Liver Than Fried Onions

58 shows attended, 230+ shows collected, two books written--my Sonic Youth live history is unremarkable and impressive. Their first gig was in 1981; the final, 2011. My first was 1998; the final, 2011. There's a lot I've missed out on, even with bootleg trading and lossless audio sites.

So a list of the best SY live songs wasn't uppermost in my admittedly hyper-inhabited mind.

Blame Patrick, whose Murray Street revisit inspired an opinion that inspired an idea. There's more important writing assignments on my desk/hospital overbed (which aren't actually important), but a persistent Patrick is rarely thwarted.

My top 10 Sonic songs and this list do not match up, not close, and that's a testament to the potency of a live performance.

10. "Karenology"
       Changed her birth name after a few days on her own, this thunderclap from three states away. Exhausted of pipe organs and choirs, she refurbished the nearest God shack with hotwired banjos and cold-blooded percussion. I worshiped duly.

9. "Catholic Block"
     SY bringing back Sister faves in the 21st century! "Catholic Block" fared second-best, preserving the frenzy without sacrificing the mastery.

8. "Shaking Hell"
     An aged shell, an abraded skull. Silence is golden, so a silver vixen's song is brutally inevitable. Misshapen, 'cause mishaps happen.

7. "Hey Joni"
     So if "Eric's Trip" is the Taj Mahal (best seen in pictures) and "Rain King" is the Colosseum (beauty in ruination), "Hey Joni" is the Grand Canyon. 'Cause I really wanna fall into that bitch.

6. "White Kross"
     SY bringing back Sister faves in the 21st century! "White Kross" fared best, preserving the God without sacrificing the Jesus.

5. "Expressway To Yr Skull"
     Twenty-two strings, one goal: crisscross the nearest ocean without arousing the unwanted attentions of the relevant Coast Guard or the secretly-coveted notice of the boldest sharks. Roads, like love affairs, are best enjoyed in the mind.

4. "Starfield Road"
     Happy Easter! Fondant is a French word, meaning "removing one's panties without ripping the fabric." The worst version of "Starfield Road" is the best version of vertigo.

3. "Rain On Tin"
    Poetry and pandemonium. Holy and godless. A mesmeric ash pile in the middle of a wobbling Babylon. (Stare long enough, strong enough, hear the faintest whispers.)

2. "The Sprawl"/"Cross The Breeze"
     Peanut butter doesn't need jelly, necessarily, but it really wants it. On bread, on a joyous summer day, in tender hands headed for a grateful mouth.

1. "The Diamond Sea" 
     A caress that sends a heart skipping. A tad frightening, a Tad enthralling. Whatever's forever isn't of human concern, so whether a five minute edit or a twenty-five minute edification, whether studio or club, this is ultimate Sonic experience.

Thank you for reading my current diversion. Now watch the Easter show.