Sister

Thought i would like this more than i did. I think it's more the production but it just grated on me by the time the album was over.

Experimentation CAN mean good. It can even mean great! And I want this album to be that so bad. But it just never reaches that peak I need it to. SY teeters on valuing experimentation over writing good songs here, and again, it's tiring. I know I said that about EVOL as well. I like this band, and I want to like them a lot more. They were doing things in the 80s that no one else dared to; that's commendable. It's like, yes, if you slide your guitar pick down the strings through a fuzz pedal, it makes a fun sound. I completely understand. I like doing that too! That said, the influence this album leaves earns it higher stars from me. Also Kim Gordon.

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

Makes me realize I can tolerate a lot of different types of guitar playing as long as it’s not too slow. By far the most noise pop-sounding record I’ve ever heard and like with Public Image Ltd, it’s so different for me I can lean into it a little and come close to enjoying it. White Cross sounds a lot 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins, which led me down a rabbithole where Reddit Smashing Pumpkins fans claim Billy Corgan admitted he was inspired by Sonic Youth when writing “1979”. Punk fans can be very passionate. 3/10

Jangly, unusual, typical Sonic Youth.

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

Meh.

Found a new regular album! This app/website is exactly what I was looking for! Introduced me to new favorites. 5/5!

Harmonica is everything. I like this album overall. It really is kind of an evolved version of the Mudhoney in Superfuzz, however still the same in all the ways I care about. Vocals, garage punk, and production that shows all this off. Good album. I wanted to listen to it again the second it was over. 4

One or two ok at best songs. Most of the songs quickly devolve into random noise and reverb with no structure. Closer to 1 star than 3.

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!"

worst music I heard in my life

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

Slaps

Some of this was decent, good grooves and band sounds tight, but a lot of it is just chaotic noise and I guess that's the point but it didn't work for me.

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

Indieboy classic

Blassic... crazy gitarrer

Meh.

Eh, no thanks I guess! I find I don't connect strongly with the "wall of noise" style of 80s underground rock. I hope to appreciate what cultural phenomena led to these stylistic choices, but I prefer my frustration to be expressed musically in other ways, I suppose!

first listen liked it

Dirty better

Some of it wasn’t horrible is about all I can say. Not my jam

Finally, I get my first Sonic Youth album on this list! My first exposure to Sonic Youth was through Daydream Nation. I had heard about the 1001 albums list, and saw that Sonic Youth was had several albums on the list, so I bought Daydream Nation and gave it a go. I grew up listening to a lot of popular music from the eighties, so my brain had been hardwired for over twenty years to think of synth pop, arena rock, and hair metal as the defining sounds of the eighties. When I listened to Daydream Nation, it completely blew my mind and shattered my assertions about music in the eighties. I had absolutely no idea that people were making music like this back then. This was my first time listening to Sister, and it gave me the same feelings that I had when I first listened to Daydream Nation. I loved the dissonant guitars, the rapid-fire drumming, and Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon's unique vocals. Sonic Youth created a sound that was distinctly their own, and this album cemented their presence as a shifting force in rock music. I loved that the album starts off with the more melodic "Schizophrenia," before descending into the controlled chaos that became synonymous with Sonic Youth's own brand of post-punk sounds. This was a fantastic listen from start to finish. Bring on more Sonic Youth albums!

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

This came out during my high school years but I was not into it at the time. Sounds like Achtung Baby without the catchy hooks. The U2 boys must have listened to this as inspiration. Interesting sounds. Lyrics hard to follow. Probably better with more listens. It is good, but it is great? Hard to give it 4-stars. I'm going with 3.25

Pretty good noise rock. I know Daydream Nation is supposed to be their opus but am not familiar with much of their work. Good stuff but nothing reached out and grabbed me.

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

Not my favorite Sonic Youth album, a bit indistinct in its noisiness. But they were super influential and innovative for 1987, leading into the 90s grunge.

Som diferente, meio barulhento em alguns

Every time I listen to Sonic Youth I want to like it more than I end up doing, and this is no exception. It's definitely good for what it is but not my taste.

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

One of those bands whose critical acclaim exceeds my enjoyment of their work. I like the more mainstream sounding stuff much better than the "experimental, edgy" songs that critics seem to always love. Some good fuzzy guitars though and sharp lyrics.

Not my personal preference but well executed. Seems to straddle the border of punk and alternative rock. The guitar tone was rough but in a very good way. Would do a 3.5 if possible.

Most of this album is just noise and it gave me a headache. Wikipedia says that this "album furthered the band's move away from the no wave genre towards more traditional song structures, while maintaining an aggressively experimental approach" - what a load of pretentious bollocks. If this is their move to more tradional song structures then I hate to think how dreadful their earlier albums must have been.

A little better than the other 2, still dont get it. Also dont know why they are on here 3 times

Sure okay nice jams 3.5/5

Noisy and often grating, but a few good moments

Not my jam.

Rubbish mostly.

More of the same from these guys. Music to BBQ by.

It was not good. Some of it was tolerable, but most of it just needed to end. It is better than a one but it is not a two.

just not me

7/10

Started out very strong, but slowly turned into rough, ragged sounds that's not too appealing.

Overly indulgent guitar endings. Fast finished.

Bastante pfff

I liked Goo better, but this wasn’t bad

I prefer their stuff that came right after this but you can really hear the template for it here, and the transition from their earlier material. Definitely a solid album.

I don't know, it's too much noise somehow

Another Sonic Youth album my 2nd so far, I enjoyed this more than Dirty, but similarly not vibing with them just yet. Maybe another listen of this would help but I'm just not sure. Though I can overall start to understand and see why they are revered and so influential in the industry.

Beauty within the noise.

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

Dull, basic, unmemorable

Too dissonant for these 56 year old ears. Might have been able to get into it when I was 20 (the year it came out), but I doubt it.

Not really my thing. I did like some of the more melodic moments, but I think they’re quite sparse for this band? This is, something.. 4 out of 10

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...

I enjoyed “Goo” better.

This Sonic Youth album is less poo than Goo.

Goed niets speciaal tho

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

Just another Sonic Youth album to me. I never really understood the appeal.

Another album by Sonic Youth, another big surprise - how good is this band, man? And more importantly, how come I have never listened to any of their songs? I'm absolutely baffled. But there is something weird about it - since listening to their other album, "Daydream Nation", even though I really liked it, not even once I revisited it. I have a feeling its going to be the same story with "Sister". Both albums are really great, but ultimately I think it might be too far down the line for me to properly enjoy it. I'll give it 4 stars, but just to balance it out with previous album, so that both of them are 4,5 stars.

Not bad.

Thought the album got off to a decent start with Schizophrenia and Catholic Block, but quickly turned into a mess of a bunch of noise. It was like they tried way too hard to came off as punk and missed the point. But is there really a point to most punk rock? But at least the punk I listen to have some great tunes. This album did not. There was one line that stood out though. In Stereo Sanctity, he says everyone is dead and he's not getting laid. I don't know, I just kinda laughed to myself for some reason. If the world made getting laid their top priority, this place would be a lot nicer. So let's all get laid this weekend! 2

Not sure why I was under the impression that these guys were more way more punk like Agent Orange or Dead Kennedys but I was. Turns out they're way more shoegaze/post punk. This style is still not really my thing and even though this album had a little something else, I don't think I'll be listening to this again. 2

3.5 I’ve generally liked everything I’ve heard by Sonic Youth, and I maintain that opinion after listening to this album. It starts incredibly strong with Schizophrenia, a tune that I immediately had to turn my speaker’s volume up like two notches on because the riff is that good - I found myself bobbing around to it in the kitchen while I was making my lunch. Unfortunately, the rest of the album just kind of slowly devolves from there. While Catholic Block was another enjoyable track, it was a slight step down from the opener, with Beauty Lies in the Eye following suit, and so on and so on until you’re just kind of listening to a bunch of noise at the end. But you know what? That noise is my kind of noise, dammit. It probably kept this album out of the 4 territory for me, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. This is the exact kind of classic unadulterated alternative rock shit I like - the kind that unites outsiders, never feels compelled to be a masterpiece, and just like Pixies, is the blueprint for what would eventually become Nirvana.

Ok sound. Seemed samey

1. Jedan od meni najboljih bendova na svijetu 2. Jedan od najboljih njihovih albuma ikad, a ima ih pregršt 3. Jednostavno, masterpiece - nije čista petica, ali pošto svakakvim dajem šakom i kapom bolje rejtinge nego što trebaju dobit, hej.

Very slow, quiet, hypnotic punk

strano e noioso

Highlights: "Schizophrenia," "Catholic Block," "Pacific Coast Highway," "White Cross" As the band's alleged breakthrough album, you can hear its sense of harmony past grunge and artists like Beck into 21st-century acts like Deerhoof, Battles, and Women. But it's still starved for satisfying melody, and I can't honestly say it's a clean break from New Wave tropes into something else -- more a development from Evol by way of exaggeration. As far as highly influential bands go, this might be one where "you had to be there," because looking back through its influences the flaws seem to stick out most. Sonic Youth may be exceptional as the most influential band without a truly great album -- or without even one truly great song.

Less developed than later albums and while it's cool what it did for noise rock in general, I find it to not be particularly engaging or pleasant to listen to.

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

Compared to the Sonic Youth I've heard, this was more straightforward songwriting from them so I liked this more as a result. What was most interesting about the album as a whole was the dissonance of the entire thing. There was a lot of noise rock elements still here, but it was really an album that also felt very full of despair, somewhat in the lyrics (and the tons of sexual themed lyrics which was unexpected), but very much so in just how each song sounded. I did enjoy some of the songs, like Schizophrenia and Beauty Lies In The Eye.

Noisy, messy, unnecessary.

Sonic Youth remain to be a bit too experimental for me, I don't care for it, it doesn't add anything to their appeal

Not at all for me.

I have mixed feelings about Sonic Youth. I know they're an important indie experimental rock band that are in the same camp as a ton of my favorite 80s and 90s bands but I've never been super into their albums as a whole. There's just a little too much noise and not enough well written songs in my opinion. The songs of theirs that I love, I really love, but I could probably skip about 80% of their songs on any given record. I think I just value songwriting a bit more and don't get enough of that from them. Standout Tracks: Schizophrenia, Tuff Gnarl, Cotton Crown

I enjoyed the chaotic punk vibe here, but none of the songs ever evolved into anything cohesive or meaningful.

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."

notwithstanding the fact sy are the most egregiously overrated band in an overrated genre, this album is less shitty than most of theirs

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".

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Hot Wire My Heart (8) 2 - Catholic Block (2) 3 - Pipline/Kill Time (5)

Dug the song Stero Sanctity, rest was alright.

Sister uses what should be the ideal Thurston-Kim connection, per-song. And it's good. And the noise is heavy and varied. By the end of the record it all feels a bit one-note, though; Maybe the concept is buried for this brain.

I most like 99% of indie rock. I have found the 1% today.

Ok, I had this down as a 3 but on second listen, particularly side two, you can hear the tunes emerging from the noise. There'd be a bit of arsing around (ciccone youth etc) and next time out would be Daydream Nation and lift off. Still a 3 but a 3.5.

Strong 7

The 4th (and not final!) Sonic Youth album. Like others it's fine. I don't think they needed five albums on here.

Noisy experimentation, but in a good way.

awful....

It was ok. I don’t know why I thought they were a hip hop troop but there were are.

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!

Music is not bad. I really hate the sound of the singer...

Just a bit shit

Blanket of comfortable noise, yes.

As I've said on the last Sonic Youth album: Not my cup of tea. Bit too noisy

Did these guys ever consider writing a tune? That people can whistle, maybe tap their foot along to? I'm being facetious, but I simply don't get the appeal of this. White noise, but not in any kind of calming sense.

I’ve always wanted to like this band and every now and then I do. But their experimental tendencies always challenge that feeling. I don’t know what it is. I can listen to Fugazi go off on a musical tangent all day long. But here those tangents run too far from the main plot. But hey, Thurston Moore was in a black metal band so that’s something!

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!

very rough, garage rock

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

I respect them more than I enjoy them

Kept wanting to listen again. At the least, 5 stars for making me pickup a guitar again and giving me ~ideas~.

Again, another obvious influence of the sound of a lot of later grunge bands: Soundgarden, Nirvana... The vocals are... okay. I dig the rawness of them, but wish for a bit more melody. When the songs go off a little bit more noise experimentation, it loses me a little. I remember having one of the Sonic Youth albums when I was a teen, I think it was "Goo." It was so beyond me, I didn't understand it. But after a few decades and music history I understand what they were going for now. I guess I wasn't ready for it at the time. Still, there's only so much of that "wall of sound" effet you can take before you are like "Okay, so... what else is there?" It gets old kinda quickly. Just like the album did for me. Next.

I loved the first two songs Schizophrenia and Catholic Block - unique beats and guitar effects, which don't get too over the top. What makes them so good is there is an underlying rhythm that even the most experimental segments of the song tie back to. I think what I'm saying is there's melody even when at times there's madness. But then by the time I get to Stereo Sanctity and Pipeline / Kill Time it's getting to be a bit too spastic, abrasive, or off-kilter. Those songs are alright, but the page is turning on the album. Tuff Gnarl starts off okay but is too self-indulgent in being noisy. Hot Wire My Heart was a cover that we didn't need. White Kross was decent; brought back some melody. It's clear how these guys are a clear link between bands like the Stooges before them and the Pixies and both shoegaze and grunge movement that came after them. So I want to give them a higher rating for their pioneering ways. But there a band I just want greatest hits of, not full albums - because their style gets a bit tired listening to a full album.

Boring

I don't really feel like revolting. Also it was a little revolting.

I don't get it.

The second Sonic Youth album generated and I wasn't impressed with the first one. This one was the same. I've got no issues with the experimental approach, it's just that it lacks any type of feeling and just drags on.

I think this is supposed to be punk or some hybrid of punk. I can't tell because I like a lot of punk music, but this wasn't grabbing me. I did kinda like the first song "Schizophrenia". I plan to listen to the album again after some time passes. There is a small possibility this could grow on me. For a first listen, this had little appeal. I hear good things, and it could just be my current head space. I'm willing to give it another shot to be fair, but I'm not necessarily excited about it.

This is one of my favorite albums. It's very noisy, but the noise is catchy. Favorite song: Catholic Block.

Sonic rock from Sonic Youth.

Not as weird as some of their other records but still not that good either

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

Better that their other albums

not one of my regular sonic youth album choices but being made to listen to it today might have pushed it in to the regular go to category.

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

Gud

Vond het wel goede muziek, maar geen uitblinker

Sonic Youth is one of those "do you like it?" "of course I do" bands, but little do you really know! What a mistake! This album is magnificent, good music from the beginning to the end.

Thank fuck that's over. Sonic Youth are an "experimental rock" group that are said to have been important in the formation of the indie rock genre. There is definately some experimentation going on here with punk sounds, distortion, sampling, and just straight up noise. Sonic Youth was known to push the envelope. Even the way they tuned their guitars was weird. I don't know, I like my music to have a distinct rhythm and direction. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but this is just chaos on tape. To me it seems like each band member recorded their parts alone, then they just glued them together, and didn't check to see if they meshed or not, they just said "fuck it, good enough". This is apparently the album where they found their sound..... What sound? Nails on a chalkboard? I'm all for experimentation, because without it, we would never have advanced and achieved all of the great things in music that we have, but this is just from another planet altogether. Overall, not much as far as redeeming qualities to this dumpster fire. I know there are other Sonic Youth albums on this generator and I am not looking forward to them. Favourite songs: (I Got A) Catholic Block, Schizophrenia Least favourite songs: Pipeline/Kill Time, Stereo Sanctity, Tuff Gnarl, Pacific Coast Highway, Kotton Krown.... It's all just noise..... 2/5

Craptastic.

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

This album deserves more time than I gave it.

I'm not afraid to lose cool-points. I'll admit it. I don't like Sonic Youth. It's jangly and annoying and I couldn't even make it through a 3rd song.

1. Schizophrenia: starting of strong with a mellow yet very captivating track. 8.5/10. 2. Catholic Block: huge riffs and very nice vocals. This one grows during the track. 8/10. 3. Beauty Lies in the Eye: love this talkative way of portraying songs, great instrumental support. 8.5/10 4. Stereo Sancity: this one feels a bit too repetitive. Instrumentally really nice. 7/10 5. Pipeline/Killtime: pretty nice track, feels a bit like track 4 in a way. 7.5/10 6. Tuff Gnarl: noisy track which was cool to listen to. 7/10 7. Pacific Coast Highway: reminds me of julie, banger. 8.5/10 8. Hot Wire My Heart: pretty good. 7/10 9. Cotton Crown: nice riff, good layering with bass, solid track all round. 8/10. 10. White Cross: crazy sound, great riff. 7.5/10 11. Master-Dik: decent track not my fav. 6.5/10

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

I did not get turned onto Sonic Youth until their later efforts, and honestly have not listened to this album much. But it's all here - the amazing guitar work, the odd song structures, the dissonant noises, the way it all somehow still holds together. Apparently it was a concept album based around Philip K. Dick's life? Seriously, can you get any cooler than that? I've now listened to it three times through and as is often the case with their albums, it sounds more melodic and less random with each new listen. Definitely one of my favorite bands of all time. Although this isn't my favorite album of theirs, it still deserves a 5/5.

Usually I'm a sucker for bands that have multiple vocalists, especially if they're different genders, but this is just too hit and miss for me. Pick a sound and stick to it. Best track: Schizophrenia

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

Rock alternativo bastante tostón. Un 2.

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

Good album just not as good as Daydream Nation.

A-puoli on oikein hyvä, erityisesti kaks ekaa biisiä käynnistää niin hyvin, että innostuin. Sitten menee kikkailuksi mutta samalla tasapaksuksi, mikä vähän lannisti. Vai vaatiiko vain uusia kuunteluja (ja kikkailun sietämistä), että pääsee sisään?

Paikoin iskevää myös tällaisenaan, mutta tarvitsisin porttihuumeeksi jotain huipputarttuvaa biisiä. Shoot me.

Noisy

Starts off great then disappears up its own arse

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.

A little too punk for me

Meni je ovo možda najdraži sonic youth

Love it.

Most of it isn’t really too bad at all but doesn’t bring much memorable to the table either. A few are a bit too noisy for me though as well. 5/10

Cool

Sonic Youth disappoints again

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.

Noise is great, noise is brilliant

i always knew that sonic youth was highly influential but i never really dived into their music until now; and this definitely surpassed my expectations. this album sounds forward-thinking even though it released over 30 years ago. this album feels like someone went to the future, listened to all of the bands inspired by sonic youth, and then came back and made this; you know that a band is unique when they sound like they're inspired by themselves.

The fourth Sonic Youth album on this list. It's the same as the others and I've run out of things to say about them. Surely the author could have picked just one and freed up room for some of the more notable, interesting and enjoyable omissions? Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Schizophrenia Date listened: 21/01/23

Don't quite know how to classify the genre of this album, but having not heard it, or Sonic Youth, before, I can say that I enjoyed listening to it.

It was okay, some noisy rock. A bit crazy, a bit unhinged, and I've definitely used those adjectives for a few albums now. This was borderline unlistenable on my car stereo, though that's more of a complaint about my shitty speakers than the songs. To be honest nothing really stood out to me that much, but there were some good riffs. It certainly sounds newer than 1987 and I have to commend it for that. Favourite: Pacific Coast Highway

знаю (очевидно) один соник юс и вообще такого не ожидала... не оценила

This is the second Sonic Youth album that I’ve gotten. This is less commercial than Goo, and it just sounds too miserable to listen to.

4.25

It was fine. In context of the time maybe it would have been more interesting.

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.

I continue to be Sonic Youth neutral

What if Rock music were kind of fuzzy?

Interesting and very sonic youthy.

Typical 90s blend if instruments and voice. Didn't feel anything innovative or outstanding

Cool

Freaky, I like it

A bit hard to get into at the beginning but overall great riffs and a fantastic ending. Best tracks: schizophrenia, cotton crown, tuff gnarl.

Lot of noise, but nothing much I really like. It was good to hear their output before their big hits, but don't need to again. There were a few songs I enjoyed but prefer their output from Daydream Nation and beyond.

cool

I enjoyed the shit outta this.

This really isn't a genre I enjoy listening to but I found myself not minding it the first few songs with the songwriting and variety. However the second half of the album really declined for me and I started actively disliking it - the vocals shifted and it became more "noisy"

SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY PEOPLE LIKE SONIC YOUTH!!!! It's just annoying sounds that make me angry that I'm wasting my time listening to it.

As Juno once said, “ Oh and you know what? I bought another Sonic Youth album and it sucked... it's just noise.”

I finally understand Sonic Youth's contribution to music: how NOT to make music.

This album is the polar opposite of another album released in 1987. Def Leppard’s Hysteria couldn’t be farther in artistic direction than the tin pan, string bending, synth and vocal mashup demonstrated most aptly by “Pipeline/Killtime”. Wikipedia says Sonic Youth pioneered “Unorthodox Guitar Tuning.” Another description is ‘Noise Rock.’ Maybe ‘unorthodox noise’ is the best description for this album.

A bit grungy, nothing that really spoke to me

2.75/5

3.5

These guys use the coolest dissonant jagged chords. Solid album, listened to a bunch of times. Not something I'd normally think to put on, but good.

One of the two best SY albums. Superb

Not bad at all. Just didn’t get pulled in on much. One song stood out, White Cross. Album is a 2.

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.

"I went away to see an old friend of mine His sister came over, she was out of her mind..." "Schizophrenia", the track that opens this album, is the birth of Sonic Youth as a legendary, iconic New York act. Everything that happened before, during the band's early "no wave" trajectory, converges to that melancholic guitar riff supported by Steve Shelley's bouncy toms, just as Thurston Moore's voice -- equally dreamy and disaffected -- hums a David Lynch-like yarn over them, while Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo sculpt all sorts of angular riffing around him. And then, the sonic storm surges! Because everything that occured after that minute or so pointed the way years and even decades towards the future. Here the band merged its abrasive, dissonant, unapologetically arty vocabulary with the most blatantly poppish instincts out there. From the moment I heard that introduction suddenly dissolve into a maelstrom of intense, gripping sounds, I knew I would love this band forever. Sadly, not a lot of folks realized how prophetic they were in 1987. I wish I had been there to tell everyone to *listen*, to *really*, *really* listen. They would have dismissed me as a deluded fan, I imagine. How wrong they would have been. You just need to *properly* hear the first minutes of that album to know. *Sister* is filled to the brim with transcendent moments like that, from the sheer aggression of "Catholic Block" to the oneiric, foggy atmosphere of "Kotton Krown", from the jangling, twisted guitar lines of "Tuff Gnarl" to the relentless, obsessive compulsive pulse of "Pacific Coast Highway". Moore hums, croons or shrieks. Gordon singspeaks and snarls as if she was sneering at death itself. Ranaldo utters apocalyptic preaches to an invisible congregration, *us*. Guitars wail, wince, drill and tinkle. The lyrics immerse you into a Philip K. Dick's alternate universe where industries of the heart and factories of the flesh mingle as if they were driven by the same mechanical pistons. Teenage lust, romantic impulses and cerebral digressions conflate. The air itself is buzzing with electricity around the schizoid characters populating those songs. Even silence, or what's left of it, seems to buzz. *Daydream Nation*, the album that followed *Sister*, is said to be Sonic Youth's magnum opus, thanks to some of its iconic cuts, its length, and its topical ambition--not to mention its overall sound, one more streamlined than in here (read: "more flat"). But make no mistake, *Sister* is iconic in its own right, and it is as much a masterpiece as *Daydream Nation* is, maybe even more so. A lot of Sonic Youth fans know this already. And they can't keep this a secret. I certainly can't. Now go on, call me a deluded fan. I'll only reply with one word. *Listen*. Number of albums left to review: 755 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 123 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 59 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 64

No

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

This is the sort of thing first-year uni students and music journalists pretend to like in an effort to seem deep and mysterious. In reality it's just artless non-Seattle alternative that sounds like it took longer to record than it did to write. Worthless shit. 1/5.

I had a phase in college for where I listened to this band pretty extensively. I still do but not nearly as often. Anyway, I always really liked this album, particularly the first 2 tracks. I still think this is pretty great. I like a couple of their albums more and this is probably more of a 4 for me, but its getting a five. Try and stop me!

Feels unnecessarily discordant and knotty in places, and never quite returns to the very high standard of the opening cut, "Schizophrenia." Relentlessly tough and dark art rock, this is far from their best (or biggest) work.

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.

Too angsty and not flowy enough for my liking.

Rock guitarrero, sucio, con reminiscencias de grunge. Un tanto plano, a pesar del ritmo y el estilo

Ehhh started ok then not to my taste

All over the place

Yeh, meh - nothing stood out here

I feel like I'm not quite cool enough to "get" Sonic Youth. I appreciate that they produce some interesting sounds and their innovative use of the guitar, but at the same time it sounds a bit like noise to me. This album is maybe a bit more accessible than other stuff I've heard from them. At best, some of their songs sound like PJ Harvey. 3 stars.

This is art. It was a first listen for me, I’m a fan of a few of their later albums which I think are an easier listen. Sister is what I expected, it’s a group of confident in who they are and what they are trying to create,testing musical boundaries to see what works, and it does work. It’s cool, in the way that more conservative music tastes would not think it should ever make it onto a record. It broadens the mind. I prefer their later stuff but this was enlightening.

yep, it's sonic youth. so much influence on music made since

Noisy, but poppy. Great record.

Kinda meh - not my type of music

Good but felt really short. Seemed it like was over right after I started. Listened to it again though.

Eh, I guess I’m not their target audience.

This was like 90% noise to me. I guess it doesn't help that I don't like Sonic Youth.

This album is a less noisy and more accessible than Sonic Youth’s prior work and less accessible than Daydream Nation, which would be released the next year. This album is simmering post-punk that is experimental and only slightly polished. In this case, it’s a good thing and shows just how precocious Sonic Youth were when playing and arranging sound.

Not the worst Sonic Youth album we had to listen to so far, but still pretty bad. Too punkish, too jarring, too annoying.

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

Not a huge fan of this album, songs were forgettable and at times skippable. And nirvana did the naked boy better on the cover.

Our second from Sonic Youth I believe. I like this one more than the first, but not by too much. Started out very strong with two tracks that immediately caught my ear, but it loosened its grip on me and didn't regain it. The rest of the album drifted by me unfortunately. But what I heard was still decent, so I can't knock it as much as my own attention span. The strength of those openers is enough that I would give this another chance. Favorite tracks: Schizophrenia, Catholic Block. Album art: I like this one a lot. It's a mini collage, almost a mood board kind of thing. Pictures of cities, cows, Saturn, and a naked baby. Guess Nirvana weren't the original sickos. 3/5

Didn't vibe at all. Made me feel uneasy

Enough of this band!

46 days in and I’m beginning to think the 1001 Album Generator is tracking my internet history. Less than 12 hours before this album was “randomly generated” for me, I was watching a 1996 Sonic Youth live performance from Germany on YouTube. This suggests two grim possibilities: Either the developers of this website have entered into a nefarious pact with Google and are tracking my browsing history (god help them if they are) and then recommending albums… OR …I am becoming one with the Generator: its decisions influence my choices and my choices influence its decisions; a bio-mechanical cerebral cortex, decaying in a feedback loop. If Sonic Youth are, in fact, a conduit for The Singularity, would anyone be surprised? Their guitar squall and reckless abandon would make a fitting soundtrack to the technological apocalypse. Rating: SEVEN! out of 5

6/10. Liked this way better than goo or whatever it was called.

Pretty cool but also pretty tough to get through. 6/10

Brilliant, uncompromising, making music exactly how they want to, Sonic Youth consistently innovate and fascinate. The dissonance is part of the journey.

Just past the one-third mark in this project and I've heard so many amazing artists. There are also lots of amazing artists I have yet to hear from. And this is the third album by Sonic Youth I've had to listen to. I don't question their place in this list, but I do question three albums from a three year period, especially when I don't detect anything distinctive about one from the other (the others being EVOL and Daydream Nation). Pick one, and let's make room for someone else. Unpleasant sound as an art form. I get it. I got it. Next!

Thank you, no. The album did not jive with me.

Really? Sonic Youth again? I still am not getting it.

I listened to this three times today, and each time grew more and more irritated with it. I’m not sure why I had more trouble listening to this than the previous two Sonic Youth albums (E.V.O.L. and Daydream Nation), but I fear any further listens to figure it out will only further lower my opinion. Noisy. Irritating. Not for me.

Pretty good, though my 5th Sonic Youth Album so I'm getting a bit tired of them!

Ehh it was aight music wise. Wish the vocals weren’t so drowned out

There were parts of just about every song that I liked. Very small parts though. Mostly unlikeable.

This however was for me.

I really like a lot of Sonic Youth's over albums but for some reason this one just doesn't work for me

Solid. One of their better albums.

Okay. Not a favorite.

för många sonic youth-album

pretty boring, actually

Rough around the edges (in a good way), an enjoyable listen, although no real standout tracks.

Not that big a fan of Sonic Youth's music and this album didn't really change my opinion. 4/10.

EARLY Sonic Youth, there were a couple tracks I liked

Didn’t find this album all that special. Felt like a sub par alternative or grunge band. Their songs didn’t seem to be strong enough for a good harder rock album but it was also too chaotic for a good alternative album. Feel like their singing style is just droning with occasional anger. Not great. 4.4/10

C'est toujours intéressant de réécouter du Sonic Youth après les avoir connus à l'âge adultes avec les Sonics.

Je ne m'exprimerai plus sur le groupe Sonic Youth par peur d'être censuré.

didnt click i think? painful

4.5/5. Sister was very good. Kinda feels like their most definitive moment before Daydream

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

Liked it a little, but not a lot

Группа, которая опередила свое время и заложила основу для будущих инди-рок групп. Для своего времени однозначно заслуживающий внимания альбом. Stereo Sanctity и сейчас замечательно звучит. В остальном, время все же нанесло отпечаток и многие последователи значительно углубили идеи Sonic Youth. Рекомендую как веху истории развития инди. Как обязательное к прослушиванию в своей жизни если вы не поклонник жанра - скорее не рекомендую. 6 из 10.

C'est toujours les artistes qu'on connaît le plus moyennement qui nous déçoivent le plus

chiant

i love this album. have never been able to decide if i like this or daydream nation better. they're both excellent.

5/10 Best Song - Catholic Block

I should have always liked Sonic Youth, they are right in the middle of everything I really enjoy. I never really got it though. Listening to this I suddenly understood why people keep telling me I'll love them. Maybe it's the timing but something clicked on this listen and I loved some of the tracks. There were others that were just too distorted for me, but overall I'm happy I finally 'get' the Sonic Youth thing.

Not for me - too noisy and scuzzy.

Not bad

Nee, lass mal.

Not for me.

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.

The first song sounds a little mellow for these guys but by the second song things were much more Sonic Youth like. Par for the course for these lads.

As this is our 4th Sonic Youth Album, I'm noticing that each has (for me) one epic track, one that I'll want to listen too when I'm on my bicycle trainer, one "Kool Thing". On this album the song that stands out for me is "Catholic Block" even though it seems to be "Schizophrenia" for the rest of the world. I like that one too. After that 1-2 punch, it's a pretty decent album. I'm getting a bit tired of the one minute extended endings, but I guess it's their (his) signature move.

A real cacophony of Art-noise here. But there’s no Teenage Riot, Dirty Boots or Kool Thing on this album to hang onto. Some of the experimental noodles are very interesting but this album doesn’t spark as much joy in me as some of their other albums such as Goo and Daydream Nation which I gave both 4s so this is a 3.

not a fan of sonic youth idk

Gross, another Sonic Youth? "Sonic Yoot"

Might be the album that I have listened to the most times ever. This dry drum sound in the first song.. instantly recognizable. I suppose it is Day Dream Nation for most people, but Sister is my number 1 Sonic Youth above Day Dream Nation, Evol, Dirty and Goo.

2, enjoyed the first half more, didn't like enough of it for a 3

Didn’t really enjoy it, feel like I have a love hate relationship with sonic youth sometimes 4/10

Not my favorite SY album, a quasi-thematic album that goes from okay to pretty darn good by the end. 3.5/5.

Not my type

Well that was disappointing. Just noise.

I was surprised how "modern" this one sounded, probably an indication of what a big influence the band is on a lot of more recent alternative rock.

Pretty brilliant. Deserves much more listening.

Hot damn I need to have more Sonic Youth in my life. This was a great listen

Pretty sweet. I don't think I've ever actually listened to Sonic Youth before but I'd check this our again.

awesome album, 10/10 I think I liked it more than Bad Moon Rising, but I don’t know about Evol overall Sonic Youth has an amazing discography but it’s definitely not for everyone

3.75

First time listening to this album, absolutely love it, the guitars sound so good throughout, maybe not as good as Daydream Nation but this is still a masterpiece. One of those albums I just had to replay after the first listen, and makes this project worthwhile finding these gems.

Listened to this earlier today and I do believe that I have forgotten every single last thing about it. It can't have been objectionable, but it sure wasn't memorable.

Yeah way too noisy for me to enjoy

I liked the other sonic youth album more; just had it yesterday. Maybe I was just in a different mood then lol. This one had much more screechy noise, too much, but was still good at parts.

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

This was a pretty canonical Sonic Youth album to me. A few with great hooks and a few experimental noise songs that I won't revisit. Honestly they're a band I feel I should like more, but have to wade through a lot of stuff before I can pick out my favorite tracks.

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

Meh.

Really great album. 2nd best Sonic Youth album. Schizophrenia is among their best. 8-9/10

I'm endlessly fascinated with the way Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo use guitars to such varied effects. Their noisy experimentations are a testament to the possibilities of sound. This music clangs and chimes, it screeches and grinds. It’s trippy and whirling, occasionally pretty, and often pointedly noisy. The contrast between Kim Gordon’s insouciant vocal and Moore’s more atonal style add interesting contrast and depth to the songs. The pacing of some of these songs is brutal, with credit due to some hard driving drums by Steve Shelley. There's an urgency that can feel oppressive as it pulls/drags you along, the only relief coming from strategically placed moments of quiet. If you don't dig noise, this will be a hard listen. If you enjoy it, this is glorious. Fave Songs: Schizophrenia, Pacific Coast Highway, Beauty Lies in the Eye, White Cross, Cotton Crown, Pipeline/Kill Time

First song, solid. The rest had their moments of pure WTF. 2.5

it’s one fat mass. i like the vibes but not easy to listen to. might listen again

On the face of it this is just dissonant noise and comes across as messy. I suspect repeated listening would uncover something deeper. Unlikely to go there.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Catholic block

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

Rock alternativo. Punk. Extraño.

Strong start; I liked this album less as it progressed. Musicality was sacrificed for distortion. 6/10.

okay

Really like the instrumentation, not massive on the sort of spoken word bits. Fav tracks: Schizophrenia, pacific Coast highway

Not the time for this one

I like Sonic Youth's more tuneful stuff, so it's cool to hear this album where they start moving in that direction but still have one foot solidly in the world of noise and discordance.

Pretty good album. Didn't love it but nothing too bad. Seems like a band I'd like a lot more live than on their albums.

Mellow. Rainy day music

Not bad

Patchy. Some of it is excellent, whilst some of it is just noise, bordering on shoegaze. The good stuff I really like, the shoegazey stuff I really hate.

Ah yes, more "sustain guitar depressed teenager music". Still not my case ^^

Listen: Aside from a pretty decent cover of a Karen Carpenter song, Sonic Youth was a huge blind spot for me until this "project". I basically knew them as a band Kurt Cobain and Jason Bateman's character from "Juno" liked. I'm only two albums in so far, but it's safe to say I'm completely all in on Sonic Youth now. This is the album where they nudge right up to that finish line that indicates the sound they'd perfect and inspire future and wannabe musicians for years to come. That special sound is an album away. But this still comes dangerously close. It's like licking your finger and then holding it up in the air to see which way the wind is blowing. Gordon and Moore were headed in the right direction here. This is the foretaste of the feast to come.

Rock alternativo bastante tostón.