Daydream Nation

I appreciate Sonic Youth but have never been a super fan. Listening and focusing on it again after so many years, I am maybe more impressed than previously.

One of those albums that I wished I'd stumbled across when it first came out. I probably would have loved it. As is, I appreciate a lot, and some feels like a time capsule from that period.

Sleater Kinney's lyric should have been, "I wanna be your Kim Gordon." But maybe it doesn't rhyme as well.

I weirdly loved this one: it felt just immediately familiar even tho I've never listen to it before. The strong powerful guitar and sounds which I would almost liken to Shoegaze, the whole album was to be enjoyed. Ofc there are some standout tracks but I would have to say I get the hype around this album. I'll let it cook but in my mind it's very solid.

melhor que goo, enquanto na minha memória era o inverso?

Pretty cool. jammier than I thought it would be. Not sure it's in the permanent rotation.

The way they are able to shape noise into movement means there’s moments where it all comes together and makes sense.

The better of the two sonic youth albums I’ve gotten, I enjoyed Goo but this one was much better

Some really strong songs. Can clearly hear how music later was influenced by this album. Does have a tendency to sound the same :/

I feel like this was still noisy all while being a fairly coherent album, unlike their following album that had a bit to much edge for my taste. idk. i like it.

Really like the soundscape in this album. Longish songs allow for them to develop a little more, though on first listen a bit samey sometimes.

rlly liked it, bardzo moje klimaty, nie chce mi się więcej pisać srry

I only knew Teen Age Riot coming in, and there was a lot more post-punk type stuff than I expected. Neither singer did much for me, and some parts definitely lost me with a noisier sound. But the highlights were great, really 90s sounding layered guitars and fun drum beats. Wish they stuck with that just a little more.

Yllättävän fresh ollakseen 35-vuotta vanha levy. Sopi oikein hyvin lenkkimusiikiksi.

Really grew on me. Got a distinct, fun sound throughout.

pretty awesome. love their sound

A tad much for me sometimes (the "noise") but fucking awesome. Love it.

1988. Pretty solid alt/punk

Fun sonic landscape and you can see how it inspires albums like the seer by swans and other concept albums using discordant guitar and loose vocals

SY were always on the periphery of my music world back in the day, but I never dug too deep into them. Although I will say "The Diamond Sea" is one of my favorite tracks of theirs (not on this album though) I liked this one quite a bit and probably will be revisiting again in the near future

7/10. This sounds nicer than I remember the the other Sonic Youth albums I've had on this list being, not sure if that's just me getting used to them, though. And it felt liked it lacked some of the gritty energy that I was expecting. I dunno, I liked it.

This is my favorite out of all the Sonic Youth albums we've had. It felt like I could digest everything much better, and was quite a rewarding listen despite being 70 minutes long. 8/10

Good alternative rock band with hints of Steve Miller band and Pink Floyd with the instrumental breaks

One of these days I swear I'll get Sonic Youth. I'm so close to getting them, I swear. 7/10 Fave track: Silver Rocket

I didn’t and don’t listen to them enough. Bad ass.

A little bit of traditional song structure, with a dash of noise.

very nu-wave synthy punk vibes!

heavy guitars with ample amounts of distortion. some songs had a male vocalist, some had a female vocalist. all in all, a solid album.

I've never listened to Sonic Youth before. I really dug this. It's between a 3 and 4 for me. I'm going to give it a 4 so I don't forget to add it in later.

This is the first time I have listened to Sonic Youth. I like the edgier, experimental songs on this album.

I knew a few Sonic Youth songs but definitely hadn’t listened to a full album from them until now. I really loved this. I know it’s not for everyone, but it’s grunge and weird and amazing. My favorite songs were “Teenage Riot” and “Hey Joni” but there wasn’t a song on this album I didn’t enjoy at least somewhat.

classy alternative/noise rock, but no distinctive bangers (beside teenage riot)

I am a fan of this record. It is interesting to see some of the early aural building block for what would become favorites of mine.

Iconic indie album! Good guitar and drum work plastered everywhere on this thing. Very influential and has no tracks I’d consider BAD. It’s pretty good, but not very good.

A Sonic Trip from Sonic Youth

5 except for the needless profanity in some songs

Not the worst Sonic Youth album. I actually enjoyed this one. The noise was loud but not as chaotic as it was in past albums.

Not the hottest take but Teen Age Riot is an incredible opener - in fact the whole of Side 1 is pretty spectacular. The rest of the record doesn’t quite reach those heights, though songs like Kissability and the closing trilogy certainly have their moments, but the ebb and flow of energy over the 70 minutes really benefits the pacing, and the overall atmosphere is enveloping and enchanting, not really feeling it’s length at all. Is it perfect? Probably not - but it is incendiary and a joy to listen to

I love the formula, its a great album and almost every track made my head move. But the problem is that it gets repetitive, this one would have benefitted a lot of being a 30 minutes album A solid 4+ for me

I've been fairly aware of this band for years and saw them live at a club in Santa Cruz CA (the Catalyst) back in 1993 or 1994. Wild show, crazy crowd, to the point where the band threatened to end the show early if people didn't calm down -- too much stagediving apparently. Anyhow, I have never really dug into their back catalog... and apparently need to make plans to do so.

Good album vibe, good headphone listen while working.

Easily the best Sonic Youth album...really like this one as a full album listen. The title track is also a top 2 SY song. 4.5/5

3.5/5

really dope like chaotic and upbeat

Quite interesting. 3,5/5

Often baffling, sometimes sparkling, an elusive, firey, compelling record.

I can see how this album influenced the alternative and punk rock I listened to in the late 90s and early 2000s. I like Kim Gordon's lyrics in the song, "The Sprawl" (which I'm sure refers to being a teenager lost in the cultural dystopia of the suburbs): "I wanted to know the exact dimension of hell, Does this sound simple?, F*** you, are you for sale?, Does f*** you sound simple enough?" Tell 'em, Kim! The opening track Teenage Riot is six minutes long and amazing. I really enjoyed this album. Pay homage to the alt rock pioneers!

Crazy that this album was made in 1988. It sounds so mid-90s. I early like it.

Really good stuff that set the stage for even more good stuff later on. I enjoyed listening to this.

enjoying hearing more sonic youth for sure, didn't enjoy this one as much as I thought I would but I'm pretty sure this'll grow massively on me

Confirma o talento da banda em produzir um som único ao misturar com inteligência elementos do punk ao indie.

I've always liked this album and appreciated it. When I put it on, I always think "Yeah, this is good!" But by the end I'm ready for something else. There's a lot to like here, yet there's something about it that keeps me from really loving it. I think it's just a little too "noisy" at times. I like the songs, but sometimes they stray too far into cacophony. But I still like it and appreciate it. So much so, that I will give it 4 1/2 stars. (But I'm rounding down.)

fun

Pretty long but also is pretty fun. They really are the sonic youth, this is a loud and crazy album. I like the mix of male and female vocals. A lot of the songs seem to follow the same motif but it doesn't really get old. I liked this one a lot. Score: 80 Art: 70

Ooh, the album with the candle on it I've never heard before. It's authentic, noisy music with plenty of layers. I really loved Teen Age Riot.

Just ok

bangin'

Good rock

Good. Need to listen again :)

Shoegazy goodness, going to listen to this again when I’ve finished my damn backlog

great sonic youth album

That first track is awesome. It comes in and you're just surfing that groove SY wave right away. Nice and clean, like welcome my friend we were waiting for you (but we aren't gonna tell you what's comin even though we know...). Second song is like, let's keep going, but we're gonna grind a little and we're gonna break up the pace a bit and throw in a couple gnarly pieces of distortion sound wall. Oh ok, yup, this is SY. Oh and then Kim is gonna come in and make it a little bit sexy with her 'more more more more'. A couple more tracks with her singing is a treat. She's just singing at me and hitting my emotions in waves. Later in the album, we get their classic breakdown and knuckledrag heavy rock guitar like on Total Trash. I kind of get this kind of sound from them, but if I'm being honest, sometimes it seems a little much like they are just making a sound demonstration and this if anything is my criticism of SY. Joni is just straight rock. And then we get art noise with Providence. And then we get sweet relief with Providence because every SY album has to have a reprieve. It's gonna be edgy, but it's organized and transcendental. Lovely hard edge flowers. And then they just beat it up for the rest of the album.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of listening to Teen Age Riot, but this album isn't my favorite SY. I know, I know .. "super influential ... masterfully crafted, respected by your heroes, blah, blah, blah" but there are some tracks on this that kill the vibe and it's hard to listen all the way thru without skipping a couple tracks.

Best Sonic Youth album on this list.

There is some quite amazing guitar work on this album, like the last 90 seconds of ‘Cross The Breeze. Every time the album feels like it’s lost direction due some noise or another, the guitar brings it back to ear pleasureland. Teen Age Riot is a great song. Candle too. I’m going to keep coming back for the guitars.

HLs: "Teen Age Riot", "Candle", "The Sprawl", the trilogy Here's the 5th and last Sonic Youth album on this list, and while they haven't ever been one of my favourite acts, I have at least an appreciation of the "sonics", aka the sounds they could produce with mere guitars. Between this & Sister, they definitely tapped into a sound that I quite enjoy. The songs do sprawl, but the atonal, seemingly unstructured breakdowns carried a weight & energy I thought was absent in some of their other albums- "Rain King" sounds like they're trying to summon a monsoon. "Providence" is a moment of unexpected beauty, I don't really understand the context of the voicemail but it's ok May 11, 2023

Suits a mood, doesn't it? Mostly discordant, knotty and tough, but then grittily beautiful and nascently sweet. There are passages, once heard, that one struggles to get out of one's ahead, this being art rock at the highest level. "Teen Age Riot" and "Candle" are particular faves, but it's the sustained spikey attitude and mood that is most memorable. One much prefers Moore and Gordon as vocalists to Shelley. Not sure what's so different about the trilogy suite at the end, though "Hyperstation" is one of the record's highlights.

I quite liked this album, had a good vibe to it, plenty to keep you listening with good punchy beats.

Teen age riot is the highlight of this album and just a great song. the rest is pretty rad too.

This album has some extraordinary guitar playing scattered throughout and the band sounds great overall. However, in contrast to some of their other albums none of the songs really appeal to me, sometimes because the vocals are slightly annoying, sometimes because the rhythms are too simple and monotonous. A double album then feels very long indeed.

Ok, let me settle on a four star, in the low end. It's very intriguing, rich and diverse; the thick noise can be hard to digest though. I think we've now had most of the Sonic Youth albums and I conclude Dirty is my favourite.

I just had a Sonic Youth album 10 days ago and I said I wished I liked them more. This album helped. This was SO good! I was shocked that it came out in 1988 because it sounds newer. I realized that a lot of the musicians I liked in the 90s and 2000s must have taken inspiration from this album, because it reminded me so much of other, newer bands. This album absolutely should be on this list.

Crazy, but strong songwriting makes it work no matter how experimental. A bit longer than necessary to get the albums statement work, even if it is intriguing all the way through. A great record.

I like sonic youth and I appreciate what they did but lots of their stuff doesn’t so much leave me cold as much as I don’t really feel the need to listen to it all that often This album is the exception. Could listen to it on a loop. Sprawling magnificent masterpiece.

Not as good as Sister. 4 / 5 stars.

More punk than I thought - enjoyed this one.

I quite enjoyed the whole thing. Very experimental in parts, just straight up enjoyable in others Saved tracks: Silver Rocket, The Sprawl, Rain King

Unique with replay value. Enjoyed this

Interesting listen. A punky, American counterpoint to the Cure.

Had to listen to this one twice and I'm still not sure how I feel about it

I listened to this album for the first time last year. Enjoyed it more this time. Quite progressive and slow to get going in parts but I love the punk sound. Having both male and female vocalists make it really interesting. It sounds before it's time. Can see it likely inspired a lot of bands I grew up liking. Highlights are teenage riot, silver rocket, hey Joni and eliminator jr

Nigh on impossible to rate after a single listen, just so much to digest. Can certainly see why it is held in such high regard and will grow on me after a few listens but a lot of the album just meshed into a single sound. Have to say, unbelievable that this is came out in 1988. Still sounds so far ahead of its time.

Well, whadya know? This is a terrific listen. All over the shop, as usual. When I now listen to the great opening track, Teen Age Riot, it sounds like they’re trying to channel The Go-Betweens. They follow it with Silver Rocket, which feels a lot like Kool Thing Part2. I love Kim Gordon & it’s hard to believe her vocals on tracks like this didn’t influence PJ Harvey. I love Gordon’s Kissability, which precedes The Trilogy - three tracks that end the album with what’s been described as “convulsive beauty”. About right. Hadn’t heard the album for a very long time, but it still stands up.

Weird. Yesterday's record was EVOL, and I finished my review with "Wake me up when it's time to review Daydream Nation", and very next day here it is. This was the first Sonic Youth album I listened to a lot. I'm pretty sure that Peter Prichard recommended this record to Tim, who bought it and let me make a tape copy. I have since bought my own copy. This is the album where they really started to write songs, without sacrificing the noise. The noise is now in service to the song, rather than just for its own sake, which is the weakness of most of their prior albums, none of which have ever grabbed me. I love noisy song approach, and it still influences what I like in a record (ie, I like some noise). Some great songs on here: Teen Age Riot, Eric's Trip, Kissability, Hey Joni. Steve Shelley is the secret ingredient who keeps everything grounded and rocking. Bless him. And Kim Gordon is too cool for words. I really dig this record. I really enjoyed hearing it again for the first time in a long time, and, despite my well known distaste for long albums, I didn't feel like the double album is too long.

I kind of discovered Sonic Youth following the 1001 list, and I still don't know if they deserve 3 spots on the list (until now), but I must assume that I'm learning to like them. Even listening to the albums in the "wrong" order, this one is the best until now, and I really learned to discover the music behind the noise. I'm enjoying the noise and the attitude somehow. I'll probably become a fan if they have 2 or 3 more albums here.

Very nice. Very chaotic and with a lot of energy. I’m not a big fan of those sections where it’s just noise though.

Art rock at the highest and most smoldering level.

4.5 One of my favorite bands. Not my favorite album of theirs. Also, it goes on too long.

Awesome tracks

lowk overhyped

i listened to this but recall nothing

Seminal album, it's influence is everywhere. Blueprint for the alternative rock scene. Anger, angst and sheer guitar brilliance - not in a showoff Yngie J style but in here's what else you can do with 6 strings and a distortion pedal. Some might find that it rambles but I love the way the guitars move in and out of a theme. Opens with Teenage Riot, as close to as an anthem as they will get - and the best song they ever did. Album does taper off at the end.

while i have the unpopular opinion of liking sister more than daydream nation, this album is still very great and the moments that are good are incredible. compared to sister, the songs are way longer, more pop-leaning (well, as pop-leaning as you can get for sonic youth), and more energetic. and though i like more of the experimentation on sister, the bangers on here make me question that a little bit. i want to give special mentions to "kissability" for the amazing guitar tone and "rain king" for the questionable lyric "your sister is a beauty when she's naked, like my kid" (insert druski quote here.) overall, great album.

What a great record. Raw, energetic, powerful. A truly unique blend of rock flavors resulting in a sound many would try to emulate. There are a few meandering songs and ideas but the diversity of songs makes up for it. Favorites were "Candles" and "B) Hyperstation."

I like this a lot, but it's probably not for everyone. The singing is not that great. The production is noisy. Guitars are out of tune. But it wouldn't be as intense if it was all tight and tidy. Favorite song: Eric's trip.

Surprisingly stronger punk flavor than I was expecting. Solid showing from SY

Cool, grungy sound. I enjoyed this more than I thought he would.

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Total Trash (6) 2 - 'Cross the Breeze (4) 3 - Teen Age Riot (1)

This was fun. Some of the songs felt too long, but I’m not huge on long instrumentals so that’s probably a me problem.

This album chugs away. It sounds like the perfect driving music - if I could drive. It's an ambitious record that never strays far from its key message. I'm not really sure what that key message is, but that doesn't matter. It makes you feel as though you are part of something - whatever that something is. I love the mixing up of the vocals between Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon. Sharing these between male and female responsibilities might sound confusing with other other artists. But not for Sonic Youth. They blend in and out without you ever realising that the interplay is taking place. Decent.

Ah, good. Always been a fringe can of Sonic Youth but only really ventured into two albums, this one and EVOL. Both great. Glad to see I'll be visiting a few more on this project. Teenage Riot is fabulous, obviously. First half of this is packed full of 7 minutes long masterful tracks none of which feel overlong. I won't lie though I start to tire on the second half, however good it is. The end though, is an absolute beast.

Great album

Sonic Youth kallar einhvern veginn alltaf á fílinginn sem myndaðist í menntaskólakjöllurum í gamla daga (og gerir kannski enn?), allt frekar subbulegt, sófar með risastórum pullum, fólk tvist og bast að chilla. Fíla þetta.

This is perhaps my favourite Sonic Youth album. I loved the avant-garde stuff of their beginnings, but I like that this had more songcraft while still embracing the outside.

Angsty rock with some cracking tracks.

Love this band, their second best album imo.

Great stuff

Their best shambolic, fuzzy, cacophonous album. Still has the power to disturb.

Man -- that was great! And unexpected. Great bridge between punk and grunge and doesn't feel dated in a way that a lot of the 90's albums I've listened to so far do.

Got my favourite SY song on - Teenage Riot. It is a fantastic album - I loved it!

Incredible testament to noise and dissonance featuring the most playful duo of guitarists in the same band ever (example 1: 'Hey Joni'). The album is creative as hell, blending genres and creating a highly chaotic cosmos of its own. I have to mention Gordon's bass and Shelley's drums as well. They really are extraordinary and drive each and every song (almost metal-like on ''Cross the Breeze'). Also a shoutout to 'Eric's Trip' - what a tune! I do have a few issues with the record - the runtime IS exessive, and stuff like 'Providence' feels like filler - but by the time the last trilogy of tracks roll in all is forgiven and forgotten. What a way to close an album.

Classic and influential album. Set the stage for 90s alternative rock, and alternative rock in general.

i love them

None of the records I love would have existed without Sonic Youth. While “Daydream Nation” is not my personal SY fav, it’s obviously more than worthy on this list. Someone clone Kim Gordon. She invented cool.

This one clicked with me more, the influence is undeniable too:

Great album. I had listened through parts of it before, but never the whole thing. I did feel at times like it's hard to differentiate one song from another, but the overall sound is unique and enjoyable. 4/5

It's very long but kept me engaged throughout. An enveloping noise rock experience that goes from catchy to downright trippy and heavy on stuff like 'Cross The Breeze and Rain King. Awesome stuff. Highlights: The Sprawl, 'Cross The Breeze, Rain King.

Una de les fites més importants del rock alternatiu als '80. Aquí va ser on els novaiorquesos van ser capaços d'aglutinar l'experimentació, el feedback de guitarres i la seva actitud nihilista dels discos anteriors amb unes cançons més accesibles i punyents. La seva proposta va agafar la seva forma més perfecta. El gran cim de la seva carrera

Definitely some substance there. To fully appreciate this one, I'll need to hear it more though. Might be a five in the future.

Really quite good. No filler; even the lesser-known tracks are solid. And the production is perfect.

On kyllä SY:n parhaimmistoa. Grungehtavaa ja indiehtävää mutta jotenkin hyvällä tavalla niin että soundi on tiukasti oma! 4/5

Indien peruspilareita ja mageeta kitarointia. SY on about sitä musaa, mikä vois omassa kodissa soida hiljaisella koko ajan. Hieno tunnelma.

Loved it!

Folks in Seattle were looking up to Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, & Co. right about this time …

Lots of guitar. Felt tame

As I noted in my review for Goo (weird that I got two Sonic Youth albums in the same week), I've loved seeing Sonic Youth live, but never really gotten into their albums. I think this album actually captures them pretty well compared to a lot of the other SY albums that I've heard. It makes sense why this album is so highly regarded within their catalogue. It feels a lot more like the energy that they bring to live shows than most of their albums, which feel a bit flat to me.

I liked it. Had some things that started to run a little long, but I we all enjoyed.

9 : )

Everytime I hear an album of Sonic Youth I absolutely adore it and wonder why I'm listening to it more often. Everytime I tell myself to dive deeper into the whole discography and listen to the rest over and over as well till all the creaks and squeeks of every album are ingrained in my head. Until the next time I'm hearing a Sonic Youth album and I tell myself the same again.

If I was to be critical of this masterpiece I would say it is 15 minutes too long.

Clear influence on lots of bands I love, but doesn't resonate the same way, probably because I didn't hear it when I was younger. Really enjoyed it, hope to hear more from them 4 🌟

Solid SY. Not my fav tho, too long :)

Listened to it on shuffle and got real impressed by the form. Not great but listenable, which is a feat for double albums for me.

First time listen for me and pleasantly surprised by the melodic and tuneful nature of this album. Love the tracks that Kim Gordon Sings on. some great obviously influential tracks here, taking on the Mantle of the Talking Heads of intelligent indie post punk. You can hear their influence on Grunge and Math Rock on this album. I love "The Sprawl" "Cross The Breeze" "Total Trash" "Hey Joni" "Candle" & "Kissability" Yep can see why this is on the list just for it's influence on music to come.

Love this album! Live, many of the songs on it are even better.

Liked this quite a bit more than Dirty. Maybe it was my mood, but I liked the fuzzy electrical energy throughout this album. I would add this to my rotation, especially tracks like "Silver Rocket" "Eric's Trip" and "Providence"

Varied album. Enjoyed most of it though

Considering my past experiences with alt-rock, I was not expecting to like this album as much as I did. I may have to attribute it to the more noisy elements that embed each song. Everything feels so raw and noisy. My only flaw with the album is that it can get a little repetitive in nature due in part to the long run time of 1hr 10min. If it were a little shorter, I think I’d like it more. Highlights: Teen Age Riot, Silver Rocket, ‘Cross the Breeze

I’m definitely a fan of Sonic Youth. Teenage Riot kind of tricks you into thinking it’s going to be departure into more radio friendly indie rock, which it partly is. But there is still plenty of dissonant noise art punk to be had.

I know how important this band was. I know how important this record was. I've just never been a big Sonic Youth fan. That being said I liked this record more on this listen then I did 10 years ago. I'm torn on how to rate it.

My earlier conception of Sonic Youth remains accurate: Worth listening to, stronger with Kim at the front, noisy, accessible. While the female vocals are more spaced out here, the band feels generally more present. The songs seem to get lazy and stretch out, and it suits Sonic Youth's sound. Not quite the rock blueprint I was promised, but it's got a nice suite.

Not quite singalong, but the first album of theirs where noise and melody is in balance.

Noise rock is a tough sound. It's loud, it's heavy, it's wooshy. It's easy to get bored or annoyed by it. But when used right, it can evoke powerful emotions and create a mind-blowing journey. Sonic Youth nailed it here, in "Daydream Nation". Their brand of indie rock driven by grotesquely distorted guitars and heavy noises, it's quite a ride. It might be very loud, confusing, and wooshy. It's also interesting, fun, and uplifting. For me, this mess is what good music is. Takes you somewhere you've never been before.

I had a t-shirt back in the day, must've been lucky enough to catch them live at some stage. Dirty is still my favourite album, Teen Age Riot is a killer of a tune, Eric's Trip is great and I'm sure I could grow to enjoy this more with a few more listens.

I'd love to run a marathon with this on repeat. I''d finally break 3:30. But. I probably won't be able to walk for a week.

I’ve herd goo before but not this one… The album starts with teen age riot, the first minute is completely different as it’s just an intro song. Then forms into a great rock song that guitars wise is a bit of a teen age riot. Silver rocket starts with this creepy guitar riff then explodes into a punk bash only to shatter down half way through. Yeah it’s cool. The lyrics aren’t great on the sprawl but it’s cool instrumentally and 7 mins works well for some songs but not this. Cross the breeze has a killer intro but with this and the last song I’am not sure about the female singers singing though. Eric’s trip is alright it has a cool sound to it but no where near my favourite. Total trash is no where near total trash it’s actually (probably) a favourite and I’am happy we’re back with Thurston moore on vocals as I think he’s the strongest vocalist! I love the fade in at the start of hey Joni only for the punky sonic youth sound to crash in making for a really good song. It’s just cool to be fair. Then is providence it’s one of the better interludes I’ve ever herd but still the worst on the album. Candle is good, like all of them are great intro, the song is probably the one I would want to revisit the most and I do really like it! The drumming on rain king is class honestly. The song is amazing too. Kissability is technically the penultimate track it’s cool I guess but the female vocalist is so much worse in this band. The album ends on a trilogy the first part the wonder is alright just a really typical sonic youth song but there’s nothing bad about that. Then is hyperstation technically the album’s title track. It’s the perfect mix of everything good about sonic youth from the guitars to the drums. Still not my favourite on the album though. Eliminator jr is really bad in comparison not a satisfying ending one bit still like the album though. It’s really good overall, the album does drag but it’s so likeable it doesn’t matter.

I’m definitely going to want to spend more time with this one but it’s made a strong first impression. I like the mix of melodic guitar and harder blasts of feedback. A lot of these songs are shapeshifters, moving from one mode into the other and sometimes back again. Beautiful album cover too. Highlights: “Teen Age Riot,” “Silver Rocket,” “‘Cross the Breeze,” “Total Trash,” “Candle,” “Kissability,” “Eliminator Jr.”

It's a daydream worthy album!

Not a majoy Sonic Youth fan but this was a great album

Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth (1988) For a first-time listen 34 years after its release, here’s a double LP that merits serious consideration of its creativity and craft. In retrospect, this early Sonic Youth recording sounds like a cross between Neil Young and Nirvana. And, as in the oeuvre of U2’s the Edge, the guitar work here demonstrates that you don’t have to be a rock guitar virtuoso (Hendrix, Allman, Page, Clapton, or Santana) to produce stunningly innovative sound. Now the engineering and mixing on Daydream Nation leave a lot to be desired. Vocals and percussion are hiding behind a curtain of sound. The recording needs more separation and dynamism. Maybe the technology had not yet caught up with the band’s unique electronic palette. Much better in this regard is Sonic Youth’s Washing Machine (1995). Key guitar features here include alternate tunings, sustain, and distortion, all combined with admirable symphonic complexity and disciplined performance. Discord is elevated to the level of expressive artistry. It is not random; it is well constructed tone poetry. And guitarist/songwriter Thurston Moore’s compositional technique very helpfully extends or repeats each experimental phrase long enough so that the listener can grasp it before it moves on to the next quasi-harmonic mystery. It’s very mesmerizing—less like Mozart and more like Anton Bruckner. If you’re looking for lyrical profundity/passion/politics, vocal beauty, memorable melodies, and soul, you won’t find it here. But what you will find is lavishly devised music for the mind. 4/5

Mjög góð plata út í gegn, hef náttúrulega hlustað á hana oft í gegnum tíðina. Sumt er kannski acquired taste en hún heldur sér mjög vel.

Yndisleg plata sem er í miklu uppáhaldi og búin að vera í aldarfjórðung eða meira. Annar hár fjarki.

A little slow for my taste

Really enjoyed this one actually

3/25/22

Probably a 3.5 really, but I'll round up because I like the band and listening to it made me feel 19.

Great

This is my kind of music. More like this, Robert

Stenar hårt...

Origins of indie but sooo dissonant, I needed a Motown palette cleanser

The diversity of sound of Sonic Youth just blows me away. One moment, they are Sex Pistols, the next, Joy Division. Really good album.

Not listened before, but really enjoyed this. Possibly my new favourite Sonic Youth album

Sonic Youth's most famous album and quite possibly their best. Teenage Riot is probably their best song but this album is full of classic SY songs. It's not quite a 5 star album for me as SY has some dissonant characteristics thatvI personally find difficult. 4 5 🌟

this would be a 4 if i was 19 still

Very good!

Just recently read the like Gordon book. More of a 3.5 but will definitely listen to more.

Strangely, this felt a lot like Nirvana to me. Which is good because I am a big fan of Nirvana. I had heard good things and how influential they were so I listened to one of their albums (I think it was "Goo"? Now I'm not sure.) and I just didn't get it. At the time it seemed like a lot of noise. Listening to this album, I "get" their sound a lot more. It was more enjoyable than I remember. I liked the layering of guitars and how it worked within the songs. Will I go out and seek more of their work? I don't know, but I do respect them a bit more and my stance on them has changed a bit.

One of the better Sonic Youth albums. Pretty much a classic.

The influence this album has had on music in the decades that followed is clear when you listen. You can hear the the early sounds of 90s grunge, noise rock, Arcade Fire, The Strokes, and multiple others. It's also full of unique chord progressions and sound combinations like dissonance and percussive playing. Very cool album!

Sonic man

Niet het meest toegankelijke album van Sonic Youth maar dat rusteloze gejaagde geluid van ze staat me wel aan.

Cool album. Not perfect from start to finish, but this is the level of post-punk I look for.

Apart from some of the excessive feedback and a couple of tracks, this album was great to listen to. The trilogy was great, Teen Age Riot is a classic and enjoyed Eric's Song and Cross The Breeze. Enjoyed this more than Goo.

The sound has attained an expressive maturity unparalleled in the annals of the decade: there are still traces of the experimentalism of the early days, but appropriately camouflaged in balanced harmonies and cleverly referenced to the genres of the rock tradition. The motto is: diversity of style in the unity of the arrangement. The ingredients are basically the same as always: cold and distant vocals, strings stretched to the limit of noise, chaotic interweaving of counterpoints, obsessive chord repetitions, insistent percussiveness, alienation effects and tense atmosphere. (8/10) FT: Total Trash, The Sprawl, Teen Age Rio

Clear influence on lots of bands I love, but doesn't resonate the same way, probably because I didn't hear it when I was younger. Really enjoyed it, hope to hear more from them

a cracker

One of the better ones of this age and genre that i've listened to

Interesting, quite a bit of variety. Some really punky discordant stuff, some mellow. Could see as an influence to grunge and alternative bands like smashing pumpkins

Classic

cool

Is this the nest Sonic Youth album ever? Well I haven't heard them all but I think, front to back I prefer both Sister and Goo, but neither of those albums have Teenage Riot nor Total Trash. 4.5 stars

Good music to really groove to. Perhaps a little edgy, but I like it.

It was as interesting to read about this album's background as it was to listen to it. I had heard of the group before, probably heard a song or two in passing, but never spent any time listening to them. I expected more chaos and screaming, and there is some of that, but not as random-sounding as I thought it would be. Yet another reminder that I have a lot of work to do on removing biases, prejudices, and expectations. Let the music play, as it were. I found the tracks full of well-crafted melody and harmony, they all play fantastically well, and in most songs, I was drawn in quite nicely. Definitely has some punk elements and influences, but there are layers and textures beyond those normally heard in that area. The Wikipedia article says they were known for their improvisations in live performances, and Henry Rollins encouraged them to reflect that in their studio work. Good suggestion. They've got the chops to pull it off really well. Love some of the extended jams they include in some of the tracks. I need to spend more time on this one. I want to get into the lyrics more. Lots of sci-fi and other references, and they even have a song that pays homage both to the tune "Hey Joe" and Joni Mitchell. Hecks, YES. Great album, and I love that it's outside what I normally listen to. It's more...maybe "intense" is the right word? Something like that. Good healthy process here in this project. Love it.

Great New York punk, I can hear Blondie, Talking heads , Television and Richard Hell in this album but the best of them.

Rock guitarrero, con ritmo, en ocasiones más intenso, canciones no muy aplaudidas, pero muy asociado al género. Podría destacar algo más, pero es de un estilo que me gusta, con lo cual lo veo positivo

An album of great bits, spread a bit too thinly. No doubt important in indie rock but just short of being great for me.

revisit this album. too early to form an opinion but I am intrigued

Great 5th Sonic Youth's album. 1988. Alternative rock with noisy sound and a lot of improvisation experiments. I'm a bit tired of listening 70 min of jams (although I like to listen long and conceptual records). So 4/5 stars this time. But I enjoyed it and will listen again.

Unique vocals, distorted shoegaze tones and artistically liberated cover art. Surprising it was released 1988, as it sounds strikingly similar to something that would be recently dropped from the genre. Sonic Youth was ahead of the game.

This is a pretty good album, but seems a little overlong at 70 minutes. There's probably a pretty mind-blowing 45 minute album in here that gets a little bogged down with some filler.

Prog post-punk, heavy shoegaze. I’ve had Teenage riot on heavy rotation for years because I just cant get enough of Thurston Moore’s scintillating guitar shredding. The rest of the album is very solid as well if you’re in the mood for some NOIZE!

Rebellion!

Unexpected grower. The first 3 or 4 tracks are pretty uninspiring but I just seemed to tune into it over time and by the end was enamoured. Interesting to hear bits that clearly inspired other bands. A like rather than a love but a definite moment in time.

Yes i like it

No sé si vaya a salir el album Goo, por un lado es el que se me hace mejor disco de Sonic Youth, por otro en mi opinión 3 discos en la lista serían demasiado (a pesar de que personalmente me gusten mucho). A diferencia del disco anterior aquí ya se sienten con más forma, a pesar de todavía tener mucho noise rock ya hay canciones mucho más formadas y melódicas y se sienten como una banda aun más afianzada. Lo que quizá me llama más la atención es la cantidad de influencia que se nota en este disco y se verá reflejada en estilos más adelante dentro del indie rock, screamo y bastantes más. Quizá aquí es donde entra el pero que sí siento que se le puede poner al disco y que creo es similar al anterior que nos tocó de ellos. Es un disco que todavía tiene bastante ruido; un ruido meticulosamente creado, variado y con sentido pero que resulta en un album que no puedes realmente solo poner de fondo y disfrutar poniendo atención a medias. Es un disco que te demanda atención, que si le das chance y te encuentras ese tiempo para ponerlo y dejarte embeber y llevar a la "zona" simplemente hace clic y te lleva a un viaje muy interesante. Quizá es un conjunto de sinapsis que cada quién tiene relacionadas con ciertos estilos musicales, pero en mi caso este disco hace ese clic mencionado y simplemente funciona; estoy seguro que habrá muchos que no importa cuanto lo escucharan incluso intentando centrar su atención les seguiría sonando a un sonido indistinto como si estuvieran en un centro comercial atiborrado. A lo que va esto es que aunque me gusta tanto el disco tampoco puedo dar una recomendación completa en carta blanca a cualquiera; es un disco melindroso y bastante largo, pero que a quien le compagine le va a encantar.

De lo muy poco que conozco de Sonic Youth, este de me ha hecho el mejor disco. Pese a que sigue siendo música un poco difícil para mí y además es un disco particularmente largo, se pueden notar mucho más las habilidades de composición, uso de voces y arreglos que en los discos más cargados al noise.

If I’m being completely honest I don’t think I’ve ever been cool enough to entirely get this band. But I’ve always admired them and I can live with that. Really liked that “candle” song!

I've not really listened to much Sonic Youth, and always felt vaguely guilty about that hole in my listening. This was great! A noisier, harsher Pavement (or rather, Pavement are a quieter, gentler Sonic Youth). I can definitely see myself bumping this up to 5 stars with more familiarity... Fave track - "Trilogy", for sprawling grandeur. "Teen Age Riot" is a tune, too....

copado

45. NGJIRBGHERJBGDHJG VFEWHJVKBEHFJVB HKHVJ K FHB GHWS WE RIOT MotA: The Sprawl "You're it"

Love it. It has a jam like feel to it. A diverse range of guitar tones, and dissonant chords, creating a sense of urgency and tension, interspersed with small sections of release. A genuine sense of frustration in the vocals, perfectly carried by the band

Classic.

Discordant, unnerving, and awesome.

Not my usual flavor, but I really enjoyed this.

Very excellent!! Love this band and this album goes offff

Musicalmente è un disco che mi piace moltissimo, non connetto completamente con il cantato maschile ma è l’unico problema.

Bend u kojeg sam dosta vremena uložio da mi kliknu. Ovaj klasik od albuma, ma koliki bio ipak nije najbolji njihov IMHO, ali naravno veoma je kvalitetan, glasan, prljav i sirov. Dosta dobar album.

UFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF Najbliže moguće petardi.

Another band I’d meant to listen to for years but never did. I wish I had! Though maybe it wasn’t the right time? Anyway, I dug this a lot.

loved it. really enjoyable, definitely a continuation of what REM started with jangle guitar college radio music.

Fantastic album! Been a favorite for a long time.

good stuff :)

Bom disco, dá pra ver a influência q causou em vários outros de rock dos anos 2000.

The perfect album when what you’re seeking is a bit of a jangly, hectic mix of fuzz and discordant melody.

I can definitely see why this album is on those list even if I didn’t love every song on it. There’s a lot of interesting stuff that I will definitely come back to. Total Trash descends into madness and I love it. There’s a lot of muddy noisy stuff but there are also some nice riffs like the riff on Candle and I enjoy most of it. I did find some of the album forgettable and some of the vocals to be a bit annoying at times (like on Z) Eliminator, Jr.). Overall an enjoyable listen. Favorite songs: Teen Age Riot, Total Trash, Candle, Rain King, Kissability, B) Hyperstation Least favorite songs: The Sprawl, Z) Eliminator, Jr. Decent 8/10

Been meaning to check this band out for a while. This album was decent.

Teenage Riot and Silver Rocket are such good songs and the only 2 I know on this album, but wasn't expecting the rest to be so compelling. It is noisy as expected, but also melodic. Like it. Love those surprise little outros on songs - such an adventure

A glorious racket!

It was good but repetitive

4/5

Can see the influences behind a lot of music I like I this. Definitely an album to return to, was quite long though. Loved the album closer.

Cool vibe

The noise!

Love the female/male vocal interplay. minimalist fuzz. Birth of shoegaze. saw them play this album all the way through in Oakland. Twas excellent! Punk of Silver Rocket makes me want to jump! Libertines got a lot of influence from this.

Great album, love the guitar and drum work.

Wasn’t struck by the start of this album, but the back half really stood out! I think this suffers from a bit of ‘I’ve heard so many bands try to imitate this sound that hearing this now feels watered down’? Trying to combat that, I really like the shifting vibes and and vocalists and definitely want to give this album more time and more rotations!

It's been a while since I've listened to this and I found I liked it better than Goo this time around.

Sad I missed this band growing up. This was my first time listening to this album. It's beautiful but I think it's a little too '90s for me to really get into now

Loved it

Great album. This is a special one.

NIce

Good tunes good album classic punk rock stuff. Nothing too memorable though

Really enjoyable. Clear influence on all alternative music since.

This is my 3rd time listening to this album and it's finally clicked for me. Really good stuff here.

Noisy

Loved this shit esp teenage riot. Good shit

1/8 I was judging them as another generic rock band for the first few tracks, then they went crazy for the rest of the album. Really talented group. Standout Tracks: The Sprawl, Eric's Trip, Rain King, Kissability, A) the Wonder, B) Hyperstation, Z) Eliminator Jr.

Sonic jams.. sonic youth; the sounds of the disenfranchised youth.. with guitar pedals

Guitars are really good, but I feel like some of the songs are distorted just to be distorted. Lyrics are awesome. Drums don't seem like anything special. Overall good album, but not great.

Long but pretty good overall

This is probably a four, but I gotta be in the mood for them. I like everything about them but their pretentiousness. Teenage Riot was a big RockBand song for me too.

These guys are old as shit. More like Sonic Old

This is the second Sonic Youth album I have listened to as part of the 1001 Albums Challenge. I have to admit that I have ignored the band for far too long, probably because I have always steered clear of anything associated with labels such as 'indie' and 'alternative rock'. What's being celebrated here is some very artful noise. On "Daydream Nation", Sonic Youth are closer to the music and vision of the Velvet Underground than to punk rock bands like the Sex Pistols. While I wouldn't want to listen to something like this every day, the raw energy and irrepressible creativity are truly fascinating.

This is a lot. I like most of it, but some of it is descending into noise. Maybe that's the point.

rock

late 80's icon

Ok, aber Nirvana isses halt nicht.

I'll keep it a stack I've LOVED some of the Sonic Youth albums this list has put forth (nevermind overabundance of SY albums on this list) but I actually didn't love this one as much as many people do. I hear the fantastic execution and super tight instrumentation. I don't argue with how much quality alt rock is here. I don't know, this just wasn't as sticky for me. After amazing first song, I just fell into a fugue state all the way until the "Providence" interlude. Dare I say that with the passing of time, I've heard lots of bands copy this sound or iterate on it in more engaging ways. "Kissability" was my favorite track. Obligatory Kim Gordon should be the only one handling lead vocals 3/5

Rätt skönt skränig rock. Men på tok för långt. Alla låtar med Kim Gordon på sång hade med fördel kunnat slopats. Bättre än mycket annat i boken.

Felt more approachable than some other Sonic Youth albums I’ve heard

liked it?

Still not sure about these guys. But they are growing on me.

After finding Sister almost unlistenable, I was pleasantly surprised by this album. (Not sure pleasant is a word that goes with Sonic Youth). High intensity and raw- more than just noise.

I feel like Timothy Leary must have done after his first trip. I always found Sonic Youth, well, difficult. But maybe I finally get it. All the tracks are interesting and some of them are even enjoyable. Another day it might get a 4 but I'll have to go and lie down first. 3*

Punkig indierock. Bästa skivan med Sonic Youth hittills. Dock en del utfyllnad. Teenage Riot bäst. Mycket skrammel. 3,5 av 5.

I'm sure I listened to this when I was younger but I don't remember it at all. Reminds me of The Fall and has a post-punk pre-grunge vibe. Not really my cup of tea nowadays - just not tuneful enough.

i do literally like the sounds coming out of my headphones, but i think you could use ai or something to refactor the guitar riffs, downsize 30-60% per track, get this bad boy down to a half hour at no significant cost to the execution of artistic vision. and i love a long drawn out epic in my songs but on this one i think i just wanted them to speed it up a little, get to the point. generally i'm in love with a third of this album and the rest of it is pretty vibey cool background noise. favorite song is 'Cross the Breeze or Hey Joni. strong 3

There were a few keepers for me in here but overall this album was just way too long for no reason. Much of the longer 7+ minute songs did not have anything to justify the runtime, it just ended up being directionless jam sessions most of the time, plus the vocals weren't the best, they fit well in some areas but got annoying at other points. Overall not terrible by any means but could have been trimmed down a lot. 2.5/5

This never rose above a 3-star for me. Strikes me as pretty average indie fare.

I didn't have too many preconceptions listening to this as I guess it wasn't my scene when it came out. Didn't mind it but hard to pick highlights. The first track did seem to be the best of the rest. Different vocalists brought different vibe to various tracks and was solid without being inspiring. Would probably like to give it 3 1/2, but doesn't get over the line for a 4 from me.

I really want to like Sonic Youth. That said the first few tracks are great. The b-side, not so much.

If this album was half the length, I would rate it four stars, but it goes on forever and doesn't end. Three stars.

I wish I liked them more bc it would make me cool but I don't

1988 Indie rock, art punk Not bad

I feel as though I could polka to “ ‘Cross the Breeze,” but music changed with the vocals kicking in. I like the music, but I’ve made the mistake of checking out the lyrics. “Eric’s Trip” lyrics are semi-coherent. “Hey Joni” is the stand out for me. I like the “a snap of electric whipcrack” lyric. A song with lyrics that don’t make me think that random words were put to music. Overall, enjoy the sound, but I should not have looked at lyrics.

I've listened to this album 3 or 4 times in the past and I've never been able to make my mind up on it. My opinion seems to change with every song. I really enjoy the noisy and punky stuff like Silver Rocket, but the more indie and alternative rock stuff is just ok 'll go 3.5. Don't think I was really in the mood for this today though Highlights: Sliver Rocket, 'Cross the Breeze

Influential, raw, definitely ground breaking, but I'd hesitate to recommend them bc it feels like if you like this sound you already know them, and if you don't know them you won't like it.

Some cool/interesting guitar hooks and noisy collages...and then Kim Gordon starts singing :( Her singing voice is like a parent's impression of their kid being "rebellious"

noise rock kinda sucks does anyone else agree

Very hard to rate

Its their sound but I dont love it.

Obvious nostalgia for Rock Band from Teen Age Riot but a good listen overall. I’m between 3 and 4 but it’s an inspiration to listen to more from this band if nothing else.

ok I already loveeee the instrumentals that guitar is BANGINNNNNNN track 1 'teen age riot' - loving this already, feels like a song I would've loved in my freshman year of high school lolllll, 'teenage riot in a public station, gonna fight and tear it up in a hypernatkion for youuuuu' I do rly love this tho 'cause its getting kind of quiet in my city ahead, it takes a teenage riot to get me out of bed right nowwww' in fact I just checked and its in one of my fall playlists from early high school 'so who's to blame for the stormy weather, you're never gonna stop all the teenage leather and cooze' wtf is booze idk but banger, this will def be revisited this fall during the school year track 2 'silver rocket' - ok intense guitar, very angsty, again giving my high school days, some screaming going on midway interesting, 'the sending the bending the ampisphere re-entry, you gotta have the time got a letter in your hand, gotta heart injection that u got yourself a line, you got it u ride the silver rocket, cant stop it burnin a hole in ur pocket' I like it not my fav song but its good and Im rly into the guitar track 3 'the sprawl' - I love the woman's voice speaking in the beggining not sure if she was the one in previous tracks but she's cool as hell 'to the extend that I wear skirts and cheap nylon slips. ive gone native I wanted to know the exact dimension of hell does that sound simple? fuck you are you for sale? does fuck you sound simple enough? this was the only part that turned me on' I loveeee this woman who is sheeeeeeee??!!!!! her voice is so satisfying, long long instrumental after lyrics have come to a close but super beautiful guitar, messy, eerie, and super cool track 4 'cross the breeze' - guitar does feel intentionally off key in some places which throws you off until you heard the lyrics and feel it all come together, long intro in here already feels like they're telling a story or at least half of it before anyone even speaks, its passionate and loud, 'lets go walking in water now you think im satans daughter, I wanna know, please let me go! just too quick, now I think im gonna be sick' love the guitar in the last minute, feels angsty and almost pleading idk, fades out nice and slow track 5 'Erics trip' - 'sometimes I speak, tonight there's nothing to say, sometimes we freak and laugh all day' this ones intense 'my cup is full and I feel okay, the world is dull but not today, she thinks she's a goddess, she says she talks to the spirits, I wonder If she can talk to herself if she can bear to hear it' 'we tore down the world we put up four walls I breathe in the myth, im over the city, fucking the future, im high inside your kiss' track 6 'total trash' - oooo I love this music, guitar is groovyyyy, 'it start at the top now its spiralling down, works best when its lost' ITS TOTALLLLL TRASHHHH im not no cow LOLLL I like this one 'cant take it away cant kill all the shame' might be one of my favs on the album so far track 7 'hey joni' - 'hey Joni put it all behind you, hey Joni ive put it all behind me too, these times cant add up, your life is such a mess, forget the past and just say yes!!!!' well done song, probably not my fav if im being honest track 8 'providence' - feels rainy and melancholic intro, radio-ish staticy audio, I wonder what the context is or the story behind the world, what was he looking for?? track 9 'candle' - love that guitar in the intro, 'I see a falling snowgirl walking Broadway, Turns the corner at 14th and I know there's no way, It's alright, it's alight candle, And I know she'll be okay by Sunday' its messy but everything feels intentional, like there's a method to the madness track 10 'rain king' - angsty, not much to say not my fav, very interesting lyrically just not my cup of tea sound wise track 11 'kissability' - ok love the title of this one!!!!! high hopes! okkk starts off with some cool ass guitar 'look into my eyes don't you trust me, you're so good you could go far, ill put you in a movie don't you wanna you could be a star' the vocalist reminds me of hole is that crazy, I like this it feels very female rage angst-esque YOUVE GOT KISSABILITY U COULD BE A STAR IT AINT HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! love the lyrics love the messy guitar feels very cool track 12 'A) the wonder' - instrumentals are so messy and layered I rly like it, the lyrics don't rly speak to me here though track 13 'B) hyperstation' - smooth transition between the last track and this one, 'falling out of sleep I hit the floor, put on some rock tee and im out with the door' 'day dreaming days in a daydream nation, smashed up against a car at 3am' love that they hit the album title in the last few tracks, feels full circle track 14 'Z) eliminator jr.' - ooo this track is sending the album out with a banggggggg, strong guitar, driving rhythms, 'a poor boy, a rich boy, a poor rich boy coming right thru me!!!!' loveeeee this guitar and the vocals are strong and squeaky and raw OVERALL: layered messy guitar super cool, the instrumentals rly tell the story here, this feels like something I wouldve listened to and LOVED in high school and middle school, doesn't resonate as much now but I definitely enjoyed the listen and will be revisiting a few tracks, I do think I'd resonate more with a different sonic youth album, ive heard bits and peices of other records and feel this one just might note been MY one

Ok, so I got E.V.O.L less than 5 days ago. I liked this album better. A little more fleshed out than my previous Sonic Youth album. It was interesting listening to these 2 albums basically in a row.

Enjoyed it more as it went on oddly. I remember saying something along the lines of I'll enjoy it on later listens for the other sonic youth album I've had

Welp. This was one I was sure would come up in the rotation eventually. It left me cold. So much unfocused noise. And I love me some Kim Gordon. But alas...

vaca come back

This was decent to have on in the background. I found myself liking the first half(ish) better than the second - there were times where the second half sounded a little too raw or disorganized. I would truly like to give this a 3.5, but I don't feel good giving it a 4.

Some are very nice

2.8

Five Sonic Youth albums in this list is crazy. I should be the prime audience for this band, but I just can't with them. They're like the GenX Elvis Costello. I know they were influential and important, but I just can't get into them.

Wasn’t for me but I can understand why it had the impact it did. It was hard to latch on to melodically for me. I heard a lot of Lou Reed in it.

This has been a theme of late and maybe I’m developing a later in life distaste for mid 90s music but overall uninspiring. Listened on flight to conference in park city. Normally ripe territory for new music discovery. Not today. 3/5

Pre Listen: Another band I swear I've heard the name of somewhere before, but I just can't put my finger on when, where, or for what. No expectations. Notable Tracks: Silver Rocket - I really, really hope this album isn't full of scratchy unfocused wild noise segments, like the one that plays here shortly past the halfway point. The first song was pretty decent, this one isn't. 'Cross The Breeze - Favorite contender. Really nice instrumental work here, but the vocals/lyrics are entirely unecessary Total Trash - Skipped this song halfway through. Least favorite track on here. At least the title is accurate! Post Listen: Sounds like a blend of emo and punk rock when someone is singing. Also sounds a lot more modern than 1988, I would've guessed something like late 90's or 2000's. A lot of the instrumental work was actually pretty well done. Interesting melodies, each instrument is given time to shine, with solid playing overall and a good variety of sounds. The vocals were a little more mixed, sounds decent sometimes and very, very annoying at other points. The lyrics however were consistently bad or bland, just complaining about nonsense the entire time. The album was also quite lengthy, I think it's the 2nd longest one I've gotten on here so far. If not, it felt that way. Feeling a 3 to 2 range. I'll round up to a 3 cause sometimes that guitar was really rockin. 3/5

I had high hopes after the intro but I felt like I was just waiting for something more during the rest of the album

It’s a really excellent art pop and improvisational rock album. It creates gorgeous soundscapes and amazing music, but it’s just not my type of music. It all extends just a little too long, and is a little to rambling and discord and for me. Still amazing but not my preference.

As far as noise rock goes, it wasn't bad, but the genre as a whole is uninteresting overall.

Wasn’t sold at the start, but this really grew on me as it went on. Not sure if I’ll be a returning customer, but a decent album. Favourite track: Eric’s Trip

I've realised two things with sonic youth. One they have a lot more albums than I realised and two the albums all seem to sound very similar.

Good Sonic Youth album, but I put it on while I was doing chores and it kind of blended into the background. There weren't a lot of moments that made me pause and listen more closely.

Got through this without too much harm. Not actually enjoyable for me but I suppose it's an album that warrants a three.

I quite enjoyed this. Some great post-punk/alt-rock tracks. Where this album lost me a little though was in its length and the vocals which were pretty underwhelming to say the least.

Actually liked it. Maybe i shouldn't have been so hard on EWOL (and bump it to 3). That being said I can't really remember any of that album.

Eric’s Trip!!

Not bad. I would go with a 4 but I don’t think I’ll listen again

Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Very Good - Teen Age Riot is a great opener. Silver Rocket continues the vibe before The Sprawl becomes a bit more sinister and exploratory. 'Cross The Breeze is where the album really kicks into gear. Total Trash and Hey Joni is a good little combo. Rain King rocks. Trilogy is very good, especially Hyperstation.

On Daydream Nation, Sonic Youth continues their pioneering of Noise Rock that they displayed on their 1987 release “Sister” which I enjoyed. I still enjoy much of the distortion and unconventional melodies here, but there are less standout moments and the length of the album is a detractor in this instance. I’m not sure how often or soon I will return to this, to be honest. They’re definitely a cool, influential band, though. 1 listen Favorite Tracks: Candle, Teen Age Riot, ‘Cross the Breeze

Nice to see a bit of grunge on here. I have always wanted to check out more sonic youth. This was pretty meh for me. I assume they have later stuff that is probably much better?

Not really my thing but it's okay.

Better than EVOL a few months back, started really strongly but the appeal faded for me as it went on, with a few exceptions here and there. Quite distortion heavy and that's not always my preference.