Customer Reviews

Invito Al Cielo

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Pure noise? Probably. Pretentious? Possibly. Beautiful and engaging nonetheless? Yes. Boring (as a previous reviewer charged)? Definitely not! This is arguably the finest of the three SYR EPs released thus far. Two of the tracks run far beyond the 20 minute mark. Chicago avant garde guitarist Jim O'Rourke adds his own guitar noise and assists in the production. I'm not sure I get all the references people have made to 20th century post-classicalism, but perhaps I haven't given the album enough spins yet. We even get a bit of Kim Gordon's faux-beat rambling mixed very low in the mix. At times, one can hear what sounds like horns and bells, but who knows, perhaps those are just mutated guitar tones. I personally like to put all three SYRs in the changer with My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless" and Autechre's "AE" and hit random play. Definitely makes an interesting listen. If you are at all interested in post-rock experimentalism or listening to guitar amps and effects units being tortured (always good, clean fun), by all means acquire this EP and the two preceding ones. I am highly looking forward to the next three SYR EPs that are supposed to be released by the end of this year.

This album is worth buying for Kim Gordon's trumpet playing alone! Her style on the horn owes alot to her vocal method: calm, world-weary and quietly amused. That's how it sounds to me, anyways. Jim O'Rourke also plays on the record, and his presence lends it a few more non-guitar sounds than are heard on the other early SYRs--and with that a bit less guitar sound--but especially on the third track the electronics blend wonderfully with what the other Sonics are doing. Note: this isn't really a pop record, and if you expect it to be you'll probably be disappointed. But if you're in the mood for 50 minutes of beautiful sounds and slow yet inevitable development, this is the record for you. And it rocks quite a bit towards the end, too.

SYR 3 is an excellent example of Sonic Youth's ability to improvise as a whole unit for really as long as they wish. This record definately steps away from recognizable songs they have produced, but more resembles the solo/collaborational works of Thurston Moore or Lee Ranaldo. A great cd that makes the rounds of types of experimental/improv music: from atonal, to static, to noise to harmonies and collapse. Very important for Sonic Youth fans that are interested in knowing what they do when not faced with a contract from DGC.

After over 15 years of releasing some of the most intense and challenging rock albums of all time, Sonic Youth seem ready to take their first serious steps away from the constrictive realm of rock music and into the more free world of modern art music. Taking their cues from Stockhausen, Miles Davis, Varese, Frank Zappa, and Brian Eno, Sonic Youth have here created some of the most esoteric music released by a rock group in years. Structures of surprising delicacy and grace reside in the spaces created by Steve Shelley's elegantly reserved drumming, and the guitar noodling has never sounded more convincing. Believe!

This isn't an album of songs, it's an album of landscape noise, dreamlike loss of consciousness, break through in the grey room type thing. If you're into the far out, this one's for you! But if you want 'catchy', seek elsewhere.

Sonic Youth's third piece in their postcard series goes even deeper into sonic exploration than the first two, and anything the group has ever done together before. Jim O'Rourke joins the group as they experiment with different instuments and tonal structures over the course of over an hour. One of the best purchases I've ever made.

This one takes some time to really sink in. You cant just listen to a bit here and there, u have to sit down with headphones or a good loud stereo and justlisten. which makes it a little less enjoyable than the syr1-2, and 4. Those were great because they were great original modern music with out the time and mental investment needed to enjoy alot of similar music. this on the other hand takes some effort. well worth it mind u. just not as fun as the others. but by all means some of the best music out there. get it. u will not regret it.

ps its some what of a milestone since it was right before jim joined the team officially.

This is 57 minutes long. That's an album length really but some class it as an EP because it only has 3 tracks on it. Anyway that's besides the point

Sonic Youth go back to their " classical avant garde " roots and came up with the SYR series. This is strange music/noise depending how you view your avant garde. There's not really much I can say about this album.....you just have to listen to it with an open mind because when you start to talk about records like these it either gets rather technical and people will be lost ( which is why the joke " Avant garde? I avant garde a clue mate comes into play ) or people will make stuff up in the hope it makes them sound clever. An open mind is all you need for this album. That way you can accept the album for what it is or reject as well if needs must.

The only gripe I have with this album though is Kim's singing. It's badly out of tune at times ( there'll be some though who adore it ) but that's only minor. Happy listening

Where exactly are Sonic Youth going with this? - one might ask. I'd be very surprised if they could answer the question themselves. But this is excellent sound-pollution, and take nothing away from Sonic Youth. Although Invito Al Cielo is not quite as good as Slaapkamer met Slaagroom, it's still full of strange sounds and some fine ideas. They're certainly doing more interesting things than most of the rock groups out there today.

Whom the 1 star reviewer below feels doesn't waste his time, apparently. Read the other reviews and beware of people who would never listen to this sort of experimentation regardless.