I know I probably should, but I just don't get 'em.

Thanks.

this is just MY opinion, and i'm sure you'll get some totally different takes that will be just as (if not WAY MORE) valid, but...

start with GOO.

it's a fun, goofy, melodic, energetic pop album. it's a good intro. you get an idea of what their noisier side is all about, and at the same time you just get to listen to them having fun and making what they thought at the time was a "top 40" album.

if you like that, you'll probably like DIRTY. it's still poppier than most of their stuff, but this one's a little angrier and more political. still very melodic, very much something you can jump on your bed and throw tantrums to.

beyond these two albums, it gets a little weird.

you can go forward and check out their later albums, which i think get more and more complex and arty with each release (at least for a while, with albums like A THOUSAND LEAVES and some of their indie-release SYR projects), though they came back around with their last couple of albums, SONIC NURSE and RATHER RIPPED, which bring them back to making more traditional pop/rock songs, but in a slightly more mature vein than GOO or DIRTY.

OR, you can go backwards and check out stuff like DAYDREAM NATION (many SY fans favorite album), EVOL, SISTER and the like. these are a lot more noisy, uncompromising, and at times really super difficult to get into. but there are gems tucked in every one of their albums, and when you unlock those gems, they infect the sound of everything else and you start to appreciate and enjoy pretty much everything else.

and i don't want to underplay DAYDREAM NATION. it's not my favorite SY album, but it's a good one. in my opinion it's the "1999" to SY's "purple rain"...and of course, a lot of prince fans prefer the earlier to the latter, with good reason.

also, you should check out THE WHITEY ALBUM by sonic youth's fake sister band CICCONE YOUTH. it's very silly, and has some seriously goofy madonna covers. plus you get to hear kim gordon doing the most smacked-out karaoke ever, to the tune of "addicted to love". good stuff.

hope that helped just a little.

oh, and i didn't mean to be all pop-heavy in my approach and recommendations...if you wanna go a more obtuse route, i'd start with A THOUSAND LEAVES, which i think is actually quite a beautiful album, and whether it's true or not, has kim gordon's name written all over it.

and for heaven's sake, SEE THEM LIVE. nothing beats hearing their beautiful noise when they're making it right in front of you. and for my money, thurston moore is every bit as engaging a live guitarist as prince. he loses himself in his playing and you really do feel it from the audience.

Kim Gordon was really fuckable, back in the day.

...Oh! And it's good shit for knockin' (dirty) boots.

Anx said:

Now that's what I call a complete answer!

Got damn.

I feel like I should leave something in the offering plate.

A Thousand Leaves

My favorite, it's just stinkin' gorgeous noise.
[Edited 4/24/07 18:22pm]

Brendan said:

If you listen to "Swimsuit Issue" or "Drunk Butterfly" and don't instantly build an alter to Kim Gordon, then I don't know what to tell ya.

eleven said:

she had me at that cruddy lo fi video for "my friend goo", where she's go go dancing in a silver cat suit with a turntable strapped around her waist.

I stopped listening after Evol and Sister.

Anx said:

Never saw that. Is it online somewhere?

P.S. Did you know the clip for "Disappearer" was shot in T.O.?

Ace said:

it's on the video anthology DVD with all the other goo videos - they made a video for every song from the album.

what's T.O.?

Anx said:

Toronto. Kim also did some university here.

Ace said:

huh. did not know that. either factoid. i just learned tina weymouth grew up in iceland, now this. go know!

Stumbling into this thread has made me interested in Sonic Youth!
I think I'll check 'em out too

thekidsgirl said:

go with the GOO!

jillybean said:

join the club.

Anx said:

Ace said:[quote]

Anx said:

i knew she was old, but DAMN

Anx said:

I was leaning more towards Dirty based on your initial review. I like the 'poppier, but more angry' thing

I got hipped to them by Abierman, who then dragged me to a concert of theirs last year; one of the best concerts of that year.

CinisterCee said:

i'd love to hear the version beck does of that song on kazoo.