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I've always dug "Experimental Jet Set". As a matter of fact it was pretty much the album that got me into SY as a wee lad. First SY cassette I actually bought was "Dirty" but it wasn't until "Bull In The Heather" hit the radio that I really got hooked (and I still feel it may be their most perfect pop song). Not long after that I started diving into both albums and the rest as they say is history.... Back to the subject at hand, I've actually been reassessing both "Experimental Jet Set" and "Psychic Hearts" lately. Coming out around the same time I've always felt those two albums have quite a bit in common in terms of sound and overall feel. At least certain tracks do anyway. Just listen to "Self Obsessed and Sexee" back to back with "Ono Soul" and I think you'll see what I mean. One thing I always dug about "Experimental Jet Set" is the production. "Dirty" was probably too polished thanks to Andy Wallace's mixing (and his infamous use of triggered drum samples) but "Experimental Jet Set" has a nice organic sound to it that definitely foreshadowed "Washing Machine" and "A Thousand Leaves". A lot of the song structures on those two albums are obviously different, but I think the manner in which they were recorded and the resultant sound have their roots in the "Experimental Jet Set" sessions. So in a sense that album was the beginning of what was arguably SY's greatest era of all.
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