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by art-not 972 days ago
I've mostly fell out of listening to Sonic Youth, but it was the first band to ever open my eyes to the idea of 'weird' music. I think a lot of who I am today began with that first experience, when I first listened to Evol.

While I don't listen to them much anymore, I still put on Washing Machine from time to time. I'd argue that is their best work.
2 comments
_rpxpx 972 days ago
Agreed. I bought Washing Machine on the day it was released, during my secondary school lunch break. I remember the NME review claiming The Diamond Sea as the best thing SY had ever done. I agreed with that when I got it home, and still do. It was the pinnacle of their work really, which went rapidly downhill afterwards. Pitchfork's 0.0 rating of NYC Ghosts & Flowers was sadly wholly appropriate. But the records Evol-->Washing Machine altered my life completely, and turned me on to the idea of weird/experimental/avant-garde music, and art.
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nuxi 971 days ago
They had most of their (unique) equipment stolen a year before NYC Ghosts & Flowers was released[0], so they used whatever they had in their studio and put out an experimental album. Not my favourite record (Washing Machine and Daydream Nation for me), but I don't think it's that bad. Their later releases were also pretty good and the "really experimental" SYR stuff is quite interesting as well IMO.

[0] - http://www.sonicyouth.com/history/equipment/stolen.html

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microtonal 972 days ago
> It was the pinnacle of their work really, which went rapidly downhill afterwards. Pitchfork's 0.0 rating of NYC Ghosts & Flowers was sadly wholly appropriate.

I think that was pretty much the only dud (together with Jet Set), Murray Street and the albums after that are quite ok.

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microtonal 972 days ago
Sonic Youth was a large part of my high school sound track. I had some class mates who were also into indie music, I lent my copy of Washing Machine to one of them, when she returned it to me she looked at me as if I was insane (or at least my taste in music).

Evol/Sister/Daydream Nation were my favorites though.

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rufus_foreman 972 days ago
>> Evol/Sister/Daydream Nation were my favorites though

Same here but I would add in Bad Moon Rising which is certainly appropriate for this time of year.

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art-not 971 days ago
Their self titled similarly has some great 'spooky' tracks. I think I dream I dream fits well along tracks like 'brave men run'
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