Sound of Silver

Ingredients: - 1 cup of The Strokes - 1 cup of Devo - 1.5 tsp of Television - .5 tsp of Daft Punk - 2 heaping tbsp of cowbell Directions: 1. Add all ingredients to silver saucepan. Stir to combine. 2. Bring to a boil, then let simmer on medium-low heat for 56 minutes and 12 seconds. 3. Pour into a silver bowl. Garnish with extra cowbell and percussion as desired. 4. Serve and enjoy.

The year is 2007. It's summer. I just turned 21, built myself a fixie, and am living in Seattle in a party house. At any time of any day or night you can find me at one of the 4 following places: Zeeks Pizza. Riding my fixie around the city. Crashing dance parties. Sitting on my front stoop drinking a bum jug of burgundy and vibing to this album. It was a summer of self discovery. Weed, mushrooms, ecstacy. I fingered strange women, parachuted envelopes of molly, turned every pair of jeans into jorts, smoked filterless Lucky Strikes in softpacks rolled into my tshirt sleeves. I had neon sunglasses. I was a huge fucking chode but was having the goddamn time of my life. And LCD Soundsystem was there every sweaty, drunk, sunny, indulgent step of the way. This album was anthemic. It played at house parties, bonfires, sunny day bike rides, dive bar patios. It fueled my self-indulgence and was a comforting backing track as I eschewed my religious upbringing and discovered there is nothing inherently sinful in the pursuit of pleasure. I don't think I'm interested in reliving 2007 but I'm glad for the memories. Thanks for helping me get laid so much, James Murphy.

You know, this started strong and I was like, "heck yeah, this is four stars easy!" but dang does it ever get repetitive as hell. Halfway through, my ears were exhausted. An few songs later, I wanted to stab things. By the time I was finished, I was mostly just angry that there is more than one LCD Soundsystem album on this list because that means that I have to do this again at some point. Also someone needs to have their cowbell confiscated until they can prove that they can be responsible with it.

Listening to this album feels like being poked gently with a dull object for 55 minutes and 55 seconds. At first it's just kinda irritating. Then as you get used to it, it's not so bad, you start to tune it out. Then there are actually moments where the poking feels invigorating, almost like a massage, but not quite as pleasant. And you almost feel sad and empty when the poking finally stops, like an integral part of you just disappeared. And then it hits you - you were sitting there letting someone poke you for almost an hour, when doing just about anything else would have been more enjoyable. 2 gentle pokes out of 5 👉👉

Indie dance music for people who don’t like indie dance music.

My bird liked this very much and chirped along with the music.

James Murphy wears his influences on his sleeve here. If you’re a fan of David Bowie, Brian Eno, Talking Heads and/or Kraftwerk, you’ll probably find something to like. Conversely, you might hate it because it’s a little on-the-nose.

So obnoxiously repetitive. “North American Scum” might be one of the ugliest songs I’ve ever heard. Trying to sound 80s without the authenticity.

New York, you're bringing me down.

Don't have eloquent enough words to describe how great this album is. Entwined with crystal clear memories of the euphoria of dancing with friends at their gigs and hazier memories of dancing in fields at sunrise.

“Sound of silver, talk to me, makes you want to feel like a teenager, until you remember the feelings of a real life emotional teenager, then you think again.” The most improbably lengthy, yet still catchy, hook I have ever known. I’ve been a fan of LCD Soundsystem for quite some time, but have never strayed far beyond their excellent 2010 album “This is Happening” (sadly not in the 1001 list- I checked). I’ve tried to get into Sound of Silver before but have never made it through, so I’m glad to have given it more time here, because it’s brilliant. The best or worst thing about LCD Soundsystem, depending on one’s angle, is that James Murphy is a born magpie, shamelessly cherry-picking from his record collection and spinning old hits and deep cuts into new concoctions. Is this a smart skewing of DJ and electronica sampling in a rock environment? Is it an example of post-modern bricolage to reflect our increasingly fractured world, just like a shattered mirrorball? Or is it just a huge rip-off? Kraftwerk, Pete Shelley, Bowie, David Byrne and many more could put a reasonable case in after hearing this album, as well as any other by Murphy. Bowie’s response to Murphy’s plagiarism admission? “You can’t steal from a thief, darling.” My feelings are similar: everything is borrowed in one way or another. All heroes have heroes and nothing is made in a vacuum, like it or not. With this album, Murphy just about stays on the right side of pastiche. “Get Innocuous” is a very well-constructed opening, from the distinctive synth percussion intro, to the bassline filtering its way into existence, to the echoing foreboding vocals right up to the chant towards the end. It’s completely addictive and had me hooked as it unfurled all the way. The third track, “North American Scum” is an adrenaline-fuelled stomper with a satisfyingly beefy sound and passionate, furious vocals from Murphy. But “Someone Great” and “All My Friends” are on another level: sublime tracks making up the heart of the record. Immediate, emotive, simple: true modern classics, and the fact we get them back to back here is astonishing. My only gripe is that these two centrepieces set such a high bar for the rest of the record. The other two highlights are “Us v Them”, an admirable epic which manages to keep the momentum going against all odds after “All My Friends”, and the stirring, dejected “New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down”. On the other hand, “Sound of Silver” and “Watch the Tapes” could have arguably been trimmed out to make a much tighter album. “Time to Get Away”, too, is relatively lightweight, enjoyable but failing to reach the same heights as most of the other songs here. Still, this is an immediate, irresistible hit. Catchy, immaculately produced and full of humour and heart, it’s a nine out of ten for sure.

Derivative. Some songs remind me of Talking Heads, but without any passion. Oh hey, I remember this song from KEXP. “New York I love you but you’re bringing me down”

Bowie with an 808, innovative, bouncy and fun

They don't do brevity, do they? Not sure I really get on board with combining Kraftwerk and Moroder with post-millennial irony. There's a kind of lassitude that squats at the heart of this project that turns me off. The music isn't good enough to pull me back. Repetition has its place as a tool for creating an ambience, but alas, that place is not on an LCD Soundsystem album.

Great album. It’s an interesting mix of fun danceable (get innocuous, tone to get away, North American scum) juxtaposed with a few emotionally resonant masterpieces (Someone Great, All My Friends, New York I Love You). I hear prince, I hear electronic, I hear punk, I hear tribal rhythms. The repetitive style of the songs either put you in a dance trance or hammer home the reverence. I want to give this a 5, it deserves it, but I think Sound of Silver and Watch the Tapes, could’ve been left off for a perfect album. I’m stuck between 4-5. Might have to sleep on it.

meh

The best single LCD Soundsystem studio album for sure. I love everything they did through the MSG "farewell" run, shame that James Murphy has become cringe ever since reforming the band

Massive Open, consistent diverse sounds somewhere between White Stripes and OK GO, and it does it for me. Hell yes.

An amazing album in its own right and my favourite by LCD. On rotation at least once every couple of months with James Murphy's trademark idiosyncratic style and attention to detail it always makes me smile/dance.

This is the archetype of what everything seemed to sound like when retired from listening to popular alternative music and retreated to a bar to grow a beard instead. This isn’t bad, just pick n mix industrial-emo-garage-danceable bullet points on a mid-noughts A&R dude’s bullshit bingo card.

Decidedly uncool, it feels too self conscious and try hard. There are parts that threaten to tickle my fancy but ultimately I just feel bleh about this album. Someone needs to tell this bloke he ain’t Prince.

such a cool album, definitely a nostalgia trip. New York I Love You singlehandedly brings it from an 8 to a 9/10. my main criticism is that some of the songs feel a little too drawn out, but its still great

Sharp and funky and emotional and cool all at the same time.

Corny throughout but I think after getting over the stink of dance pop there's something heartfelt and good to jam around to.

Listened just yesterday to it. Infectious and driving referencing all the good stuff that's came before and inventing new things along the way. James Murphy is a great guy and his personality just flows out of the music. 'All My Friends' is such an anthem.

The first song is an absolute banger, was actually a little disappointed with the rest of the album :(

Made me wanna shake ass. Really cool sounds. Extremely fun. Honestly blown away. Making plans to go to the club as we speak

11/30/2023 - it was a rainy November day and my neighbour/friend died upstairs. People were in & out of my apartment all day, sirens blaring non stop. I'd been staring at the wall for hours. My LCD Soundsystem tickets that night seemed like a selfish idea given the timing but I still went. I needed something so incredibly loud that I couldn't hear my own thoughts. Someone Great comes on and I just start sobbing in my boyfriend's arms, in a room full of people who didn't notice. It's something I'll always remember. I wish that we could talk about it, Emilio </3

Perfection. It’s all bangers. Its the perfect length for an album. Every song is unique but stays within the themes of the album. Multiple of the songs are massive hits and rightfully so. This is easily in the top 10 maybe even top 5 albums I have heard on this platform. 10/10

Every songs rhythm is fucking electrifying. There’s no need to listen to closely to the words (apart from on New York I Love You) but if you do I know you’ll connect to something. This is my first listen to LCD and won’t be my last. I think people that don’t like this have never smiled to themselves in a mirror and it shows.

I listened to this on acid and it ruled

LCD was one of the first shows I saw with my wife, back in 2017 at Brooklyn Steel - just a great live act. I don’t really care for pure electronic music in general, but I love when a band can pull off that sound and vibe with a full band. I also love a full circle/serendipity moment - this was the assigned album on the day my first kid was born - two days ago, over seven years after that first show with my wife. I only got through a few songs in the morning when I went to grab coffees, before things got real. And here I am a few days later back home listening to New York I Love You with him sleeping on my chest. So far fatherhood gets 5 out of 5 stars, and I can’t give his first album anything less. Can’t wait to introduce him to Kollaps.

Sound of Silver I’m very familiar with this album, one of my favourites by one of my favourite ‘modern’ bands. I listened to it A LOT when it came out and I still return to it pretty regularly. I cannot believe it's actually 17 years old. Its influences are worn very obviously on its sleeves, with James Murphy clearly magpie-ing from Bowie, Can, Kraftwerk, Daft Punk, Talking Heads, Brian Eno, dance, disco, house, new wave, punk. And while those influences are easily identifiable, they are shepherded together to make something that, although not totally unique, is definitely a great synthesis of all of the above in its own nice The triumvirate of North American Scum, Someone Great and All My Friends is superb, the cornerstone and heartbeat of the album, and encapsulates what I love about LCD Soundsystem. The new wave/punk edged North American Scum with its wryly amusing lyric, the hypnotic drive and build around the rhythmic and pounding keyboard and sincerity of the lyric of All My Friends. But best of all, Someone Great, which I absolutely love, with its pulsing keyboards and noises and its vaguely cryptic lyric about loss, emotionally resonant yet slightly out of touch. Either side of that, I love the layering of Get Innocuous! and the insistency of the groove and drum pattern. I love the drum sound on Time to Get Away, and again the groove is great, with the little riff/break for the chorus and angular/new wave guitar. Brilliant bass groove on Us V Them, I love the cowbell and the breakout into the ‘Block out the sun’ part. Watch the Tapes is yet another great, mesmeric groove with a great beat and another sardonic lyric - 2 new wave dance bangers. I’ve always liked the lyric of Sound of Silver and the song is a great dazed and moodily atmospheric track built around those words and some excellent keyboard noises. New York I Love You is a great closing track after all the dance driven grooves, with it’s more conventional arrangement and almost doo-wop verses. I love this album, from the sound of the drums and keyboards to the vocal style, the wry lyrics and the fantastic danceable grooves interspersed with genuinely emotionally impactful moments. It’s very easy for this type of album to fall into the trap of hipsterish imitation, but the fact that James Murphy is a bit older than his peers and his undoubted skill as a synthesist of his influences makes this a cut above, and one of my favourite albums of the last 20 years. Easy peasy 5. 🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩 Playlist submission: Someone Great Ps, the album after this, This Is Happening is also excellent, and if you like it it’s worth checking out their other 2 albums. The first one is a little rough around the edges but has some great tracks and American Dream, their last one, has a slightly older, more mature feel to it. The 45:33 mix is also good, some of the musical moments and parts in that got pulled into Sound of Silver.

That was excellent! I had never heard it before and I will be hearing it many many times in the future.

LCD Soundsystem brought back my hangover. 6/5

Life changing

Unreal album any EDM or electro fans ...this is a must

I really don’t think this band is for everyone. But, this is one of my favorite albums by one of my favorite bands. It combines so many of my favorite genre elements, from punk to disco to even Phillip Glass-esque repetitive sound. More LCD Soundsystem.

A perfect example of music that's dancy, electric, eclectic, and dynamic all at the same time. The comparisons to Talking Heads are apt, although they definitely lean into the electronics more, and are not as globally influenced as some of the Talking Heads stuff. With the exception of "All my friends" (frankly, a bit of a dud), all the songs are incredibly solid and fill out their time well. As an album, it never gets boring with its sound, each song has its own strongly unique fingerprint on this album. I'm a bit biased because I've listened to this album a lot before, but I know I love it, and getting it in this challenge was a treat.

The first half of this album is god tier and 'all my friends' is one of my top five songs of all time. It's fun, clever, cool, funky, danceable, heartfelt, energetic, uplifting and well made in terms of musicality and production. It does what good music does and fills my heart with happiness.

A modern classic. Their debut album had its moments but was irritating at times. This album is more consistent and has much better songs. I can also appreciate their later work, but overall those albums are not as good as Sound of Silver.

Quando as guitarras encontram com o melhor das batidas eletrônicas garantem 55:55 imersos num espetáculo sonoro.

Awesome album. Not usually a big fan of electronic music but this one hit right. Last song was my fav.

Their absolute peak. Lyrically brilliant and untouchable for much of it. Pretty much no missteps and just a joy start to finish.

Wondered if it would have aged well. It did. Awesome.

ONe of my fav electronic albums

Awesome!

Completely won over by this album. Great fun

I never gave this a chance when it came out, and that was a mistake it’s full of great tunes!

Get Innocuous is amazing and by far the best track on the record. The rest of the album is just okay.

All song were fantastic but like 8 minutes

really fun album! my first of lcd soundsystem, and im glad i listened, it was a blast. 8/10

1st time listening. Very enjoyable; loved the first 2 reviews about it. Good time had by me.

I should like this. It ticks every box of my interests. I should like this. It ticks every box of my interests. I should like this. It ticks every box of my interests. I should like this. It ticks every box of my interests. I should like this. It ticks every box of my interests. I should like this. It ticks every box of my interests.

My first time listening to this album. Somehow I missed out on LCD when growing up although I remember the name. Overall, I enjoyed it, especially the mix of dance-punk with early 2000s vibes. Pretty cool, but also maybe too repetitive and it gets old pretty quickly. Didn’t care for the ballads either, definitely the best part of the album were the fast tempo tracks with 16s on hi hats.

I'm in a bad mood at the moment and have a headache, but I'm pretty sure I like this.

Another one I've owned forever and never really listened to. In this case, a pleasant surprise! It's no more than the sum of its parts, but those parts are among my favorites. It's pretty hard to mess up a margarita given quality ingredients, and similarly if you put "The Man-Machine", "Lodger" and "Extricate" in a blender the result will taste pretty good regardless. 1 + 1 + 1 = 3

J'ai été très surpris de ne pas tomber sur un album mais sur un Fast & Curious avec Hugo Clément. Pour autant je dois dire que certains moments m'ont beaucoup plu, comme par exemple celui où l'intéressé doit choisir entre les mots "réfléchir" et "agir" et qu'il répond "agir".

It's aight, a bit boring at times. Like the sound is good after a while it all mashes together

5/10 Best: All My Friends and New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down

I went out on a walk this morning when this came on my playlist. This type of music is not exactly one I listen to, but went ahead and listened to it. It was percussive, repetitive. Few vocals. It came to the point where I couldn't stand it. Some people keep talking about the bass, but to be honest, I have heard better bass lines from other genres. New York, I love you , but you're bringing me down, was a song I liked. The others should have been more thought out. I will give this a 2. Nothing more, nothing less.

Never understood the popularity of this band. Not bad, not good.

Very early 2000s sonically. Voice is annoying. Too many noises for the sake of noises

Weird start. Has alot of repetition. 'Someone great' probably best song. Interesting mix of electronic music and rock. Decently fun. Semi cringe lyrics 😅 Last song is like a song from the Muppets

Some of the music sounds fun to dance to but a lot is ruined by boring vocals & dumb lyrics. More than awful this album is just disposable.

This was really big in the early 2000s, I never got it. Repetitive dance music with cringey vocals and a general snarky sense. The music is some mix of Bowie, Talking Heads and a general post punk vibe but without the fun. Disaffected and sarcastic. I don’t even get the band name. What is an LCD Soundsystem? It’s kinda like the music, tries to sound cool but actually kinda pointless. Some high points are not that bad (All My Friends, but even this song is twice as long as it should be), but I think you can die in peace even not having listened to this band at all. Two stars.

В Max Payne 3 было пару миссий-флешбеков, где действия разворачивались в нуарном Нью-Йорке вместо бразильских фавел. Контраст, что они производят, должен привносить разнообразие, дополнять происходящее. Мною же это воспринималось как издевательство, мол "Чувак, смотри, мы умеем, могли бы всю игру сделать приятной и интересной... но не захотели, хы-ы-ы-ы". На этих миссиях понимаешь, что смена сеттинга в триквеле - это просто лютый кал в рамках серии. Казалось бы, при чём тут ключи? Вроде очевидно, что последний трек альбома... похож на нормальную музыку. Перед этим ты почти смиряешься, что вот это монотонное повторение неприятных звуков и рандомных фраз может в определённый момент определённому человеку немного доставить. Но потом начинается последний трек и понимаешь "Ой не, нахуй это дерьмо, я ебал просто, нахуй этот кал, когда люди уже давно нормальную музыку придумали?". А, наверное, "чтобы расширять рамки восприятия, создавать что-то, отличное от созданного"? Не, ну ребят, давайте вы этот монотонный кал на фоне для себя как-нить наклепаете, а в топ уже чё-нить нормальное выкатите, а? Шоб вот включить, и весело. Или грустно. Или одухотворённо. А не скучно. Для последнего у меня есть "Две минуты тишины" за авторством Джона Леннона и Йоко Оно, захочется - на репит поставлю. Вышесказанное характерно для вступительного трека и с 5 по 8. В 2-4 всё же можно найти адекватные элементы. Но отличной музыкой назвать - вряд ли. North American Scum - хорошей, ладно. Отличной можно назвать лишь последний трек. Но это всё не вытягивает альбом даже до середняка.

Not really a fan of this one, I knew of North American Scum already but the rest of the tracks all drone on for at least 2 minutes longer than necessary.

Annoying

By golly, I really did not like this album. Yuck. Some of the songwriting is good, but even then, the background instrumentals are just awful. I don't like the looping approach taken on a lot of these songs. The songs will start by slowly adding each layer, and then the song is just kind of stuck with that as it goes on. It can't really change much from then on. The melody will change, and they might add another layer, but that's it. I liked the last song okay I guess, although it was off to a rocky start. The second to last song though...ugh. Too long, and very bad.

This is it! This is why I started the journey through these 1001 albums. To find gems like this. For some reason this absolute masterpiece has been under my radar up until now. Amazing, original, thrilling listen.

Album is smoke, from to to bottom.

So great. Love the energy but also the questions of meaning and existence.

This is one of my favourite albums of all all time so I chuckled as it came up as my first of this project. Maybe it’s meant to be. Fave songs: someone great, NYILY, get innocuous. Honorable mention to all my friends as it was the first LCD soundsystem I heard & fell in love with a few summers ago. Just brilliant

I feel like I checked out this album from the public library on CD around the time it came out. The back half of the album got a little more Hives than I wanted. The bass player should be paid double what they are making now. Great stuff, fun, was happy to hear the 1975 connection on All My Friends.

Magnum Opus van James Murphy. Op Sound of Silver had hij het recept juist. Ook al is Dance Yrself Clean is mijn ogen het nummer waar al het goede van LCD samenkomt, is Sound of Silver de plaat. Someone Great en All My Friends zijn spannend, enerverend en ook op fesitvalsweides enorme bangers. Bij All My Friends gaat het dan alleen om die laatste paar zinnen. Maar dan ben je al zo volgestopt en sta je op ontploffen, dat de ontlading des te groter is. En dan de plaat afsluiten met New York I Love Your laat zien dat Murphy niet voor één gat te vangen is. 8,5/10 Highlights Someone Great All My Friends

dang hitting all the high notes lately. Perfect indie electronic/rock album.

I had no idea how good this is, and now I feel stupid.

Tremendous. I dare you to keep from moving to the amazing beats on this record.

Loved it 10/10

Howdy James Murphy just wanted to say thanks for bringing these bouncy, crunchy ear worms to the party. I listened to this album a couple of times over now since popping up. Currently making a playlist centered around it, for butt shaking. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6gS489vz9ZXdfTBhHh4ePq?si=4f6ce47cdb434c33

I'm always sad that I was never hip enough to LCD at their peak. I would have played daft punk at my house, at my house, with friends...LCD is the ultimate house party music. It sounds like being 23 to me, and I love it.

So good. I love individual songs, but I haven't taken the time to really listen to this whole album on repeat. Head bobbing track after track. Feels very New York in my 20s.

Amazing album

All criticisms are valid. Nonetheless when he gets it right, examples on this album being "Someone Great" and "All My Friends", I find it hypnotic and cathartic. Full body exorcism of emotional turmoil.

This is an amazing album, there is no way I could say enough about it. I remember the first time hearing this shortly after it was released, easily on of my all-time favorite albums.

Sound of 2007

Excellent

okay i see u there ;p WAAIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIIIIIITTTT THIS ALBUM IS INSANE new york i love you had me BAWLING same with sound of silver that ATE EASY 5 STARs (my first 5 star ever and 100% deserved) Not often i listen to an album fresh and fall in love... usually takes a couple times damn

dance punk is always my thing

I don't like electronic music that much, but these guys always struck a chord with me. A lot of long songs on this album, not a good sign. This feels like the spiritual successor to Blondie in some ways. Get Innocuous! is a good start although I hate titles with punctuation in them. I have always liked the lyrics, there's a combination or earnestness and silliness that's appealing. North American Scum is a perfect example. Someone Great is their best song, not just on this album, but in their repertoire. It's crazy to think they made a great dance song about losing someone. The driving piano on All My Friends should be annoying but it works perfectly. I really like this album. Title track is the first real miss. The lyrics remind me of the Tiny Rick episode of Rick and Morty. New York I Love You is a bit of a downer and a major tonal shift. I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Not heard this in nearly two decades and it's still an absolute blast. All MY Friends is one of the tunes of the 00s.

I think I’m in love. I wish there were more than 5 stars to give. Genuine perfection.

Love this album. James Murphy and LCD aren't for everyone but those who dig it it is an awesome record. Great listen for cleaning the house, getting ready for a night out, just wanting to dance around the kitchen like an idiot.

I WOULDN'T TRADE ONE STUPID DECISION FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS OF LIFE!

Ton of fun songs, sound of silver has been stuck in my head for days.

My millennial heart can't not give this a 5

Whoa this takes me back to university days. Strong nostalgia trip. Love this album

Someone great is one of the most powerful songs ever made they should send it to space

Im incredibly biased on this review. I’m a huge LCD Soundsystem fan. This is probably my second favorite of their albums. But to be fair I’ll start with all the criticisms I could see. The first and biggest is that the music tends to be fairly long and repetitive but that’s just sort of the nature of dance music in general, and make no mistake, this is a band that (as far as I know) invented the dance-punk genre. So yes the album as a whole is pretty repetitive, and maybe somebody out there doesn’t like cool synth shit. Idk, I honestly can’t find anything else to complain about this album is fucking awesome. If you like punk music and you are interested in something that’s totally different and entirely honest and true to itself, listen to any LCD Soundsytem album (preferably this one, this is happening, or debut self titled, you can’t go wrong).