Sister

i can already tell im going to be in the minority on this one. sonic youth, despite going out of their way to make (for their time) one of the most hostile, chaotic sounds in music, managed to avoid the pitfall of so many other noise rock and experimental post-punk bands. the male vocalist doesn't fucking scream. god i fucking hate screamo. anyway, lee is actually a pretty bad vocalist but he does spoken word so it doesn't matter too much. where it works really well is when they do the call and response sections similar to those in schizophrenia. kim is a brilliant vocalist and her soft, soothing tones are a good parallel with lee's more blunt spoken word sections, while kim also maintains a certain level of monotonality that results in the vocals never clashing too much with the chaotic instrumentals. speaking of instrumentalism, conventional rock enjoyers will HATE this one. aside from maybe washing machine, i'd say this is one of their more chaotic albums. it was before they started to make their albums a little poppier with releases like the aforementioned washing machine, so it definitely had more of a rock/punk vibe than the admittedly more unique sound they would eventually form. it's an undeniably loud, angry sound from a loud, angry time. ultimately this is an album composed by teenagers for teenagers. ask me when i was 15 or 16 and this was an easy five, but now i enjoy it more as a conceptual album. sonic youth was incredibly influential on noise and post/alt rock and punk to come and this was them at their punkiest and rockiest. my tastes have moved too far away from this kind of sound to really love this album anymore. schizophrenia is still a banger and kim's vocals in beauty lies in the eye are definitely standouts for me, but the punky, noisy chaos and clashing guitar parts on the rest of the album just aren't for me anymore. i absolutely loved listening to this album all the way through again, but i couldn't bring myself to put it on repeat.

Is this deliberately trying to sound like shit? Whoever mixed and mastered this album should be shot behind a woodshed. Some tracks on this are genuinely hard to listen to. Like there are some actual glimmers of good riffs and stuff in here but they’re deafening while the vocals are tuned so low it sounds like they’re in the next room singing through the wall. I actually thought my headphones were broken on a couple of these tracks because I had gotten one of the EarPods wet the other day, but I listened to something else when the album was done and it sounded fine so I guess the album just sounds like that.

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

Right so really tried with this one, didn't hate it but idk the vocals were fine and instrumentals were ok but man some of the songs just felt shitty to listen to. Like it just uncomfortable like someone made like an ok song but then added some harsh vocals and instrumentals here and there. Not great, not for me. 2/5.

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!

Just can't seem to get into Sonic Youth - I just find their records quite boring

Not as good as that other one!!!

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.

Our third Sonic Youth album on the list; similar in ways to their other albums; good artsy noise-music.

3.5

Yep more of the same - don’t see the need for more than on Sonic Youth record. Same out of key, punkish, alternative indie stuff. I respect it but can’t say I really like it. Three solid stars.

I know its sort of good but not really my thing

I’m never beating the weird girl allegations, am I?

Nothing I have heard from Sonic Youth during this entire 1001 albums has moved me from the position that they are shit.

Chronic Doof

another favorite from my teenage years first record i bought on vinyl got it at poo-bah’s in pasadena in 1991!!!

Not bad, but didn’t stand out

this is awesome

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

Their genius is on full display here. As always, I'm drawn like a moth to the powerful voice of Kim and the insane tapestry of beautiful uncompromising sound. The guitar on PCH is tops. This is completely authentic to me. Mad respect.

I think I caught the Sonic Youth train a little too late in that I'd never heard the entirety of this album. And though it's from way back in the late '80s I'm assuming it sounded like shit back then too. Definitely not what I was expecting and really didn't quite get this one. But taken time into account, I suppose this was cutting edge garage-y noise rock / new wave punk or whatever when it was released. Though I really liked Sister, the opening track, it was a lot of downhill from there. Not super stoked on this one and need to rate it as so.

At one point my 8th grader asked, totally seriously, “is this music?” Sonic Youth’s talent and potential is often derailed by those sonic tangents of noise that, yes, are music. It’s just not music that is not consistent enough to make whole albums worth it. Sonic Youth was only able to put it together for a full album on “Daydream Nation.”

I liked it better on the second listen. It’s a good album, but I think I get lost a little bit during the more experimental passages. This feels like a transition album, but it’s closer to E.V.O.L. than Daydream Nation.

Second album ive listened from these guys. I’ve come to appreciate their pretty unique vocals and tracking, though I’m more of a fan of EVOL. 2.8

This Sonic Youth album sounds like a Sonic Youth album.

I adore parts of sonic youth. Then it suddenly just gets a bit too noisy and kind of irritating! 3.2

3.90 rym non è il mio 2/5

An okay album, not really my thing for casual listening. It has an interesting sound to it but I feel like this album is weak overall.

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

really enjoyed a couple of songs on this. but there was a good chunk i was just “okay” on. overall enjoyed the experimental/alt sound

Sind ja paar ganz nette Stellen drin ... aber das beste Album der 80er - ich weiß nicht!

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

I absolutely love some Sonic Youth songs. These are none of them.

Come back to album When I stop listening to Elvis Costello. Not a band I'm Biblicly familiar with. I understand they are minorly important in some capacity. I merely gave it a spin while multi-tasking. Let it be known, my review receives an asterisk since I did not do a deep analysis. I reserve the right to revise after a more measured listen. Which I may or may not do. I blame Robert Frost for this.

On the negative side, the lyrics are usually dumb, and listening to a thousand bands try to do segments of this but not get there cheapens the experience a bit. Sonic Youth doesn't sound that great in the moments where they try to a more conventional punk thing. On the positive side, lyrics don't matter and it's obvious why a thousand bands would try to steal this sound because it rules. On this one they never stick to the worse segments long enough to ruin a song. There's a ton of satisfying dynamic shifts, in mostly short songs. It's like looking at the list of experiences you want in a pop/rock song & then trying to assemble the thing out of entirely different stuff. Love it. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

Sonic Youth is guitar guy music in a way that should be right up my alley but for some reason, they aren’t. Liked this one fine, but I don’t think it’ll stick with me.

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.

The late 80s was a wild time. I enjoy observing the struggle of forward-looking bands to break away from norms of the previous decade. Sonic Youth definitely fits this mold. Although I can't say I love to listen to the music, it does at least hold my interest as something different and original.

Nah... Not really for me. I haven't heard any interesting things in there.

i gave this a 2 a while ago. i didnt like how it sounded and if got annoying and boring at times. after a relisten, i can say that its a 3 now. i really wish the album had more songs like schizophrenia since that was the only song i really enjoyed put of the album. i didnt care much about the rest of the songs. side a was a rollercoaster of ups and downs with my enjoyment, but with the ups being a mild like. side b was consistently just ok to me. even seperating the art from the artists, its still just ok to me. 3 personal favs: schizophrenia

Lots of ear rape, as well as it’s just not good

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

Not particularly fun to listen to

My previous opinion applies; overrated and pretentious. Not impressed. But I’ll give it 2 stars for the angsty adolescent vibe.

I compliment the experimental side of this but also think it’s ehh for this current timeframe. Which I’m sure at the time it was very new sounding

Decent

Talvez um dos últimos grandes álbuns com um som puxado ao punk da era Reagan, Sister, 4º álbum do Sonic Youth, que surgiu naquela primorosa cena do No Wave novaiorquino na década de 80, já mostrava uma tendência de mudança no som que iria culminar no Magnum Opus deles, vindo a definir o indie rock para sempre, de 1 ano depois, o Daydream Nation. Com isso, nessa mistura entre os sons mais brutais e dissonantes possíveis e estruturas mais clássicas do rock cantadas com melancolia típicas do pós-punk, tem-se um álbum delicioso de ouvir e que, tirando o cover de Hot Wire My Heart, que é bem fraquinho, um projeto em que todas as músicas são, ao mesmo tempo, íntimas e cheias de energia, seja descontruindo baladas como no dueto de Cottom Cottom, criando letras baseadas na ficção científica de Phillip K. Dick ou, óbvio, com música incisivas e ensurdecedora como a maravilhosa Stereo Sanctity, minha favorita.

Okay, I guess, doesn't particularly excite or offend me.

stop yapping guys

For me , this is the SY album that best hits that sweet spot between off-kilter dissonance, punk rock energy and killer rock anthems. The combinations of the guitars here is magical, and that 'dropdown' bit in Pacific Coast has to be among my top 3 all-time guitar parts in any song ever. It's so beautiful it almost makes me cry. The last time I saw them live was on this tour, and they - for me - were never the same again after this album.

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

Kind of bland. Easy forgettable.

I must be old because this was just angry noise.

Just not for me.

I did enjoy this one!

This is a difficult one to rate. I more appreciate it than love it. The only Sonic Youth album I own is Dirty and although I liked it at the time it has never got repeated listenings in the meantime. I think Sister would be somewhat similar for me. I can appreciate the music but it just doesn’t cut through for me as an album that I will give repeat listening to. So a 3/5 for me, with the caveat that I do hear why many would rate it higher.

sonic youth’s sound appears to be very experimental. the first half was better to me.

meh

Not to my taste, just sounded like a load of noise, with a bit of cool

I've loved the name of this band since the first time I heard it, but I don't think I've ever actually listened to them. Read a bunch of 1001 reviews and surprised at all the ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ratings. Someone, giving this a ⭐, complained about it being "sustain guitar depressed teenager music". But for a band named SONIC YOUTH, who formed in the middle of the post-punk no-wave period, what would you expect?!? "Sustain guitar depressed teenager music" is what they were supposed to do. I wonder if they were influenced by the PIXIES... On another day, I might give it ⭐⭐ - it's not my cup of tea, but I'll give it ⭐⭐⭐ because it's a pretty accurate picture of what was happening in 1987. ________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 57 🎧 LPs left to review: 944 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 12 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 17 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 16

56/100

Sister is delicious raw creativity packed in an album. It's not the easiest entryway to the bands' back catalog, but both EVOL and Sister show Sonic Youth at their best.

It's just the Grateful Dead in plaid.

3.5

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!

Too abrasive for me, low 2

IMO, its their best. A properly edited album and as close to a rock album as they get

Pretty decent, noisy and grumpy but enjoyable. Dissonant in a positive way.

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.

Good but it's driving me a little crazy. I'll definitely get a headache if I listen to this 2 times in a row. But it's not a terrible album 3/5. 3 because I thought it was a good album but the further it goes the worse it starts to get.

tbh wasn’t in the best headspace while listening but i don’t think it was great either way

Fantastic deep cut! I've listened to Daydream Nation and Goo a bunch but never Sister. Don't know if it really needs to be an album to hear before I die but I do enjoy it.

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

Last time we had a Sonic Youth record I said "I'd just thought they were a bit too sludge and scuzz to appeal to me", but I guess that one was the exception to the rule because what we had before that is basically what Sister is, which is nondescript noise rock that doesn't do anything to excite or innovate or deserve to be here. A weary 2.

This is not the worst of the many Sonic Youth albums we've had, which isn't saying much. They're better when they're more tuneful, does lapse into noise too often, doesn't really do enough to get beyond a 2.

p579. 1987. 3 stars. Noisy bridge between punk and grunge. Well done of its kind but no redeeming features.

Could not be bothered with this today and quite frankly found the record a bit tiresome. I'll try again some other time but for now it's a poor score

Thoughts before listening: Sonic Youth is one of the most polarizing bands for me. They wrote some amazing 90s underground anthems like "Teenage Riot" and "Kool Thing", but they also have some stuff that is way too out there for me. I don't know this album, but I fear it's going to fall in the latter category. Review: This is okay. There is definitely a cool aesthetic to pretty much everything Sonic Youth does, and that comes through here in spades. I have tried for years to like this band, but I still just don't enjoy listening to them all that much. Its too atonal and weird for its own good or something. I know this is a selling point for their fans, but I guess I'm just a pop music fan. Even with punk and alt-rock bands I need catchy melodies and cohesive musicianship to really enjoy it. Best songs are "Schizophrenia", "Tuff Gnarl", and "White Cross". 3-stars.

Sister is my favorite Sonic Youth album. The detuned and distorted guitar sounds are there, but also fantastic rock songs (Schizophrenia, (I Got A) Catholic Block). Daydream Nation is also a banger, but is missing the urgence of this one.

Vet album, begrijp nu waarom dit zo invloedrijk is. Hoop lawaai, sterk toegepast, gecombineerd met mooie momenten.

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".

A other amazing album. In context there wer enot many bands with this sound at the time and simply really cool and well produced. An underrated band that still needs to be more recognized. Not one single bad song in this album

Influential band in the alternative rock scene for sure. But for me some songs are just the dull mix of simple noise. I liked the first track of the album tho

Great album!

You know that confused madness you feel in your brain when you suddenly find yourself boxed in, on a multilane highway with no exit ramp bailout anywhere in sight and all that lies before you is a sea of brake lights with some cars frantically trying to change lanes to break free but no one is really getting anywhere? That is one long sentence, but if I had to attach a soundtrack to describe that feeling, this would be it. I realize I should probably appreciate this more for some reason, but it’s just a little too abstract and gritty for my taste.

As Thurston Moore sings: “Flies are flaring through your brains.” That’s pretty much how I felt listening to this. The album started the bridge of the band moving into songs with more structure and actual hook. But not much of that here. There’s only so much art rock noise one can handle. Granted, the bonus track Master-Dik espousing “I’m the royal tuff titty and you gotta taste my love” while sampling KISS’ “Strutter” was pretty sweet.

I think I preferred Daydream Nation slightly over this. Still feels like a band I can’t get into for a full album

2.5 Some solid moments but I can’t get over the rock noise. Makes it tough to listen to at times.

I’m starting to think I’m not cool enough to like Sonic Youth… 2.5/5

Ik heb ze weer aanstaan tijdens het vissen. Traditie! Het is precies wat ik ervan had verwacht na die andere 2 albums: goed, maar taai. Moeilijke kost. Ik denk dat muziek geen plezier mag brengen volgens hen. Jammer. Iets te noisy. Het wordt een 2 ondanks dat ik het niet slecht vind.

Great alternative rock.

I liked when they broke down and got heavy. Stand-out: White Cross

I swear that there is a big joke that I’ve been left out on. A joke where everybody pretends that Sonic Youth are a good band just to confuse me. I’ve definitely said this before, but they’re so highly regarded and I still can’t wrap my head around why. This album was a boring blend of noise that brought me little joy. Each to their own, but this isn’t one I’d want.

On first Impression I'm thinking this was a step back from EVOL, but after a few listens it eventually snuck in like being lured into a strange and horrific film or book. I really enjoy the playful deconstruction of glam rock and new wave, which lacks a mocking tone. Rather, it's an adventurous exploration looking back to 'Bad Moon Rising', and forward thinking in the more accessible. I'm still very impressed this is coming out of the 80's, and I do wonder what Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley thought about 'Master-Dik'. Here is another album I want to hang out in for a little while.

Over the years I've only enjoyed exactly one Sonic Youth track, "Titanium Expose" and can bear the rest from the album that it comes from, GOO. Unfortunately, this album did not change that perception. Still feels like a bunch of half-baked ideas lyrically and musically that are not really going anywhere.

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

Another great record by Sonic Youth. This is almost as good as Daydream Nation. And that is really something, since Daydream Nation is one of the best records ever produced!

Tredje plattan med Sonic Youth och jag gillar det fortfarande inte. Det var väl en hype att gilla dem.

Awesome thanks. Keep up the great work!

Nirvana with less going on and no nostalgia.

Terrible

Nothing remarkable. Not much reason to come back to it.

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

Gitarrenkrach

Nice album

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

*More* Sonic Youth? Oh come on. I've already suffered through three of these. Are you testing my mettle? I'll listen before I rate it but I already know what I am going to rate it and I don't feel bad about that at all.

Try as I do, I never really enjoy Sonic Youth. And I tried again. Don't get it. Loud indie guitar rock. Obligatory guitar squeal...

The first couple of songs are interesting in ‘Schizophrenia’ and ‘Catholic Block’, but from there a lot of the rest of ‘Sister’ kind of just becomes a blur of noise. Some songs in isolation would probably stand out more, like ‘Pacific Coast Highway’ and punk cover ‘Hot Wire My Heart’, but overall, I’m neither here nor there with this. I probably will never listen to it again.

Good album. Vocals and lyrics a little dated but music great.

The 90s.

80's alternative. I knew of Sonic Youth but hadn't explored their catalog. You can clearly hear the punk rock roots but they experiment heavily with different chord structures and instrumentation. Very creative stuff but you have to be in a certain frame of mine to appreciate it.

https://youtu.be/bWQYwqHWiyQ?si=QsbYaZO-z236ViU5 I hate to contradict Juno, but Sonic Youth is pretty cool and this is a pretty good album. I don’t like noise rock but Sonic Youth has always kept their noise poppy enough for my tastes. I wouldn’t want to listen to this all the time but I’d take a kinda noisy rock and roll record over another bland snoozefest most of the time.

Okayish

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

OK

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

For the most part this isn't for me. However, there are one or two I was surprised I liked.

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.

not my thing.

the Sonic Youth album without any of the great Sonic Youth songs, this was a chore to get through at points. 2.5 stars but rounding up

Quite honestly, an 80s rock album that sounds like a 90s grunge album. A bit ahead of its time. If you enjoy that stuff, it’s recommended. Not really my cup of tea though. Low 3.

Grungy late 80s alive and well

Some songs are good and fast. Some are just kind of messy.

I imagine this would have made an outstanding live experience, and the record definitely embodies a genre of experimental punk which is unique… I would hazard a guess that the band wanted to make an album which felt disjointed, chaotic, and challenging, and as artists they have definitely succeeded; as a listener, however, the challenge can be altogether too much to actually make it an enjoyable experience.

Sounds like a convulsion Fav songs:tuff garnl =,

Went through all the tracks, but didn't find any of em particularly interesting. Found myself getting bored. Not for me. 2 star

didn’t amaze me, schizophrenia is a good song, it was good overall

Pretty good!

Meh, not my favourite. Just doesn’t jive with me at all. Puts me on edge.

So much of it is just... noise

Controlled chaos 1. "I went away to see an old friend of mine his sister came over she was out of her mind she said jesus had a twin who knew nothing about sin" 2. I GOT A CATHOLIC BLOCK DO YOU LIKE TO FUCK?? 3.this song makes me so anxious. Absloutly amazing. 6. This one is about sex. Or being horny , idk. I just love how unsexy it is. Like.. i cant describe it. It's so unsexy it's sexy??? Idk. Good stuff anyway 9. This song is about love between gordon (singer) , moore (singer) and heroin (the drug). I think it's pretty good 11. One two, one two, one two titty !! I know every nook and cranny of new yourk city!!

This sounded exactly as I expected it to based on my 30 year old preconceptions. A lot of music can be calming. Some music provides a release. This music is intended to cause tension and anxiety. It edges. It does not resolve. Which makes it difficult. Influential? Perhaps. Not for me.

The usual off kilter detached cool mush, didn’t stand out for me

relisten. i just love Sonic Youth.

Was pretty decent. Had some dips, but the highs were much more frequent. 3.5/5

My favourite SY album. Not as ambitious as its famous followup, Daydream Nation, but just as strong musically speaking. Schizophrenia has to be one of their best songs.

Probably the SY album that I enjoyed the most. Still got a headache at the half of it.

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.

Ok

Revisit later. Hardest choice between 3 and 4 yet

I didn’t hate this, but I still don’t find much appeal in Sonic Youth.

"It's just noise" -Juno

Good for the way I felt yesterday.

So much fuzz. Not a fan. 2.3.

I don't know this doesn't do much for me.

Noisy Painful to listen to

my wife was glad when it was over. I thought it was okay. A little grating.

Just didn't dig this. Hard to hear the vocals and music is mainly just dijointed noise.

schizophrenia catholic block tuff gnarl pacific coast highway hot wire my heart white cross

Some of the music and instrumentals were cool but some songs were a little too experimental for my taste.

Not their best work but I can see where they were headed with this one and it’s much better than most other American music being made in 1987. 2.5

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.

okay

Guitar heavy, crunchy tones and hard driving punk.

Such a cool project compared to so much of the fluffy pop and R&B on the scene at its time. Simultaneously brusque and thoughtful, grim and serene. The band manages to produce busy soundscapes which are complimentary, still appealing to the ear, yet the anger behind so many of the tracks is still evident. An awesome listen, and a clear inspiration to many alternative & post punk acts after.

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

3-

Noise

Another one by Noisy Youth .... Sonic Noise, ahm, Sonic Youth, who I find highly overrated. It's not a total disaster, but a minor one. 1.5/5

A bit cacophonic.

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 experimental, which I respect, but it's not really my thing

Nearing the peak of the atonal squonk powers. Love it.

Grungy and noisy, definitely a precursor to things that came soon after with Nirvana, PJ, and Soundgarden. Sadly, everything is samey. Two heavily distorted chords to start the song with sometimes sort of a riff. Mumbles and low falsetto lyrics. It’s sort of cool and sort of boring. I almost feel like I could join the band, crank up a fuzz pedal and make it up as I go.

Needs more cowbell.

Ansi pönkað alt-rokk, hæfilegt fuck you attitjúd. Fíla þetta.

Only a little guitar distortion

I’ve heard of Sonic Youth but don’t think I’ve ever listened to any of their songs. Few places that were a bit like noise but overall very cohesive. I enjoyed, would listen again but may not seek it out.

Meh, a little jangly noisy discordant for my tastes

Ég hef heyrt af þessu bandi en eiginlega ekkert hlustað á þau og eftir að hafa þrælað mér í gegnum þessa plötu er afar ólíklegt að ég muni nokkurn tímann hlusta á hana aftur, eiginlega bara engar líkur. Þetta er samt ekki það versta sem ég hef hlustað á en samt bara ekkert skemmtilegt.

Hm, kannte ich nicht (nur dem Namen nach), hat mich jetzt aber auch nicht so überzeugt, dass ich da nochmal intensiver reinhören möchte.

Levyn miksaus alkoi vituttamaan kohtuullisen nopeasti, joten sielun lisäksi myös korviin alkoi sattua. Jaksoin loppuun asti enkä kuuntele toiste.

Vähän meni huomaamatta ohi. Sekavahkoa

Fine, but not for me.

Sister is the fourth album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. The band tempered their crazy-sounding no wave rock music from the first few albums to create a masterpiece of noise pop that still had enough rock 'n roll for the young people. The album has been critically acclaimed, but it was not successful until years after release, which means it also never charted well or was certified for high sale amounts. It is now regarded as one of the best albums of the 80's. This was an interesting, noisy pop rock album that held my attention throughout. It featured some beautiful melodies along with moments of rabid rock that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Awesome album! Fans of punk or any alternative rock will enjoy this album.

Strong start but lost me pretty quickly. The album feels like it kept a lot of noise on the later tracks that just got in the way for me.

Not my thing

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.

I can appreciate what Sonic Youth did for music in the 90s, but it still doesn't mean I like them.

This album really had potential, and oh boy they didn't use it well. The vocals are really good, and the songwriting is really good. That's honestly all I can say. Everything else was awful. Each song is so messy and incoherent, and the production and mixing is next to none. These are clearly talented artists who know what they are doing, but this album just isn't it.

Not sure why this album gets any attention at all, and do not understand it's critical acclaim. Senseless guitar noise with monotonous vocal trash. Garage band that needed to stay in the garage with the doors closed and the car running.

I don’t really like this.

I’ve tried to get into Sonic Youth many times in the past, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I like the idea of Sonic Youth more than I actually like Sonic Youth. It’s very clear they were highly influential, wrote great music, and created a totally different sound. And while I find myself appreciating it, I don’t particularly enjoy it.

Eh

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

feels like tumblr in 2013

In many ways, Sonic Youth remain ahead of their time; at least, they never seemed interested in waiting around for fans or critics to catch up. They’re mavericks in the sense that they create their own zeitgeist and they’ve spun it across the ‘80s, the ‘90s and beyond like a noisy cyclone. “Sister” was made before Grunge was “born” and well after Punk was dead, so maybe that accounts for why it sounds so heavy, so off-kilter, so sloppy, so interesting. Take “Stereo Sanctity,” with its alternate tuning, twin guitar attack and pummeling drums that embraces a modernized Velvet Underground sensibility, except lurking in the background is a super catchy, twangy surf guitar riff. That’s Sonic Youth for you—walls of weirdness shot through with knowing winks and nods to what makes Rock n Roll such compelling music. It’s difficult to say whether this record hints at Sonic Youth’s more focused greatness to come, starting with “Daydream Nation,” released just a year later (though they also released a couple of noisy/artsy/indie/less-accessible records in between, including a jokey covers record as Ciccone Youth, but only super fans will care about those). “Sister” is a compass needle pointing in more than one direction, because in the Sonic Youth universe, there’s no true north, only an urge to keep moving and to explore possibilities. The standout track and album opener, “Schizophrenia,” says it all: “She said Jesus had a twin who knew nothing about sin/And she was laughing like crazy, at the trouble I’m in.” Defying convention isn’t exactly the same as getting into trouble, but even the casual listener can tell Sonic Youth are up to something. That “something” has turned out to be a unique musical career and an enduring, influential legacy.

👍

Experiments in sound. Not exactly catchy, but damn it's got so many layers and textures. Like a well crafted sandwich with weird shit on it

Noise rock glory

not bad but not my favorite!

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

This is the fourth Sonic Youth album we've gotten, and yep, not a fan.

Absolutely solid rock 4 stars

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

Gefällt mir nicht

Some cool stuff, nothing really stood out. I’ve developed an appreciation for sonic youth via this challenge though

Ass

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.

Did not enjoy this as much as Daydream Nation. Found this to be more annoying with all the seemingly random noise. Highlights: Schizophrenia Hot Wire My Heart

I did enjoy this mostly, but daydream nation is streets ahead imo Still pretty distinctive stylistically, but that sound isn't quite there yet I don't think. Still like the contrast of having both a female and male vocalist. Thought the first half was better than the second

Thurston Less.

like Wile E Coyote running off a cliff, Sonic Youth, oblivious to how shit they are

It's okay. There are always plenty of twisted, screeching, unpredictable guitar sounds on their albums - so much so that it's all quite predictable. This is no Experimental Jet Set Trash or Daydream Nation. I guess it's a statement and has historical context.

A masterpiece!

I'm not an angry adolescent anymore. Not sure I would have even gotten into this back then.

Good album. Interesting to hear all the elements people have copied over the years of this noise rock. I enjoyed it

I was surprised by how much I liked this. This feels like a really important bridge between 20th century rock and modern day alternative.

5th Sonic Youth album? You can’t be serious. As for the album itself: a bit annoying, rather benign, uninspiring. You know, a Sonic Youth album. When they grow up they'd like to be a Nirvana.

Better than expected

Sick album

Not my style

Too rough. But creative along the post-punk scene.

Very influential but somehow seemed to pass me by. Listening now it's pretty good but having listened to a few of their albums now they can get pretty samey. Considering this is 1987 and comparing it to a lot of late 70's New Wave it's not really that innovative either. Going to go with a safe 3*

Meh.

I didn't like the album

Nice shoe gazing albumerino

solid sonic youth

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.

Interesting bits, and some less so, but overall a decent album

meh.

Kinda lost me in the end

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 got Evol earlier and didn’t like it. I’ve since listened to all their 80s stuff up to Goo after becoming obsessed with Daydream Nation. I still only like Evol in terms of seeing the bands progression from pure no wave into what they become on Daydream Nation. Sister is still such a great album even though not quite up to the heights of Daydream Nation. It’s amazing the steps they took from Bad Moon Rising to Evol and from Evol to Sister. Rating: 4.5

Not my style. Kind of a grunge/alt mix but I can't imagine ever being in the mood.

Ah no no no. I can tell that the guitar work is super impressive. I do like Kim Gordon's vocals and there are elements of all Sonic Youth albums that I do find that I like in there, this one included. However, the last track is an absolute joke, it just sounds like screamo and I can't pick out the skill in it and I don't like it at all. It's just busy and stressful and not artful in my opinion. The few Sonic Youth tracks I do like aren't on this album.

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.

Annoying

I am so sick of sonic youth. When I saw that we had this album, I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for the hell. I was going to hear the first song I thought wait maybe this isn’t the worst thing, but as the album proceeded, I remembered how correct my thoughts were.

Sonic Youth on a weekend is the same kind of torture that young boy in the lower right is gonna get when he walks too close to his older brother's front bicycle wheel as he rides by. I get that we're not gonna like everything, and perhaps actively dislike others, but a FOURTH ALBUM - let me type this again - a FOURTH (for those in the back: FOUR. 4. IV. IIII. 1...plus 3 MORE.) ALBUM from this bullshit band .... just seeing their name makes me want to make them go play in the street with their Lou Reed records. I wanted to leave just the first sentence as my complete review but I will admit that after a few minutes it seems they actually made - for them - some slight effort into what they would call composing. So my extra unnecessary words here are the equivalent. I am respecting the art! Obligatory objective sentence: We *need* completely different and varied music forms - it expands everything and all possibilities, even if we/I don't like it. But! Enough of this bullshit - Sonic Youth are one of the rare acts that achieve one thing: I actually get more angry/agitated the longer I listen to them. I can't even count the ways. I still cannot believe 4 slots of my first 700 are taken up by this carnie act. Thousands of awesome and unheralded acts weep... 2/10 1 star

I can't pick out any individual song, but enjoyed the album as a whole listening experience.

could i write poetry to this? y (and i have)

Solid. Solid. Sonic Youth

I put this in the category of music that is more fun to make than to listen to.

Ominous.

Scuffed

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.

didnt really care. couldve been a 3 if it was an instrumental album

Like all Sonic Youth albums, this one starts out amazingly headstrong before descending into just a bit too much chaos to break through to four stars. I love this band's sound, instrumentation, and wryly dour yet witty lyricism, but not a single album has escaped the noodle zone. All for chaotic instrumentals, but even I have a limit for how much discordant guitar scratching I can take before the plot is lost.

Friggin awesome

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.

im not sonic youths biggest fan but i enjoy some of their songs this album is pretty solid last song was fucked though lol

Discordant and tense, these songs whip things up into a frenzy that either all comes crashing down or breaks like a wave into a (relatively) serene plateau. They have some of the best guitar in post punk, detuned drones, dense textures, airless distorted riffs that resolves into roomy crystalline chords, shoegaze use of effects combined with a faster punk energy - there's some really pretty melodic playing buried under the layers of dissolution. Individual songs don't really stand out to me because the songs all have a couple of pretty different parts that are hooked together by tension/release moments or bridging riffs and there are lots of parts that happen just once rather than verse/chorsus structures: it's rare to return to a familiar place. But the album as a whole is very cohesive sonically and stylistically. One exception is Hot Wire My Heart which is like an oldies rock-n-roll song processed through the SY sound and comes out sounding like a classic punk. Overall though instead of songs there are individual parts that stand out - the amazing slow building part on Pacific Coast, the jangly introductory part of Tuff Gnarl, the break in Pipeline where it opens up and dissolves, lots more - but this feels like an album meant to be swallowed whole.

Noise.

Not for me.

I was here for the vibes on sonic youth. But none of the songs really grabbed me. Love the albums after this though

Better

Dug it but not my thing normally

It never lets go off you it grinds you to fine fucking powder earphones headphones in head... SOUNDS.... Its caresses the soul too.. great album..

I didn't recognize anybof the songs off the album, I've only previously head Sonic Youth songs from the early to mid 90s, this didn't sound much like them. This is sited by many grunge acts as being an influential album for them, I can hear it in the indistinguishable lyrics, the heavy distortion and dissonance in the guitars, it's all there, but not quite bit together. I didn't really enjoy it, but I like where it was going

It's got that experimental vibe, but it's kind of, tame? Not that that makes it bad, but if they were going for the wild and different, why wouldn't you really go for it? I guess this was one of "the first great American albums to come from the underground". So I'll cut it some slack, but it just doesn't do enough for me. The guitar work is top notch. The back half of the album is much better than the first half, in my opinion.

Cool album

Like

I don't think this was as good as Teenage Nation but it's still Sonic Youth which means it's at least decent. Sounds like this was kind of a precursor to that album and is somewhat transitional between sounds. I liked hotwire my heart and schizophrenia while the rest kinda blended together but not in the same way that most albums like this normally do. It has enough of a melodic sound on stuff like schizo to keep the more hardcore no wave stuff from becoming grating. It's the second best album with a naked baby on the cover that I've heard. Looking back at my old sonic youth reviews, i really was not that kind even though somewhere along the way I really started enjoying their music. Maybe I just listened to teenage riot too many times but their sound is anything but standard.

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.

Nice songwriting

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.

I'm not sure I'll ever understand the appeal of experimental art-rock or post-punk. Too noisy and dissonant and lacks rhythm too much of the time.

Álbum que eu nunca tinha ouvido, e realmente eu acho que só curto as músicas do Sonic Youth que são mais sistêmicas.

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.

Static noise

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.

oki nice

Great guitar sounds. A worthwhile listen. 3.5 stars.

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.

Noisy, explosive, dynamic and full of energy.

cool, I dont think I gave the lyrics the attention they deserved but vibid nonetheless

A sonic masterpiece. 5 stars.

It was pretty good, short but gave nice vibes

I actually really liked this. Good punk, but with more range than I expected

There's some, but not many Sonic Youths left in the list, and I might need someone to explain what's the big deal they bring to the table, because I do really like what I've heard from them so far, but I know people who are *enthusiastic* about them in a way I can't access

Good bad, terrible singers

Pretty good actually 3 Thought I'd had enough of sonic youth though. 2

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

Favourite tracks: schizophrenia

I bet Kim Gordon sings in that way that she always does. It's breathy. Gets real breathy. Repeat the cadence. Same cadence. But go faster. Repeat it faster. Say it faster, say it over! Oh yeah, and let's maybe have like an extra 15 seconds of feedback at the end of our songs. That's a good idea and doesn't waste anyone's time.

Two and a half if I had the option. Fine but didn't do anything for me.

Really not my thing at all. It rarely got better than "just about bearable". I did make it all the way through the full album, and I am still alive, so for that it gets my standard 2 stars!

Full disclosure: Sonic Youth's Goo album was on heavy rotation for me in my teens, so this was like visiting an old friend. The familiar guitar distortions, Kim's husky voice (although I wish there was more of that in this album) felt like a trip down memory lane. It's definitely not my favourite Sonic Youth album (duh), but it was fun to listen through.

couple of cool riff ideas here and there but it gets kinda boring. songwriting is like, idk. ok i guess? at times. overrated as fuck band. also thurston moore disrespected Nardwuar on camera so he can go kill himself for all i care.

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.

fine

Sounds like noise to me. Artists talked more than sang. Felt my nervous system get stressed and unsettled while listening

Early indie! Cool to hear a part of history. They were definitely trying new things. +1 for that. Not something I'd ever put on though