BMR was one I loved instantly. Confusion took years to grow on me but then became one of my favs.

The beginning of it hooked me the first time I heard it. The intro and seque into "Brave Men Run" (an all-time favorite of mine) just blew my mind right away. As did "Society is a Hole." But other songs, like "Justice is Might," took longer to penetrate my psyche. Now I think it's probably the band's fourth best album at least. Maybe third.

Confusion is at the bottom for me.

But it's all SY, so I love it all. But if I had to pick a least favorite, it would likely be Confusion.

Wow. Pretty opposite me. Confusion is top tier for me. Up there with Evol and Murray Street.

My least favorite is Goodbye 20th Century haha.

Well, that's really not a proper studio album either. I guess it can be considered one, but it's more of a side project in my mind. I don't consider the Whitey album a proper SY album either.

And yes we are opposite. My favorites are Sister (emotional/personal fave), Daydream Nation (which I feel is the best all around album, even though that opinion is totally out of style), Bad Moon for previously noted reasons, and Murray Street because I think it's their most perfect latter day work. Really love Evol, ATL, Goo and Washing Machine, so those probably rotate for the #5 spot.
But my list changes every couple of years. I can't make up my damn mind. But #1 and #2 are almost always Sister and Daydream.

Where The Red Fern Grows is like one of my fav. SY tracks! epic track in every way.

Yah, another jam. I def. prefer this to CIY, as crazy as that may sound.

It's not crazy. I mean even my least favorite sy albums are fucking great albums. Y'know?

Yup. I certainly do know.

"I Dreamed I Dream" is one of my favourite SY tracks, and I've always wondered why they never did more harmony / duet vocals. Not that it's really missed, but it could have been nice. Like CSNY with SY guitars.

All along the Lee shore
Shells lie scattered in the sand
Winking up like shining eyes, at me
From the sea

:-)

Anyway, I'm on a Smog diet, nothing but smog for me for the past two days and today all day long on repeat while I was at home. Tomorrow probably some more Smog while I'm in the car for most of the day on a business trip. Or maybe some Bill Callahan for a change.
His first two albums are way too lo-fi for me, but the rest is pure magic. Haven't listened to him for a while, now I'm hooked again.

Knock Knock is my shit. And Julius Caesar. And The Doctor Came At Dawn.

RUSH- Vapor Trails

Not bad. Two or three songs really stand out. A "pop" album, I guess, because there's very little Rush-y wankery. Might dig into their more recent stuff a little more. Maybe I can squeeze out a decent compilation.

As for the discussion a couple posts back I LOVE Confusion Is Sex, although it took me a long time to get into it. It's got that dark, shivery, anxious vibe to it that's really powerful. One of my top SY albums. Bad Moon Rising has a similar vibe, love "Society Is a Hole" and stuff, but then a lot of the rest feels only half-formed to me.
The SY EP is awesome and is on my wishlist.

I'm listening to "Burns Inside" by Puressence

totally. There's really creepy stuff on there.

Actually it just started raining really hard here... I think I'll throw that on in a bit.

Oh man, I really need to complete my Smog collection. What's easier to rob, a drugstore or a liquor store? Eh, I'll just rob both.

Also on a constant smog diet: people in Beijing.

Pearl Jam
No Code
1996, When I first heard No Code it really surprised me. See, I had been a Pearl Jam since day one. But this album was like... wow. Vitalogy is actually a favorite of mine now, but back then it was pretty weird to me. No Code was immediately gratifying. It felt like the best parts of Vitalogy condensed. It was just more straight-forward I guess. Nowadays I probably prefer Vitalogy, but I still love this album. It opens with the short and sweet "Sometimes" which feels at moments like PJ performing as softly as they're capable of. And THEN... "Hail Hail" which just rocks your speakers off. This album is no bullshit. It has its quiet moments, and it rocks. And that's about it. I mean there's the kind of 'world music' influence on "Who You Are," I guess but this isn't the kind of experimentalism that we heard on "Bugs," y'know? "Off He Goes" is this crushing narrative about bad friends. "Red Mosquito" is this intense scorcher about a visit from the devil... or maybe just a symbol of temptation? I don't know. Most Pearl Jam albums that I really love are ones that stand out in their gigantic discography as being somehow unique. But this one I think I love because it just kind of encapsulates stereotypical Pearl Jam. In a good way.



Sonic Youth
Confusion Is Sex
1983, The first time I heard Confusion Is Sex it actually kind of scared me. Or at least I found it off-putting. It was so dense and atonal. Even the title and artwork seems like its meant to confront. It was easily the SY album that took me the longest to get into. But once I did, I loved it hard. It's now in my top tier. "She's In A Bad Mood" starts off with what sounds like just open strings ringing out, as if the musicians had no idea how to play. And I love it. "Protect Me You" is horrifying. It's so slow and creepy and written from the perspective of a ten year old. "Freezer Burn" is just guitar feedback drone and then it bursts into "I Wanna Be Yr Dog" MID-SONG and taken from a particularly incredible live recording. "Shaking Hell" repeats "I'll take off your dress/shake off your flesh." I mean, c'mon. "Inhuman" is amazing. Truly amazing. The closest they come to hardcore here on an album that sounds like a hardcore tape played at a too-slow speed. "The World Looks Red" is a Swans throwaway, and I'm fine with that. It just fits here. "Making The Nature Scene" is like quasi-rap. There's just so much going on here in such a dark place. It's impressive how well it all hangs together thematically. You know music is good if it can still make you anxious after almost two decades of listening to it. Since 1995 the CD has also included the Kill Your Idols EP which works really well as a counterpoint to the slow sludginess of most of Confusion. "Kill Your Idols" and "Brother James" are both fantastic and hang well alongside "Inhuman." This is really an amazing beginning for the band. One that was recorded amidst drummer changes and supposedly master tapes with soda spilled on them. And perhaps that's all part of the magic.

Was "The World Looks Red" really a Swans throwaway? I forget the specifics, but I thought Gira just wrote some of the lyrics, then repurposed the title in 2015.

He wrote all the lyrics tho I don't recall why Swans didn't record it.

I think he may have written the lyrics for SY though, which makes me think of it annoy a Swans throwaway. I could be wrong though. I forget.

That may be the case. Yeah. I'm really not sure now.

Here's the answer

younggodrecords.com/products/the-glowing-man

Gira wrote it, Thurston wanted to use it.