Reviews (page 6 of 10)
Coolio aber zwenig zum uf es 4i z lupfe Aber keep up sonic youth
Punk rock early days.
I definitely get why this is so important…just not my thing sadly. I am hopelessly uncool. A low three because i do get it.
Cool songs. Definitely worth it to listen to atleast once. I don't think I will ever listen to this casually again because noise rock is not something I really enjoy but the album is well put together. I like the song 'candle' the most because of the nice intro
fine
Not terrible, not great.
It’s better than the previous Sonic Youth album but isn’t really worth shouting about. It’s very ordinary.
This album surprised me. I've never cared for Sonic Youth, mostly regarding them as tuneless noise. While too long by half, the great driving groove keeps things interesting. This one might be grower.
3.0 - Ok
Appreciated the listen and reading a bit about the album.
Interesting and sometimes overwhelming guitar sound, but I'm sure that's the aim. Reminded me of Iggy Pop in parts. I'm sure there is a cult following.
A bit all over the place, love some stuff, like some stuff, not bothered by some stuff.
not my thing sorry
I want to go back and listen, but I think these guys are good. My first Sonic Youth so I will explore further
I like this more than I remember, but not every song needs to end in a cacophony of noise.
I always want to like Sonic Youth more because it would be cool to like a band from the 80s and they are so close to being really enjoyable. It's great noise rock, but there are too many spoken word songs, especially by Kim - but I guess the fact that I don't like it makes it even more punk. I will give EVOL a 4 or 5, but Daydream Nation gets a 3.
There were a couple fun songs ("Providence" anyone?), but not enough to justify rounding up from 3.5 stars, if only because this album seems like it could have benefitted from some trimming of fat.
2.8
A very frustrating album that comes down to my own personal preferences. There are some pretty decent tracks on this album that lean more into an interesting melodic melancholy that made for some quality songs. But so much of the ambient noise comes off as completely unnecessary runtime padding - this absolutely did not need to be a double album. Honestly would have preferred more distortion with the ambience to lean into a proto-shoegaze sound. Sonic Youth's best, and it still leaves some to be desired. Top tracks: Teen Age Riot, Total Trash, Candle
Enjoyed at first but tired of it by end
Some good songs, some cool sounds, but mostly not melodic enough for me, and I don’t like one of the (two?) main vocalists.
Ok
Not sure about this, found myself nodding along a few times but found some of it a bit too avant garde, would probably grow on me with a few more listens though
Not bad for punk
Raw and pure alternative rock music.
I've heard of these guys. Definitely one of those bands i have seen from afar, know a couple tracks by them but never got into them. Curious to see what the album sounds like. Interesting. No for me. I get it. These guys have a big following. A feel like they are almost Radiohead level.
Enjoyed it
It was nice to hear music looking for a new sound.
It was okay. 80s alt rock, mostly long songs that all sounded kind of the same.
So angsty!
Enjoyed a number of the songs, but a few too many long sections that just kinda sounded like noise.
I should give this another go, as I really liked the other album I’ve gotten from them, “Sister.” The noise wasn’t working for me as well on this day, though I still liked a lot of elements. on this day.
Rating: 6/10 Some great moments, overall too noisy and long.
This opens with a song I remember from Rock Band 2. It’s loud, trippy, weird, and aggressive but balanced with a lot of melodic passages throughout. Fun in small doses, and perhaps something that could be appreciated over multiple spins, but it’s a LOT to take in over its massive length. Cool, but not really my kind of cool.
I kinda like some of it, a lot of the guitar is very cool, but the same pattern often repeats for the entire song and it becomes very long and kind of repetitive. It's probably technically impressive and very innovative for its time, but I don't find it to be something I'd want to listen to for enjoyment Standouts Kissability 3/5
Good album. Took a few listens to get into it.
I don't get Sonic Youth. Some stuff I don’t mind, but others stuff just destroys my will to live. This album is mostly the latter. Although, Teenage Riot is an all out classic. While I love the distant vocals and some of the distortion, I like it better when it’s less Pink Floyd Art School Noise, and more distorted heavy pop. This album is just noise for too much time. As influential as it is, you can hear every garage rock band since in every note, it is pretty pompous and overblown. It could have been slimmed down by a good half hour. I will never think this album is good, but it does signpost the route that SY will take for their 90s sound, and it is undeniably influential, particularly for the then up and coming riot and grunge sound.
Rock with some alternative and punk vibes. Interesting but drawn out.
- Kan het zelf niet beter - 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM
Half brilliant, half bollocks.
Overall I thought the album was fine. There’s a discrepancy between how I felt about the album and the popularity of the band that I think you have to chalk up to “you just had to be there…”
This album, like the youth themselves, is passionate and adrenaline fueled but is also all over the place and sometimes misdirected. When it was good, it was great, but it had some real stinker moments too
This one didn’t grab me. Lacking self me melodies that I gotta have.
This was better than the first Sonic Youth album I got (Dirty), but still didn’t love it. The opening song has like 30m streams but I didn’t like it because it sounded like they were doing a Beach Boys impression. The next 6 songs were pretty good hard punk, and I enjoyed these and I’m basing my score mainly off these tracks. The second half of the album devolved into noise rock, which I hate. All this adds up to a respectable 3/5. Still don’t get the hype around this band.
My favorite of the Sonic Youth albums we have had so far. Low 3.
cool. almost 90s. rock.
I'll admit that this is one of those albums that I completely forgot the sound of. Not sure when and where I listened to it or what mood I was in or if I was distracted, but it just happens sometimes - and without listening notes like these, I have little to no clue what I initially even thought! Teen Age Riot and Silver Rocket are great openers to this release. I find that the issues I have with Kim's vocals (which I also stated in my review for Goo) are also here on The Sprawl and 'Cross the Breeze. Perhaps a few too many (5!) 7 minute songs on this release as well. Long songs can be great if the arrangement is also great. However, I find these tracks just sound very same-y for the whole duration, and the album ends up clocking in over 70 minutes total. Hey Joni and Candle are both great second half tracks, and I think the Trilogy is a pretty stellar album finisher - particularly The Wonder. I think I'm actually going to bump this up to a 3.5, there's a few songs I've come around to on the second listen.
i don't know much about sonic youth aside from, like, knowing who kim gordon is and having heard teen age riot before. and wouldn't you know it? today is the day i learn that kim gordon was in the band that made teen age riot and - why are you booing me?? like, c'mon - i knew she existed but i didn't know which band!! she was just, like, this amorphous figure in the echelons of riot grrrls and at some point in the indeterminate past did cool shit that meant a lot to a bunch of different people - why would i think she was in THIS band in particular?? that's a guy singing teen age riot. they could've gotten any gal off the street to do that voice over. please stop throwing tomatoes at me they're REALLY smelly!! AND THEY STAIN... all elaborate bits to distract from my admitted ignorance aside, i was honestly surprised to learn this album was '88 - if i had to guess (with my approximate and incorrect knowledge of things) i would've placed teen age riot somewhere in the mid-90s. it struck me that, if i really don't know anything about an album aside from one song and i'm placing it ~7+ years ahead of when it was actually released, this album must've really have some innovative and forward-thinking sounds. unfortunately... of this album's sound... if it was any more distorted, any more fuzzy, i'm certain it would've given me a headache. i can see how teen age riot is the breakout hit of this album (and, perhaps, for sonic youth's entire discography), and i'm a little sad that it was kinda all downhill after the first track. granted, i really liked some songs off of this album, and i'm not basing my whole judgement off of the fact that i can't listen to teen age riot over and over again... but getting towards the end of the album i was counting down the minutes until i could call it quits and move on with my day. i get the feeling that there's a lot more going on with this album than i'm able to glean from this initial listen through - and hey, i'm down to put this album on a few more times - but for the time being this is is sitting at a meh three stars. highlights - teen age riot, the sprawl, 'cross the breeze, eric's trip
A very interesting album, musically quite complex, I can see why it’s rated so highly, for me however I found it quite a challenging listen, I wouldn’t put this on to relax to, I’d need to be in a certain mood to listen. Also, this album is quite long, that wouldn’t be a challenge for some albums but for this one I did find myself having to take breaks listening to it to come back to it, there were quite a few songs that could’ve either been cut or shortened
I don't know if I get the love for Sonic Youth but it was good enough
I always feel like I'm going to like Sonic Youth more than I actually do. Still good stuff but not, you know, transcendental.
I want to like Sonic Youth. The truth is that they don't really do much for me. This album has some good stuff on it, but I wouldn't revisit it. I can hear why it's important, and I'm glad I made it through, but it's a meh for me dog. Kinda noisy and meandering post-punk stuff. Maybe if I was in the mood for it it would rank higher?
7/10
Classic, but repetitive
My fifth(!!) album on this list from Sonic Youth. I'm still tired. Interesting to see the numbers drop from track to track as you venture further into the album. I suspect my experience matched up with many others: the first song is pretty good, the second song is pretty good, the third song is pretty good... and then you realise it doesn't achieve the "incredible" status that all the critics are spouting off about. (Plus, some of the later ones are "okay" or worse. I'm looking at you, Rain King and Kissability.) Sounds a bit like if Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, and Tom Petty wrote a shoegaze record together. The vocal delivery in Eric's Trip is very Dylanesque, the vocal itself sounds Reed-ish, and I just get this Heartbreaky feeling when focusing on the instrumental. Providence is stupid. 160 seconds of people talking on the radio with Fitter Happier piano backing. Soon after, the album takes a nosedive in quality with Rain King, which is severely held back by its completely monotonous melody. You see this a lot in Bob Dylan tracks too (and it's one of the few things holding him back). The A/B/Z trilogy at the end is pretty sick though (or at least A/B are). Some good blurry post-psychedelic guitar solos in there. Generally, the vocal is pretty weak, and I have to imagine it's not Sonic Youth's focus. More emphasis is put on the guitars and adherence to proto-shoegaze (this came out the same year as Isn't Anything!). The two albums are very comparable. 3/5 Key tracks: Teen Age Riot, Silver Rocket, The Sprawl
solider indierock, aber wieder tracks am limit der zuhörbarkeit.
Pre-listen whining: Oh good, a 70 minute Sonic Youth album. I’m sure all of that time is well-used. Post-listen whining: Once again I have heard a pretty good art rock album burdened by pretension and runtime bloat. If this was 25 minutes shorter and less indulgent this would probably be my favorite Youth album of the bunch. It feels like every song ends with the same meandering minute of guitar plus feedback. Alas.
This was... Good. But I got this album hyped up to heck for me, saying it's legendary and influential. I can feel the influence it has on alt rock, grunge, etc. but I just kinda hear it and go, "Oh, yeah this is pretty good." Maybe if I had heard it otherwise, without hype, my score would be higher.
7/10 Nice, but there werent really any songs that stand out for me. Highlights: The Wonder Teen Age Riot The Sprawl Kissability
I didn’t have any friends growing up who are sonic youth fans. Thank God.
This is another one of those bands that I feel are "you had to have been there". I was in a whole different music realm in 1988, so I missed Sonic Youth completely. If I had heard this album back then and had some memories, this album would have sat better. It had its ups and downs with me, and I wonder did they need a double album. I enjoy the Kim Gordon parts more, didn't love it, didn't hate it. Maybe this is one of discographies I need to explore more.
They do what they do well. It was a struggle for me to make it all the way through the record.
Being a teenager in the 90’s really was a glorious gift, that I didn’t realise was such a perfect gathering of alternative rock, heavy metal, rap, dance, hip hop. That would never be repeated in such explosive fashion. A firm member of the grunge scene, I absorbed the perimeters too, bands like Dinosaur Jr and Sonic Youth. I arrived with Sonic Youth at the much celebrated Dirty album in 1992. I adored its energy, abrasive rhythms, feedback and the radio friendly hits. Daydream Nation did not tick any of the necessary boxes for me. It’s a good album but lacks the sonic punch I’m after. It’s better than many albums around the time, it feels more like jazz at times, lost in swathes of noise rock, but nothing to hook me in. Production is more spacious but empty feeling. Approach with curiosity no expectations.
Another 1st listen for me, and have to say this is v good. Hi praise from someone who hated 80s music😂
Yeah, I guess it's an album. I've heard things and some tracks from the band, but still didn't know what to expect. It didn't have a lot of impact for me, but could use a couple more listens, tbh. Can't remember any moment that really sticked out; not saying it's bad, just wasn't very memorable for me. It did leave me wanting to ehar more stuff from them, but this album (for me) felt underwhelming. At least for now, but it will get a revision, for sure.
alternative rock
bueno, este ha sido un poco mejor que el otro, pero tampoco ha sido algo tan bueno para mí, pero bueno, mao meno.
Distorsión y ruido pero con criterio.
good
I never really knew if I like Sonic Youth. I have a hard copy of another album and it just sort of sounds like this one. I have a feeling of emperor's new clothes about their albums - it's the same 'cool' noise.
Would have been a 4 if it wasn’t so longgggg
Wish I got it...
Jangly and fuzzy... sounds like every other Sonic Youth album. I was a fan in the early-mid 90s but this band didn't stay interesting for me. 2.5 rounding up
7/10
Sonic Youth is obviously great and innovative and everything, and there was a lot on here that I liked. But by the end of the album I was tired of it. 3.5
Got tired of this by the end. 3.5
Decent didn't love it
you can definitely see the influence for other groups when you listen to this and frankly i just like the title
Meh, not bad I suppose
the kings of fuzz do it again.
some good songs
Nicer
I started liking this album the more it progressed. Total trash was my favorite I think.
so i've actually been really meaning to listen to more sonic youth!! but i didnt like this as much as i expected to, maybe need to listen a bit more
Very eclectic, interesting.
It deserves to be on the list even though I don’t like it
Verkligen bra eller dåligt
I really liked Sonic Youth's album "Goo" when it came up on the list months ago. There are commonalities between these two albums that I enjoy, but "Daydream Nation" has a lot more talk-singing going on. I found myself wavering between really liking songs on this album and being somewhat annoyed by these sections. I liked and unliked "Cross the Breeze" multiple times while listening to it because the instrumentals are bangers, but the vocals turn me off. I ended up settling on "like," but so many of the tracks on this album could be improved on in the vocals department.
I really enjoyed this. One thing I noticed in the song Total Trash, in the thrashing part towards the end of the song there is a part where the guitar is making this cat noise? i think the only other time I've heard this sound is in A Perfect Circle's Counting Bodies like Sheep song. Another TOOL thing is later in the album there is a sequence where they have static guitar sounds over someone talking over a radio or phone. It sounds very similar to that TOOL song where the guy is talking about Area 51. Made me think the guys from TOOL are really into Sonic Youth, so that was neat!
Enjoyed this more than other Sonic Youth albums, still don’t know if they’re for me
Good album, pushes the boundaries on rock. Was surprisingly well done and I enjoyed the alt/progressive take that it uses to push boundaries.
Do we really need 4 Sonic Youth albums on the list? Probably not, but I still liked it nonetheless. I had totally incorrectly lumped these guys with the grunge bands of the early 90s, when really they seem like more of a bridge between the Pixies and indie bands of the 90s like pavement or 90s punk. This album wasn’t my favourite of theirs (I think their next two are better) but still interesting all the way through. Side note - Kim Gordon performed on Always Live with John Mulaney a few months back and still looks and sounds unreal (and is just as weird) in her 70s
Calles "noise rock" interesting.. A lot of sound coming instead, more appeal would have been if I have discovered this in my 20s (not the case) . I like it though not my favourite things. 3 Stars.
Соніків завжди цікаво слухати. Їх вміння поєднувати експерементальність із прямолінійним звучанням на деяких альбомах захоплює. Шумний альтернативний рок з різними дуже пасуючими до цієї музика вокалами. Мені хотілось би більше очевидних хітів як Teen Age Riot
Люблю сонік юс 90х, а з дейдрім нейшн якось не склалось в мене.
liked more than i thought i would
Really good vibe for today but I don’t plan to be back. Definitely enjoyed though.
Overrated
samey but decent
Didn't actually pay enough attention to it to be honest, and I don't really want to go back to listen to it again - which probably means it was pretty unremarkable.
Not sure
Favorite Track: Teen Age Riot
i like the vibe, first song is good
I had no idea before now that Sonic Youth's roots went way back into the early 80s. I'd always associated them more with the early 90s alternative/proto-grunge movement since a lot of my friends as a teenager were into them around that time. They have a great sound, and the fact that they were doing this in the 80s rather than early 90s certainly lifts them in my estimation as pro-genetors of grunge. I can hear some notes of Velvet Underground in their sound. High 3/5.
It’s messy, deliberately, but it never feels out of control. Kim Gordon meets early R.E.M. in a noisy alley. I like it. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Teen Age Riot - Silver Rocket - The Sprawl
I appreciate Sonic Youth but on the whole, they are too thrashy for me.
This was the most coherent of the Sonic Youth albums I’ve had. At times sounding downright poppy. BUT, they always returned to form by ruining (improving??) perfectly good pop songs with distortion and noise.
Fine album if a bit self-indulgent...but then, it made it all the way to this list and there's a lot of that around.
A song (500 Up) by one of my favourite bands (Sloan) sounds like a direct ripoff of Teen Age Riot so for that alone I have to give it a 3. Hey Joni and Candle were also decent. I respect it but I don't really like it.
Tsja... De muziek is oke. Niet helemaal mijn stijl maar ook niet slecht. Alleen ze maken elk nummer gewoon echt 3 minuten te lang met een of andere fadende gitaar aan het eind. Zo zonde, dat haalt voor mij het plezier van luisteren wel echt weg... Twijfel tussen 2 en 3. Aangezien ik mij niet echt heb lopen ergeren zal ik het voor de vorm een 3 geven.
Basically the same as Harness. It's close to be something I would like, without being something I like. A generous 3.
Feel like I should like it more than I did. Pretty similar to lots of stuff that I listen to but found it hard going at times. The first song is great but when the album is 70 minutes long need a few more like that
Quelques riffs sympathiques mais quand même beaucoup de BRUIT.
Best Song: Teen Age Riot Not really my thing. 3/3.
Not particularly my kind of genre. The long jams in certain songs have been hit or miss for me. I don't know, I think it's one of those albums I should revisit later on. Very interesting and yet very sporadic.
Dad- 5 Mom- 4.5 Mike- NA Lori- 7.5 Michael- 8 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 6.25
It’s great in spots but man these guys could have really used an editor
3/5
Good
+this album makes me feel like a teenager experiencing the 90s +songs i would give a second listen to are teen age riot and candle -however everything else didn't really stand out to me that much
It's fine, but I find it's gritty boarding on grating.
*** 1/2 Has some good moments
Unremarkable, but not bad
A not quite as good pavement I'd say.
I’ve generally been lukewarm on this group, but I liked a fair amount of this. If it’d been one disc of the best tracks, it’d be a 4.
This was pretty good but a bit long. I can definitely hear the influence on grunge from here that came later.
Not that great but some nice punk rock guitar riffs
I do not understand the appraisal for this band and the almost like cult following; calling it possibly the best album of all time according to their wikipedia is baffling, like are we living in the same dimension? Did I switch timelines? It is so bizarre. That being said did I enjoy it. The first three songs are phenomenal, the rest of the album is so so. Favorite tracks: Teen Age Riot Silver Rocket The Sprawl 3/5
Pretty fun record to listen to. The guitars are so weird, loud and exciting. I was on my toes every track waiting for the next weird riff they played for a song. Lyrics definitely get drowned out a bit in the mix but it could be worse. Very noisey record from a noise rock band, a downside to me was the drums felt a bit samey. I wish there was some cool weird things they did with the drums too. Favourite Tracks: Teen Age Riot, Silver Rocket, 'Cross the Breeze, Eric's Trip Least favourite: The Sprawl, Total Trash, Eliminator Jr.
I bet at the time this was great. Now it is a bit forgettable. 5/10
Pleasantly noisy, and with enough groove to be enjoyable. It's not really my scene, and too damn long by far - 70 minutes is a haul, even when it is your thing. But three stars for its massive influence, and the manifest baddassery of Kim Gordon.
Great guitars, very instrumental, pretty okay vocals and songs tended to be on the longer side
Someone needs to force me to listen to more sonic youth because I will not do it on my own but my life would be marginally better if I liked this band. 3/5
only song I really liked was Kissability
An hour and eleven minutes and it was all white noise to me. I didn’t hate it, nor was it bad, but just so easy to tune out. Just so forgettable. 3/5
A little harsh for my taste, I need more melody. But I could appreciate it. Probably need to give it another listen sometime to catch the subtleties.
These guys aren't bad when they actually try.
Lots of driving drums. I like the vibes of a lot of the tracks, it kind of all blends pleasantly into the background. Some of the mixing seems off, like really loud parts that don't feel like they were supposed to be loud.
I hadn't heard this before, but it absolutely sounds like the next step before Goo. The songs are there, the weird stuff is there, the secret pop is there but maybe the production isn't as slick as the world of Goo. For me, my Sonic Youth experience is Goo and Dirty and I love the nostalgia those albums bring. Daydream Nation is good but it doesn't hook me for the simple reason that I wasn't listening to it back in the day
No és molt es meu rollo però m'ha agradat. Rock cuidat amb certs detalls que anticipen recursos tipics de emo. Moltes parts instrumentals amb molt de renou bastant xules.
For me, one of those albums that's more fun to think about in terms of its influence than to actually listen to.
Good exposure to grunge or punk
I don’t know why we need 3 Sonic Youth albums. They all sound the same.
Guitar string and pedal porn from kids who base their idea of cool on the spoken word parts of Shangri-Las songs and teenagers in pop culture. This is gloriously atmospheric but not the full blown storm you get from Goo and Dirty.
It's not my favorite but I can definitely hear where it inspired a lot of stuff I do enjoy. Some of the riffs were pretty cool. I probably need to hear it more.
Good first song - mid overall.
Favorite track: kissability other picks: the sprawl, silver rocket, teen age riot, hyperstation
This is a bit like swimming lengths in the pool or something. At first it feels like hard work and distinctly monotonous. After a while you start to notice you've zoned-out and you're almost weightless and attuned to the flow around you. You probably finish feeling invigorated and a little stronger for the experience. Not truly my bag but I see its essential upside.
The sprawl - fuck you, are you for sale, i’m going native - spoken word rather than lead vocals but novel enough to warrant a listen.
Some pretty slick guitar holding down the top half.
I've never listened to Sonic Youth and always knew I probably should. The first half of this album was great and then the wheels started going off the track for me.
Solid album, but nothing super fantastic. Barely pulling a three star. Probably closer to it 2.9, but I'm rounding up.
Verwirrend
Favorite Track: Teen Age Riot
I liked this more than I thought I would I guess?
Yeah it was alright. Nothing I’ll come back to but nothing awful either
Alt rock album. First song is very strong very wavey. This album is very noisey End of silver rocket is great. Cross breeze is interesting and fun. Above average rock album, tries some different things but as a whole not that interesting. Rain king is really good 6.5/10
it was fine.
This was kind of fun. I enjoyed some of the songs, in fact his voice reminded me a bit of Bruce Springsteen.
This has all the musical ingredients I typically love but for some reason I don't. It's just an ok for me.
Some of the songs on here are hard, gritty songs that are certified bangers. Others make me feel like someone's piercing my ear with a jackhammer.
It is a work of melancholic beauty obscured by a rough outer shell and many prickly barbs. Listening through all of it requires a fan of their work. I don't think I can call myself that. There are a couple pearls here like teenage riot and the sprawl. But other pieces are hard to get through. A true mixed bag.
It wasn't bad, but it didn't do anything for me. Felt a bit underwhelming and middle of the road, with peculiar guitar work that did very little to change my opinion on it.
There’s a teenage riot… And some other good jams :)
Listened to this mostly on the flight from glasgow to london. It had a nice vibe; thoroughly upbeat, but not anxiety inducing.
Mid
Surprisingly listenable, more so than their previous album Sister. More like background music though 3.1
good rock album with some head bobbing music. i didn’t have any particular songs stand out to me but the general vibes are solid
After the previous Sonic Youth album I was expecting to hate this, but I was pleasantly surprised. The first song was great, and the rest was mostly fine, with a scattering of songs or parts of songs that were bad in the way I was fearing the whole album would be (high noise-to-melody ratio, harsh vocals, overly long repetitive songs) Overall I'd give this a 3, but I'm not sure if it's getting a bump for exceeding expectations
Uninspiring rock with shitty vocals.
a big part of growing up is learning it's ok to not give a shit about sonic youth
Yep, still not cool enough to enjoy Sonic Youth. Some tracks were good, some were just a bit ‘ noisy’. Maybe I am just too old…
You have to respect them, but Sonic Youth’s music is an acquired taste. 6/10
Quite a noisy album, there's grunge, punk and influenced from The Clash. It's not something you'll fall in love on your first listen but maybe subsequent ones will?
Inmiddels weet ik wel dat deze band zichzelf afvraagt of ze nu punk zijn of niet. Het eerste nummer heeft niet echt die signatuur, zou ik eerder radio-rock noemen. Ik kan dat prima hebben, al zou ik het nooit zelf opzetten. Direct daarna volgt wel zo'n typische punk'zang'; wel met een catchy herhalend muziekje erbij. Het wisselt verder wat af. In totaal is dit album iets toegankelijker dan het andere werk wat we van deze band krijgen. Het zit daardoor wat dichter naar de 3. Dit had ook prima het enige werk van deze lieden kunnen zijn in de 1001.
I don’t adore Sonic Youth, but they were just so omnipresent in the musical realm of my late teens/early 20 as I transitioned into listening to “secular” music. I never listened to a lot of them, but it seemed like all the bands I loved loved Sonic Youth. This is the third album of theirs I’ve gotten, and it's pretty much par for the course - no better, no worse. I know they're hugely influential, but I wouldn't seek this album out to listen to on purpose.
Oh what the magic of a simple guitar tuner would do for them
Fav: Candle Least Fav: Kissability They must’ve made a deal with the devil to lessen their ability to sing in exchange for extreme tinnitus-inducing distortion. I wouldn’t have it any other way
It was a nice enough easy rock album 6/10
This was something new in the 80's, and it's done pretty well. At most times, bands don't know how to incorporate noise into their songs, but they did it pretty good.
Not God's gift to man or anything, but it was solid and it didn't overstay its welcome even with how long it is.
Honestly I'm just glad I'm done with sonic youth. I didn't hate this but my god there's too much of this band on this list...I'm glad that I was that last one
They did some interesting guitar work and experimentation with amp sounds on this project. But overall the vocals are underwhelming and as a whole the project feels pretty one note.
The whole time I was listening to this album I kept switching between thinking, "Interesting, I kinda like it" and "What the fuck this is just noise." 3/5
First impressions are everything, right? And SY kind of blew it with those first few albums we got served, so I totally get why the gang would give this low stars, or maybe even just not listen to it altogether. I gave it a shot. I'm somewhere between "this really isn't that bad you guys" and "hey some of this is pretty good". They seem like they finally figured out how to make a song build, layering in new ideas and not just stagnant noise. There are actually some melodies, more musical overall. This album is so much closer to the vibe of their other college rock contemporaries - REM, Dinosaur Jr, Pixies, or even Replacements. I had previously saved Eric's Trip - it's a good song, give it whirl - but this time around enjoyed Teen Age Riot, Total Trash. The guitar parts throughout - especially Candle. Not enough return songs to make this anything more than average for me, and I really don't think I'm a Kim Gordon guy, but this exceeded expectations.
uhhhh sure
I really liked it. Maybe a 4
About as accessible as they get, which is still a stretch.
Want to really love this but it washes over me with little enthusiasm. I think they have extended their songs over a double album concept and those 6/7 minute songs wear out their welcome...
Imagine them performing the same repetitive album every week or so.
It got kind of weird in the end, eh?
Veery repetitive
Pretty standard. I was excited for this one, but this exercise has shown me how unlikely it is to make a good album top to bottom. Even for bands that I like.
Not my typical fare, but while there's a lot of noise there generally seems to be a point to it. I'm on board.
Ironically, jam bands are not my jam. Decent overall
OVERALL: Pretty good, but there are lots of noise that I'm not a fan of. The vocals here aren't that good either, especially on The Sprawl and Eliminator Jr. The vocals there sound like absolute dogshit, which singlehandedly prevents me from giving it a 4 or 5. Other than that, though, the instrumentals are usually really good. For most of the songs, the instrumental was easily the best part and carried it so much. I think they knew this, because in a lot of the songs there would be very long sections with just instrumental. It probably contributed to the length of these songs, as 3 songs are over 7 minutes, one is 6:58, and the three part song is over 14 minutes long. The amount of good stuff is almost always in the instrumental, which is by far the best part, but as good as it is, it doesn't completely outweigh the unreasonably long length and/or the horrible vocals. SONG AVG: 7.98 PERSONAL RATING: 6.75 Teen Age Riot: The intro is a little weird, but I really like it, and the instrumental break after it is very good. After that, the instrumental is very repetitive but still sounds good. The lyrics are pretty good, and they work well with the vocals. My main complaint is the length, it does not need to be 7 minutes long, and the instrumental doesn't really do anything interesting. It sounds good, but if it were shorter I would probably like it more. 8/10 Silver Rocket: After the intro, this song goes absolutely insane. It goes absolutely crazy, and the verses work well with the first instrumental. After like a minute and a half, the song decides to kill itself for a minute, before picking back up and going crazy. The biggest negative about this is the weird carcrash like part that lasts over a minute. It's not for me, but I guess I can understand it if you like it. Sounds way too messy and noise-like for me. Basically everything else is incredible. 9.25/10 The Sprawl: I don't like the vocals, I find them annoying and the chorus sounds like a little child in a musical that can barely sing. I guess the lyrics are good. I like it when it's just instrumental, which both sounds really good and isn't too repetitive, despite the long length. Speaking of which, this is over seven and a half minutes long. I love some songs that are longer, but the lyrics being around for like a minute and a half make the rest feel empty despite sounding great. As good as it sounds, it definitely drags on. 7/10 'Cross the Breeze: Why is there another 7 minute song. Great instrumental. The intro is great, but takes way too long. I think the vocals work with the instrumental, but they are pretty annoying and I don't like them. There's also a long ass outro, which I like but doesn't need to be as long as it is. It still sounds incredible. The lyrics are good I guess. The instrumental carries so unbelievably hard. 8.75/10 Eric's Trip: I like the vocals more than the last two longs, but he sounds so conversational and casual while this insane instrumental is playing. Speaking of which, the instrumental is, once again, incredible. Also, it's much shorter than 7 minutes. 8.25/10 Total Trash: Another 7 minute song, this time it has an extra 33 seconds. This is more what I was expecting from this. The instrumental is more basic, but still hits hard and sounds pretty good. The vocals sound actually normal this time, and work well with the instrumental. The break is way too long, but has lots of interesting moments and is very good. The lyrics are fine. 8.5/10 Hey Joni: Same review as Total Trash, but it's much shorter and has the weird, overly conversational vocals sometimes. Really good instrumental. 7.25/10 The Providence: This is 2:42 long, but it feels like an instrumental with how long the other songs on this are. I really like the piano, but everything else is mid or bad. I don't like the weird high pitched noise, and the vocals/lyrics (if you could call them that) are mid and have lots of unused potential. Piano carries. 5/10 Candle: I really like this. The instrumental is, in my opinion, perfect. The only thing I don't love is that it's a little boring at times, but it still sounds good regardless. Definitely stands out from the other, more intense songs. It also isn't 7 minutes long. It's much more calm and less intense, but still manages to capture the rawness of the other songs. Also the vocals are pretty good. Lyrics are fine. 9.75/10 Rain King: The intro is very interesting. I don't know if I like it or hate it, but I'm leaning towards like for now. The instrumental sounds very good, I don't really know how to describe it, but it fits the vocals and lyrics very well. It does suck when it sounds like they are either drowning or strangling a cat. It's good when it's not doing that. The vocals here are pretty average. I don't really know what the lyrics mean, but I guess it works? 8.25/10 Kissabililty: The instrumental is probably my third favorite, and it doesn't do anything wrong and serves its purpose very well. The lyrics are pretty good I guess. The vocals are the same ones in The Sprawl and 'Cross the Breeze, but I find them less annoying. They are still pretty bad, but they aren't nearly as annoying and are a massive improvement. 8.75/10 Trilogy: This is a three part song, so I'll review each individually and the song as a whole. a) The Wonder: The vocals suck outside of the choruses and the bridge. Great instrumental, until it does the weird thing at 2:45. Other than that, the instrumental is very raw and very well done. The vocals bring this down by about 2 points, but that's fine I guess. Pretty good outro. 7.25/10 b) Hyperstation: IT SAID THE NAME OF THE ALBUM. Nice transition. Also, this part takes up over half of the song. Anyways, this is a slower song, and sounds very good overall. There aren't many lyrics here, but the vocals sound pretty good. The instrumental really shines here, and it sounds incredible for the entire part. Unfortunately, it does use a fade out outro. 9.82/10 z) Eliminator Jr.: That was a jumpscare. This part is also shorter than the interlude. Anyways, very intense instrumental that is pretty repetitive. The vocals here are dogshit. The "Take a walk in the park? Shit yeah!" sounds very bad. I guess other than that the instrumental is fine, but it's nothing too interesting. This probably would go so much harder if the woman was better at singing, or if there weren't any vocals at all. This is also the outro to the entire album that is way too long, and this doesn't feel like it should be on the album, much less the last thing you hear. 3/10 Overall, a three part song with a good first part, a fantastic second part, and a horrible third part. The instrumental is easily the best part of each of the parts, with the vocals being a detriment to The Wonder and Eliminator Jr. Hyperstation is easily the best part. It has a fantastic transition, a fantastic instrumental, and pretty good vocals. My biggest problem with the song is that Eliminator Jr. should not be here, it doesn't deserve to be the outro to both this song and the entire album. The song average is 6.69/10, but I'll give it a 7/10. The parts will not count towards the song avg. 7/10
Despite actually owning a Sonic Youth album (1992's "Dirty"), I've never quite managed to enjoy listening to them, and this album unfortunately falls into that pattern too. I feel like this is a personal failing, since they're pretty much in the pantheon of indie/alt rock from the 80s and 90s, and I feel like I *should* enjoy their sound and style far more than I do, but there's just something about their wall of off-key distorted guitar and bass that just doesn't quite do it for me. I *did * appreciate the helpful Wikipedia entry for the album, especially how it pointed out the references and connections in this album, and it helped me appreciate songs like "The sprawl" (with its William Gibson references), "Hey Joni" (with its sprawling references to "Hey Joe", Joni Mitchell and even William Gibson) and even "Rain king" (Pere Ubu homage) and "Eliminator, Jr" (a weird and not very obvious combo of ZZ-top and Dinosaur Jr) more than I might have otherwise. I'm also bummed that I don't enjoy them more than I do, given that this is the first of five Sonic youth albums in this collection. Like too many other artists and bands in this collection, I wish the editors of the book has exercised the practice of less is more with their selections, as there are so many other albums and artists that could have been included in the project with just a little more parsimony. Ah well.
7/10
This is my fifth SY album on this list. Did they include all of their albums? I wonder. Nevertheless, it was okay, too much noise rock now and then, but it was bearable.
It was okay, not my favorite.
Certainly was noisy
I thought the first half was better, it dragged on a bit in the second and felt harsher / more aggressive. A high 2, rounded up to a 3.
Tiny bit better than the Beatles
I've listened to this so many times and it just won't click
There are some good moments on this album, but it’s way too long. A few songs are great, others get the noise/song balance wrong and drag on. I can see why it’s respected, but not sure I would return often. Good in parts, hard work in others. I prefer Dirty & Goo.
Solid 80s early Indy/protoemo
это дерьмо на самом деле очень приятное на удивление. т.е из всего это шумного потока я слышу прикольные темы. но для меня слишком экспериментально
I've tried and tried but I am afraid I just cant get Sonic Youth. Its fine but not for me!
Sonic Youth is just not my taste. Not bad, not great.
Classic
Didn’t really care for it but I liked the energy
I didn’t love it but it was better than expected for me. 2.5
Argh, if you're going to have one song that's a million times better than all the rest, please don't put it first on a 71 minute long album. It's all pretty good stuff, although gets increasingly tuneless and shouty as it goes along, to the point that you've totally forgotten that it started out very well by the end.
Pretty much every song starts off good and then the 2nd half is mostly nonsense.
ligo flyaro
Ok
This album started off so so good, but it just got really boring and repetitive! Was also way too long by the end. Shame really 3 ⭐️
I think if I were ten years older this would be my jam. It starts out cool enough but devolves into just noise. I love the rest of the playlist it seeded though.
неочень
An extra star for a great band name and album title but sadly their music is a bit of a letdown, almost a bit of a bore. Their reputation exceeds the actual music.
Nice noises, soothing angst, probably went on longer than it needed to and have heard better albums by these guys. Maybe not enougth sneer.
I quite enjoyed this, but not enough to seek it out again. After the disappointment of Fishbone yesterday, it was good to hear music being well played with confidence and skill. A solid three and a bit stars: It was fine.
I liked this more than Goo, and knew a handful of tracks. Like every Sonic Youth album I've listened to though, it does seem to drag on.
Honestly not much to say. The intro to Teenage Riot is so good but the rest didn't really make an impression. I liked the general vibe of it though. Weak 3.
ahi noma
3.5 rounded down. Enjoyable sometimes, okay others
Niet hun beste, maar wel vrij goed. Als we eerlijk zijn is er buiten Teen Age Riot geen echt nummer dat er bovenuit springt. Daarom een 3.4.
Ich musste mir "Daydream Nation" mehrmals anhören, weil ich testen wollte, ob meine Tagesform nicht sofort zurecht kam oder grundsätzlich das Album nicht mich erreichte. Kein schlechtes. Die langsamen Nummern kommen gut. Alles andere ist mehr Geschruppe.
I was very meh about it. The younger me would definitely like that more.
Pretty good
Was ok.
The combination of Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation and Teenage Riot might be the best band, album and song title to go together. Maybe Iron Maiden x 3 competes with it for comedy value. Titles aside, the opener is a classic, the rest I like but it does drag a bit with all the guitar noodling and effects extending a lot of these tracks to 7 min+. Good but not perfect for me
General thoughts: Tiring to listen to. Not particularly bad, just forgettable. Had to listen it in several parts. I really never got why Sonic Youth got that famous. Favorite song(s): 'Cross the Breeze Worst song(s): Providence Cover: Ok Real rating: 3.25
I feel like Sonic Youth is one of those bands where their reputation by far precedes how much knowledge I have on the band and based on that reputation, they seem like a band I should love I had already heard Teen Age Riot and thought it was great, but the entirety of the rest of the album was new to me. I found it deeply confusing why I was genuinely not enjoying this album at all until I reached Eric’s Trip and it genuinely felt like a switch flipped in my brain and the album felt very genius and slightly more palatable. I can see their influence clearly in a lot of the music I listen to, reminding me a lot of Pavement and early eaaaarly Radiohead. That being said, the grittiness of this album, I feel, can’t be drawn ONLY to the fact that it is grungy, and it unfortunately has a lot of issues (the highs are too high etc) that come through in more modern speakers, even having been remastered which overall decrease the listening EXPERIENCE but not the work itself!! I appreciate and enjoyed this album a lot, but still found a lot of it deeply annoying and headache-inducing at points! FAVOURITES: Teen Age Riot, Eric’s Trip, Candle, Kissability, Hyperstation 3-3.5/5
Many good songs, but also some that are not really my type of music.
First listen Saved 8/14 Top track: Teen Age Riot
Как будто это батя Placebo
It's alright and has some good moments but overall it isn't for me.
ahugavert
I have the album myself, but I can't do much with the music anymore. Because I once thought the sound and the attitude were great, I gave it 3 stars, but only for the sake of nostalgia
Lo-fi indie originators or whatever you want to call it. I liked it alright but it I did not like it when I tried listening to it a few years back. So either my tastes have changed or it's one of those that grow on you. I do believe its on the list more for its social impact than it is because its a solid album front to back. Definitely some good songs but also a lot of noise and filler.
I liked the last Sonic Youth album more. I get this, it’s an interesting mix of noise and traditional alternative rock. It’s an important stepping stone and extremely influential. Fully understand putting it on this list, it’s just not really for me.
3 stars
My first sonic youth album. Teen age riot reminds me of the strokes. Very instrumental, which grew on me by 'cross the breeze. I think I enjoyed the instrumentals more than the vocals on this album. There are occasional moments that are really neat (eric's trip, intro to 'cross the breeze). 2.5 rounded up to 3* Enjoyed total trash. Back half of the album got too "noisy" for me.
Sonic Youth is so dirty
The deluxe edition of this is two and a half hours long. I can't stomach it for that long. It gets its point across inside fifteen minutes.
This reminds me heavily of Pixies and I really do not like Pixies, so... Anyway, there were some outstanding tracks in there (namely 'Cross the breeze', the opening track and 'Candle'), but the rest of the album is mainly a bunch of long intros and outros that tend to blend together the longer you listen. It's not bad music by any means—those guys are clearly amazing artists—just not for me. 2.5 stars
Some really cool guitar parts and I like the cool noisey sections. Don’t really like Thurston Moore’s vocals though- Definitely prefer the Kim Gordon vocals. There are some really organic experimental instrumental sections that are beautifully done on here. Must’ve been pretty influential. So much better than their other album we had. My favorite song was The Sprawl. Tough one to rate. 3.5-4
There are some LONG guitar intros, outros, and breaks throughout. As a result, most of this album feels very manic-filled, chaotic, and noisy. "Noise rock" is the label I'm looking for I guess. I get that this was kind of the makeup of some alt rock from this era (Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., Steve Albini-led acts, etc.). At least there's some song structure here, compared to a few other acts just from this list that I've already come across. For instance, I'd say that this is more digestible than say, "Surfer Rosa" from the Pixies which I drew many albums ago and didn't care much for. A 2.5/5 I'd say. Guess I better prepare myself for the four other Sonic Youth albums that are supposedly on this list.
Parts of this album really are awesome to me, namely 'Cross the Breeze and Teen Age Riot. Sounds like a bunch of people in their garage jammin and given this released in 1988, it was probably pretty unique. This album might need another listen for me to actually enjoy it, though. Don't know exactly why, didn't really click with me as I listened through it.
Ok
Miksi tämä on yli tunnin mittainen… tai siis kuuluvathan nuo särökitarafiilistelyt Sonic youthiin oleellisesti, kuin myös indieen ja sen kehitykseen, joten pakko se kai on antaa. Mutta tunti… Tiivistettynä tää vois toimia tosi hyvin, tyypeillä on oikea ihan hitusen räkäisempi meno paikoin. Siksi en voi jättää kakkoseen.
It was fun, not great but nice
ahead of its time
I felt like after the first 3 songs the album sounded the same. Overall not bad but did not feel like there was a large range in songs.
It was alright, might listen again to see if it gets better
Never really got into Sonic Youth and this hasn’t converted me either but it was ok.
Mal ouvi Música de adolescente burro Devem ter depressão e não sabem falar
Yoo deze moest ik echt al heel lang luisteren van mezelf, is echt een muzieknerd album Blij dat ik het gedaan heb, maar nog niet helemaal overtuigd, mss toch net niet mijn ding Ga het wel nog een keer proberen later
Ja prima leuk album, beetje lang, maar ga hem niet nog een keer luisteren
Heel vaak de naam van Sonic Youth voorbij horen komen, nooit geluisterd Iets te heftig voor me Maar wel sick
Worth the listen.
For an album with so much critical acclaim there sure were a more than a few times that it couldn’t hold my attention. At the same time, there were moments where I was really enjoying the music and could clearly spot the influence that Sonic Youth has had on the indie scene since the 80s. There’s some good songs but nothing that really blew me away or that I’d come rushing back to.
I should like this album, I usually love everything punk and grungy. But this is just so generic and boring. Wikipedia says its noise rock and that its supposed to be minimalist. But idk, if you want to do some counter culture stuff, be more daring! more angry! Like its a mix between punk and prog rock? prog is technical and original, punk is raw and noisy, you cant just mix them together and expect something good
eeeeeeehhhh
Si lo hubiese escuchado en 1994 lo habría encontrado magnífico, pero mi sensibilidad estaba en otro lado. En 1988 nunca me enteré de este disco.
I'm just going to be upfront about this. I own 12 Sonic Youth Albums. And yes, this is one. But it's not one of my favorites. The next 3 albums: Goo, Dirty, Experimental Jet Set Trash & No Star are all better albums in my book. On those albums, they come into their own as a rock band. The songs just have better hooks & I feel like that's when the band's chops were sharpest (1990-1994). Anyway, that's all a matter of taste and today we are listening to 1988's Daydream Nation. If you are into the dissonant sound that Sonic Youth makes, then this is a pretty good one. And if you really want to hear the guitar alchemy at work, then I recommend smoking some good weed and turning it up way loud. Silver Rocket & Cross the Breeze are my favorites.
Good noise rock album. I prefer Sonic Youth’s 1990 album “Goo” over this, but still an excellent trip into New York’s 1980’s underground art rock scene.
This feels pretty unique and fresh for 1988. It’s the second Sonic Youth album I’ve listened to recently, and I’m right in the middle with them. Quality music and vocals for sure, but nothing totally grabs me and makes me want to love them yet.
3 good album with a lot of energy. Just wish there were more/better vocal parts
If every track was like the leadoff song then I'd be in love with it, but just quite a bit too noisy for me. Most have some cool little guitar licks that meander behind the noise so thats a good time. 6/10
Kinda “meh”. Expected more bangers considering its legendary status.
3.5
3/5
I didn't come across this first time round as it was 5 years to early but Sonic Youth was a name I knew. On first listen I found it weirdly bland, but I felt there was enough there to come back to it. I managed to get another 2 runs through and it slowly unveiled itself. The initial angry skuzz gives way to some quality songwriting and a surprising amount of space and panorama in the music. I really warmed to it and may return to see what else comes out over time.
A lot of interesting ideas, even if some of them should have been cut form the album. 3.0/5.0: Good
Placebo did it better.
It was alright, I quite liked the general sound but nothing really stood out
Good album
Very loud, way more rock and roll than expected! Enjoyed it.
Delightfully overwhelming with its sheer structured cacophony of sound and noise, but if I'm being honest I've always found this to be a tad redundant and boring at times. "Teen Age Riot" is perhaps the platonic ideal of this song but also casts a shadow that the rest of the album can never escape from. Sure it comes close at times, namely, "The Sprawl" "Candle" "Trilogy" but this is pretty long-winded at times. Hugely influential for sure, but I feel like publications and tastemakers have been yelling at me to love this album for years and I'll always just be a little lukewarm on it.
I liked aspects of this album, and I like Sonic Youth's take on noise rock. It was certainly a big contributor to a lot of bands that included noise rock in their sound. However, I found that 1 hour and 10 minutes of Sonic Youth's noise rock was more than I really wanted. Also, I like the side of Sonic Youth that uses more Kim Gordon, but that's just me.
I wanted to like this, and there's a lot to like about it. But it feels like when I really get grooving with this it reverts back to noise. Parts of it really deserve the love they get, and Teenage Riot is fantastic. But on the whole it didn't do it for me.
A cool album but not a really good one. Like so many albums on the list, it’s way too long. 2.6
This should be right up my street. I was a total indie rock kid back in the day, but it leaves me a bit cold and I’m really not sure why. Mid, as they say
I think some of what Sonic Youth does is really cool, but other things not sim much. I guess I like them in small doses, but maybe not an entire album. I could see myself revisiting this album at some point and we’ll see. It could grow on me.
Noise. Melody. Noise. Talk. Noise.
3/5 good but not enough
2.5
Meh
Another unique sounding group that I enjoyed listening to, 7/10
Het begint goed met Teen Age Riot, maar daarna vervalt het in voor mij nietszeggende gitaarmuziek (die gelukkig niet slecht klinkt, maar ook zeker niet bijzonder).
Influental and interesting in its context, but not really my thing.
Didn't know a lot about Sonic Youth before but can see how they influenced a lot of the music that came after them. Very experimental, came out of a punk rock tradition and explored a lot of new ground -- different chord shapes and progressions, tempos and instrumentation. Unfortunately, sometimes the guys who break new ground aren't the ones who master it. I found this record uneven -- a couple of tunes started with cool hooks, but when good punk rock does that the songs are over in 2:30, while Sonic Youth stretches them out for 7 minutes. I liked the second half of the album better, especially Candle and the Wonder (though Teen Age Riot is a great track). Important record for sure, but I'll probably spend more time listening to the bands that listened to them than this one.
siiiii. 7.5/10
Better than I remember
If you're curious about how music shifted from the late 80s to early 90s this is pretty much it.
Typical late 80s-early 90s punk band stuff. Nothing stood out to me. Good quality and all. Just not my thing. Low 3
I'm not very familiar with Sonic Youth. Thought they were more 90s alt. I suppose this is on the continuum of punk/art/rock with Patti Smith. Also uniquely NYC. It's not bad, but not something I'd listen to regularly. I appreciate the originality more than the music. 3.1
Nice grungy punk. Bot too sure on the length of some of the tracks, seemed unnecessarily long. Good in your face music though.