2006-09-15
2006-09-15
I have to disagree here - this is easily one of the best records Yo La Tengo have ever done, and one of the best anyone will release this year - but at least Stylus didn't totally fall into their contrarian routine of slapping it with a C- or something because the acclaim is so huge. That's a far worse habit than making consistenly good records, after all.
2006-09-15
Good review, first one i read not to get caught up in hype and just take it for what it is. Yo La Tengo doing what they do best; themselves.
2006-09-15
This is Yo La Tengo on autopilot, and what a smooth ride it is. cwperry, go fuck yourself.
2006-09-26
"Self Portrait" was released nine years into Dylan's career; "Street Legal" 17. Stones went disco 15 years into their career; "Modern Sounds in Country & Western" was 13 years into Ray Charles career.
2006-09-26
Re "Self Portrait" -- Dylan was only 28 when he recorded that stuff!
2006-09-26
good review, though.
2006-09-27
downloadsofist: you're absolutely right, of course. My point wasn't to say that they recorded those albums 20 years into their careers, but that *by the time they'd been making music for 20 years,* they'd taken several huge artistic risks, whereas YLT has stuck pretty close to home (which, again, is fine).
2006-10-22
I think this record is fine, and a great one to listen to. I got into two twenty year-old bands this year, Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo. With both I started with their 2006 release and moved backward. I mean, Rather Ripped is my favorite record of the year. It would have stayed in my top 15 all time if I hadn't gotten Daydream Nation, Sonic Nurse, Murray Street, Dirty, and Goo all in a 3 month period and listened to them for 5 months straight. I'm still getting into Yo La Tengo, but the first and last songs off of I am Not Afraid are so brilliant, and I absolutely adore them. Also, I have the '97 release, which is just as interesting for me to listen to. I really love this band right now, and this is definitely top 5 of the year for me, although I've only listened to half the records I'd like to. Ergh.