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I saw a series of topics like this where they went through every album, people would relisten to the album and state their high and low points. The purpose would be to reinvest some interest in the albums and go for a deeper understanding of the whole album.
I thought Dirty would be a good starting point since everyone knows it well and it is easier to argue than the first "Blue" album.
Here's my take:
Overall, Dirty is far more accessible for a casual listener than anything else that Sonic Youth had done up to that point. There are at least six songs of the fifteen that are catchy after one or two listens. It starts with 100% which is a great "single"... not so structured that it is pop, but hooky and catchy with good lyrics. One of two or three dedicated to Joe Cole? I feel like the low points of the record follow with some Kim tracks that are overly aggressive. Although I didn't like them right off the bat, the slower Kim tracks: "Shoot", "On the Strip", "JC" are better than songs like "Swimsuit" and "orange rolls". Thurston steals the show with the definite high points of the album. "Theresa's" is one of their finest moments, though it sounds better live than on the album. The second guitar buildup is classic sonic youth, but in some ways cleaner and more direct than what they had been doing before. It feels like a logical progression for the band at this point. More accessible, but still disorderly. "Sugar Kane" is a perfect rock song, not experimental, but a high point that never gets old. The end of the album closes out great with the Thurston rockers "Chapel Hill" and "Purr", their catchiest song to date (in my opinion).
The low point is the middle with some of the steam taken out with "Nic Fit"... a pointless cover, and "Youth against Facism" which is just too direct for a band that is deliciously cryptic in their song meanings.
Lee has a great moment with "Wish Fulfillment" and many argue that he should have gotten Genetic on the album. I agree, but it was nice to have a cool b-side/live track.
Overall, I feel Dirty offers some of Thurston's best structured work; Kim's songs are a bit soulless; the more mainstream approach worked for an album during that era, and is one of their better releases. It's one that I'll never get bored with even though its length makes it drag a bit.
Post your thoughts!
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