Sister

Brutal noise.

Not bad, worth a second listen at least

5.0 - Yes, finally! Here's a Sonic Youth album that lives up to their hype! This truly feels like a milestone record that lays the foundation for so much of the music I enjoyed in my teenage years. They've balanced grungy experimentation with structured rock songwriting beautifully.

This album exemplifies Sonic Youth's barrage of nervous, negative energy, and I don’t like it. There were moments that I liked, but those moments were fewer than I hoped.

Not in the mood for this tonight but it's alright. I'm more a fan of later Sonic Youth.

Again, I think the author(s) has over-emphasized the importance of Sonic Youth since I'd never include this many of their albums. Ironically I have ended up liking Sonic Youth less as I've listened to more albums.

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

WHY IS THERE ANOTHER SONIC YOUTH ALBUM ON THIS LIST?!?! This band is atrocious. Just noise disguised as "music."

Comfortable loud noise

Sonic Youth is enigmatic for Mei should like them more than I do but something keeps me at arms length. I own this on only but this would be maybe only the 4th or 5th time I've listened to it. The first song Schizophrenia is a great start I like it a lot has a similar feel to Teenage Riot. But nowhere else do I get the same feeling. Could be it just requires more effort on my part... I'll keep you posted if things change. 3.5 🌟

Over rated racket.

A couple of songs started like they were gonna be good and then shat themselves.

Solid

Yuk!

Kuulosti Sonic Youthilta. Tätä kuunnellessa tuli mieleen, että tämähän kuulostaa vähän Slintin Spiderlandilta. Sitten tuli mieleen, että sanoinkohan samaa jostain muusta levystä. No sanoinhan minä; Sonic Youthin Goosta! Ehkä tästä eteenpäin voi sanoa, että jokin kuulostaa Sonic Youthilta. Mielestäni tämä levy ei ollut kuitenkaan yhtä hyvä kuin Goo, meni enemmän taustalla eikä saanut otteeseensa. Tälle siis vain perus kolmonen.

Enjoyable, when it's good it was great but the bad was awful

Dirty, gritty, raucous soundscape. Standout Tracks: Schizophrenia, (I Got a) Catholic Block, Pipeline / Kill Time, Pacific Coast Highway, Kotton Krown, Master-Dik

This album sounds almost experimental. Some of the music is compelling, but a fair amount of it is just noisy. I liked it well enough to listen to it again at some point, so it's not getting a 2-star poo-poo. However, it's a weak 3-star entry.

Garage band performance art. Not as annoying as Daydream Nation but somehow still worse.

I went in expecting a 4 but 3 i guess? 3.5 in reality but I'm not feeling the bump up to 4.

Did not enjoy this album, apart from the first song. 1/5 stars.

I don't mind a bit of Sonic Youth, but they do put my nerves on edge.

my second sonic youth album! ooh this started out great. still don't like this dude's tone and vocal performance lol. tracks 3 and 4 were pretty great. at times this music is cool but never enjoyable lol as intended i guess. lyrics are cool too, especially the entirety of 'stereo sanctity' and 'pipeline/kill time' and "i'm wasted in time and you're never ready" in some other song. but i can't get into the vocals.

its just noise

Second sonic youth in three days. Did not enjoy this album

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

Didn't really do it for me

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

I don't really know what to say about this. It seems really progressive and special for its time.

Ok

Starts with that one good song then it's a bit meh

The first two songs are nice, the rest is noisy - the annoying type of noisy :(

enjoyed the first listening session, lyrics are the interesting part; melodies are mediocre

Bloody awful. Guitars and singing out of tune, kind of drones on.

I thought I had pretty eclectic tastes when it came to music but I have found very few albums on this list so far that I've actually liked! I can't get thru this album either, 4.5 songs listened to.

Better than dirty but still wouldn't recommend this band to anyone.

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

I’m sure the abrasiveness and noise will turn off more than a few listeners, but embracing those is part of the point. They were smart to ease listeners in with the melancholy pop of “Schizophrenia,” while the rest of the songs veer into noisy hardcore pretty quickly. I hate using words like “evocative” but that’s exact what’s happening here, it’s hard to listen to the air-raid siren guitars, doom-y basslines, and intricate punk drumming without picturing a dark, sinister mid-80s Americana, like the Children of the Corn grew up and hid in the city, playing nihilistic noise because it’s all the know. Like a lot of the records of this era I wish the production could be beefed up but apparently the master tapes were destroyed. Just adding to the foreboding mystique at this point I guess.

I’ve heard of the band but I just thought the album was average nothing that brings me back to listen more than once

The sound of Sonic Youth really coalesced on 1987’s Sister, the band’s first real masterpiece. SY had been experimenting with modified guitars on blunt and jagged songs for a handful of years, creating an interesting and groundbreaking sound, but inconsistent albums and EPs. Beginning with EVOL, in 1986, their songcraft became more consistent, and they perfected it on Sister on tracks like “Schizophrenia” and “Stereo Sanctity.” One of this album’s highlights, though, is a cover: a faithful executed take on San Francisco punk band Crime’s fairly obscure “Hotwire My Heart,” with its tight rhythmic core and daggers of lead guitar slashing through the distortion. The gentle, dissonance of “Kotton Krown” nods to the epic scope we’d hear the following year on the band’s second masterpiece, the double album Daydream Nation.

I had heard of Sonic Youth in the 90's, but remained unfamiliar with their work. I just listened to this whole album and even though it's more "thrashy" than my usual listening tastes, I so love it. Innovative, original, and they show some real advanced musicianship. I read up on them, and Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore's focus on alternate tunings, many they pioneered, really draws me in. Such an artistic approach to their craft, and so much expression in their music.

não gosto de sonic youth não sei como pode ter tanto album deles nesse lista, já é o terceiro

Once again, not my bag. I can understand the cultural importance of Sonic Youth but can't say I'll be returning to their music any time soon.

Better than I remember but still just kinda loud.

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

Actually listened to cee lo green from history --- very good Also recently tried reverend and the makers which is ideal upbeat music

Absolute classic! One of my all time faves of sonic youth and beyond.

Sister is not with out its moments - white cross for example- but in general the whole album sound like the noise the instrument continues to make once a band have dropped them on the floor and walked offstage. The effort Sonic Youth put into playing badly is almost admirable, and I see what they’re doing with the whole bleak, disenchanted thing, but it’s just not for me. All the best though.

Nothing offensive but a bit droning and one note. I'm sure they have hits, just not on this album.

Same old same old - another sonic youth album that left me cold and unconvinced what the fuss is

Just okay.

Not bad, but not that interesting to give it a 4.

Considering the 90’s was my prime, I anticipate I’ll be fond of most albums from the decade. Excitement builds even more when it’s music I’ve either not heard of previously or from a band I never took time out to listen to critically...Sonic Youth fell into the latter category. I’m beginning to learn though, in this category there is mostly a reason I never did dig any deeper. This album sums up everything I’ve ever presumed about it and it’s bands music. Overhyped, bland, boring, kinda indy/grungy rock music. Please sir?...can I not have anymore? 1 Star!

All just kinda ran together and wasn't super compelling. Little disappointed - was looking forward to this after reading the wikipedia

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Schizophrenia, Catholic Block Cutting Edge: Stereo Sanctity Overall Notes: This is how I imagine this album was pitched: -Hey guys I've got a great idea for an album. You play your guitar, you play your drums, I'll vocalize over it. No planning, just playing. I'll just let you know when you should be loud and when you should be quiet. -Oh so you're shooting for a jazz/improv type thing. -No. We will be recording our parts in separate rooms. We will be creating noise. I did not like this. It is so exhausting listening to this kind of music. It drains me like no other. I feel bad putting this on the same level as that fucking Metallica album that I also graded a 1 because I can tell that this was artistically a statement, but I did not have a good time listening to this and I did not gain anything from listening to it. 1.5.

Nah. Why so much shouting?

Meh.

Yessss

It’s alright

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

Toe maar, 2 dagen verwend met Sonic Youth

I wish that I like this more than I actually do.

Could die without hearing that and I wouldn’t mind. It really wasn’t for me. *

Begon goed met nummers die ik beter bleek te kennen dan ik dacht, maar alles viel toch halverwege als een kaartenhuis in elkaar.

Niet geluisterd

Niet de beste Sonic Youth plaat, maar nog altijd wel een aantal toffe nummers.

Een dag later vind ik het nog steeds geen fijne muziek.

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

Gong.

First few songs are really good. Devolves into noise a little by the end.

decent - same as the other sonic youth one i did. passes you by a bit but

Noisy in the good way

I know Sonic Youths name enough to know there is some sort of bigger picture/cultural reason they're important. I however, do not know those reasons and therefore do not care. Damn. I really didn't enjoy listening to this album. If you're into distortion and atonal yelling, this is definitely your cup of tea. Favorite track: Schizophrenia

not a big fan

Not really my thing. Quite dreary.

Really enjoyed the album. Some good sounds

A pretty good Sonic Youth album, noisy as expected

Is it post punk or proto grunge?

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

no real opinion of the album, idk if I was completely checked in to give it a proper chance. No real favourite songs, the sound of it kinda feels like a shitpost tbh

Album that got me into Sonic Youth

Good.

Not a fan

Decent, probably a 4

Alright!

Tortura auditiva

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

Pas tres musical.. je n’ai pas tout ecoute. 2.75*

A haunting record with traces of noise rock, this has some great songs - and some I’d consider unlistenable, if not for the unique instrumentation. Definitely sticks with you though! STANDOUTS: -Schizophrenia -Stereo Sanctity -Pipeline / Kill Time -Hot Wire My Heart -Master-Dik

It may be bleak but this music is really getting to the crowd.

Now Sonic Youth's in my cooler!

I'm supposed to like this, but it didn't excite, didn't offend.

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

Zu viel Lärm, zu wenig Abwechslung

Old school grunge. Not bad

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

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

Really not my style

This is a strange collection of dissonant sounds, strange chords, screams, and stress. Every time i think i may appreciate a song it devolves into some incomprehensible chaos. Hard to tell if this is some sort of genius or crazy people that recently got instruments. I'm glad i made the journey, but i don't ever plan to go back.

Me pasa como con Pixies, a ratos muy bien, a ratos no tanto. El sonido tan crudo quizá no es tan de mi agrado. Por otro lado tiene mucho punch, mucha energía y a ratos suena muy bien. 3.5 estrellas que baja.

Enjoying it a lot.

Not my cup of tea but fun to listen to.

I like these beginning chord progressions. Although, the music is sort of drowning out the lyrics. This is another of those albums where I like some of the songs and find others a little annoying and/or a little too electric for my general taste.

Ok

This album is all over the place. Some of it I’d consider decent, if a little bit clunky. Like a high school garage band. That part has me in the three star range. But then you get into the droning single sustained sound that makes you feel like all but one member is on a cigarette break. That’s solid 1/2 star territory (depending on the sound). I’ve had the urge to skip to the next track frequently. This could be the most masterful work lyrically but I have no idea what they’re saying so I’d never know. This would be 3/10. So I’ll round it to 2 as it isn’t quite down with the one star stuff.

It's not bad, but it's not my taste

I just don't think I get Sonic Youth.

not my vibe

Started strong and declined rather quickly.

decent alt noise - C

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

No, definitivamente el Noise no es lo mío y me falta capacidad para apreciarlo. Además, en algunas canciones hacen una voz aguada y pusilánime que contrasta demasiado con el acompañaiento.

Meh

Why the fuck haven't I been listening to Sonic Youth

I can understand that some people like it. A very interesting historical album that was very important in the world of indie (rock).

Not fussed

This was a struggle

Made me kinda sad

Would give it zero if I could. Every other album on here I've been able to find something to enjoy and respect, even if it wasn't my favorite. Not this. Unlistenable for me.

I don't know what's going on- we got Sonic Youth earlier this list, and I really didn't connect or enjoy the album at all, but this one sounds amazing to me? What the fuck am I doing with this list? I'm going to have to go revisit it... Discordant, noisy artsy punk. Fun shit.

Odd at times. Not bad

I actually didn't hate this album as much as I hated the other one. Sonic Youth is like Alice in Chains or like Nirvana. Just not as solid.

Has quite a bit of Joy Division, but not my favorite Sonic Youth record.

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

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

Ok.

Not great, I find it to be forgettable.

its alright

first album...leskeddit 10/4/20

Ok.

A few decent songs regularly broken up with pointless, atonal noise. It might be "art" but it's not art, if you know what I'm saying.

Pretty solid album with some standouts but not enjoyable enough for 4.

Gritty - exactly what I imagine as indierock in the 90s. While i enjoyed it, there was no song that made me go "wow"

It seemed like generic rock/alternative music to me. I didn't really connect with the sounds or the lyrics and I couldn't find a deeper meaning to most of it. Overall not my favorite kind of music.

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

i luv mi mommy