Sister

I have respect for Sonic Youth on paper, but this was more visceral and accessible than I thought it would be. Particularly loved “Cotton Crown” and “Master-Dik.”

Industrial alt rock. Dissonant. Schizophrenia, Catholic Block, Pipeline/Kill Time, Tuff Gnarl, Cotton Crown sounds the best to me. Pretty good album, clearly influential to a lot of bands that would come after.

Its all the good noises that scratch some part of my brain.

I realized I haven’t listened to this album nearly as much as I should have. It’s quite different than the previous albums, but really good. This one leans more into that Velvet Underground sound.. which in typical Sonic Youth fashion, they completely tear open and rewire.

Not sure I ever listed to this one and now I’m not sure why. Lots of great tracks and some different sounds from SY.

A lot of Sonic Youth on this list. Like I've said with their other records, much better for me on this listen then when I tried listening to them in the past.

Can’t decide wether to give it 3, 3,5 or 4.

Zuhause, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Gefällt ganz gut.

Noise-rock som har inspireret mange store kunstnerne fra start og slut halfemserne. Det er sgu meget godt NGL, synes det er fedt men det er heller ikke noget man bare sådan lige spiller for folk synes jeg. Det er meget artsy. En del af alternativ rock movement. Det har sådan en speciel lyd til sig som jeg også har hørt i andre albums, men kan ikke sætte ord på præcis hvad. Men det er klart og tydeligt der er nogen som er inspireret af dem på dette album.

much nicer sound than the other sonic youth stuff. decent

Enjoyed it. Will try other Sonic Youth albums.

I might be rounding up a bit here, because while there is some stuff to enjoy here, I think I like the idea of Sonic Youth more than I like a lot of their songs. But, the fact that they were making mid-90s sounding music in the mid-80s is pretty impressive.

Like but unlike the Pixies in that this feels like grunge before grunge. Experimental enough to feel timeless, but still traditional enough in structure and format to feel accessible. Added Schizophrenia and Catholic Block to playlists, laughed at how old school Hot Wire My Heart sounded amidst the more avant garde, angst-y rock, and only occasionally felt like things were too experimental to enjoy.

I have run out of things to say about solid Sonic Youth albums. Sister is good, and makes perfect sense as a successor to EVOL moving towards what was to come on Goo and Dirty.

It’s Sonic Youth so it’ll be noisy. On Sister it seems as if the noise is more controlled though and the melodies gets to take center stage. It’s the perfect lead up to Daydream Nation.

Yup, sounds like 1987 alright

Very modern sound

Never listened to a whole Sonic Youth prior to today, only a song here or there. Yeah they live up to their reputation.

Noisy, raw and somewhat chaotic. I approve

I got this one ages ago when I was doing this solo and didn’t like it at all, it was a 1 star. I actually revisited this a few weeks ago after I gave Daydream Nation 5 stars and it definitely clicked with me second time around. Listening to it today and again I really enjoyed it although not quite as much as Daydream Nation. Top Track - Hot Wire My Heart

Banger.

Sister, along with their previous album EVOL, shows Sonic Youth starting to make actual songs (seriously, if you think this is abrasive and tuneless, check out their early stuff). The first half is great. The second half, not as much. 4.5

there is some beauty in the abrasiveness, even if it does get a bit samey-sounding. i'm kinda just happy this isn't what I think of when I hear "noise rock" (usually something akin to a broken radiator) even if I would rather be listening to the pixies, there's still a lot I can get out of this. favorite song: "pacific coast highway" overall: 7/10?

23/1001. Third album from my shelf, and I think the first band I've sen live (missed Nirvana in LA in 1991 and in Finland a few years later...) For some reason I tend to always pick Goo, Dirty or Daydeam Nation if I want to listen to SY. I don't really know why, this is a solid sonic youth album which sounds like the sonic youth. Perhaps that is also a bit of an issue: no songs really stand out. But still I love the bands sound with alternative tuned guitars screeching out and in the middle of the noise beautiful melodies suddenly pop out. Gotta love them.

Perfect album

Added up to more than a some of it's parts for me. Weird chord structures and out of tune vocals!! No problem!! Different for sure. Wasn't aware of much before Daydream Nation before this. Will be adding to my library

This is as close to perfect noise rock ever got. The best Sonic Youth album.

I love mindless noodling, but I like it a lot more when queens does it. This album was way better than I thought it was going to be when I went into it but I have a treble headache. If I played this 5 times in a row I’m sure I would love it and think it’s genius but on one listen I got a little bored and it did truly hurt my ears. It makes sense that so many bands that I love idolize them though. Schizophrenia might be my favorite but it’s hard to pick out anything else as it all kind of melts together in a sound collage. Cotton Crown was great but again felt like spikes being nailed into my head. I need the scooped highs version of this album. Master dik is vocally weak. I have no idea what to give this album. It’s like a 3.5 on the dot. I’ll go 4 but that feels too high and 3 is too low.

I like how this album blended together the post-punk with the early indie/alternative songwriting structure as they began to open up their appeal as a band to a wider audience. While still loose in construction, this album really begins to show the massive influence the band had on music going into the 90's and early auts

Hearing Sonic Youth as a teenager was such an exciting moment for me as it really opened my ears to what guitar music could achieve. This album still gives that feeling. Really great to revisit this one, there’s just something about that scratchy lo-fi sound I love and will always have time for.

It's always so interesting when a band has The One Before THE One. Everything that works so perfectly on Daydream Nation is falling into place here.

I listened to Sister a few times yesterday. Sonic Youth walks a careful line between chaos and structure, and that tension gives the album its power. The distortion and noise are constant, but they feel deliberate. This isn’t just feedback for its own sake. There’s something thoughtful underneath it. Sister is often seen as the point where Sonic Youth began to shape their sound into something more focused. It bridges their early experimental work with the more refined songwriting they would develop on Daydream Nation. You can feel them pulling things into place without sanding down the edges. “Schizophrenia” is the clear standout. It’s eerie, hypnotic, and somehow both distant and intimate. Other tracks, like “Pacific Coast Highway” and “Tuff Gnarl,” push deeper into disorientation and darkness without losing control. The literary influence of Philip K. Dick adds another layer. The title is a reference to his twin sister, Jane, who died in infancy. Her death haunted him for the rest of his life, and themes of fractured identity, loss, and shifting reality show up throughout his work. While Sister is not a concept album, that mood lingers over everything. I can only take so much noise rock before I need a break, but Sister makes the chaos feel meaningful. It’s an essential piece of the underground-to-mainstream pipeline that shaped alternative music in the late 80s and beyond. Solid 4 out of 5. It earns its place.

Their impact on the postpunk emo era is evident. Bands like mineral, sunny day real estate, etc. reflect this sound.

4/5

1987. Noise Rock. 8/10 Schizophrenia

Maybe their best album or possibly their not quite as bad album?

Still love Sonic Youth. But can never tell if I love them because of the music, or if I love them because, as a music snob, I'm supposed to.

4/5

Enjoying delving into this band I only knew a little about. This is pretty great for 1987, and the opening track is incredible. Current ranking is Daydream Nation > Goo > Sister > Dirty

Sounds like rock revival, except 15 years early! Very fun, very experimental. Not sure if I love the album yet, but it's very much something that should be on this list. For now, a very strong 4 or a weak 5.

80s alternative rock. Punk. Melodic but edgy. Noisy at times.

stooges die spelen nadat een heftig nachtje uit... het rammelt wat, het valt net niet uit elkaar... maar 't is beregoed

Yeah it’s good Nothing new to say I’m sorry

appreciate this and its very up my alley but honestly every track kinda sounds the same lol

Another great Sonic Youth album. I think it's kind of weird that I got these back-to-back. I may have been a bit burnt out on their music since I listened to the previous one twice, but I definitely liked "Dirty" more. This one was less of a masterpiece, but still a great album.

Fantastic noise pop about a great Sci FI writer named Phillip K. Dick AKA 'Master-Dik' hints of the greatness they would unleash on their next album (Daydream Nation) are all the place on 'Sister' an annoying cover of Crime's 'Hot Wire My Heart' keeps it from being 5/5.

Sonic Youth, eh? I want to like them and I'm playing the album for second time, but I may have to face the fact that I'm just too much of a picky sound-snob for this to ever properly click with me. Laconic noise, cool. But those mushy DIY, dry, buzzing wasp-y, two-stroke leaf blower engine guitars? I dunno. Favourite track: "Beauty Lies In The Eye". Indeed it does.

Certainly innovative and inspiring to a lot of later musicians. Not to my personal taste, but it was interesting to listen to.

Nobody does Noise Rock better than Sonic Youth. They really mastered the balance of chaos and progression.

Already plenty familiar with this album and yeah it’s Sonic youth

sonic youth

I liked this abrasive record and I was really appreciating Sonic Youth’s warm, fuzzy sound.

landmark indie album schizophrenic is crazy and sonic youth are goated🔥🗣️

Always interesting, sometimes not my cup of tea, on balance v. good

It's been a while since my last Sonic Youth album, hasn't it? I got Daydream Nation as my third album of theirs back in August and really loved it, with the two albums that came before being varying degrees of good. Now, I've finally gotten my fourth album of theirs, Sister. I forgot how much I liked this band! Sister's great. It's not Daydream Nation levels of great, but I'd say it's pretty close to Goo, maybe slighter lower though. The things that I've liked about their albums up to this point all apply here. The sound is at that perfect level of noise where it's not painful to listen to, but is still just harsh enough to fit the emotions of the album. I really like the vibes of this album. The writing is interesting. The songs are nice, with the album's opener "Schizophrenia" being a particularly strong highlight. What can I say? This is another solid album from a pretty good band. 4/5.

Really enjoyed all of this. Master-Dik was my least favorite, but everything else was solid-I’d be tempted to give it a 5. Listened to it a few times today.

Я не совсем полностью чувствую четыре звезды, но ладно, мне тоже нужно удовлетворять своего внутреннего претенциозного мальчика, котоырй любит КРУТУЮ музыку, окэй? Лучшая песня - Schizophrenia.

Much preferred this one to our previous SY offering. Lots to like and the sound is great.

I love the guitar distortion sound, but do feel they could do with more melody in their tracks. This album has a lot going for it and I think will be a grower.

Once again Sonic Youth have won me over. Just great experimentation and unique style. I guess the added joy about realising that I now like them is there is a shit load of back catalogue to catch up on…..

Sister is the fourth studio album from Sonic Youth, which met with mixed reviews, and limited commercial success at the time of its release. The band's fifth, Daydream Nation, was their break-through work, and the band's subsequent success has made for a favorable re-assessment of Sister. Sonic Youth made a version of art rock or noise rock. Guitars are heavily distorted and sustained, giving the songs a heavy, full sound. Punk rhythms and attitude make their music a version of post-punk, which was clearly influential on much of the alt-rock of the late 80s and 90s.

Sister, EVOL, and Daydream Nation are my favorite Sonic Youth albums. I never got deep into their stuff, but these three really slap.

Loved this album, need to listen to more sonic youth!

Overall: 7/10 Three things I want to highlight with this album. One: The guitar work is insane. Whether it's hard rockers or dissonant soundscapes from hell, there's always interesting guitars to keep your attention. Two: The drumming keeps everything from falling apart. I would go so far as to say the drums are my favourite part. Three: The vocals. Neither vocalist is what you would call an amazing singer but their voices fit the music they make perfectly, and I especially find some weird comfort in their Lou Reed-esque delivery. I wouldn't be able to recommend this to just anyone. If you're familiar with Sonic Youth's later, more mainstream music then check this out. I wouldn't approach it as your first Sonic Youth album though, it's closer to their noise rock era than anything. Fav Song: Schizophrenia Least Fav Song: Beauty Lies in the Eye

I feel that I'm always on the edge of becoming a fan of Sonic Youth, but after all their albums here on the list (I guess this is the last one I'll receive from them), they never REALLY hit the spot on me. I'm unsure of what I missing or maybe what they are missing. It's enjoyable, but always missing something to get my extra star on the rating.

Big in Australia! Great album from iconic band.

Such an important band at least for my generation. Piercing experimental guitar sounds and ambivalent, frustrated, anxiety ridden lyrics make them very cathartic to listen to.

you don't have to be cool or retro or whatever you're thinking. daydream nation is clearly the quintessential SY album

Complicated album that merited a second listen. There's a lot to like, especially the in-song tempo changes and the multiple guitars. And I'm a fan of Kim Gordon's vocals. (Interesting transitions this week from Johnny Cash to Sister Sledge to Emmylou Harris to this.)

Atypical song structures, dissonant song fade-outs, but kept my attention

Nobody does Noise Rock better than Sonic Youth. They really mastered the balance of chaos and progression.

Favourites: Schizophrenia, Catholic Block, Pipeline/Kill Time, Tuff Gnarl, Cotton Crown

No catchy pop tunes in this album, just raw noise and emotion coupled with dreamy lyrics and fuzz guitar

I've always maintained in my mind that Sister was among my least favorite albums by Sonic Youth, especially during their 80s period, I especially struggled simply because I'm not a fan of Schizophrenia and the rest of the album seemed like a blur, especially when before it is Evol, my favorite SY and Daydream Nation, their most beloved if you are some kind of indie nerd (like me, I really like it). Sister is stuck in this weird spot where it's almost that college rock thing they became known for but also not really, so it never really stood out when I felt like I would want to listen to whatever else they've made. It turns out this one is also pretty good! I think my major gripes with it during this listen felt less like real gripes and just my thoughts in relation to their other albums, on it's own it's a really great indie album that isn't afraid to go weird (as SY did) whenever they wanted to, I think songs like Stereo Sanctity or Pacific Coast Highway should be talked about more with how weird but still deeply enjoyable they are. I'm glad that I finally got to connect with this one (and that I can keep the vinyl copy I got a while back)

Good stuff

Noisy yet controlled, consistently heavy and often dark, Sister is a compendium of alternative rock well ahead of its time. Each song can stand on its own, yet when listened through they can morph into one crazily noisy landscape of guitar-driven rock. I doubt it’s something that will blow you away on first listen, but it’s certainly something that will grow in the ears of the listener over repeat plays; an untested theory, but I’m sure it’s true. It’s held in high enough regard and I enjoyed it enough to probably relisten in future. Nothing absolutely exceptional, but why would it need to be? It’s bloody brilliant rock.

Indie slacker rock anthems for days.

нормалек. типо пост-панк/шугейз.

Starts strong with the opener, one of their best songs. The rest is a jangling sprawling vortex of sound, hard to call out or remember a favorite distinctly, but it’s all good. I’d probably need weeks and months to truly decipher this album, but in the short span of listening to it, I know it’s great.

4 booms BOOM 💪 BOOM 💪 BOOM 💪 BOOM 💪

Sonic Youth is very experimental, but I like it!

Sonic Youth is not my favorite, but still a very interesting (but sometimes challenging listen). I prefer Daydream Nation and Goo as far as albums, but this one is welcome as well.

Sonic youth has recently become one of my favorite bands. This is one of the few albums of theirs that I haven’t listened to. After listening I can say that it’s definitely less accessible and a bit more noisy than a lot of their other good stuff, but it still fucks

The just-right amount of guitar distortion I didn’t know I needed today.

The sound clicked for me, not sure it would everyday. 3.5 rounded up.

This one comes quite a bit earlier in Sonic Youth's discography than the other two thus far. Had this one mostly in the background, but as with the other two I enjoyed most of the ride. I'd say relative to the other two this scores the lowest in personal appeal, but I do find something endearing about the crustiness of it all. Standouts for me were Catholic Block, Tuff Gnarl, Pacific Coast Highway, White Cross, and Master-Dik. Soft 4 / 5 for me.

Nice blend of experimental guitar noise and melody, have listened to some Sonic Youth in the past but never this record, will definitely be replaying it

Good noisy stuff this

Sonic Youth is always a good time.

7.5/10 Sonic Youth is good

Готина пънкарийка

Very good album I really liked the psychedelic aspects of this album’s sound. It's great to hear something like this outside of the 60s. 4 Stars!

The Sonic Youth album I have neglected the most and only latterly knew of as a classic. There are some solid tunes here alright. Obviously its even better when it descends into chaos feedback and swirling noise. Tuff Gnarl and Schizophrenia the most melodic (to start with). Pacific Coast Highway and Kotton Krown are two of the highlights of the swirling guitar stretches. White Cross is brilliant. I would need longer with this record to love it, but this is a good start.

I am NOT checking the reviews for this one before reviewing.

Albumi #94, 30.10.2024 Sonic Youthin neljäs studioalbumi ilmestyi vuonna 1987.

This album goes hard.

Amazing this was released in 1987.

Grondant, murmurant, parfois presque menaçant ou agressant, sait aussi se faire léger et reste avant tout du rock bien assumé

No one single song stood out but it was all great.

An awesome step in the evolution of the band clearly bridging the noise art of the early band and the pop sensibilities that would immediately follow.

This and Dirty might be the two most consistent Sonic Youth albums. It's a classic.

Finally a band for Sonic the hedgehog fans like me!

This one is pretty good

Very good, but they’re still one album away from true greatness. 3.5/5

Tykkäsin enemmän kun monista sy levyistä. Oikein oikein hyvä! 4/5

The blunt, chaotic sound of Sonic Youth's visionary but difficult early work had begun to give way to a more coherent and song-oriented attack on 1986's EVOL, and with 1987's Sister, Sonic Youth revealed that they were a great rock band as well as a great art band. From the shifting dynamics and disquieting mood of the opening track "Schizophrenia" to the ferocious coda of "White Cross," Sister was the work of a band that had grown impressively stronger and more unified in the 12 months since their previous long-player. The sheets of sound that issued from Thurston Moore and Lee Renaldo's re-tuned and modified guitars were still the core of their sound, but Sonic Youth's songcraft was steadily improving as they made better and more effective use of their aural palette and created a melodic context that helped their noisy report make greater dramatic sense. After going through a handful of drummers, Steve Shelley finally gave Sonic Youth the combination of chops, imagination, and force that they needed behind the kit, and while he certainly improved EVOL (his debut with the group), it was Sister where he truly make his mark: the steady pulse and rhythmic shadings of "Catholic Block," "Stereo Sanctity," and "Tuff Gnarl" helped firm up the tunes and added some discipline to Moore and Renaldo's exploratory guitar work that, remarkably, made their twisted instrumental figures more impressive and no less distinctive. And the warmth and clarity of Bill Titus' all-analog engineering made the guitars (and Kim Gordon's bass) sound as glorious as they always deserved; while Sonic Youth had been a band with great ideas from the start, Sister was where the execution finally caught up with the concept, and it was their first truly great album. 8/10 Fav tracks - Schizophrenia, Catholic Block, Beauty Lies in the Eye, Stereo Sanctity, Pipeline / Kill Time, Tuff Gnarl, Pacific Coast Highway, Cotton Crown, White Cross Least Fav - Hot Wire My Heart

I usually skip Sonic Youth songs when they come on Spotify radio due to the same four songs constantly being recommended to me by Spotify. It’s always a good sign when I’m not checking the track list to see how long I have to go on an album. I will begrudgingly admit I enjoyed this album a lot! I really had low expectations going in. Some of the vocals can miss and not every song is fantastic here but the album as a whole is good, the variety of sound here means that it’s a pretty entertaining time. The sound itself is pretty unique and I'm surprised that this album was from 1987, feels like it was pretty ahead of its time. The album definitely meanders towards the end, the last couple of tracks kind of feel like filler and that the band sort of ran out of ideas. This is evidenced by Master-Dik being a lot of word salad and noises from Thurston Moore. This song is the musical equivalent of trying to meet the word limit in an assignment. Still not a bad song. Overall this album is a great introduction for me personally to Sonic Youth and I have no doubt that I’ll listen to the rest of their work and be disappointed inevitably!

Every time I listen to a Sonic Youth album I keep thinking that I should pay a bit more attention and relisten to more of their back catalogue, this is great

Enjoyable noise. A good hard grungy sound and some vicious little lyrics.

this is awesome

Like this one. I'm Not into all Sonic youth albums but this one is very good.

Darker than the other SY albums we’ve listened to. Made for a good listen, I enjoyed it.

I've never listened to Sonic Youth before - but I expect that I will enjoy this based on the ecosystem of musical influences that surround the group (I like punk and I like experimental stuff, ergo I should like their highly regarded experimental punk) Yeah, I'm into this.

4☆/5 07.18.2024

Schizophrenia

I wish I had known about this band back in 87, my life might have turned out differently. 4 stars

Great stuff. Just the level of noise and distortion that I'm looking for, with melodies that still hit home and provide some light and shade.

Sonic Youth before they went weird were still pretty weird. In a good way!

This kicked the shit out of Monday morning. Who needs traditional song structures, or even melodies? Spiky.

Another band that I've always thought I should check out but had never gone in on. This was very cool arty punk that was very up my street - I will be investigating them further!

Really enjoyed this. I think it’s biggest issue is completely unfair in my part, I hear the influence this has on so many later artists, and I think those artists expand on the ideas here better, meaning this suffers because of it. Still really good.

Хороший альбом из 80х, один трек улетел в аудио. Чуть перебор по разным аудиоэкспериментам, но это скорее предъява для поп-музыки, чем для альт рока. Субжанры альбома: нойзрок, индирок, панкрок, постпанк, артрок

I’m finding myself liking Sonic Youth albums.. what’s happening to me?! A solid atmospheric gritty record where the guitars reign supreme and sardonic vocals litter its length. Second Sonic Youth album in about a month that I found more than palatable… Geez!

This album is slightly hard to listen to but also energetic. I can see why some people hate it. I'm one of the people who like this. Most of the album is quite good actually. But it's far from perfect. 4 stars for "Sister".

Great alternative rock.

It's decent! I wasn't mad but I likely won't come back

Pretty good! I dig the grimy, noisy feel of the songs. This album feels like a graffiti-covered underpass, but in a good way.

4.0

Nice album

Unconventional in the traditional way for Sonic Youth, noisy and yet somehow perfectly sensual and sensitive.

enjoyed this, sound is really raw, has a good energy to it too

muutama hirvistys, kauhustus biisi tässäkin mukana. olen kuitenkin tyytyväinen albumin laatuun, sonic youth osaa tehdä tyylistään hyvin kuunneltavaa musiikkia, vaikka itse en usein ihastu punk/alt-rock kappaleisiin kovin hyvin. (päässäni vapautuu tällä hetkellä endorfiineja, jotka parantavat mielialaani hetkellisesti. albumi on täyttä paskaa.) eli hyvä ehdotus tänään ylläpidolta, innolla huomisen albumia odottamaan [:-) tuff gnarl

this is Sonic Youth at some of their weird best. It's noisy and strange, but it triggers all the right feels for me, when I'm in the mood. I hope they tour again before its too late, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore are legends.

Grungy late 80s alive and well

relisten. i just love Sonic Youth.

Some of Sonic Youth best tracks out there. A great example of how to master noise rock and slacker music.

I love Sonic Youth, but I can’t fathom how 5 Sonic Youth albums made this list when none by Yo La Tengo or Galaxie 500 did.

Good for the way I felt yesterday.

Stinky, smelly, abrasive. Weaponized headache music. Probably the weakest album from the EVOL-Dirty run that I've heard, but I still fuck with it. Same Sonic Youth opinion I've had for each album still applies: Most pretentious band of all time, but it's fine because the music tickles my brain. Justice for my man Nardwuar, Thurston Moore can eat a bag of dicks.

Guitar heavy, crunchy tones and hard driving punk.

Tæt på en 5'er. Den her liste gør mig til fan af Sonic Youth

Fed larm! Synes den her plade er så latterligt cool

Their best example of 80's American punk. They combine melodies and instrumentation with the intensity and aggression earlier albums were known for. I love the way they use dissonance, in fact I remember learning the definition of that word 35 years ago because of Sonic Youth's unique sound. Fully enjoyed.

Very cool - brought me back. Love the intros to the songs.

I like Sonic Youth, hadn't listened to this before, will be listening to it again.

This is the exact alternative/avant-garde punk rock I need in my life

👍

Noise rock glory

Always enjoy a good Sonic Youth album. Also, just found out that Kim Gordon is 70 years old. That makes me feel so old.

Absolutely solid rock 4 stars

Suprised by this one. But dont think ill go back to it

I love Sonic Youth but have never listened to this album as a whole. It’s not quite on a level as Goo / Dirty / DN, but there’s something very endearing about it. Captures the chaotic side of punk without being radged and macho. They have that right level of experimental art pop or whatever you wanna call it over the top, which results in this weird post-punk experimental record. Every artical about sonic youth mentions ‘avant garde’ and I only have a vague idea what that term means due to these comparisons. If Sonic Youth are avant garde then I like it, whatever it is. Say what you like about it but it’s never boring.

Enjoyed this, think it might be more that sonic youth are starting to click with me than this being a better album than daydream nation, would have to listen to DN again to be sure. It was very post rocky, at least in the first half, and had that 'barely holding it together' DIY sound that sounds really authentic, which is impressive for a fourth album. Not many obvious hits, though this album did remind me of Kool Thing by them which I like. Think I'm on my way to being a fan.

First half better than the second half. Quite enjoyed it overall, Stereo Sanctity and Schizophrenia stand out.

Better than expected

Meh.

I've never really listened to Sonic Youth, despite then being so influential for many post punk bands that I enjoy. Raw, discordant, and I really enjoyed it. Will make an effort to listen to some more Sonic Youth.

The album is pretty low-key, and I have no idea what the songs are about besides the general vibe. But the sound is beautiful and one of a kind. Makes sense to include early Sonic Youth to show the foundations of Alternative.

I think this might be my most favourite Sonic Youth yet! I think they achieve the thickness and warmness at times that I love about My Bloody Valentine. Obviously a bit more punky and upbeat than that but I enjoyed that too.

Best Sonic Youth we've had yet I think. Connected with it more than the others.

You will hear from the registrar regarding this cover. You're probably tired of seeing me whine about their voices (I am) but this time I actually didn't mind them. Maybe because they are quieter, maybe because there's less accent on singing in general, what matters is that they are not in the way of enjoying the instrumentals, which are harsher than their later works and I prefer them this way.

Tough and tight, this churns and burns, stews and stagnates, roils and twists into many arty and interesting (and mostly dark) places. It loses steam late but the opening cuts are very strong indeed and the mood holds effectively well to make a big and memorable overall impact.

Better

This list has turned me into such a sonic youth fanboy lol. Another solid one on the books for them!

I really think the longer the Sonic Youth Album, the worse. This is a good example of a length that might be pushing towards too long, but still makes the cut as a good album.

Raw noise from Thurston and the bunch. This takes me back. I was 12 when this came out but I wouldn't hear it for a few years yet.

Revisit

Blind album. Another good album overall I'd say. Didn't think id like this band as much as i do so far. 2 albums listened to, 5 generated.

This one was just banger after banger. The aggressiveness was amazing and each song just had this energy that never let down. Everything was distinct too even though it all sounded similar. It was so agressive and dirty and I loved that.

Sister is by far one of the best noise rock albums I've had the pleasure of listening to, even if it isn't entirely my cup of tea. The weird guitar tunings, the lyrics, the rough production, all make for a completely unique listening experience that could never replicated.

Never heard of these guys before but came out liking this a lot. It’s noisy, but not as crazy as some of the things you might hear today which makes it quite listenable as well. Lots of highlights on this thing for sure.

Ret fed! 4 er måske lidt højt, men synes sgu det har potentiale. Det er ret råt

Favourite tracks: schizophrenia

I can see where the harsher sounds found on Daydream Nation came from, but I think the poppy-er tunes from that album help balance out the package a bit more. I mean, this is still good, especially a fan of the final track and it's guitar, but I can't imagine anything here will stick with me quite like 'Cross the Breeze or Teenage Riot. Again, though, I was bumping to this enough to inch into four star range.

A tangled web of guitar-forward art rock dazzling in its distorted dissonance.

Four stars only because I know Daydream Nation is the next album they made

I fucking hate this stupid website with these stupid old-heads saying "what? this is slightly experimental? 0! ooo! I got a cookie cutter heartland rock album! album of the century! 5/5!"

This is my vibe! 90s alt before the 90s

Sonic Youth finally figure out their sound. Sludgy, discordant, yearning.

Indieboy classic

Blassic... crazy gitarrer

first listen liked it

Dirty better

Man, I still just don't vibe with Sonic Youth that much, but this was my least-disliked of their records so far

4th studio album?! Damn, I had no idea they'd been around so long. Jesus, they started in 1981? Sonic Youth was one of those bands I came of age with in the early 90s that I always enjoyed but was never one of my favorites. The jangly, experimental noise rock can get a bit jarring. But I still have a soft spot for them.

Grudgy

There's something in the air there It makes you go insane Brings you back to me It's been so long All's I have to do is live along It's coming, coming down over me Do you want to see the explosions in my eye? Do you want to see the reflection of how we used to be? Beauty lies in the eyes of another's dream Beauty lies lost in another's dream It's coming, coming down over me Do you want to see the explosions in my eye? Do you want to see the reflection of how it used to be? Hey, baby Hey, sweetheart Hey fox, come here Hey, beautiful Come here, sugar 4/5

I’ve never spent much time with Sonic Youth but enjoyed this a lot. Good mix of rock, punk, and experimental stuff.

I once tried to get into Sonic youth when I was 15 or 16 years old. I clearly wasn't ready then and I might not be ready 100% yet now either. I grew to like bands like swans, squid, black midi, BC,NR, etc.... And it's clear to me now where they got the inspiration for the parlando style, abrasive dissonance, repetitiveness and quite literally everything that makes their style so great. I just feel like the sound wasn't really developed enough yet when sonic youth did it to be really blown away by it. Solid album nonetheless

I can definitely see how this was influential to some of my other favorite bands like Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, Slint, My Bloody Valentine, etc. and I respect them for that. I do wish that it sounded better. It doesn't need to be polished per se, but it sounds harsh and narrow and it makes it feel flatter than I hoped... I would hope for something more raw but still dynamic. Ok, much better with my Bottlehead Crack + HD6XXs. The studio monitors and even IEMs both make it sound much worse. Now I'll have to listen again. It sounds so much better now! I've always heard of album -> equipment pairings, but never gave that much thought. This really comes alive with this specific setup. Now feeling a 4/5... which sounds snobby, but the presentation definitely helps. Schizophrenia really is a good song! Also really like Tuff Gnarl, has a Replacements vibe to it...

Noisy, in a good way! Clearly a massive influence on a bunch of bands I love, without quite making the jump to all time classic (in my opinion). I really liked it, and hope to hear loads more from them

It's crazy how much you can hear this albums influence on newer stuff. Sonic Youth was a name I recognized before but had never actually listened to. I've been reading a lot of Neil Gaiman's Sandman recently, this would make a good soundtrack. BT - Catholic Block - Hot Wire My Heart

I guess I'm becoming a fan of Sonic Youth because I enjoyed this. I've now listened to all four of their albums on the list, and interestingly, I was given them in reverse chronological order. I would listen to this again, especially "Stereo Sanctity."

Sonic Youth moves toward a more accessible direction, starting off with very melodic and poppy songs, moving increasingly chaotic as it goes on. However, it still retains that punk energy and raw distortion that the next albums would abandon. This album justifies the existence of noise rock to anyone. High distortion and atonality which could push people away, but the guitar solos in songs like "Catholic Block" can appeal to all. The distortion in "Pipeline/Kill Time" is meditative and entrancing. I think the major weakness is probably the last four tracks. I mean, they're wild and have cool moments, but I lose interest until the random noises in "Master-Dik".

Strong 7

Noisy experimentation, but in a good way.

I've gotten (I think) every other Sonic Youth record on here, and I want to say this one is my favorite. The songs are shorter and don't feel dragged out, (unlike "Daydream Nation"), and they're not going art over actually good music. I never realized, until this record that they're probably big Velvet Underground fans. I can hear the bridge between VU and (one of my favorites) Failure on this record. It hits a lull in the middle (especially the cover of "Hot Wire My Heart", which feels sooooo out of place), but closes out strong enough. Favorite tracks: "Hot Kross", "Tuff Gnarl", "Catholic Black"

I didn't realize how much I liked Sonic Youth until I watched their tour documentary with Nirvana. It was really odd but something about their dynamic together drew me in. I can't place what it is about this album that I like other than it sounds good but I really enjoyed this one.

Nice early noisy Sonic Youth! I actually have been more into late period SY the last few years it's nice to go back to this one! This is a really great record, it's been a long time, it really sounds fresh to my ears I guess when you're not chasing trends you can't really sound dated! I really like the noisy songs as much as the more "subdued" ones! Fucking love Lee Ranaldo lead songs!

Sister is the album that turned the corner for Sonic Youth. It was their most cohesive effort so far in their career, as their earlier albums were filled with loud noise, experimental sounds and a lot of energy with very loose song structure. They turned some of that energy and noise into more of a recognizable song structure and released their most listenable record so far. I consider Sister as Sonic Youth's, "sweet spot" record where they continued to bash out art rock-noise without compromising their "no wave" attitude, while growing artistically and evolving their sound. The results are quite good and they expanded their sound by the next album, the classic, Daydream Nation. An important record!

Sonic Youth are a bit of a blind spot for me. I had friends who were into them but they sort of escaped my attention even when I was pretty heavy into my grunge/alt rock phase. This was my first time hearing this album and it was a smart, crackling listen. Not quite five stars but still gets praise from me.

8/10

This album is so crazily unique, I needed a second listen to land on my rating. Ultimately it's a 4, though I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were hust slightly too many non-musical artistic directions in the middle of the album to get the 5 star rating here. Beginning and end of the album are top quality. Favorite track: White Cross

Sonic the Hedgehog ran off with me wife. If anyone sees the blue prick, smash his smug face in. Spikey cunt.

I liked it about 70%!

I don't know what to say about this album. It's the type of heavy music that speaks of my youth, even though this would have come out when I was really little. The sound quality isn't top notch, the musicians only know a couple cords, and yet, and yet... This is an example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Maybe it's the energy of the singer, maybe it's the lyrics, maybe it's some magical ether drawn from the devil himself. But whatever it is, it works. 27/20 bananas. 3.5 stars

Reminds me of nirvana on a cold rainy day when all you wanna do is hit a joint, play some music and watch MTV.

rock music!!!! idk why sonic youth doesn't really click with me but still good.

While Sonic Youth are not my favourites they deliver a strong, surprisingly idea heavy album.

This sounds great. Drums in particular are magnificent. Really enjoyed schizophrenia and Stereo Sancity Not listened to much Sonic Youth before but reminded me of a heavier Velvet Underground or Joy Division

I dig it. It’s not my favourite SY album, but it’s good. Remarkable how innovative they were at this time, how much space they created for other alternative acts and basically paved the way for everything raw, distorted and grungey that I love. OGs of don’t give a fuck coolness.

This one was weird because I wouldn't have really taken a close look at it if I listened to one single from it, but together as an album it's actually pretty good.

4.25

I listened to this record maybe 20 times to try and get a feel for it, which I think says a lot about how creative it is…. After getting to know the songs a bit the noise and dissonance of the arrangements Is pretty fantastic, but the low points for me are generally some cringy vocals. Definitely some allowances for huge creative marks for the use of exceptionally creative noise guitar within basically tight song structures.

Cool

I liked this album. It's very 90s me

I've always wanted to explore Sonic Youth a little more, so I was pretty excited to see this album for the day. It sounds raw, a bit discombobulated at times - in the best way! There's an edginess, almost like they're coloring outside the lines. Feels a little bit dirty and rough around the edges. I'm gonna add "Sister" to the rotation so I become more familiar with it, I feel like it will grow even more on me.

Sonic Youth really starting to find their groove by this album. Love it!

Slightly too noise-rocky for my tastes, but still very good. First two tracks have a fantastic post-punk grunge feel, but maintain a kind of optimism.

As always seems the case with Sonic Youth, I'm scared and enthralled all at once

First time listening to Sonic Youth, but I'm planning on continuing to listen to them. Fave song from the album: Stereo Sanctity.

Noisy, but poppy. Great record.

I tapped my feet along to a few of the songs. It’s quite catchy, although nothing i will listen to again anytime soon.

This however was for me.

Solid. One of their better albums.

Decent entry level noise rock. Good without being too noisy or overwhelming with sound

I liked this best of any Sonic Youth I’ve listened to so far. Still very raw, alterntaive and experimental but hung on a solid rock armature that keeps it pleasurable to listen to.

3.75

"I can't get laid 'cause everyone is dead" (Stereo Sanctity)

Aggréablement surpris, très en avance sur son temps comme album. On voit très bien l'influence que ça a eu sur la musique alternative en générale.

An interesting comparison to Goo, it feels like early on Sonic Youth was the perfect name for the band: lound and young-sounding

I thought this album was good. Usually I don't connect well with Sonic Youth's albums, despite the fact that I loved seeing them live. However, this album was very consistent all the way through, and it kept my attention 4/5

okay

Proto-Grunge... sort of a transition album from punk to grunge. Some fun songs, but also some noise.

A nice one, I enjoyed it and really liked some songs, however I believe Sonic Youth have better albums.

One of Sonic Youth’s weaker albums but still very good!! Some of it was a little bit tough listening since they focus a lot more on dissonance than consonance, but that’s what punk is all about! FAV TRACKS: Catholic Block, Pacific Coast Highway, Hotwire My Heart, Master-Dik LEAST FAV TRACKS: Pipeline/Kill Time, Tuff Gnarl

Already familiar with Sonic Youth, but not this album. Not my favorite, but interesting listen

I've listened to this and Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (1988) in the past, and never quite understood the level of praise for this band. I think part of the problem was I'd already listened to a lot of post-hardcore and noise rock, and I failed to appreciate how innovate Sonic Youth were in carving out space for those genres. You can hear a lot of Fugazi emanating from this album, for example. Ultimately, it doesn't matter how original/influential a record is if it doesn't click with you personally. Thankfully, this did fall into place for me on revisiting it! I love the noisy, discordant, and experimental moments. But I also love that this album surrounds them with clean indie/rock frameworks. It's a great record, even if it'll never mean as much to me as it does to other listeners.

Yessss

Within Sonic Youth's discography, EVOL and Sister were described to me as companion albums: two sides of the same coin. Sister is the more accessible of the two, as it starts to leave behind the no wave and experimental roots for the band. Sister sees Sonic Youth move gracefully into some great alt rock songs without getting too "safe". Well-paced tracklist, standout songs, and overall cohesive tone means you've got a bonafide classic on your hands. More, please!

Toe maar, 2 dagen verwend met Sonic Youth

Es la primera vez que escucho este disco, al menos que yo recuerde, y parece como si lo llevara escuchando toda mi vida.

Noisy in the good way

Creative and inspiring alt rock. More melodic than previous efforts and a couple landmark songs. 80s alternative NYC at its best

Good.

Decent, probably a 4

This perfectly matched my mood for Wednesday. Particularly liked Schizophrenia, and the overall noisiness / experimentalism of the album

4.5 | Sonic Youth es una banda muy interesante, quizá la mayor parte los recuerda por el sonido de rock alternativo ruidoso que influyo sobre la creación eventual del grunge, pero la verdad es que fue una banda con bastantes facetas, la primera de ellas siendo de música bastante experimental y disonante de esa que he visto que les encanta en este grupo. Este disco es como el puente entre todo ese estilo inicial y el estilo más melódico que saldría después con el disco con Daydream Nation y eventualmente a su mayor expresión con el Goo. Esa situación de puente hace que este sea de mis discos preferidos de la banda. Ese sonido todavía caótico y experimental pero ya con algo de forma y melodías. Schizophrenia es una de sus mejores canciones, iniciando con una voz suave, batería con carácter y una guitarra desafinada, es puro puro Sonic Youth, las letras poéticas y económicas, la manera de cantar siempre me ha recordado a Nico y en esta canción es más que válido, es una canción ensoñada, lánguida y apática. Catholic Block llena de feedback inicia la agresión con letras de enojo y explota a terminar en un grito y un sonsonete calmado cambiando a Beauty Lies in the Eye, hablando de belleza y la presión de la mujer. El resto del album quizá no llega a la maravilla de punch y combinación de esa tercia de inicio pero es igualmente de agradable; ritmos fuera de tiempo, canciones que pareciera duran más de lo que deben y de repente se paran y vuelven a iniciar. Cotton Crown con el dueto más extrañamente romántico y lleno de ruido disonante pero que funciona muy bien. Es de esos discos que pudiera hablar sobre cada canción. Alguien que conocí y ya no está me dijo una vez que no había fans de Sonic Youth, que solo había gente que decía que les gustaban pero que nadie los escuchaba realmente. Suena absurdo pero sí tenía un grado de razón. Sonic Youth completo es una banda que no es lo más accesible, eran mucho más experimentales de lo que se les recuerda, por cada canción de las pocas conocidas en general hay cinco que son totalmente polarizantes y repulsan a la gente. Sister es de esos discos que mientras más le das chance más mejora, tiene canciones grandes como Schizophrenia pero también te avienta rarezas a la cara y espera a ver si logras apreciar la disonancia y lo extraño. En mi opinión es un viaje que agradezco.

having never heard of Sonic Youth outside of that one Simpsons episode, i gotta say, i am a big fan. it's noise rock/grunge on a level I'd expect from a 90's band and i couldn't be more pleased to have heard it. from the lyrics to instrumentals, it's an album that grabs you and gets in your face with it's music.

Pretty cool, very cryptic sounding, super cohesive so no songs really stood out. Overall enjoyable listen

Enjoying it a lot.

No había escuchado un disco completo de SY y la verdad que agradable sorpresa, estaban muy metidos en el noise que ya no es taaan sucio y supongo que a lo largo de los años lo fueron limpiando aun mas. Ahora entiendo por que fueron influencia para muchas bandas y géneros, estaban bien loquitos

I can see how a lot of the bands I enjoy are influenced by this. I feel like the strokes especially use a lot of the same fuzzy guitar

Have listen to a few of his song, always a good time.

Very exceptional stuff from the Youth, a precursor of monumental things to come. Favorites include Schizophrenia, Catholic Block, Tuff Gnarl and Pacific Coast Highway.

Some cool stuff, some annoying stuff. Not a 4 or 5 but was at least mostly listenable.

Schizophrenia

Weiss nicht recht was ich sagen soll. Melodiöses wechselt mit eintönigem ab. Eher weniger.

Smashing opening track. The rest is all a bit Sonic Youth-y. Their disinterest in hooks or good melody just make them a boring listen for me

A little reserved for a Sonic Youth album, which is actually good because most of their experimental stuff doesn't hit

Didn't care for this one as much as the other Sonic Youth albums.

Ok, not as good as the last one but Sonic Youth growing on me.

Yep, this sounds like Sonic Youth. Don't hate it, don't love it. Happy (more or less) to listen to it this once; not likely to want/need to return to it. 3 stars. See previous SY reviews for more (this is at least 3 of their albums we've had already, right, and we're only a bit over 200 albums in?). Critics' darlings, they were. I do own and (mostly) like their (double) album Daydream Nation, so if I get the SY itch, that's likely where I'd turn. Favorite track on this one "White Cross" -- that's some excellent guitar work there; might have to remember that track, at least. Makes me feel more sure about giving this 3 stars.

Hyvää sekoilua ja aivan hyviä biisejäkin. Sonic Youth on pitäny pitkään ottaa kuunteluun ja varmaan vielä pitää vähän syventyä että tietää mitä oikeesti tykkää. Tästä kyllä tykkäsin jo eka kuuntelulla, mut eipä oo hirveesti yksittäisiä kitarahetkiä enempää mielessä enää parin tunnin jälkeen.

Jahas! Post-punk kiertoajelu jatkuu. Ihan toimivaa paahtamista ja pörinää + viipyilyä ja fiilistelyä. Kuvauksesta opin myös uuden post-punkin alagenren "no wave" (josta tämä siis ilmeisesti jo irtiotto kohti perinteisempiä biisirakenteita) 🤓 Pohdin että miks tää uppoon niin kivuttomasti kun vois hyvin olla myös aikamoista raastinrautaa, mutta taitaapi olla että Juno elokuvan soundtrack, josta pidin valtavasti on mut vähän pehmentänyt ja valmistellut Sonic Youthille ☺️

An album that probably requires multiple listens. However the first track is nice.

I was expecting more from this album that I really got. Just kind of a middle of the road alt album.

Correcto

Feel like I could become a Sonic Youth fan, but they’re just too unfamiliar at the moment

fine

I was picking petals the entire listen. A literal “Do I like it? Do I not?” experience the entire time. It was a rollercoaster. Some parts I was like yeah, other parts I just couldn’t get behind. Overall, id say that yes, there are some good sounds here (emphasis on some), but its real significance is likely that it was a foundation piece for the alternative scene that fully bloomed in the nineties and early 00’s.

Sonic Youth seems to be one of those bands that I “should” like, but I just can’t find the way in. The lack of melody/hooks just doesn’t give me anything to grab onto.

I still find them hard work, just enough for a 3

I like me some noise rock quite a bit but Sonic Youth has never really quite clicked for me. I tried for years but always end up feeling underwhelmed. They're quite good at best but mostly it's just... okay. The same goes for this album.

Moving closer to an enjoyable sound from their earlier efforts, but not as fulfilling as Daydream Nation.

Enjoyed the first track a lot, but after that it didn't quite stick with me! Definitely my vibe, and well done, just not my favorite Sonic Youth.

in estate questi album li sto un po’ arronzando, comunque bello e certi pezzi mi hanno ricordato i fontaines dc

This album is really great. I’ve never really listened to Sonic Youth before other than a handful of songs.

I like their sound. Cotton crown is a banger.

Some good songs, and some kinda rough songs

A lot of this band is just noise. I liked some of the noise this time at least.

A bit chaotic.

Not their best work. The vibe is there but the riffs are sorely lacking, and Thurston does most of the vocal duties

The [hypochromatic] sound and the [mildly abrasive] fury, signifying nothing? Lots of nearly atonal guitar drones starting and finishing the songs. Not much in the way of melody, and this is rarely countered by interesting rhythm or lyrics. Reminds me vaguely of the Pixies, only if that band sucked a whole lot more. Side two was at least better than side one. This album was a better listen than my previous Sonic Youth experience (“EVOL”), but only marginally so.

I have liked all the Sonic Youth I’ve had so far from the 1001 list, but for some reason this one didn’t quite land as well for me. Possibly I just wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it as much. I can recognise the influence this has had but I think I needed something a little less atonal and abrasive today.

This is the fifth and (God willing) last Sonic Youth album on this list. Not that I dislike the band, but no matter how many albums this list gives me and no matter how many years go by, I probably am not changing my mind about them. I gave one of their albums a "4," but otherwise I am indifferent to this band. I do not dislike the music but I also remain confused as to why they deserve 5 albums on a list of albums I MUST here before I die. I remain unconvinced there are people who actually love this band and it's all just a groupthink project where Sonic Youth is a cypher used by the CIA to see how they can influence music and pop culture over a several decades span. The album starts off strong with "Schizophrenia," but then the song essentially stops so there can be talking over the rhythm track. I was enjoying the song until then. In fact, there are several songs on here where there is talking instead of singing. This review is more negative than I intend for it to be, but after being forced to hear 5 albums by a band that I already knew I felt "meh" about, I'm losing patience. My favorite tracks: Schizophrenia (I've Got A) Catholic Block Stereo Sanctity Hot Wire My Heart

Pretty good for what it is but what it is is not for me. I added “Schizophrenia” to my playlist.

I have no idea what it is, but I just do not like this band. It sounds exactly like something I would love, so what is my problem?? One of my life’s minor mysteries. I did like this one slightly more than the last one, though.

Perdón tampoco lo escuché

Lots of interesting choices here to create noisy sounds. Perhaps I'm a philistine, but I don't find the sounds interesting enough on their own to be good and I don't think it really comes together.

a good time! i was often enjoying the instrumental parts and then not loving when the vocals came in. but i had fun

sonic youth stuff

I am in camp Kim Gordon meaning I prefer the songs with her vocals. I have dabbled in Sonic Youth at times thinking pretentiousness was making up for talent and songwriting skills. I never had this album on the radar. Don’t think I will listen again in a hurry.

New wave emerged in the mid-'70s, and by the end of the decade, it had become so commercial that hipsters of the time coined no-wave in response. It sounded atonal and broken, and the underground scene was delighted. Sonic Youth had just emerged from no-wave, and although this album marked their almost complete transition to alternative rock, its roots are still evident. The music became slightly more melodic, but still not radio-friendly (no singles were released to support the album). A song here might initially sound like typical post-punk, but the thing is, you never know what's coming ten seconds later — a slower tempo, the muting of certain instruments, or even total noise. Surprisingly, the album manages to simultaneously keep you on edge and soothe you. Later, the band's music became easier to understand, and it's good — underground is underground, but in some places it seemed like the musicians simply didn't know how to play.

It’s ok! Don’t love it don’t hate it.

Daydream Nation >

This was better than their other stuff, but Jesus enough Sonic Youth

Melodic(ish) noise

Some solid rock songs mixed with a lot of noise. Sometimes the noise is too much.

I thought it was cool but I actually didn’t like it all that much