Massage The History - Their Finest Hour
 

Oh my fuck I adore this song. Kim's "singing" is pure genius. On the latter verses, she injects silence, decay into what we were presented with on the first verses. You expect her to follow the formula, and she fucks with us, and it's wonderful. Inbetween said verses, beautiful dronage mingles with percussive passages....like, um, History. IMHO this is the greatest Sonic Youth song ever.

OK I'm drunk. But talk about this song some more, please.

(Oh and I got SYR8 today....is there a dedicated thread? 57mins of the SNY O'Rourke Quintet with the Merz and Gustaffson makes my heart go all pumpety pump.)

in the latest issue of Nylon, kim talks about how Buffy The Vampire Slayer inspired her to write the lyrics to this song. a "vampire love story" apparently

brilliant song

Now thats cool! But yes superb song, I listened to it something it over and over the first time I put the record on.

I was just going to ask if anyone knew the lyrics of the last line because I can hear something like "I want you beside my neck, son" and thought that couldn't be it. Now it kinda makes sense.

Anyway, this has also been the album's 'repeat 1' song for me. Gorgeous.

Yes I think you are right, just had another listen. I have it on record so I have to repeat it myself which means getting up crossing the room, lifting the needle..........I do love vinyl though

[quote=ember]I was just going to ask if anyone knew the lyrics of the last line because I can hear something like "I want you beside my neck, son" and thought that couldn't be it. Now it kinda makes sense.

according to the japan lyric sheet she sings: i want you to suck my neck---suck

This is indeed a lovely tune, almost pastoral in places, with a very sensual feel overall. That sounds interesting about the lyrical theme - will have to give this another spin to listen out to them.

Kim also said, in that same interview, that it was additionally "a metaphor
for the record industry."

The guitar between about 4:50 and 5:00 is the singular most beautiful sound Sonic Youth have made since the intro to Candle.

I also love that part, very very beautiful.

fine song indeed.

great tune yes.

I hve been listening to the eternal, and if you put the records on a stacker turntable, side one followed by side 3, the start of side 3 sounds exatly like the outro of side 1.

thanks sonic youth!!!!

Massage the History is terrific

My fave on the album.

this song is great to fall asleep to. i mean that in the best way possible.

My third favourite from the album.

It's excellent song! I really like acoustic guitar riff (played by Thurston, I believe) that carries song from the beginning to the end.

So far its my one from this album. When I listen to this song, I can't help but believe that this is what 'I Love You Golden Blue' wanted to turn out like.

Maybe not their finest hour,but still damn great.

This album is fantastic! Really getting into it.

you crazy ???

I love you golden blue is the single most beautiful sad song SY ever recorded!
listening to that shit late at night driving around alone is like a mindfuck.

I have to agree, Golden blue is complete in itself totally.

Very great song. If I was Matador, I put it at the start of the album, not at the end. The start: 1-Sacred Trickster 2-Calmingthesnake 3-Antenna 4-Message the history

Very great song. If I was Matador, I put it at the start of the album, not at the end. The start: 1-Sacred Trickster 2-Calmingthesnake 3-Antenna 4-Message the history

In that song Lee's guitar playing reminds me a lot of David Gilmour (Meddle & live at Pompeii era) while Kim's voice strikes me as Gainsbourg (or rather his female singers) like.

Very "early Birkin", yes.

When the chorus of I Love You Golden Blue starts, I always think a string section or a brass section would be appropriate.

I have to echo the Golden Blue love. Truly the most beautiful and sad song Sonic Youth have ever written.

Massage the History is more of a comfortable and cosy song, to my ears, whereas Golden Blue is a lot more sad and ghostly.

Both are wonderful though.

On the topic of sad/haunting Kim songs, I don't think they've done anything to match the unsettling beauty of Shadow of a Doubt and Beauty Lies in the Eye, but Golden Blue and Massage the History come close. The latter more so.

seriously! massage the history, like the diamond sea, puts me in a trace. I find myself drifting off...in the best way possible!!

Interesting quote. Does that mean that the record industry changes ("massages") history?

it was absolutly spellbounding (spellbinding?) when they played it at the forum. incredible song.
And i adore Golden Blue too, but not as much as i adore Sympathy For The Strawberry