North London Expressionist Paintings Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star by Sonic Youth | Review

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Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star by Sonic Youth

Below the review are YouTube videos of all Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star songs (live versions where possible) by Sonic Youth at various concerts.
More than any before it, it shows great songs lie beneath Sonic Youth guitars. Not that it wasn't obvious in the first place, but this album got slated when it came out. A lot of the criticism has since been retracted by those 'rediscovering' this gem about fifteen years later. It virtually leaves out a side to Sonic Youth, but every album doesn't have to cover everything. Listening to the album start to finish, the first two songs, great songs themselves warm up for Starfield Road intro. The album feels small. No monstrous Death Valley 69 or White Kross. Is it true they recorded this over the Sister master tapes? Surely not. Accepting that you can hear Sister in the background. Winner's Blues is perfect to open. Only intended for a lesser release, but ended up good enough for the album. The best live recording I've heard of the single, Bull in the Heather is from the David Letterman show. Thurston's guitaring, and the recording of this song is brilliant.
Thurston's guitar for Starfield Road was deemed so good, it was later released as a song in its own right titled 'Starfield Wild'. Skink is perfection. Screaming Skull was born to be played live, although as far as I know, they never have (Thurston has played it live, but not with Sonic Youth). Pat Smear, (Germs, Nirvana guitarist) gets a mention in this song, presumably because it sings about SST, Sonic Youth's old label where Pat worked.
If the guitar intro to Quest for the Cup reminds you of Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin, apparently it's intentional. I can't listen to this song without thinking of the 'Harr-i-et' song from 'So I Married and Axe Murderer'. The lyrics to Doctors Orders stand alone as a poem, much better than the poetry on NYC Ghosts and Fowers. Also check out both the demo (on YouTube but with no embed option) and Thurston's vocal version. The chorus in the demo probably wins me over between the three. The version in the YouTube videos below is the Thurston one. An important decision had to be made when recording Waist. Should the lyric be 'Sneaking into Agnes B' or 'Burger King'. I think Agnes B would sound better, which is what they thought too. If Winner's Blues is the perfect song to open, Sweet Shine is the perfect song to close. I wonder though how Sonic Youth themselves rate this album. Only because, apart from the single Bull in the Heather, during 1996 they stopped performing these songs. I wouldn't rate any of their other albums above it. Any song from this album I may not mentioned in this review is a great song too, I just haven't thought to mention it. Interestingly, no Lee on lead vocals for this album. Enjoy the videos below, In the Mind of the Bourgeois Reader is a must.

Winner's Blues:


Bull in the Heather:


Starfield Road:


Skink:


Screaming Skull:


Self-Obsessed and Sexxee:


Bone:


Androgynous Mind:


Quest for the Cup:


Waist:


Doctor's Orders (Thurston - not album version):


Tokyo Eye:


In the Mind of the Bourgeois Reader:


Sweet Shine:

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Uploaded by Edgeworth Johnstone - Contemporary Expressionist Artist from Muswell Hill, North London. Visit artists blog.