I love these 2 songs. In fact "No Queen" I'd probably say I like just as much as "Diamond Sea" (tho that's the LP version... the DESTROYED ROOM vers of "Diamond" is a happening.)

their worst album is EXPERIMENTAL JET SET TRASH & NO STAR

by a MILLION MILES

Worst, maybe. Bad? No.

i never liked Washing Machine...

1. Becuz - nice guitars
2. Junkies Promise - hmm average song
3. Saucer like - i hate lee songs, there are the worst on the albums always.
4. Washing Machine - yeh, but too much crazy
5. Unwind - light vocs by thurston and lee, nice ballad, but long boring ending.
6. Little trouble girl - hmm... a ballad of kim & kim, not special nice
7. No queen blues - i really like this one, and lyrics, and "no no no..."
8. Panty lies - what is this ? shitty song.
9. untitled - nice piece.
10. Skip tracer - the same as 3.
11. The diamond sea - yes, it's great !

This could get you killed on here.

KILL KILLL KILLLLLLL !!!

Lee's songs are my favorites!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

facts: he is not good singer...
i never listen to his songs.
experimental jet set, was the one album with no lee songs, and it was good.
hope on new album won't be any lee songs, album could be better.

None can't actually sing you know. It is how they carry the songs. Lee's and Kim's are my favorite usually.

Lee's singing is probably the closest thing to "an actual singing voice" within the band. Weird that you'd say that. Hater.

Your opinion is actually a falsity.

YESSSSSS!

No, seriously, this was the first SY album that came out after I became obsessed with them. I've always thought it was great, but "shitloads of pot" have given me a whole new appreciation for it. You seriously cannot pop it in sober and sit there typing your responses to each song and expect to experience it in its full glory. While personal experience is impossible to measure objectively, I can't believe the luke-warm response to "Saucer-Like," "Little Trouble Girl" and most of all the title track. I have to admit, I used to be iffy on that song, but if you listen to it in the right place in the right state of mind, you will realize its brilliance--Kim's delivery and all. The whole point of that song is to show this awkward, off-putting, cyclical pattern (even the music sounds cyclical--round and round like a washing machine!) of loser boyfriends who you do nice stuff for (like buying a soda pop) just because they're sweet or cute or whatever. Then how she has this epiphany about how she needs to invest in herself (put a quarter in the washing machine her heart has become), with the music changing to etherially match this moment of transcendant clarity. Anyway, I can't begin to describe the brilliance of it all, but it all makes sense, and I can't believe I ever thought it was just "okay."

It seems that a lot of people here got a room deeply burried in their ass and so they are totally unable to laugh... Panty lies is not the best sonic song (it's not the worst remember "wildflower soul" or "peace attack") but it's a very funny song and I love that shoeba part... This album is one of their best from the geffen era with such magical moments like the intro of "no queen blues" the guitar sound on "washing machine" etc...
Of course "junkie's promise" and "saucer like" are weak songs but that's all, and the others are great... and KG is so sexy when she sings "I take my baby down the street"...

a broom ... not a room... not enough place...

Amen, brother.

heee? wildflower soul and peace attack - they are both cool songs, with no lee singing [thank god]

what is with my reputation ?? :( im red...

Washing Machine is trancendental...The song that is....

How are these their bad songs? They're some of my favorites

Yes, how can either of those songs be considered crap? Wildflower soul is in my top 5.

I sorta have this optimistic outlook that no Sonic Youth songs are bad in any degree. You just need to have a specific mood/feeling to get them and enjoy them.

But even so, some songs I still haven't been able to get into. That doesn't mean that a) they're bad, or b) I won't ever get into them.

But on topic, I think Washing Machine is probably in my top three favorite Sonic Youth albums. Overall, it's a great listen.

Actually I tend to agree with you. If there's an SY song I don't like, I just assume that I don't "get" it.

I agreed with you, there were no bad sonic song until I listen to that boring "wildflower soul"

Track down the live version of WildFlower Soul from the Tibetan Freedom Concert in 97

Its much better than the studio version...

yes, there are some good instrumental versions too. But for me this song is the first of a serie of long and annoying Thurston's pop song... (empty page, peace attack ...)

I was never aware that Junkie's Promise was so disliked until I read this thread. I think it's a great song.

I'm listening to it now. I'm up to Saucer-like. I'm enjoying it.

Edited: Onto Washing Machine now. I don't understand the dislike for it, especially the vocals. I'm someone who believes if anything can downgrade Sonic Youth, it's the vocals in certain songs. Sometimes Kim and Thurston sound like they're half asleep - like there's no emotion. I don't care if vocals are out of pitch (well, kinda) or the lyrics are shitty, aslong as it's honest and has energy. That's really important to me. And so far, Washing Machine has energy.

Washing machine is my one of top 3 favourite albums of all time....

They defin ripped Becuz from Bruce Springsteen & Patti Smith. Also, a birdie told me that Panty Lines is a lift from Yoko Ono's No No No


http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Thin-I...ref=m_art_li_3

heh, just found this while using the search thing for something else

I love this album so much. Like someone said, it's like a fuck you to trying to be mainstream, its them melting back into sonic goodness. the title track is my favourite piece of music ever, the contrast between the 2 halves and the way it melts into itself. fucking amazingly lovely.

even the songs is used to dislike i've grown to love.
Junkie is pretty dull untill it begins to sprawl out toward the end.
No Queen Blues used to really irritate me, but the windly guitar line now hypnotises me
PantieLines just seems to groove nicely. It has a cool atmosphere to it

and becuz is fantastic, sinister and beautiful

Washing Machine has always been a bit of an anomaly for me. I don't know exactly why I've chosen to put it that way-maybe just to sound cool and intellectual...

But seriously, while I can enjoy pretty much any other SY album anytime, I have to be in a certain mood to listen to Washing Machine. That's not to I say I don't like it; indeed, I love some of the individual tracks (Becuz, Junkie's Promise, Washing Machine, yes-Panty Lies, and of course The Diamond Sea), but I can't take it as a whole unless I really want to hear this album. It's hard to explain.

Maybe it's the one-two anti-punch of Unwind and Little Trouble Girl; I never thought it's a good idea to follow a soft song with an even softer one. Total momentum killer there.

Of SY's 2 mid-90s "return to form" albums (the other being Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star), I have to say I prefer EJSTNS.

Something I don't understand, though, is why Junkie Promise and Panty Lies keep appearing in "Worst SY Song" polls...come on, guys! Junkie's Promise-Black Sabbath-esque sludge that later takes off into noise-punk destruction? How fucking cool is that? And if you ask me, the noises in the last part of Panty Lies are the some of the coolest sounds ever to appear on an SY album. I can overlook Kim's "Martian scatting" vocals.

anybody got a quarter?

okay...

1. Becuz - 5/5 - Great opener. The guitar just kind of, draws me into the song, I guess you could say. And I like Kim's vocals on it too, her best on this album.

2. Junkie's Promise - 3/5 - This song is good for the first couple minutes, then I get bored with it.

3. Saucer-Like - 2.5/5 - It's alright, bad for a Lee song.

4. Washing Machine - 3/5 - Cool song, vocals aren't very good though.

5. Unwind - 5/5 - I love this song, great music, and vocals!

6. Little Trouble Girl - 2/5 - Um, not a fan, it' okay though, I'll listen to it once in a while. I'm not sure how this was a single.

7. No Queen Blues - 5/5 - Another great one. I love it, the intro is really cool.

8. Panty Lies - 0/5 - The worst song on this album. The only one I never listen to. Music and vocals suck.

9. Untitled - 4/5 - Really cool. I love the becuz riff throughout it. I'm pretty sure this was originally a part of Becuz, but they made it different because of the prducers or something.

10. Skip Tracer - 4/5 - Really cool. I love the guitar.

11. Diamond Sea - 5/5 - Awesome way to end it.

The album is okay all together, I give it a, 3.5/5

i think geffen thought it was too long for an opening track, so they split it. stupid geffen.

I think it's alright. I haven't listened to it in ages. I love the title track, and Saucer-Like and Skip Tracer are also great. But I think that the rest of it (especially Diamond Sea) is overrated.

best album ever by any band.
My favourite album of all time.
I own this on wax, tape and CD.

I'm still astonished - I never thought anyone could find defects in this masterpiece. It's perfect, I love every single note, every noise, every whisper on it. I even love the cover! If Sonic Youth went back to this sound, I'd be the happiest fan. Murray Street is the only album they've made since then that comes close to this beauty (and both are definitely in my top 3 SY albums).

Sonic Youth has bad songs. EVERY BAND has bad songs.

Yeah, Sonic Youth have been my favourite band since I was 12 and I can safely say that they have a number of bad songs.

Definitely one of my top-three favorite SY albums. Untitled and Diamond Sea are two I always come back to.

I love Panty Lies. INSIDE! OUTSIDE! INSIDE! OUTSIDE! SHOOBA.

Same for me!

I heard Silver Rocket, 100% and Teen Age Riot on MTV before that, but Washing Machine was the first SY album i actually bought and heard.

It is excellent.

Becuz has excellent riffs and fx. Junkie's Promise is what 100% was supposed to be, but far better. Saucer is one of Lee's best songs.

The title track - i used to hate it initially, but then it grew on me. The frirst part is to "Orange Rolls" what "Junkie's" is to "100%" - similar, but better. The final part is a good prequel to SY's later era - 1000 Leaves and Murray St, and that's a good thing.

Unwind has a beautiful melody. It develops simply and expectedly, but powerfully. Trouble Girl is OK, but would be much better off as a b-side. No Queen and Panty are less amazing than the rest of the album, but grew on me, too. They would fit perfectly on EJST&N*, though.

From here on it's pure bliss: #9 is a powerful reprise of Becuz, Skip Tracer is a yet another excellent Lee song - and Lee never stops to surprise, and so much has been said about The Diamond Sea that i need not add.