Is this the greatest indie album of the last century?

[spring hall convert]

I know, I know. I feel like I SHOULD like them. His voice is horrible, the dynamics of the music (LOUD quiet LOUD quiet) I find very dull. I like bands that are similar(ish) as well, like Nirvana, My Bloody Valentine and a few others.

I also think Sonic Youth are MASSIVELY overrated too, so this might explain it a bit more.

I was going to forgive you for The Pixies because as much as I like most of their stuff, personally I think they are a bit over-rated. I've always thought it might be something to do with the 80's sounding production when compared to the beefed up recordings of the bands they influenced (Nirvana being a case in point.)

But you've burnt your bridges with me dissing the Youth, crazy talk. From Sister to Daydream Nation, they are virtually unbeatable. The geffen years are fun & if that isn't enough you have the more melodic Murray Street & Sonic Nurse.

Admittedly their output post Sonic Nurse was patchy & they had a wobble in the middle of their career (NYC Ghosts & Flowers & Experimental Jet Set And Thrash.)

Still that's what I love about talking music, different strokes/different folks.

The Daydream Nation show at the Roundhouse is top 5 gigs of my life material.

 

[Mellotron]

I was going to forgive you for The Pixies because as much as I like most of their stuff, personally I think they are a bit over-rated. I've always thought it might be something to do with the 80's sounding production when compared to the beefed up recordings of the bands they influenced (Nirvana being a case in point.)

But you've burnt your bridges with me dissing the Youth, crazy talk. From Sister to Daydream Nation, they are virtually unbeatable. The geffen years are fun & if that isn't enough you have the more melodic Murray Street & Sonic Nurse.

Admittedly their output post Sonic Nurse was patchy & they had a wobble in the middle of their career (NYC Ghosts & Flowers & Experimental Jet Set And Thrash.)

Still that's what I love about talking music, different strokes/different folks.

The Daydream Nation show at the Roundhouse is top 5 gigs of my life material.

I will give SY another try. Again, based on the other bands I like and friends whose music taste I rate liking them, I SHOULD like them.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Pretty sure it's this.

 

[spring hall convert]

I will give SY another try. Again, based on the other bands I like and friends whose music taste I rate liking them, I SHOULD like them.

I'd imagine if you've listened to them before you've been in the Sister - Daydream Nation period or Goo, 100% (The Geffen years.)

They had a much underrated period in the early 00's after they lost a lot of equipment and decided to go more melodic.

Give these two a spin, let me know what you think, they might serve as a better entry point

Stones (from Sonic Nurse) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAkJO0UcBhs
Pattern Recognition (from Murray Street) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hkyye7at6A

And you metion My Bloody Valentine - I've always thought this track has more than a hint of Isn't Anything about it

Death Valley '69 (from Bad Moon Rising) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k0dJEkzXc4

 

[El Presidente]

Not sure this would fit in with the purists view of 'Indie' but just because they play synths doesn't prohibit them does it?

 

[Kumquat]

Underated and brilliant

Have you got their latest album "She Paints Words in Red"? This and 1993s Babe Rainbow are even better.

 

[Trufflehound]

But you've burnt your bridges with me dissing the Youth, crazy talk. From Sister to Daydream Nation, they are virtually unbeatable. The geffen years are fun & if that isn't enough you have the more melodic Murray Street & Sonic Nurse.

Admittedly their output post Sonic Nurse was patchy & they had a wobble in the middle of their career (NYC Ghosts & Flowers & Experimental Jet Set And Thrash.)

Still that's what I love about talking music, different strokes/different folks.

The Daydream Nation show at the Roundhouse is top 5 gigs of my life material.

In my books SY are the best band ever to come out of America.

That 5-album run from EVOL, through Sister, Daydream Nation, and Goo, to Dirty, is as good as any band has ever produced.

And one of the best live bands I've ever witnessed too. Seeing (and being part of) the crowd as it erupted to the opening bars of Schizophrenia at the start of their '87 Mean fiddler gig on the Sister tour will always stay with me.

As will their Pukkelpop festival show in Belgium in 1991, with a then unknown Kurt Cobain dancing like a loon at the back of the stage (not that I knew who the guy was at the time, I'll admit). My moshiest mosh ever. Crawled out of there after an hour on hands and knees, covered in sweat, bruises, mud and dust, and with my T-shirt ripped to shreds. Probably the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on.

 

[spring hall convert]

In my books SY are the best band ever to come out of America.

That 5-album run from EVOL, through Sister, Daydream Nation, and Goo, to Dirty, is as good as any band has ever produced.

You won't hear me debate this. If only I'd been old enough to see them in this period, their staunch refusal to play the classics became a bit tiresome when they were touring "Rather Ripped" & the lacklustre " The Eternal."

 

[Insel affe]

My moshiest mosh ever. Crawled out of there after an hour on hands and knees, covered in sweat, bruises, mud and dust, and with my T-shirt ripped to shreds. Probably the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on.

Ain't that the truth, cant beat a good bit of chest thumpin homo erotic man bashin, although the mosh is slightly more for the ladies, a good slam or wreckin is when you stand your ground and take it like a man rather than run round in a girly circle like the yanks.

 

[jakarta]

In my books SY are the best band ever to come out of America.

Ahem...... Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Talking Heads, Springsteen and REM just off the top of my head?

Perhaps the best band ever to come out of America who MOST people have never heard of?

All individual taste innit, I had several SY Albums back in the early 90's but there was a dramatic rationalisation of my record collection when I headed for Sussex and matrimonial bliss from oop north in 1995.

This thread has made me realise I need to get some of them back!

 

[Trufflehound]

In my books SY are the best band ever to come out of America.

Ahem...... Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Talking Heads, Springsteen and REM just off the top of my head?

What have Hendrix or the Doors done in the last 40 years?
Dylan hasn't made a decent record since 1975. Should have retired decades ago (cf Bowie).
Talking Heads. Not made a decent record since the 80s.
REM. Not made a decent record since 1992.
Springsteen. I was tempted to say, not made a decent record full stop. But I am quite partial to Darkness on the Edge of Town... Went off a creativity cliff after that though.

In all seriousness, they are all great (except Springsteen). But the key phrase was "in my books the best...".

And in my books, as good as the others were, SY were better.

(And yes, I have seen Talking Heads, Springsteen and REM (several times) live. Not the others, I'll grant you.)

 

[spring hall convert]

In my books SY are the best band ever to come out of America.

Ahem...... Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Talking Heads, Springsteen and REM just off the top of my head?

Perhaps the best band ever to come out of America who MOST people have never heard of?

All individual taste innit, I had several SY Albums back in the early 90's but there was a dramatic rationalisation of my record collection when I headed for Sussex and matrimonial bliss from oop north in 1995.

This thread has made me realise I need to get some of them back!

If you are going to have Bob Dylan, Hendrix & Springteen (aren't they solo artists?) I'll raise you a Prince. Band to me suggests some form of democracy in the songwriting process, I haven't searched the credits but Hendrix & Dylan are/were dictators weren't they? Springsteen, I acknowledge is a slightly different kettle of fish.

One of my favourite things about SY is being able to over the years recognise which bits were Thurston, Kim and Lee, all great writers in their own right.

 

[Buzzer]

One for the Sonic Youth fans on here....the video footage of them hunting around New York looking for a scared and demented Daniel Johnston in the documentary 'The Devil and Daniel Johnston'...I assume that's fake albeit the story behind it is true. Can anyone confirm/deny?

 

[tinx]

On the Sonic youth theme, did anyone go to the Free Kitten gig at the old Steam Inn that used to be along the lewis road. Kim Gordons side project, It was crazy Thurstone Moore was just hanging around in the bar watching the gig. Most bizarre venue for something like that. I tihnk it is now Uni of Brighton offices or a shop or something.

 

[boik]

Good call. I'll see your House of Love and raise you either Sugarcubes - 'Life's Too Good' or.... Sundays - 'Reading Writing and Arithmetic'

Sorry, very very late to this chat...

I remember lying in the dark listening to Peel when he first played "Birthday" and I cried. I just thought it was absolutely perfect - intriguing sounds, ethereal vocals and perplexing lyrics. They were fantastic live too.

Is the HoL suggestion from seeing pete Fij and Terry Bickers at At The Edge Of The Sea? I loved their set and they seemed genuinely touched at their reception.

Have no idea what to suggest as GREATEST indie album. The only objective thing you can measure is sales, which is meaningless, so it's inherently subjective. George Best would be right up there for me though. It was my walking to work album for months on end.

From A Scream To A Whisper by Lowlife would also be nudging the top 2 or 3.

Great thread!

 

[Brighton TID]

Almost forgot the soundtrack to my youth.

 

[Weststander]

Unknown Pleasures

This. Brilliant.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Jesus & The Mary Chain - PsychoCandy

TREMENDOUS call! 'Never Understand' is a thing of rare beauty

 

[BadFish]

Not an album, but this is the greatest single....


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I had a version of I want you with Mark E Smith. It was class.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]