KOOL THINGS The Sonic Youth Listening Club. FINAL THOUGHTS start at post 2431

so, never actually put my thoughts down on paper

Very interesting. Much more SY-y overall, so many of the things I like about them are more in focus here, but still didn’t actually enjoy it all that much or want to go back to it - think it’s about 20% short on melody for me. So many great textures and tones though, plenty of bits of this would make for a stunning horror/experimental soundtrack album - so even if it’s not my sort of thing to listen to on its own merits, it entirely nails that eerie moody atmospheric approach

funny how much I would say this was Kim’s based on this album, if i didn’t know any better - she’s leading on 6 of the 11 sung tracks, and clearly has a more developed, arresting voice at this time (though she’s barely holding onto a tune in Early American :smiley: ). Plus her bass is the melodic centre of their whole sound at this time

quite different from the rest of the picks above, but think my fav tracks are the run of Inhuman - The World Looks Red - Confusion is Next. Inhuman has this energy and drive to it that most of their stuff lacks for me at this stage (Pixies-esque? A weirder track off of Incesticide?). Love the drums and groove on World and the weird warped guitar harmonic thing going on. And the bass and claustrophobic ringing guitar on Confusion is just excellent, like a band who genuinely sound inspired by Joy Division rather than just having a baritone singer and hooky basslines. By far the best Thurston has sounded on vocals up to this point too, and probably my single fav album track here

Kill Yr. Idols is good, but I think it just sounds like a lesser version of the best type of peak SY songs - whereas the ones I flagged feel unique to this early period. Hmm stuck it on again, it is pretty grand actually, but the aimless middle bit kinda ruins its early anthem potential for me

think it’s a good 5/10 - step up from the 4 I gave the debut, but not actually something I liked or want to return to, which is what I need from a 6.

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ah man, someone on my side, yes!

traitorous scumbag

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Yeah, I’ve had it on a few times and while my ears prick up at some tracks mostly I’m not really being grabbed by it.

Had a listen and found it hard to connect with as usual.
I like reading what other posters have said about the music but the tunes are just too shouty to really absorb what’s in the background.
The Kill Your Idols EP is a massive improvement, but the songs sound better live.

CiS 6
KYI 8

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have given it one final pre-vote listen in the cold light of day and I’ve definitely cooled on it a bit. still agree with my initial thoughts but it’s come down to a straight 6/10 - I think we’re still largely in the “bits and pieces of interesting stuff” phase for me, albeit with a definite improvement from the first one.

excited about what’s to come.

favourite track on Confusion is Sex/Kill Yr Idols

  • (She’s in a) Bad Mood
  • Protect Me You
  • Freezer Burn/I Wanna Be Your Dog
  • Shaking Hell
  • Inhuman
  • The World Looks Red
  • Confusion is Next
  • Making the Nature Scene
  • Lee is Free
  • Kill Yr Idols
  • Brother James
  • Early American

0 voters

score out of 10

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0 voters

Washing Machine is only £16 from Juno, and I was gonna put an order in anyway … :thinking: would be a good way to do listening club properly

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It’s a real good one imo

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it was really good to listen to in 2015 as well

“HELLO TWENNY FIFTEENN”

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We’re moving on to the next album soon and I haven’t put together any thoughts on CiS yet so here goes:

I had listened to it once before, and then once again last weekend. I don’t really like it. Feels like a pre-demo and far too lacking in melodies for my enjoyment. I get that it hints more at where they were going than the debut did, but that doesn’t make it enjoyable for me. A historical artifact and that’s it. Can’t be bothered to listen again probably. I will point out I enjoyed the Kim vocal songs more than the Thurston ones.

I’ve listened to the Kill Yr Idols ep before but haven’t gotten around to playing that again as I really wanted to separate it from the album. I did let the first track play accidentally and for me it’s better than anything else on the album. It’s likely I feel that way about the other tracks as well, and several folks here have also pointed at those being their favorites on the “album”.

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I’ve absolutely rinsed Bad Moon Rising over the last 3 days. I wasn’t really familiar with it at all. Going to do my write up now in my notebook, will hold off posting until the time is right.

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It’s the best album so far by fucking MILES

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spoilers!

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Haven’t listened to Confusion is Sex loads because I don’t own a physical copy but really enjoying revisiting it. As a post-punk nerd I really enjoy their early sound. Great repetitive bass grooves while the guitars are a delicious mess. Noisy and great.

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Never got on with BMR. Interesting to see if listening to it tomorrow changes my mind at all. Hope it does.

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The more times you listen to it the better it gets.

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Score’s too low

Please amend

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Absotively posolutely this

I think it’s their most interesting in terms of how it explores specific (non-strictly musical) ideas and themes over one record imo

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Where the Sonic Youthers at?