I agree, when I first heard the album I was a bit let down as well. I was expecting something a bit more experimental. Ya know the old fashioned Sonic Sound: squealing guitars, lots of feedback, crazy noise freak-outs. monolithic jams, etc. Not that I dont like teh new album. Its very good. But it just doesnt live up to the Sonic Youth name in my opinion. It is an enertaining listen, but there weakest realease since NYC: Ghosts and Flowers. Overall a good album, just not a really great album. I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

again ill say it it would be cool if people would not bash SY on their vry own forum but im shure that would be way out of the boundaries of common courtesy ...............

and p.s. dude NYC G&F is one of the best sy albums........ your freakin crayz..........

no one understands my pair o' D's.

i wish ppl would save their stupid opinions about the new record until AFTER it's released. It sucks for those of us who respect SY enough not to download the leaked version and are waiting for it to be released to hear it.

If you listen to anything long enough, you will like it.

This thread:

is it mellow like NYC Ghosts & Flowers?
i havent heard it yet.

its predictable from the moment it starts. unpredictability was the one thing that always kept sonic youth good and fresh for me and it has now vanished. you can guess the next guitar riff all the way thru the album.
the bits that you didnt see coming still sound very very familiar to people who know sonic youths better albums. probably be a decent tour though, the songs do "rock" which will probably inspire them to play some good olduns and get the shows going into some hard/fast hold that tiger like sets.

i like about three songs, reena being the best. the rest is just ..... predictable. kims voice after the first song has developed some wierd english accent, lee's voice aint tip top, the lyrics are horrible half the time and the only thing that will make me listen to it again is the beautiful warm production. listening to the first track 12 times is far more satisfying than playing the whole album.
nurse sucked
rather ripped aint much better.
thats my opinion, i hope you can al find more in it than i have been able to so far.

and why not talk about it till its released? it builds up hype for the new record, good or bad talk. and to be fair, if theres one place in the world you shouldnt come if you dont wanna hear about it, its here.
whats the problem with downloading rather ripped? everyone here whos downloaded it has only done so because they are big SY fans and they wanna hear it now. everyones gonna buy it anyway. yu dont have to listen to it yet if you dont want to . i fail to see how a handfull of people throwing very different opinions on an album of music can ruin the listening experience for anyone. ive always found it just makes me more excited anyway.

Im not bashing NYC: G&F. I just don't think it was that good of an album. It's decent, but not great. And neither is Rather Ripped. I also agree w/ Wax. Some of you people are taking this downloading thing way too fucking serious. So what if some of us download for free? We're going to keep doing it whether you like it or not. So suck it up and accept it as a reality and an inevitability. You act like whiney babies!!!! And yes, the new album is predictable and rather weak! I love the band, I truly do! And I do like Rather Ripped. It's an okay record. But we can't expect to just kiss the band's ass every time they put out an album. Sometimes great musicians release not so great music. It happens. If you like the album, thats cool. No big deal. If you don't like the album, then this is just as good a place to discuss opinions as any. Just because we all come here to talk about the band doesnt mean we have to kiss up to them. It's constructive criticism. I for one won't stoop to ignorant, childish criticism toward the new album. And I won't get angry at people who don't like the same records as me. Everyone GET OVER IT!

I want to second wax & kingcoffee.

"Predictable" really is the word for all the musical "ideas" on the new album.
For me it is the weakest of ALL official albums.

It is really a big disappointment even if "sonic nurse" was a little premonition.

(though: sure it is an okay-album, but I wouldn't write on this message-board like a teenager when sonic youth were just about bringing out "okay-albums")

+1

and plus Paris live :)

ROFL

hear hear backwards king buzzo!!!

I am right with ya!

and laila, what were you expecting? thurston said this album was a ROCKER, and that means the focus is on propulsive songs and ctchy hooks and NOT on experimentation. I mean, com on people!!!!! let sonic youth be sonic youth!!!!

i didn't like RR.
Looks like they had the urge to do somthing less experimental. Too bad...

I like Rather Ripped a lot more than Nurse. I'm glad for the slight change in direction, I was getting tired of the schtick they had going with Jim O'Rourke.

i don't understand how anybody could think murray street is more exciting than RR. MS is possibly the most boring album in their catalogue. also, Nurse seems to be just as much a pastiche of previous sy as this record (RR) appears to be

More Hayden bitching! That's one of my favourite bits of the forum. He's utterly inconsistent, but by God is he ever a bitch.

I haven't heard the album, and I'm amazed that people have managed to form opinions on it already. Amazed and slightly startled. In fact, I did a little wee in my pants.