Daydream Nation

I could listen to the intro to teenage riot for probably a solid hour.

Something of a masterpiece. It starts off with not only one of the best opening songs on any album, but arguably the best Sonic Youth song, period. This is the alternative album you're looking for. The one where Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore and company put everything together and were so prolific they had enough gems to merit a double album. And this things takes you on a freaking journey. Sonic Youth might be like good scotch in that they're something of an acquired taste, but once you're into them, you're all in. Look no further to hear why Kurt Cobain and several others were so inspired by Sonic Youth. Just say yes.

While I'm a fan of Sonic Youth in theory, this one didn't do it for me. It was very experimental and... noisy. Just really noisy. Not very enjoyable to listen to. That said, I can ABSOLUTELY hear the foundations of a hundred other bands in this one album. It's a critical album to the american music scene. Just not one I'd want to listen to on a regular basis. It does earn bonus points for having several William Gibson allusions including a whole song inspired by Gibson's Sprawl Trilogy. Not enough to lift it past a 3, though. Did I mention it was noisy? It's just so damn noisy...

Nothing like another excuse to listen to this unparalleled collection of 80's alternative rock. I've listened to a lot of Sonic Youth, and they're really in a league of their own - their music ranges from the insanely catchy to absolutely deranged and borderline unlistenable, and I feel they found the perfect balance of the two on 'Daydream Nation'. With that said, I will caution that the first song on this album is, at least in my opinion, far and away the best song on the album, the best song Sonic Youth ever wrote, and one of my all-time favourite songs in general. The hazy dream-pop-y intro, the relentless energy and drive, Thurston's vocals - it's just a brilliant accomplishment of a track. With that said, it's worth sticking around - you get a lot more of the band's tendency towards the more experimental later on in the album - distortion-heavy breakdowns and weird tunings are evident on such tracks as 'Total Trash' and 'Rain King', but at the end of the day, each of these tracks is enjoyable in its own way.

Possibly the greatest album of the 1980s. This sprawling record is expansive, unsettling, ponderous, noisy, and driving. Sonic Youth. This album has had an immeasurable influence on grunge, indie, DIY, etc. which continues to this day.

hold on to your butts

Why so much random guitar distortion? Why the voices so far away? Sounds like a demo or live recording. Not really my thing I guess.

Dead good innit.

Daydream Nation melted my 16-year old brain and fused itself to my taste: I cannot review this fairly. Five stars, there you go. . The songs that stand tall to me are few: Teenage Riot, The Sprawl, Providence (love a good interstitial), Rain King and Hyperstation. That’s not a bad haul, but low for one of the big boys. I know every squeak and flinch on this record, but mostly as part of a continuum: I had to play the start of Candle to remember which part of the record the title labelled. More than any other record I love, I know this as an assemblage rather than a discrete sequence of songs. I think it's something to do with the abundance of unique, fleeting peculiar guitar and amp sounds - haunted electronics. The Sprawl is my favourite due to the long, especially ghostly outro, a gorgeous motif repeated to disintegration. Returning to it for the first time in a few years was tremendously moving. This was the first SY LP I heard, so I didn't realise how glossy it was compared to the earlier classics. After I'd spent a while memorising it (could have been just a month!), I sought out others, starting with Sister, I think, and was taken aback by how freakish those records sounded. Bad Moon Rising, EVOL and Sister are flying saucers; Daydream Nation is a manmade spaceplane painted by Chesley Bones. This is a bittersweet album, as it marked their move to Geffen, and I don’t think any of their later records are as great as this and the three that preceded it. But they are all laudably different. . I've seen Sonic Youth around five times; Shellac are the only band I've seen more of. Curiously, the songs they played never decided how much I enjoyed a gig. My favourite performance was mostly songs from Washing Machine, which never snagged me (Diamond Sea apart), and they were incredible. Ten years later, I saw what was close to a greatest hits playlist at the Shepherd Bush Empire and they were lacklustre, the only detail I remember being when I pointed out Bruce Gilbert from Wire to my youngest brother, and my brother went up and got his autograph. I miss my youngest brother.

I don’t know, shit like this hits some kind of sweet spot for me like this is some weird shit but I can’t help loving it, 10/10 album

I would typically vouch for this being one of the best of its era, although upon playing my copy today I was embarrassed to discover loud CD skipping noises in the middle of "Teen Age Riot"; evidently I haven't chosen to listen to this recording in over twenty years since the mp3 was first created. Shame on me.. So, basically I'm approaching Daydream Nation fresh and, frankly, it is fantastic. All the songwriters have their distinctive flavors and the result is unique (for the time) and genre-defining (for the rest of their peers). So much I love in later work (e.g., Pavement) can be found here for the first time, full of great tunes and great noise. Kim Gordon's book deservedly ruined Thurston Moore for me, but even that only knocks this classic down to 4.9* And, don't worry - I ripped another copy of "TAR" for the future

What an insane trip Daydream Nation is. Sonic Youth grips my by the first notes of the extraordinary “Teen Age Riot” and doesn’t let go until after “Trilogy”. Shelley’s drum and Gordon’s bass goes together perfectly and provides more than just the backbone of the songs, but it’s Moore’s and Ranaldo’s whirling, disorienting and unorthodox guitars that stands out as the main characters of the album. Even after dozens of listens I’m still blown back by “‘Cross the Breeze”, “Eric’s Trip” and “Hey Joni”. There’s simply no denying the greatness of this entire thing - even though they’re probably pushing the limit with the 70 minute runtime.

10 Albums You Actually Need to Hear Before You Die Chapter 9 Does “Fuck You” Sound Simple Enough?: Sonic Youth’s “Daydream Nation” Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A corrupt Republican presidential administration, lead by a B-List celebrity and flanked by the religious right takes power with the aim of “Making America Great Again”. What? No, not him. I’m talking about Ronald Regan. (Seriously, the whole MAGA thing was originally a Regan Campaign slogan in 1980. You can’t say the right hates the environment…they are clearly into recycling.) People like to talk about the 1980’s as though it was a perpetual good time with neon excess and everyone living without a care in the world. In some respects that is true, but it also ignores how much of the 1980’s set the stage for the current situation we find ourselves living here in America. With Trickle Down Economics and unfettered capitalism, shady deals with dictators for personal gain, religious influence in law making and a disdain for science and intellect…We are still living in that world and, in two days time, it’s likely going to be pushed into overdrive. We are a nation of daydreamers, with many content to chase an imaginary vision of what could be, while ignoring what actually is. Emerging from Lower Manhattan, Sonic Youth represented an almost wholesale rejection of modern musical convention. With their guitars set in tunings of their own design, drum sticks under their strings, fuzz pedals working overtime and a healthy appreciation for the avant garde, they were hell bent on tearing down convention, picking up the pieces and rebuilding it in their own image. Daydream Nation, ultimately, is where Sonic Youth’s efforts to destroy and rebuild convention fully coalesced for the first time. Though they had made excellent records previously, like 1987’s “Sister”, Daydream Nation should be considered their Mission Statement: a full and total encapsulation of what Sonic Youth “is”. It also serves as document of the waning years of Reaganism in the United States and the counterculture it bred. It was a counterculture founded with a spirit of self-sufficiency, that rejected reliance on corporations and prized artistic freedom and expression. Awash with extended soundscapes and otherworldly guitar noise, Daydream Nation is a singular, untamed proclamation of the arrival American underground. Nowhere is the rejection of Reaganism’s embrace of unimpeded capitalism more explicitly evident on Daydream Nation than it is in Kim Gordon’s opening lines of “The Sprawl”: “Does this sound simple? Fuck you. Are you for sale? Does fuck you sound simple enough?” It is a pretty effective message to live your life by: Your values and sense of self should not carry a price tag. Musically, Daydream Nation couldn’t be more out of step with the popular music of its time. It is unpolished, challenging, unorthodox and uncompromising. As a result, it is truly an alternative to the status quo and it may be worth keeping this record in mind as we navigate the next few years - which are sure to be rife with hyper-capitalism and a society that increasingly demands compliance. Daydream Nation is the sound of freedom: Freedom from conformity, freedom from outdated norms and ideas…It is the freedom to do whatever you please.

I listened to this album for about 2 years solidly in my 20s - the sound spoke to me - and it still does.

Came into this album thinking Sonic Youth was a pretentious band. Came out of listening to this album thinking they are a pretentious band that is also very good. I watched the documentary, 1991: The Year Punk Broke, about Sonic Youth and other bands of that era after listening to this, and boy is Thurston Moore a dickhead. Also, I read they would bring upwards of 50 guitars to a gig because of all the funky tuning and modifications they would do. I mean I'm all for experimentation but give me a break. Roasting aside, I did really like this album. The songwriting seemed strong throughout and I read that some of it was inspired by The Neuromancer, which I'm currently reading, so that got me geeked. The most impressive thing to me though was the guitar on this album! It shred of course, and even the droning noise rock bits on the outros of a lot of tracks felt interesting to me and not too overindulgent. As eye roll as it may be, the modifications to the actual hardware of the guitars and alternative playing styles made for some really interesting sounds. A sound that seems to have been a blueprint for so so many indie bands in the 2000s and 2010s, which made this seem a little less fresh to me than I'm sure it was at the time. I really liked "Teenage Riot," but I think I liked the Kim Gordon songs more because again, too cool, disinterested sounding indie white guy has been beat to death. I do think Sonic Youth contributed a lot to modern rock sensibilities and I can see myself exploring their discography further.

Sonic Youth read some William Gibson novels, dropped some acid, and made a noisy, distortion-heavy, socially conscious album. It sounds exactly like you might expect. An album you have to listen to more than once, or you'll miss a ton. Best track: Candle

I didn’t stop listening to it on the way there, but it wasn’t particularly noteable.

Sonic Youth looks set to be another band I just don't get the hype for. Maybe a few relistens would improve my outlook but nothing about this album was interesting to me. Also, if your fourteen track album has FOUR seven minute tracks then you need to start cutting.

It’s very rare that I don’t get to the end of an album but I had to turn this off after around 30mins when I saw I wasn’t even half way through. Mostly pretty generic garbage/garage punk but then breaking into complete nonsensical twatery. Deeply unpleasant.

Uninspiring and frankly boring. Heard of this band but luckily I never listened before and I won't again. Kind of like deep sea fishing. Only need one go to know it's not for you. And I appreciate that.

Sonic Youth is such a cool fucking band but I’ve never been able to get into them. I tried a couple albums and this one easily hits the hardest for me. Killer fuckin blown out clean tones on a jazzmaster with blaring noice and catchy hooks. Every time I put on this album I don’t remember a single song. Do I have some sort of disease? I’d give it five but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Sonic Youth has a unique sound. Weird tunings, odd chord progressions, dirty production in spots, and it's awesome. I love the guitar tones on this album. It's dirty, metallic and muddy. I like Z) Eliminator, Jr. as the final track because of that, it's like the guitar sound throughout the album progressed and culminated in that harsh tone. So many of the songs have such pretty progressions, though, and it makes for a cool contrast. I enjoy how long some of the tracks are. It creates a kind of soundscape for me that I can fall into and it doesn't feel like I get pulled out of it too early. Favorite tracks: -Teenage Riot -'Cross the Breeze -Total Trash - the chaos in the middle might be my favorite part of the album -Rain King - this got borderline sinister -Kissability - I wish more songs were led by Kim's vocals like this track -Z) Eliminator Jr. is my top track. Least favorite track is easily Providence. It didn't have enough going on to be interesting. Not related to the music at all but it's a drag they were so mean to Nardwuar. Very few artists have done that and it's a real bummer.

This was one of my favorites in my alt rock-obsessed phase from high school/early college, and it’s probably my favorite Sonic Youth album. It still sounds so big and fresh, the rare double album that doesn’t overstay its welcome… mostly. A-

I know this band a bit but never listened to an album. I get that some will say it's noise. I agree it's noise but I like it anyway.  Teen Age Riot kicks off the festivities in style and is as close as they  get to a song that people without a deranged taste in music might like. Total Trash  isn't in that user friendly zone. It's noise but it's meant to be noise. They are playing fucked up sounding guitars on purpose to create "noise art". One minute I get it and the next minute I say "C'mon".  It comes so close to going over the edge and landing in a cesspool of noise that can't be listened to  but, imo, it doesn't go over that edge.  I realize 70 minutes is a lot of any band in one sitting. I surprisingly didn't do my first "K - how much is left?" time check until midway through the trilogy.  . . . and I'm 60 for christ's sake. Full transparency: I tapped out 30 secs into when Eliminator Jr.  I like these guys and wish I had listened to their albums years ago.

It ebbs and flows from high energy to a more calm trance like rock. Heavy experimentation occurs throughout. This is a very good album.

Love the guitar through most of this album. Lyrics and vocals are average and tend to break my focus when they take center stage on the song. Caught myself thinking this part sounds like XYZ band a couple times, which I realized it was actually just that band sounding like Sonic Youth which was a cool realization.

This classic guitar-grinding, beat-driving, angst-spilling, iron-pumping album is not for the faint of heart or ear! It always gets under my skin and triggers fist pumps of rebellion and release!

To me this is where Sonic Youth really start to shine. Their songs got more expansive and yet feel more focused and infectious than before. Perhaps it was the pressure of the higher dollar studio time? I love them most when they give their songs room to breathe with extended instrumental passages. Kinda punk-prog. I'm also a fan of the jam to song method they developed these songs with. Perfect balance of capturing that wild vitality but refining it into something more structured.

Moody, noisey and cool. Can hear where lots of bands have drawn influence like Slint, Pavement Car Seat Headrest etc. Seems like the very early days of dad rock without actually being dad rock. Highlights are The Sprawl (love the spoken word) and Eric's Trip.

I really liked this album more than I thought. You could hear the punk influence in a lot of songs, which was of course distorted and experimented with. I preferred Kim's songs, but thought Teen Age Riot was a great opener. Despite it's long songs, I was engaged the whole time. Really enjoyed this and of course, bonus points for half the name coming from Fred 'Sonic' Smith of MC5. Very cool homage.

Some high highs but overall to me, Daydream Nation is an awkward and sometimes ponderous transition from the underground era that ended with what may be my favorite SY album, Sister, and the major label period that began with the excellent Goo. I would have given this more stars if there were fewer tracks between the classic "Teenage Riot" and humorous ZZ Top tribute "Eliminator, Jr" that bookend this album. This didn't need to be a double album. In any case, I don't think SY is going to age well, because they make so much more sense as live band than on these records. You lose a lot of the sense of humor and it's replaced with a smartass rich kidz from Connecticut type vibe. Also, you have to play this super duper loud to fully appreciate the nuances of the guitars and who is really going to do that?

Daydream Nation No 3 of the 5 Sonic Youth albums on the list. I can’t really recall much about Dirty and EVOL, but looking back at my reviews I seemed to have enjoyed them without really loving them, and I think I feel the same about this one. I definitely think they are one of the most interesting US alt rock bands, their looseness and surf pop sensibilities marry well with the interestingly distorted and scuzzy guitar noise, particularly on Teen Age Riot, the standout track. It may be that I can’t really remember the previous albums well enough but I thought you could particularly hear how influential this, for good and for ill, was on lots of the bands that followed. And despite it definitely being overlong it seemed to be more melodically interesting than the other two albums - the guitar noise framework meshing well with more conventional songwriting, and the bass and drums creating lots of good grooves, like The Sprawl and Total Trash (which the Manics must have liked). I also liked Candle and Eliminator. I think I preferred this to EVOL and Dirty, although truthfully I’d have to listen to them again to be sure. I don’t quite think though it reaches a 4, so it’s a high 3 for now and I’d like to revisit when I don’t have 11 albums to catch up on. 🕯️🕯️🕯️ Playlist submission: Teen Age Riot

I admit I went into this with a bias against Sonic Youth. They seemed to me to be the definition of style over substance, and they seemed like they viewed themselves as the coolest people ever. (See their interview with Nardwuar) Already in the first song I could hear that they were pretty innovative, as they sound like a 90s band despite the fact the album was made in the 80s. I could hear how the instrumentation(particularly the guitars) influenced great bands and albums (Loveless, The Bends) I would say they sound like an assortment of important 90s bands, but in reality I guess many 90s bands sound like them. Despite that, listening to the album confirmed some of my prejudices; the spoken word sections are meaningless and pretentious. The social critiques (lyrically) sound really basic and the album is excessively long. Still there are really interesting moments musically, particularly in the instrumental sections. The music sounds raw and at the same time very clear and layered. It sounds DIY but sophisticated and even when it's noisy and wild they create an interesting atmosphere. 3.5/5 because while it's innovative and interesting, it has it's drawbacks and to my ear's doesn't have that much replay value.

Influential but doesn’t quite do it for me

Great in places, but not the whole album

One of those albums that I'm supposed to like (a man of such discerning musical taste!) but have never got into. Some decent tracks but the amount of reverb always gives the feel of style over substance, but its interesting enough to keep my attention. Never been that keen on the vocal on some of the tracks. Having said that a solid and probably quite influential album. Highlights: Teenage Riot, Hey Joni, Kissability

For some reason I didn't enjoy this one as the previous Sonic Youth albums. I think I like the female vocalist more than the guy. It got a little better as it went on. I like the long noisy instrumental at the end of The Spawl, for example. It sounds very mid 90s post-punk so I guess at 88' they maybe defined this sound? With more heavy distortion front-and-center, 'Cross the Breeze would sound like a metal song interestingly. Lyrically it feels a bit juvenile, very HS writing feeling. I will say this album has quite a range of styles in terms of instrumentation and it's all interesting to me. 3.5 down to 3.

I love some Sonic Youth songs and I hate others. Really weird.

No matter what happens and how evolved I become in this life, I don’t think I’ll ever be into punk. Even the more “musical” punk such as this. Bangy bangy yelly yelly done.

its not a bad album but less of few songs i didnt really clicked with it. +Nardwuar -1Point bcs yall need to be humble to interviewers especially for him

Cool band name. I gave up after the 3rd song, and that after skipping the first 2.

Wow, got into this even less than Phrenology. Again, the flow is a major issue with me, but in this case it feels very disjointed within individual songs (outside of Teen Age Riot) and across the album. Nothing spoke to me. Glad to be experiencing music outside of what I generally like, though.

eh, boring.

After rating one of the other Sonic Youth albums we've gotten so far 1 star and another one 4 stars, my expectations for this one were pretty uncertain. Unfortunately, this one is a major dung heap again. It's just chaotic noise to me.

I hate Sonic Youth. GRANTED it might be the foundation for a lot of things to come, I just don't give a shit about any of the songs on this album, or the band in general.

They're a band who's reputation is entirely build on other musicians saying they're great. But it largely sounds like uncrafted noise... and I guess there's something to be said for that. Regardless, this will be my first and last listen.

I saw them on the tour for this. Completely rocked my world. The South Bank Show documentary from around the same time is worth seeking out. It has some great live to camera performances including a wild half abandoned broken string Silver Rocket.

Tough to get in to but once you do it's really rewarding

Not God's gift to man or anything, but it was solid and it didn't overstay its welcome even with how long it is.

Stunning. Channeling the attitude and power of Rock and Roll through a wholly novel harmonic conception - not new ways of using Bach's or Ellington's harmonies, but a modal exploration of a brand new harmonic universe, and Monk's equal in the ability to build structure and gorgeous melody out of layer upon layer of dissonance - to deliver songs that, somehow, are completely coherent. Makes almost everything else ever recorded sound cliche.

Such a beautiful dreamscape. The sound may not be unique, but it's masterful and pitch perfect, done better than anyone else does it.

When I was in high school I wanted to like Sonic Youth more than I did in the hopes it would make me cool. I just really admired and idolized Kim Gordon and thought the music itself was just fine. I think I actually now fit into those once-too big shoes. Genuinely loved every minute of this.

Listening to this makes me feel cool.

Of course a great album . Listened to it everyday on a tape once upon a time

Holy shit. Fantastic album.

Teen Age Riot is still one of the prettiest songs. No one talks about how pretty the guitar work can be with this band. They are so great at discord and noise that it’s easy to forget. Ultimately that’s what makes them so special. I like this so much more now.

NOISE! One of the greatest albums ever by one of the greatest bands ever! Such a perfect mix of melody and distortion and dissonance and so much more. Perfect.

by far my favorite & the most listenable sonic youth record. i'm glad they made the decision to apply their texture work to a pop structure, it's an illuminated stroke of genius. hey joni's harmonics sections are galvanizing & the entire record is just filled with an unstoppable restlessness. fantastic pre-weekend build-up material!

This album came out when I was 13 and it blew me away. It is music so emotive and visceral, it demands attention. A sea of noise and rhythm and riffs...it slams into your chest and sets its' hooks into you and gives you 70 minutes journeying across a landscape of sound.

This has to be close to the platonic ideal of noisy rock, right? They make a whole atmosphere and soundscape out of noise that never quite stops being rock.

Awesome, probably my favorite Sonic Youth album I’ve gotten so far. This will be added to my regular rotation

SY at it's undeniable best. Everything you want on this record. A true classic.

Well yea the intro song has been stuck in my head since the day i first heard it. Love this one

interesting album does not sound like it is from the eighties

Timeless and still sounds fresh to this day. A massive, monster of an album. Perfect.

like being hugged by a thunderstorm. i genuinely might have to sleep to this album sometime lmao, for as obvious as the punky/noisey bones are, somewhere inbetween a bunch of musicians wildly thrashing around and me actually hearing it theres this comforting layer of removal, an eye of the storm type effect. and yet its still obviously exhilarating too...each new riff and guitar passage feels like it carries with it the ability to make me Lose My Mind if it hits me just right. yet another record that makes me think about how music is Touched into existence, and those touches are turned into Memory via recording technology. magickal record. if u saw my 3.5 rating from five years ago, no you didnt

First thing, I can't believe this was 1988, because it sounds so 90s alt and definitely not trapped in 80s reverb production from hell. Music like this can really go either way with me, but very rarely does it affect me like this does. I freaking love it. I feel like the more chaotic parts of the album add to the palate of these well crafted songs. It makes them blister, while still being accessible to my tastes. Not quite a fiver, but pretty damn near. (9.75) ★★★★½

Congeals the disparate veins the 80s underground - art school punk, hardcore, post-punk, post-rock, no-wave, experimental composition, noise rock - into an album that's dissonant & melodic, angry & blissful, distorted & chrystaline, grimy & pure, heavy & ethereal, earthy & haunted, driving & sprawling, tense & cathartic. Perfect.

This is a band that on paper I should like. I keep hoping to find “the album”. So far I like the opening track. Ok. Three tracks in. This is what I imagined when I read articles about sonic youth. This is the album I was looking for. ‘Cross the breeze has elements of what would be used for metal break downs later. This is a really good album. It’s almost punk New Age music. “Total trash” is another standout. I love the intro to “Trilogy a: the wonder”.

General impression: awesome, obviously Detailed review: Going into this, I predicted I’d give it a 4. Listening to it, I’m going back and forth between 4 and 5. Obviously it’s a masterpiece, and it’s one of the albums I have a decent amount of familiarity with going in. I’ve definitely listened to the whole thing at least 5 or 6 times and several tracks many more times, but it’s been many years since my last “Sonic Youth phase” and it’s really nice to go back to them. It’s funny, after listening to a lot of Thurston Moore solo albums (and being largely bored by them), I feel differently about the band lineup. Kim is the spiritual leader, but Ranaldo is I think my favorite. I don’t know what guitar parts are his, but I love his vocals and lyrics. Anyway, this album is incredible and a lot of that is the perfection of the production capturing the raucous, chaotic Sonic Youth sound in a studio context. I am still not sure if this is my favorite SY album…I’m very partial to Goo and Dirty, not to mention later albums like Murray St. and Sonic Nurse. But I cannot deny that this album deserves its reputation as Sonic Youth’s defining piece of work. Deeper thoughts (context): Despite the influence this album has clearly had on future generations of rock artists, I still don’t think anyone’s captured the same magic since them. Score: 4.6 (5 for this list) Number of albums left to review: 970 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 18 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 13

"Experimental double album" is usually a phrase that sends a shiver down my spine, but this is a joy from start to finish. My only criticism is starting with the wonderful Teen Age Riot seems like a waste; just imagine how great it would feel if it was the payoff after one of the more difficult tracks instead.

Even though I personally didnt feel much from these songs, which left me a bit cold, it deserves the hype and I see the vision. Its a Literally every indie band nowadays sounds like they’re trying to be Sonic Youth. But yea, this is like the Beatles White album for indie/alt kids. If I wouldve discovered this as a teenager I would have ate it up.

Sonic Youth is so cool. They have the beats per minute that make you want to go go, but this cool veneer that seems so chill. They take time to meander some on this album too, which could go on all day IMO.

Ah, finally, I get to review Daydream Nation! After I graduated from college in the late aughts, I heard about the 1001 albums book. I found a list of the albums in it online somewhere, and started picking out things to buy and listen to. Daydream Nation was one of the first albums I went for, and I remember how much it blew my mind. I had always thought of alternative rock as something that started in the nineties, but Sonic Youth blew the doors off those expectations. This isn’t an album I’ve gone back to a frequently, and aside from “Teenage Riot,” I couldn’t tell you the last time I listened to it in its entirety (holy shit, this is 70 minutes long? No wonder I haven’t listened to it in a while), but I’m excited for the chance to revisit it today. Man, this album is *a lot*. It’s brilliant, but hot damn, that was like getting my ass kicked for the length of an HBO drama. I guess I’ll start my talking about “Teenage Riot,” which might be in the running for best lead-off track of all time. The way those guitars start with a shoegaze shimmer, and then everything turns into a distorted madhouse is nothing short of brilliant. The drumming is fantastic too, and my mind is always blown at just how great the drumming sounds from the first click of the drumsticks until the last note. I don’t know that I really want to dig into the other songs on this album, mostly because I don’t have the time, but also because I think Daydream Nation works so well in its sprawling entirety. This album is chaotic and noisy, but there’s a precision to all the chaos. I love that, in spite of the noise and distortion, each song has something melodic and accessible to it. Daydream Nation is an absolute masterclass in alternative rock, and its influence can be felt throughout the nineties, as alternative rock grew in popularity. This album takes the listener on a journey, and at times, it can be too much, but I don’t know that there’s any fat to trim from this album, because every part of every song feels necessary to the album as a whole. I’d love to say that this is one of my favorite albums, but that’s not the case. However, I think it’s a brilliant work of music, and it’s worthy of the reputation it has as one of the best rock albums of all time.

An essential album of my teenage (riot) years. It could stand to be a tiny bit shorter, but no other complaints. I love every atunal, feedback-ridden rock dork note of it.

I'm mad at 15 year old me for not listening to this unadulterated masterpiece when it came out! Mesmerizing, hypnotic, beautiful, snarling, menacing, vulnerable. Just fantastic stuff.

This still sounds bloody good.

I can see why this album is in the Library of Congress.

Kim Gordon saying FU in The Sprawl is my kink.

Not much better

Should have been the magnun opus of Sonic Youth. But they kept making records, all of them incredible. This band is nuts. Also Teen-Age Riot is easily their best song

Aunque en mi lista personal le di un 5, le voy a dar un 4. No venga, un 5.

It seems as though I've finally gotten out of the rut of 3/5 albums. Daydream Nation is a great album. I know, right? This is my third Sonic Youth album of the project, and it is easily the best one so far. This just feels the most like a cohesive musical statement. The sound is noisy yet still weirdly pleasant to listen to at times. It's probably the best part of the album. That's not to say that it falters with its other elements. The vocals enforce this sense of angst that ties the whole album together. The writing is certainly interesting, but still quite good. The album's opener, "Teen Age Riot," is one of the band's most popular songs, and for good reason. It's a great song, and the others are almost as good as it. Daydream Nation is 70 minutes long, but the album is so sonically dense that it doesn't drag whatsoever. It kept me engaged, which is something of an accomplishment for 70+ minute long album. This may not be the best 70+ minute long album that I've listened to this week. I do prefer To Pimp a Butterfly. However, there really isn't any reason to compare the two albums given how different they are, so I won't! But there is one thing that makes these albums similar in my eyes. They're both phenomenal pieces of music. I'm proud to announce that I finally loved a Sonic Youth album. Light 5/5.

The most timeless Sonic Youth. The most listenable without feeling the respective weight of its era. With one other exception, the rest of their albums sound rooted in their respective time whether it be the 80s, 90s, or 00s. That's not always a bad thing, some of these other records are also among my favorite Sonic Youth albums. But Daydream Nation is special in how it glides in and across all times. It exists as daydream itself.

I don’t always love Sonic Youth, but I do love this record. That is, perhaps, typical.

What luck. Two of my favourite albums two days in a row. End of a really good week in fact. Really think Sonic Youth caught lightning in a bottle with this one, nothing they did before or after came anywhere close, and lord I've tried finding. First 4 songs are an absolutely unbelievable opening sequence, guitar tone sounds like nothing I've heard elsewhere, the tuning is absolutely mental as I found out later. Dips a bit in the middle but the ending is again stellar. Wish I'd found it when I was 15 and 25, would have changed the course of my music journey I reckon.

Why is it that every time I don't expect to love an album (based on no evidence), I get hit with a banger!! Much harder edge than I expected so bonus points!! Songs kept topping previous ones for my new favourite. Not sure which won out in the end between Total Trash and Candle. A) The Wonder would be up there too if they hadn't used a rubber chicken in the drumset (?) Also I enjoyed that the guy sang 'it's total trash' as my train went past a car scrapyard

Yup - there’s that shoe-in for best alternative album ever. The coolest thing about this album is how it pays it forward to all that came after - Radiohead and Foo Fighters especially (more so than Nirvana) - as well as fondly looking back at influences like ZZ Top and Joni Mitchell. I got so many pleasurable hairs on the back of my neck with this disc. It’s a cool magic trick - the zeitgeist of noise rock morphing into something beautiful and resonant. All of my words pale in comparison David Bowie’s review: “[this] is an extraordinary album”. I should not say more.

All timer

It’s crazy how Sonic Youth has five albums on this list and I’m getting my first one over 500 days in, nearly halfway through. The thing about this is that I’m not the biggest fan of this - I still like it, but I don’t necessarily love it - but its influence cannot be overstated. Since it’s still a good album on top of that, I feel like it still deserves 5 stars.

Road trip music doesn't get much better than this.

I haven’t listened to this in so long. Really enjoyed it especially the instrumental parts

Although I had never heard a single track from this album before, it fitted snugly into a gap in my music that I never even knew existed. Somewhere in between the Velvet Underground, the Pixies, Pavement, and the Wedding Present, there was a little hole that is now neatly and perfectly filled. Listening to this was a rather strange experience, as I felt like I was hearing something I knew really well, instead of having to struggle to come to terms with a fresh sound. It was also fantastic to have not a single duff track, no filler, nothing that failed to hit the mark. Some tracks were definitely stand out on a first listen, particularly TeenAge Riot, but I feel there will be a great reward for future listens.

Noise rock, alternative rock. An absolutely phenomenal album. Really just a masterpiece of vibes. I'd love to listen to it another time and really digest the lyrics, but just the music alone is enough. It's lush and deep but not too heavy. Like I'm floating on top of it. I really loved it. Will revisit. 5/5.

I listen to so many bands clearly influenced by this

Artsy noise rock so intricate, it’s almost…psychedelic? They’d probably hate that. But I can listen to this one endlessly and never get tired of it and always find something new. One of very few double-length works in which I become utterly involved with every single second.

Love Sonic Youth

Great

and now, for your listening enjoyment, Sonic Youth. Always enjoyable, such a treat.

The importance of sonic youth has still not been credited as of today a top notch group of musicians making groundbreaking experimental punk rock music while the world was still going string on glam rock and what we know as classic rock. Kim Gordon Im still in love with, thirston moore still has not been recognized as he should for his guitar and composing skills. Much above everyone elses at the time and probably today. This is a top album anywhere you put it and its still sounds like it was recorded today and not 35 years ago. Held up and it will for eternity.