Three Completely Unrelated Questions

[5_moves_of_doom 0]

Simple Q and A time, folks. Two very simple questions -- if you have any idea about the answers, please reply. I didn't feel like starting two seperate topics about this, so eh. Yeah.

 

1.) Though I have only four Sonic Youth albums, I am a very, very avid fan of theirs. I heard somewhere that their newest album that's being released soon, "Sonic Nurse," is to be their 19th album. Amazing. I know that about one fourth of their catalogue isn't really worth getting, but I'm a completist, and I fully intend to, in time, purchase every single Sonic Youth album. That's right -- all 19. But... right, could someone do their best to list all 19 of these albums in chronilogical order? That would be greatly appreciated. As a bonus spark of conversation -- what're your favorite one or two Sonic Youth albums, and why?

 

2.) I adoreadoreadore the Residents but only own their Eskimo DVD... and I want to purchase some of their albums but they are all out of print. Bummer. Does anyone know of any online sources where I could purchase these CD's (aside from eBay which is surprisingly lacking in them)? Particularly "Duck Stab" and "Meet the Residents." And the Mole trilogy as well. I really would like to pick some of these albums up after discovering and loving the Residents since so long ago, but seeing as how they're out of print, it's more difficult that I would like it to be. As a bonus spark of conversation -- what're your favorite one or two Residents albums, and why?

 

3.) I've heard a lot about the following few bands, and if someone could just explain to me what they're all about, what they're like, and a little bit about some of their albums to get me started, that would be greatly appreciated. I know a bit about a few of these, but an explanation on just what makes them so popular and appreciated would be nice so I could get a better idea on their musical output.

 

-- Belly

 

-- Throwing Muses

 

-- Guided By Voices

 

-- King Crimson

 

-- Sparks

 

-- The Mekons

 

-- T-Rex

 

-- Dinosaur Jr.

 

-- The Depeche Mode

 

-- The Beat Happening (heard a few songs, really like them, but what album to start out with would be nice)

 

-- The Vaselines

 

 

 

 

Thanks to anyone who replies.

Edited June 2, 2004 by 5_moves_of_doom

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Simple Q and A time, folks.

Not that simple, really.

 

Sonic Youth: The best is Daydream Nation, though that is neither here nor there. Don't get every album, man. Don't do that. I mean, I love some Bob Dylan, but there's just no need to own every one of his 30+ albums.

 

The Residents: Aside from file-sharing services, the best way to acquire a Residents album is through Forced Exposure or from The Residents themselves. As an aside, they've been signed to Mute Records, whom apparently will help make their back catalog more easily available. And I really like Eskimo a lot, though, honestly, the best Residents album I have is a mix a friend made me for me a couple of years ago, which is what got me into them in the first place.

 

As for the rest, I'll touch on the only bands you listed I'm interested in:

 

Guided By Voices—Robert Pollard writes some well pop hooks. Most people will say that their lo-fi stuff was the best (Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes). Those albums are good, but I prefer the more Rock side of GBV, best heard in Mag Earwhig! and Isolation Drills.

 

Beat Happening—This band, along with Pavement, is the reason there's so much awful indie rock. Too many no-talent hacks thought being sloppy was all it took; none of them realized that, though Beat Happening (and Pavement) were far from skilled musicians, they still wrote good songs. Enough about Pavement, though. Beat Happening was far less cynical and way more offbeat and weird. Check out Jamboree or Dreamy.

[5_moves_of_doom 0]

Simple Q and A time, folks.

Not that simple, really.

 

Sonic Youth: The best is Daydream Nation, though that is neither here nor there. Don't get every album, man. Don't do that. I mean, I love some Bob Dylan, but there's just no need to own every one of his 30+ albums.

I've got Daydream Nation, and Confusion Is Sex, and Goo, and Murray Street. I figure that once I pick up Dirty, Sonic Nurse, EVOL, Sister, and Washing Machine, that'll already put me at the half-way mark, and well... I might as well. Over the course of a year or so I could easily just casually pick them all up.

 

 

Thanks A LOT on the Residents, though.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

King Crimson-Great progressive stuff. They do a lot of improv material, use crazy instrumentation, and have been around for decades. Three of a Perfect Pair and Red are probably my two favorite albums of theirs, although they have dozens of good ones. Robert Fripp is my all time favorite guitarist.

[DCMaximo 0]

A word of advise on Sonic Youth- NEVER, no matter how cheap it is, buy "Silver Sessions". I did, on the basis that it was really cheap and was for charity, then found myself with a CD of feedback that they had remixed. Disapointed isn't the word. You should try and get "Experimental Jet Set, Trash And No Star" pretty soon though, it's my second favourite SY album after "Daydream Nation"

 

Other bands:

 

Depeche Mode: it's worth ignoring their mid-eighties output, unless you want camp synth-pop, andchecking out their early-mid ninteties work, when they started writing wonderfully dark pop songs, with a quasi-gothic edge. "Violator" is probably your best bet -it features "Personal Jesus", their best song and is a great album from start to finish. "Ultra" is also a great album which had some excellent singles ("Barrel Of A Gun", "Home") and showed how far they'd come since the days of "Just Can't Get Enough".

 

The Vaselines- a twee Scottish indie band who became popular when it emerged that Kurt Cobain was a huge fan (he even got the band to reform to support Nirvana in the UK). Be warned- if you've only heard the Nirvana covers of "Molly's Lips", "Son Of A Gun" and "Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam", the Vaselines versions are VERY different, mainly acoustic and a lot more gentle. I think they're great and the compilation "All The Stuff And More" is not only very cheap (well, everytime I've seen it), but contains all the Vaselines material you'll ever need

[C Dubya 04 0]

Re Sonic Youth: I love Daydream Nation, Experimental and Dirty. I'd start with those first and move on if you enjoy.

 

Re Dinosaur Jr.: These guys used to be one of my favorite bands, particularly when Lou Barlow was in it. It's kind of sloppy rock (best way I could describe it), but J Mascis was one of the first "alternative" artists to really use solos in his songs, and should be considered influential. Albums to get are the self titled "Dinosaur", "Where you Been", "Whatevers Cool With Me", "Fossils" and "Green Mind". All of those are real solid albums. DO NOT GET "Without a Sound" though. It's puke.

 

 

On a side, a band you might want to check out if you're interested in the list above is The John Spencer Blues Explosion. Very good stuff.

[Guest Derek Bailey]

Sonic Youth don't really have 19 albums, the Sonic Nurse press kit classifies some releases as proper albums when they're not. But here's what they say anyway:

 

1. Sonic Youth (EP) [out of print]

2. Confusion is Sex

3. Sonic Death [live/audio collage]

4. Bad Moon Rising

5. Evol

6. Sister

7. Daydream Nation

8. The Whitey Album [released under the pseudonym 'Ciccone Youth']

9. Goo

10. Dirty

11. Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star

12. Screaming Fields of Sonic Love [pre-Geffen best of]

13. Made in USA [film soundtrack]

14. Washing Machine

15. A Thousand Leaves

16. Goodbye 20th Century [interpretations of 20th century classical music, featuring William Winant, Takehisa Kosugi and more]

17. NYC Ghosts & Flowers

18. Murray Street

19. Sonic Nurse

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

I totally missed that you mentioned Depeche Mode. Here goes.

 

I agree with DCMaximo that Violator is probably their best album. Aside from about a minute of wanky scary sounds before "Enjoy the Silence," it's pretty much perfect, and it has one of the best Martin Gore-sung songs, "Blue Dress." Usually he's really, really whiny; this time out, he's just depressed.

 

I also really like Black Celebration and Music for the Masses, the albums immediately preceding Violator. That's when Depeche Mode started getting good. 90's stuff is up and down and I haven't heard Ultra, but Songs of Faith and Devotion and Exciter are both good too.

 

For just starting, I actually recommend 86-98: The Singles. Every song on both discs is great, you can probably find the set for 18 or 19 bucks, and in addition to having some much-improved single versions of their best songs, it has "Only When I Lose Myself," one of my personal favorites. From that collection you can figure out what era you'd like best.

[PLAGIARISM! 0]

Yes, Residents albums are going to be easier to get because of the mute deal. Start with Duck Stab, and in addition to those mentioned, I would recommend the Commercial album (a top 40 of one minute jingles). Play in shuffle mode and create your own chart! But of course, I love pretty much all their stuff and am slightly biased.