Daydream Nation

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

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...

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.

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.

hold on to your butts

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.

Dead good innit.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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

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)_/¯

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.

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.

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.

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

Sonic Youth's most complete work -- it's noisy and abrasive, but also really catchy and accessible in it's own way. The guitar work throughout is really cool and inventive. My favorites are "Teen Age Riot", "The Sprawl", and "Total Trash". 4.5 Stars

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.

This is an all time favourite, I had saved it to cleanse my ears should I have a run of terrible albums.

"Daydream Nation" is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. There are lots of genres to label their music but I'd just call it alternative rock with unorthodox guitar tuning and song structures. The lyrical themes deal with burnout, the music industry and the crack epidemic. Actually, they sing a lot about drugs to my ears; the music makes more sense then. This double album received wide-spread critical acclaim earning them a major label deal and had a profound influence on indie and alternative music. Yes. In 2005, the Library of Congress put it in the National Recording Registry for its artistic significance. "Teen Age Riot" begins the blast off. Off-key guitar chords, singer/bassist Kim Gordon repeating "No you're it." That stops. A fast, distorted guitar begins the melody and the band kicks in. Yeah, this song has always rocked to me. Guitarist Thurston Moore on lead vocals as he is describing an alternative universe with Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis as president. It could be worse...It has been worse. The second song "Silver Rocket" continues the musical assault. It's fast and punk and eventually goes into noise chaos (that's like every Sonic Youth song). I think the silver rocket is heroin or some other drug. You eventually find that a Kim Gordon song is your favorite and there's a couple here. "'Cross the Breeze" has a nice alternative-sounding melodic guitar. This is fast. Kim wants to know. What about? I think it's got be about the drugs. She changes topic on "Kissability." This is dramatic. Sex appeal will get you famous. You think? The album ends with the sprawling "Trilogy." The first part "The Wonder" is based on author's James McElroy portrayal of mysterious LA. Here, Moore does it to NYC. "Hyperstation" is mostly an instrumental with lots of feedback. This has got to be about a drug trip. "Eliminator Jr." is named so since the song sounds like a mixture of ZZ Top and Dinosaur Jr. And it does. Distorted guitars and pounding drums. Woah, this is a big album and a great one at that. Dreamy, hard, punk, stoner, and trippy all describe the music. There's long jams with feedback and noise. Steve Shelby's drums are fabulous. They definitely try to out-hip the hipster mentioning or referencing William Gibson, J. Mascis, Andy Warhol, LSD, heroin, crack, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix and Pere Ubu. The songs start melodic and nearly all of them end in some sort of chaos and destruction. My kind of music and probably their best album.

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

This album is amazing full stop.

Another major album from Sonic Youth! Once again, I'm not overly familiar with their work but it's a real pleasure to dig into their discography thanks to 10001albums. Daydream Nation is more raw than Goo, really abrasive, there is a punk urgency to their sound, but paradoxically they take their time to develop their songs. Noise is everywhere, they are always on the verge of sound chaos. And what an intro! Great album.

Sonic Bliss. Easy contender for a desert island album, there is just so much happening across these tracks that it is hard to exhaust. All timer Kim songs, Thurston songs, and Lee songs. Probably not my fav sonic youth album, but it is the most sonic youth album.

There should be a sixth star for special occasions

Perfect album and opening track to wake up to.

עשר מתוך עשר. חוץ מחצר מלך הארגמן, זה האלבום הכי טוב שהאזנתי אליו מהאפליקציה.

Man, it's great to feel 16 again...

I can’t believe I have never listened to this album. This is flippin incredible. I love the distortion, I love the vocals. This is truly an incredible album.

Icónico

Loved it! The grunge the lyrics the melody amazing combo

this album fucking rocks!!!! a new all timer for me .. so many amazing guitar riffs can feel an obsession mounting

Daydream Nation was the first SY album I've heard in a Walmart parking lot about 3 years ago during a roadtrip, late at night before going to sleep. At first, I didn't understand it. I was very new to anything like noise rock. So then I played it again and picked up on some beautiful harmonies in between. Since then, I've listened to most of their 80s and 90s output. And revisiting Daydream Nation, I can understand why this is their masterpiece. No other album balances the abrasive distortion and punk energy with the most heartwarming, beautiful melodies. It can be so warm and fuzzy yet full of personality, emotion, and pure chaos. And they're about to do this within each track smoothly. Take "The Sprawl" which is an accessible punk track with harsh drumming but a nice groove, that very slowly and patiently transitions into the most beautiful melody. The layers of instruments clash yet harmonize with each other to come off as multi-dimensional. One guitar is focused on absurdly high distortion but yet is the same volume as the other guitar which is repetitive and fuzzy, serving as an incredible juxtaposition that balances each other. Strong start, with the indie rock anthem "Teen Age Riot" impossible to dislike. It's catchy with memorable, nostalgic riffs and choruses. We start off with a pleasant 2-minute intro that erupts into a song you couldn't resist to dance or sing to. We then get punk craziness to let off all that tension in the last two minutes. Following up is "Silver Rocket", the most hardcore track on here, with a melody that almost sounds like Radiohead. In the middle we get a crazy display of their talent in distortion, proving we haven't forgotten Velvet Underground, yet it ties so well with the rest of the track. It builds and builds before leading back to the chorus. It's such a complete and satisfying track. "The Sprawl" is a long track in the disguise as pop punk with Gordon's accessible yet energetic vocals and minimalist lyrics. You can't help but follow the flow of the guitar melodies as it takes you all over. The extended ending is just so beautiful and dreamy. "Cross the Breeze" is a candidate for my favorite track. The guitar melody starts out as jangly and ethereal before erupting into pure chaos and energy. Absolutely love Gordon's catchy vocals and the dreamy guitars against the ferocity of the surf rock energy. Crazy how 3 of the first 4 songs are 7 minutes and yet they all feel complete and justified in their timestamps. "Eric's Trip" is a standard Sonic Youth track, and a great one at that, with lyrics from Warhol's Chelsea Girls. Love the swirly shoegaze guitar, matching the chaos and uncertainty of the lyrics. "Total Trash" is a nice groovy piece with chill vocals. The distortion in the middle of the track is one of the most complex and well-executed of the record. Super impressive. "Hey Joni" is another track that balances pleasant melodies with high punk energy. It's fast, loud, and abrasive yet accessible, especially with the catchy repetitive riffs. Great closing. "Providence" is a successful break between the tracks. It's a bit of an outlier but still fits in the context of the album, and probably has the best placement in the track order. It's pleasant and lo-fi with subtle radio-like fuzz. Personally, I think it serves to bring more context to their skills with how they play with distortion, allowing me to pay more attention to those aspects in other tracks. "Candle" is another top favorite. It's so dreamy, warm, and catchy despite his harsh (almost screaming) vocal style and and distorted guitars. Later, we get another incredible distortion solo that for some reason comforts me despite how unsettling it tries to be. "Rain King" is personally my least favorite but still incredible. It's angry with a high sense of urgency and eeriness. Huge fan of the tribal drumming and the high fuzz that sounds like a radio frequency. "Kissability" is a nice pop punk track with horror undertones. Reminds me of EVOL. Love the second half when it erupts into chaos. It prepares us for the end. Finally, we have the trilogy. "The Wonder" is a nice start with great storytelling and catchy chorus. It picks up crazier and crazier before the epic finish, that smoothly transitions into "Hyperstation" which sounds like a hazy dream. It's long and dreamy, one of the quieter tracks. "Eliminator Jr" is our quick punk closer that almost feels incomplete but has a nice satisfying ending. What sets Daydream Nation apart from their other albums? - By far, this is their most consistent. - Every track has their purpose, showing off different talents and techniques that don't feel rehashed. No tracks to be removed. Every track deserves its timestamp, never feels rushed or dragged on. - Fantastic track order, with the strong start, appropriate middle tracks, and epic closing few. - Many outstanding tracks that can be enjoyed both in the context of the album and on their own. - The best balance between being accessible, ambient, and abrasive, with both low and high energy It's clear to me why Daydream Nation is their best album. And on top of their influence and innovation, it deserves to be an album that everyone should listen to before they die.

Only problem is length here. Too long for a noise rock album. But its genius

Sonic Youth has released many albums since the early 80's. They started out as an art-noise band that featured a lot of improvisational sounds that sometimes lacked song structure and melody. Progressively, the band's sound expanded and became an "alternative" rock band that gained some commercial attention riding the wave of like-sounding alt-rock "indie" bands in the early 90's. Thing is, Sonic Youth was making that music a decade earlier and their sound was influential to many bands in the 90's. All of their albums are interesting for different reasons, but I found their sweet spot was the double LP, Daydream Nation, an epic record that still had the edge, intensity and abrasiveness of their earlier albums and weaved in a melodic and structured sound that stands as their best work. I kick myself for not buying the double LP back in the day, but I did tape my brother's copy and played it obsessively and have since bought the deluxe CD version with a live version of the album as the second disc. An amazing band who's live shows were incredible and though they never recorded anything as fine as Daydream Nation, they didn't sell out their sound too much and stayed on the path of making some decent underrated records.