Sonic Youth themselves love pop music, that's what makes me wonder even more. Perhaps they are a little more open-minded than a lot of their fans?

[Rob Instigator]

I think to say that sonic youth "love" pop music is a bit of a reach. They are aware of it yes, and they admire certain people in the pop specturm, a la madonna in her early days, but based on every single band or musical reference I have ever heard them refer to any "pop" music they listen to is in the far periphery to everything else they love.
Kim herself has described the differences between pop and rock. she states that pop music is the striving for a perfected version of a standard musical form (ballads, standards, torch songs, dance songs etc.) while rock music, true rock music (in her words) is about the search for a new sound, a new musical form, marking new territory, and she stated that sonic youht and most everything that they all love is rock, not POP.

[gmku]

Their supposed love for pop always seems to me very consciously "ironic."

[jetengine]

Look out--I'm really showing my age here!

Gene Simmons, KISS: Gene Simmons (1978)
Black Sabbath, Paranoid (1970)
KISS, Alive! (1975)
Deep Purple, Deep Purple In Rock (1970)
Alice Cooper, From The Inside (1978)

Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, and Grand Funk Railroad came shortly after.

I was around 10 or 11 when I came to own these--all of them on 8-track, with the exception of the Deep Purple album, which I had on cassette. I don't think anyone so far has 'out-heavied' my list. The first LPs I owned were KISS's Dynasty (1979) and The Alan Parsons Project's The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980). The first punk thing I owned was The Ramones' Subterranean Jungle, just after it came out in '83, when I was on my way to 9th grade.

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

I think to say that sonic youth "love" pop music is a bit of a reach. They are aware of it yes, and they admire certain people in the pop specturm, a la madonna in her early days, but based on every single band or musical reference I have ever heard them refer to any "pop" music they listen to is in the far periphery to everything else they love.
Kim herself has described the differences between pop and rock. she states that pop music is the striving for a perfected version of a standard musical form (ballads, standards, torch songs, dance songs etc.) while rock music, true rock music (in her words) is about the search for a new sound, a new musical form, marking new territory, and she stated that sonic youht and most everything that they all love is rock, not POP.

I also seem to remember that Kim Gordon likes reading glossy magazines, you know, the ones where people like your Paris Hilton's or Nicole Ritchie's appear on regularly, or about her clothes label and how she goes to fashion shows etc, all things that are closer to pop culture than rock culture. Nobody said that they are obsessed with pop music, but their love of your Prince's or Madonna's seems like an indication that they aren't the sort of band that listens exclusively to rock music.


Gmku, only the narrow minded thinks that everyone listens to pop music only for insipid ironic purposes. Get over it, it's the year 2008 and not everyone was brought up to listen only to 'cool' music.

[Rob Instigator]

Originally Posted by sarramkrop

I also seem to remember that Kim Gordon likes reading glossy magazines, you know, the ones where people like your Paris Hilton's or Nicole Ritchie's appear on regularly, or about her clothes label and how she goes to fashion shows etc, all things that are closer to pop culture than rock culture. Nobody said that they are obsessed with pop music, but their love of your Prince's or Madonna's seems like an indication that they aren't the sort of band that listens exclusively to rock music.
sic.

fashion and art were Kim's interests since before she was in sonic youth, and that has nothing to do with pop music, which is what I thought you were discussing. popular culture is a whole different animal and encompasses ALL modern music (punk, indie, pop, dance, whatever).

[█████████]

pop music is an obvious influence on sonic youth

Right, I am off work now. I put it down to the fact that rock culture in America is very separationist compared to Europe. I can't explain such levels of narrow mindedness any other way. Bye bye.

[gmku]

Separationist? Hee, hee.What's in your tea, Porkie?

[Georgekrz]

I was around 5 or 6 and they were the first Beatles albums, I don't remember the titles. My cousins albums and so I would borrow them and listen to that, over and over. My favorites was the first album, Yellow Submarine, Help, A Hard Day's Night, and Magical Mystery Tour.

First records that I bought for allowance money were when I was 10 or 11 and they were the Blue and Red Beatles Greatest Hits albums, I also had the Village People double album live, Abba hits, and Rolling Stones Rolled Gold? It was their greatest hits double lp up to 1970 I think (Sympathy for the Devil was the last song on it I think).

[Rob Instigator]

the point being that pop music is generally meaningless fluff, generic ballds, love songs, and stupid fucking songs about relationships and stupid shit.

rock music is about telling everyone else to FUCK OFF!!!!!

of course pop music is an influence on sonic youth, but I woudl say it influences at the most 5% of their music. the rest comes from freaked out shit and ROCK.

[Rob Instigator]

george is an oldster like me!

when I was 12 or so my mom's boss gave me her vinyl copies of sgt peppers, abbey road, and magical mystery tour, and I quickly bought the white album, and my life was never the same again

[Everyneurotic]

Originally Posted by sarramkrop

...
Gmku, only the narrow minded thinks that everyone listens to pop music only for insipid ironic purposes. Get over it, it's the year 2008 and not everyone was brought up to listen only to 'cool' music.

bravo!!!!

the only people who think they were trying to be ironic wwere journalists who were too scared to print their answers in fear they might seem uncool and people who blindly read these very same journalists.

--

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

the point being that pop music is generally meaningless fluff, generic ballds, love songs, and stupid fucking songs about relationships and stupid shit...

sy dig that.

--
first 5 vinyls in order:

*iron maiden - powerslave (that cover!)
*mötley crüe - theater of pain (you could put the thing for a 7" and the needle would fall exactly on "home sweet home")
*led zeppelin II
*van halen - 1984
*mötley crüe - girls girls girls (needless to say, i had the rest on tape, already).

first five cds:

*metallica - ride the lightning (to replace my broken tape).
*w.a.s.p. - first blood last cuts (hahahahaha, i thought they were heavier because of their image and reputation, but i ended up liking it anyway)
*pantera - far beyond driven (because it was the first time i heard an album sound heavier on cd than on tape).
*pearl jam - vitalogy (still my favorite by them and one of the coolest packages i've ever seen).
*nirvana - in utero and judgement night soundtrack, which were gifts (i already had in utero on tape).

[Torn Curtain]

SY at least love The Beatles, The Beach Boys and The Carpenters. In addition I think you can't deny there's been a pop sensibility in their music since Evol, in the sense that they began being much more melodic.

[Everyneurotic]

rather ripped is not inspiring any kid to tell their teachers and parents to cram it.

if anything, they are inspiring them to let their (hipster) sweethearts know how much they love them like the swirl of a sunflower and how they love the bunnies as the frollic in the gardens.

[Torn Curtain]

SY members can also have tastes that the "indie police" would condemn, for instance Thurston loves Meatloaf while Steve is a Sade fan.

[Torn Curtain]

To stick to the topic what I can only remember for sure is:

First two albums on tape (copied), at 12-13:
U2 - War
U2 - The unforgettable fire

First two CDs I bought, at around 15:
The Cure - Disintegration
U2 - Under a blood red sky

First cassette I bought, at around 15:
Metallica - Master of puppets

I still really like those 5 albums.

[gmku]

Originally Posted by sarramkrop

Gmku, ... not everyone was brought up to listen only to 'cool' music.

That is your misfortune, sir.

[Rob Instigator]

Originally Posted by Torn Curtain

SY at least love The Beatles, The Beach Boys and The Carpenters. In addition I think you can't deny there's been a pop sensibility in their music since Evol, in the sense that they began being much more melodic.

no it cannot be denied at all, which I stated, but pop music is by far the least of their influences.

[Rob Instigator]

Originally Posted by Torn Curtain

SY members can also have tastes that the "indie police" would condemn, for instance Thurston loves Meatloaf while Steve is a Sade fan.

there's no accounting for the taste of drummers man.