trickykid

I share the opinion of ALESSIOIRIDE. The Pearl Jam are skilled musicians, but they haven't greatly innovated the language of rock, embracing a "basic" conception (bass-2 guitars-drums and vocals); they are a "derivative" group, with wide (and well-known) references to myths & legends of the '70s... That said, they have indeed written some nice little songs...

Finally, someone who starts to elevate the discussion beyond the mundane talk of "fans" or "die-hard detractors"... The "sound" of S.Y., like it or not, as already mentioned, is the sound of the N.Y. of the 80s and 90s (just as it was for VELVET UNDERGROUND and TELEVISION). Similarly, the "voices" of S.Y., ranging from the disaffected, the semi-spoken, the under-expressive, the monotone, the scream & fury, etc., are "functional" to their way of making and understanding music...

the author of the "boiata" is Roberto Municchi from BLOW UP

Ok, that said, I ask for forgiveness from everyone. I hope you don't mistake me for a fan of S.Y. (in fact, I only have 5 records, which I rarely listen to and when I do, never all at once!)

If we avoid labels, we discover the underground "connections" and affinities that from the improvisation of SISTER RAY, MARQUE MOON (whose eponymous track and its instrumental digressions are – notoriously – inspired by Coltrane's FREE recordings) lead straight to TEEN AGE RIOT. As for the CELEBRITY of S.Y., well, that's more than obvious: they really act like big shots! Alessioiride is right: it's unclear why one would adore this album and disdain the others by S.Y., considering that DAYDREAM NATION (besides the exceptional tracklist) is just more compact compared to their previous (excellent) works of approach (BAD MOON RISING, SISTER, and EVOL). On "ROCK E ALTRE CONTAMINAZIONI," page 208, it reads, "Few bands like Sonic Youth have succeeded in the aim of pleasing everyone a bit — from rock enthusiasts in the broadest sense to punk veterans, from pop fans to avant-gardists, from underground lovers to chart-goers. Their attempt is undoubtedly one of the most successful efforts to merge two seemingly distant languages, avant-garde music and punk-inspired rock, into a unique style [...]".

It is certain that no one has invented anything... (as I always say, all the music was invented in the holds of the slave ships that brought the slaves from Africa to America...)

Alright, I join (and how could I not?) the chorus of those who point to SCHIZOPHRENIA (album "Sister") as a stratospheric song... The SONIC YOUTH have expanded the concept of music, including in it what is commonly referred to as "noise." Thus, the exploration of feedback, effects, etc. becomes a fundamental component of sonic rock. I repeat: nothing is left to chance, everything is very much thought out... the aim, as already mentioned, is to recreate (an idea) of urban rock, which - appropriately historicized - is what prevailed in the 80s and 90s, continuing a certain idea of urban rock already present in the brief history of the rock-pop phenomenon (see, the underground phenomenon that moves from the Velvet Underground to Television, reaching, in more recent times, the Sonic Youth). Today the S.Y. are a given and anyone intending to make a "certain" type of music cannot avoid comparing themselves with them, with their albums, with their research (it’s still worth remembering that they have produced records by avant-garde authors?).

I forgot the vote for the review...

A few minor sins in the review, which is nonetheless good and heartfelt. It just doesn't clarify what the Pearl Jam represented for those who were 17-23 years old in 1993: that is, the (ROCK) soundtrack of an entire generation; for once, we were witnessing TRUE-AND-MASS ROCK without being in the 70s. Tell me, is this not an epic? Today, who has the same ROCK impact among the youth?!? Who is able to speak with the RIFF of dreams & nightmares describing an entire generation?!?
The Pearl Jam have lost quite a bit of creativity: in my opinion, the last decent album is NO CODE.
The fact remains that live they are beasts, as documented by the dozens of (fake) LIVE BOOTLEG recordings from a few years ago. I rate the career and the 4 good albums they've released (TEN, VS, VITALOGY, NO CODE).

My opinion aligns with AZZO and FESTWCA. Sonic Youth have nothing to do with punk; their "noise" is the most difficult and least random thing you can create with an electric guitar and an amplifier. They know music, they know the instruments, they play with incredible and unusual tunings, etc., etc. They have even less to do with hardcore. For these reasons, the review is CASSA - with no postponement - as it truly deserves the bare minimum.
The album is one of the best of GIOVENTU' SONICA, certainly the most representative. Other essential albums by SONICI GIOVANI: Evol, Sister, Goo, Bad Moon Rising.
Rock&New York: the city and its sound. The fundamental milestones are: VELVET UNDERGROUND ('60), TELEVISION ('70), SONIC YOUTH (for the decades of the 80s and 90s). They rehabilitated Neil Young at a time when the Canadian singer-songwriter was ignored by everyone. They discovered and produced some good bands (in particular, the SMELL RECORDS label, run by the drummer of S.Y., launched or discovered Blonde Redhead and Cat Power). They embarked on experiments far from sonic rock (see the records produced by themselves). Their influence is vast: during the grunge era they had quite a bit of "reflected" notoriety from the current phenomena, which they shamelessly tried to ride with an album like DIRTY (very open to those sounds). I also saw them live, and they are great, although the inevitable advance of age doesn't help in playing that genre...(halfway through the concert, it was clear that Kim Gordon was tired... and I get it, she's my mother's age!)