I'm bored. Rather Ripped is kinda boring, but it's not the worst of these.

i went with murray street.

i do really enjoy rather ripped and sonic nurse though.

and "the diamond sea" is by far their best song from all of these albums

i maybe shouldn't have voted since I haven't heard the new one yet but I've heard all the others and think Murray Street is by far the best of those.

Voted Murray Street, but I don't own/haven't heard Washing Machine or the new one.

Well, we're all 4 in agreement on Murray Street.

For the record, I think Washing Machine and A Thousand Leaves are both pretty generally overrated. Been a while since I've listened to either, though.

I'd also say Murray Street (the first 4 tracks or so).

But I also like Experimental Jet Set.

And I think "Skip Tracer" on Washing Machine is a slamming tune.

I recently got nyc ghosts & flowres. Will someone please tell me it's the WORST of these? 'Cuz if it isn't, I'm signing off on latterday SY.

haven't heard ripped yet, but voted for murray street anyway. ghost is the most worthless, probably followed by jet set.

Actually, I'd probably say that it is.

You might want to hear Murray Street if you haven't. Way more listenable/accessible than NYCG&F.

probably...my interest in Sonic Youth had been in serious decline prior to Murray Street though...that's probably a safe pickup for you if you like them at all. I'd probably even put it as my 2nd favorite SY album overall behind Daydream Nation.

Honestly, I am not that familiar with anything post-Goo.
Embarrassing, I know.

Sonic Nurse and Murray Street are excellent.

Thousand Leaves and Washing Machine are harder work but if you invest time in them I'm sure you'll get something out of them.

EJST&NS and NY Ghosts & Flowers are the Sonics worst 'proper' albums.

To put these into perspective overall for me:

1. Daydream Nation
2. Sister
3. Dirty
4. Murray Street
5. Goo
6. EVOL
7. Confusion is Sex*
8. s/t*
9. Bad Moon Rising*
10. Washing Machine
11. Rather Ripped (based on 2 listens)
11. Sonic Nurse
12. Experimental Jet Set
13. A Thousand Leaves
14. NYC Ghosts & Flowers

*these could be interchangeable

So I guess most of the later stuff is pretty inessential IMO.

i don't know how i'd order the rest but confusion is sex is my favorite.

not relevant to your topic at all. i apologize.

I'm not going to vote since I only have three of the albums and one of them I haven't listened to yet. I have a limited SY collection but would rank them in this order:

1. Dirty
2. Murray Street
3. Goo
4. Sonic Nurse

I haven't heard much of Rather Ripped yet.

I don't know why I don't own Daydream Nation. I need to and realize it.

yeah so i am going to see sonic youth tonight and im not too excited about this album.

I saw them when they were touring for NYC Ghost and it was awesome. So I wouldn't worry too much if I were you.

I saw them 2 years ago for Sonic Nurse.. Only, I liked Sonic Nurse.

The album isn't bad but I think i'm going to nap to it in just a minute.
Regardless, I am excited about seeing them.

It is. Thousand Leaves is also nearly unbearable.

Experimental Jet Set and Murray St. are the two best out of the bunch.

did this already. it was a good move.

Those are my two favorites of the albums listed, and other than Dirty are their best albums since the 80s. Washing Machine is inconsistent, but has some of their best songs, such as the title track and of course The Diamond Sea. A Thousand Leaves is even better. It improves every time I listen to it. I can't think of any other album which evokes the same mood, and it is one that I enjoy. I can see how some would dislike it though; it is their least immediate album.






It is the worst by a pretty good margin, and I don't even like some of the others like Sonic Nurse.

Hemmed and hawed between Washing Machine (uneven but higher peaks) and Murray Street (overall goodness but flatter re: peaks) and did what I usually do in these situations: pick the peaks. Washing Machine got the vote.

I don't know why EJST&NS is so disliked--OK, it's kinda goofy, but I think there's plenty of good stuff on it.

Thousand Leaves just never clicked with me, and I gave that one a lot of chances. It just kinda lays there. Not great though it may be, at least NYCG&F has some life to it (and Lee's track is really good).

Sonic Nurse was a definite disappointment after Murray Street.

Rather Ripped's gotten a home and a work listen so far; tomorrow it gets a car listen. Only then can I begin to form an opinion.

NEW YORK CITY GHOSTS AND FLOWERS + A Thousand Leaves. The others just don't compare.

Reaffirming my vote for Murray Street. NP: the entire record for the first time since 2003. Loving it. Whoever said SY were going a little Television-y during this period is right. This was their indie-jamband period. Love Lee's "Karen Revisited".

Great record.

As usual, Verbal Intercourse is incorrect in his choice.

I'm for Murray Street.