satriani as the best guitar album of the year and you know half of GP's readership and the editors considered him a god so Goo was able to at least get a "chance" to be recognized by the masses. And by the time Dirty came out nobody gave a fuck about Joe anymore. But GP if I remember back then was the one guitar mag that recognized alternative music to a certain extent. I think Reeve Gabriel's (?? or was it Gabriel Reeves?, the Tin Machine guy) column was in that one.

Ever hear of... Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh, NIRVANA?!?!, any other bands that STARTED THE ALTERNATIVE MUSIC GENRE? Yeah. .........

sorry to but in but ever heard of the ramones, the stooges, the monks, mc5, i could go on.....

nice read tho!

SY are more chordal than yr Vais or your Satrianis, hence no single player stands out as 'great' in SY. It's much easier with Vai (name out of a hat) to say he was a great player because his lines are usually single note runs - much more immediately impressive than SY whose structures are not necessarily that easy to pin down. What I appreciate about SY is that they eschew one side of virtuosity for a more challenging virtuosity. They're not Beethoven mind you.