Yeah it is! It's an interesting way to come upon Sonic Youth though. I watched it with my brother and he was like "haha, it says sonic youth for no reason". And I was all "what's sonic youth?". So he told me it was a band so I checked it out.

I think RR is their best album since Goo personally, but it seems that's a pretty minority view. Sure, it uses very traditional structures (much as Goo did), but there's a lot of interesting stuff happening within that. I think its a well focussed statement.
Of course, its no Confusion... or Bad Moon..., but then again, what is?

Wow, Inhuman. I have to say, that's the best SY introduction you can possibly get.

And in response to the original post, I think everything you said is prefectly valid, except the career advice. They should not break up just because some fans think it would suit their musical needs. While everyone is entitled to their opinions (I liked RR, but not Murray Street or Sonic Nurse at all), they're the band, and they'll break up when and if they want to. Our opinions should not effect that. That's why they're legendary - They play what they want, regardless of how it affects their image or career. They may not be playing what we want them to, but oh well. It's their music, and they'll play it. That's why I like them. They don't sell out.

I put Murray Street on last night around midnight just to hear Sympathy for the Strawberry and after hearing the first notes of The Empty Page, I ended up listening to the whole album. I was planning on sleeping, but I spent my time just listening to it in my bed. I have had the same moments with all their albums.

what do you want? sy to come out and give another evol or daydream. its not gonna happen guys!!!!! rr aint a great sy record but its still pretty good. its not half as bad as experimental anyway

im starting to agree.

if even they made another daydream nation it would be like "gah! guys, stop while your ahead".

so its not that RR is bad (ive only listened to half) it just seems they are milking their career for more than its worth.

Balls

first of all: I REALLY don't think they should break up!

I like Rather Ripped, but I deffinately think it has a weak point. All Music describes the albums as sounding like all radio-edits, and I think that's spot on. It's kinda like if you made an entire album out of the radio-edit of Sunday - still damn cool - but it would really be nice to have some more experimental moments. There are exceptions (Turqouise Boy, Pink Steam and to some extent Rats) and even some songs that are probably cooler with this more sparse treatment (Reena) but some of the tracks just scream for more noise! Come on, if Or had been on any other Sonic album it would deffinately have a 10 minute noise ending. Even Rats could do, with another burst of white noise. All that said, I think it's a kick ass album - just not as exciting or adventorous as you'd expect from them.

i mean could you imagine if the beatles where still togather, playing tours? it just wouldnt be the same. regardless the beatles rule my soul and it doesnt downgrade them as a band, but they knew when it was time

sometimes you just gotta know when to call it quits

The Beatles are probably, for me, the only apt comparison...good call. They broke up right when they should have. If they had gone on to make complete albums of MOR early 70s rock, it would've been ridiculous, and completely tarnished their career (imagine if all of Paul's solo stuff had actually been Beatles stuff...some of it was okay but most of it was pretty hoaky. Would've been laughable after something like "Strawberry Fields" or "Helter Skelter"). They actually got a little too close to such stuff on Let It Be, and then broke up!

Regarding how they just "do what they want, and that's what makes them legendary": yes and no. It is that they always do what they want, but more importantly that they want to do is generally amazing. Rather Ripped is by no means amazing. Sorry. Take for example the breakdown on "Reena": we've heard better versions of that SAME EXACT THING at least 6 other times from them. Again, if what they REALLY WANTED TO DO, MAN was play racist California hardcore with ska inflections, would you say the same thing? I think it's easy to say it in the case of RR because it's such safe music.

Safe, and boring. Safe, and not beautiful. Safe, and not that rockin'. Safe doesn't have to be bad. It is in this case.

But it's not all about the fans, or even all about the music. When it comes to the question of them breaking up, it's all about them. It's their life and their happiness. If they're happy making shitty euro-pop dance beats from now on, it's their privilege to be happy doing it.

And putting racism into the mix completely changes the argument to an ethical debate. Music is not ethics.

Coco is growing up, they are aging gracefully and there are countless noise bands out there at this moment who would not have existed without Sonic Youth. In fact much of modern music would not exist without Sonic Youth. They have domesticated somewhat and this is the sound of thier sonic lives encapsulated and distilled within these 3 albums. We should be thankful at the very least that they still choose to make music from where it matters. The heart. Thankful that they have given us this opportunity to hear a differing viewpoint of the Sonic Youth sound. Which has always been what it was about, hasn't it? I remember Dirty being panned universally and criticized for being almost a parody of themselves. Truth is, from Goo onwards they've always been corporate ghosts, linking the mainstream and the underground. They incorporate hooks and melodies into their music and different viewpoints of noise and melody because that's what they've always done. What they always strove to do. My two cents.

Why don't you tell us how you really feel?

I feel grateful they're still making music. Thank you, Thurston, Lee, Kim & Steve. Thank you, Sonic Youth.

I'm not saying they should break up because I want them to. I'm saying they should break up because they don't really make good music anymore. Of course it's their right if they want to become a rote reggae band or a gang of yodeling mountaineers. Doesn't mean they should:) And yes, I am making a statement about what I think SY should do. And no, I don't think that violates what I love about them in the first place.

you would like something else then?
so find something else. start to explore if you're not satisfaied enough (did you allready). thats it. maybe it's time to check out some solo projects by members and you'll find what you're looking for.

e.g. this one:
http://www.sonicyouth.com/gossip/showthread.php?t=4309

There you go.

Yeh, that's what I was trying to get at. A lot of the music that's most interesting to me allows artists to appeal to a more mainstream audience by using "pop" structures, while maintaining depth for those who want to find it.
That is so much more difficult to do than an album's worth of white noise.
Rather Ripped is a good example of that.

I just keep saying it sonic nurse is a masterpiece and RR kinda suckt.
They shouldn't break up, Jim should just come back...