Today Is the Day [Single, EP]

Yo La Tengo | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 21, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Single, EP
• Label: Matador Records
• ASIN: B0000B0WW1
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,494 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Taken from the 2003 album, 'Summer Sun'. The title track is backed with five non-LP tracks, 'Styles Of The Times', 'Outsmartener', 'Needle Of Death', 'Dr. Crash', & 'Cherry Chapstick'. Matador.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You Got It?, December 30, 2003

By 

Stanley B. (Beachy Head, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Today Is the Day (Audio CD)

If you were under-whelmed by the slow-burning Summer Sun then this EP should delight. The three tracks on side one crack at a fiery pace that would have upset the apple cart of that lolling long-player. `Today is the Day', one of most delicate tracks from `Summer Sun', has its veins spiked with power poppers. It's still as sweet and affective as ever of course. They could roll out their songs with a steel pin, hammer them into a new shape and they'd still sound great. When the epic cacophony `Cherry Chapstick' is gutted of its sonic assault, a gorgeous yearning ballad emerges. Good songs can withstand a little maltreatment. And Yo La Tengo write lots. So much so that even though their albums are consistently `portly' they still have rip-roaring material to stuff into superb EPs. So get it, and get it on 12", as the artwork is particularly sharp and striking and would look good leaning against the white washed living room wall of an empty flat. I think it's some sort of homage to those pioneering jazz LPs of the 1950/60s, particularly Ornette Coleman's Tomorrow is the Question! Quite why it is is anybody's guess...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Predictable, but still worthwhile, October 28, 2003

By 

A. K. Marlett (Golden Valley, MN, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Today Is the Day (Audio CD)

First I should let the truth be known about me: I'm not a big fan of pre-Painful YLT, nor have I learned to truly appreciate the quiet majesty that is And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out and Summer Sun for the most part. That's not to say I don't listen to and enjoy the other stuff, but I happen to prefer feedback and rockin' out.

So on to this E.P. At first I thought, "yay, they made a slightly rockin' version of Today is the Day" and then I looked at the bottom of the tracklisting. It's Cherry Chapstick, one of their most rocking songs. "Ah," I thought, "This will be a quiet acoustic number." And indeed it is. It's like how they did two versions (one quiet and one fast, though more boring) of Big Day Coming. Too predictable.

The songs in between are great feedback-y tunes. I especially like track 3. Ira sings really low and you can barely understand the words, but it's so haunting.

So get it. It's $5 or $6. Just go buy it for heaven's sake and write your own review. Sorry I ruined the "surprise" of Cherry Chapstick though.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My First Yo La Tengo Experience., June 20, 2004

By 

Fat Brad (West Melbourne, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Today Is the Day (Audio CD)

odd, isnt it that someone hasn't listened to yo la tengo nearly 20 years into their existance. I wish I started listening early, judging by the strength of this ep. From the first tender notes sung from today is the day, I knew this would be quite the experience. This style of music just blew me away. To me, the wall of noise of the first three tracks isnt disgusting, but more along the lines of hypnotic. I have already fallen in love with both georgia and ira's voices, and Ive only heard this album and 2001's ...and then nothing turned itself inside-out. The mellow songs are also very good as well. this is a short album that you can listen to in almost any mood. highly recommended, especially to people new to YLT like me.