Are SY the most musically knowledgable band ever?
 

I always enjoy Sonic Youth interviews because they love, listen to and know about music. Are they the most musically knowledgable band ever?

Any idea of their current favourite sounds?

Eh. They know a lot of obscure and underground stuff, though.

To a certain extent, yes. But I wonder what their knowledge of the current bluegrass scene is?

No. They may know about all the cool bands, but theres a lot more to music than that....

They may not be the most knowledgable, but they know about a lot more than just the "cool" bands. I'd say they're pretty well-versed in pop, based on interviews, etc.

Not really at all.

sonic youth rocks!!!

sonic life!!!

best band ever!!!

yeah! defo, they do man, they know it ALL!!! anything they dont know is'nt worth knowing

Thurston recently said that he doesn't listen to much conventional music now - he said he's just into the noise artists like Leslie Keffer, 16 Bitch Pile Up and Lightning Bolt.

I quite like Leslie Keffer.

I think that was on the Air America interview.

yeah!!!

thurston is the best!!!

there's no music he doesn't know or own all the records ever on vinyl!!!

i want to grow up and be like his left nut!!!

you rock fishmonkey!!!!

they are involved in music industry, of course they're knowledgable. not most, but enough

I imagine that Sonic Youth know most of that stuff too. Have you seen Thurston and Kim's record collection? They have more than most record stores...

Based on their being able to instantaneously cover anything they're asked to cover I'd say that Yo La Tengo are probably contenders for the most knowledgeable crown, although, of course, they're not often asked to cover, say, the third song on that old phonograph recording made in some village in Tennessee in 1913.

yeah!!!

sonic life man!!!!

Like anyone could even know that napoleon

If John Peel was still alive he'd win the "most knowledgable guyin music" hands down.

have you heard their new thing, "yo la tengo is murdering the classics"? some of their covers are amazing.

everyneurotic- haha, you take left, i'll be right.

lots of very specific examples don't make phish objectively more knowledgeable than sonic youth. i can say that jim studied under luc ferrari, or that thurston's played with derek bailey, or that sonic youth were early supporters of hip-hop, or whatever. i'm not arguing that sonic youth are definitely more knowledgeable than phish, just that you're not necessarily proving otherwise.

SY only like noise because it is 'in'.

re: Phish. I haven't really given their music a fair crack, but I do worry that a lot of people (Zorn/ Zappa being the first two that spring to mind) who are able to do a wide variety of styles end up just doing shit versions of each - it can end up a bit 'jack of all trades, master of none'. I think it's one thing listening to lots of things, but very, very few people can do several distinct genres well without it seeming like ironic nonsense. I would say Otomo Yoshihide is one of the few I can think of at the moment who is very good in distinct genres (although he hasn't tried to cover every genre ever yet, unlike Zorn/ Zappa...).

It's true that Trey is filthy, but I don't really think a "formal" education in music really is a defining factor. I mean going to art school doesn't necessarily make one have supreme knowledge in art. Either way Phish rules and y'all should check out their live shows if you haven't before (even though I think most of you guys won't like it unless maybe you are a musician). Later.

just because they technically have a wide knowledge of playing styles doesnt mean the guys in phish know more music than thurston. id be surprised if they have as wide a knowledge of...say...60s japanese psych folk. in fact, jim is the master of obscure music genres. in terms of what contemporary music they like, well for thurston and steve you can just look at the type of stuff they publish on their record labels (smells like records/ecstatic peace)

who cares?

Exactly. SY is better than Phish. Who gives a fuck who is more musically knowlegable?

They are cetainly a very knowledgeable band, of course. but not the most knowledgeable band ever. They are masters of their own little world though. They perfected their microcosm.

I care. It's interesting that in interviews, SY seem so lucid and well-informed about music history. I think it reflects well on their outlook as people and musicians.

What a bunch of moronic snobs you lot are.How knowledgable are SY (ruleeezzz maann!!) about music?Give us a break!

Surely you mean Paul Gambaccini, why else would he be on every programme ever about music?

 

I have a stinking cold and I feel like shit. I'm far more interested in who is the most medically knowledgeable band ever.




[EDIT - It's very quiet on the board today, isn't it?]

clinic

Strange....Did somebody die?

Not Dr and the Medics?

Not really trustworthy judging by the look of them,are they?

I mean,where did he think those eyebrows were really going to take him in terms of medical studies?

During the day, it's usually me, sonicl, porky & Tokolosh who do most of the mindless gibbering on here.

I'm busy, sonicl's ill, porky's in a bad mood, and Tokolosh probably doesn't like talking to himself.

yeah!!

Erm....let's put it this way sonny:
-Yes i'm at work and terribly bored and surely i spend too much time on here.
-I don't think crypto is all that annoying and he sure knows how to take himself a little less seriously than you do,perhaps?
-Internet,don't forget.You can express your opinion freely for the most part.tons and tons of threads i ignore but out of boredom i bumped into this and i happened to express my opinion just like you express yours.Moron.

............not to say that you also posted in the same thread that you think people shouldnt post in wich kinda makes you slightly senile.

Not sure i get what you're trying to say there.If anything,posting on the internet is more likely to lower one's morals and it's all around for us to see.Nothing wrong with that at all.The bashing you talk about might perhaps be overturned into thinking strongly about something and therefore voicing your thoughts with whatever means that are on offer(artistic expression,writing,internet balh blah blah).It's there for one to take it or leave it,let's face it.Personally i think that concerning yourself too much with measuring your favourite band's music knowledge(and CHRIST! IT'S SONIC FUCKING YOUTH of all bands) is unhealthy for how you think music should be listened to and appreciated.That might explain the scatty remark i left earlier on the thread.In all honesty i think that crypto is more to admire than anything simply because he wasnt intimidated by the amount of more 'knowledgable' remarks that where going to be throwned at him for saying that he would have preferred a certain song to be played by the band on the three occasions he saw them live recently.That,in my book,makes him less snobby and more spontaneous a poster than taking the route of thought that if someone doesn't agree with what you say they must be idiots at all costs.

ennui \on-WEE\, noun:
A feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction arising from lack of interest; boredom.