Daydream Nation

Blah, blah, Sonic Youth, whatever. Most shoegaze can fuck off. I'll give a star for influence, and another for their best album, but this is pretty monotonous.

Sonic Youth are a big weird gap in my music knowledge. I hadn't heard an album of theirs before. All I know is that Kim Gordon is in the band and Thurston Moore is really tall. This album is way too long and not hugely up my street in terms of song structure, but it's got mood in spades and a cool fuzzy rock sound that feels way ahead of its time. Teen Age Riot is lovely and strikes the best balance of sprawl and catchiness for me.

liked it but kinda meh

Sounds like all the other sonic youth albums I have heard. Some catchy alternative songs mixed with some noise guitar.

suburban angst, bridges rock genres, feels a bit bloated… songs: ‘cross the breeze

Oh come on, another Sonic Youth album?! Alright, fine...Daydream Nation is their best of all the ones so far and I hope we are done. I get it...they had something new and raw for the late 80s and were very influential to the indy-rock scene but you don't need to hear this much before you die. Some good guitar work again and slowed-down psychedelia to sow a more polished band. But then you got Kim Gordon ruining everything. She may have been a badass or something young, hardcore chicks could look up to at the time but she sucks on vocals. I can say that I have given Sonic Youth a chance and can argue with a fan all day. This album is the only one you need to hear from them...2.55 stars.

The songs are good but as a hole it could feel same same at points

fav songs: teen age riot kissability trilogy: z) eliminator jr. influential, noise, raw 60/100

It was alright. But overall not my cup of tea. I can see why it was influential thoguh

It was OK. Not my favorite, but not terrible to listen to.

Ein Album für mich ohne Highlights. Gut hörbar, aber nichts, was ich nochmal brauche. 3/5

Didn’t mind it

Ehhhh

14/06/2026 This was very hit and miss with me... I can't say I am the biggest fan. Spotify listeners: 1.5 million

I was expecting more so I was disappointed

I used to like Sonic Youth. I also used to like to drink warm cheap bad beer out of plastic cups and see shows at venues with sticky floors and bathrooms that should be condemned. This album reminds of that. Teen Age Riot is still a great song though....

If I was 19 and throwing a dorm party... sure. This doesn't have the same overall appeal as many of the other albums here though, and out of the historical context, I'm lukewarm on this.

Not horrible, but not great either...

185. nice

Garage punk standard Fave track: Teen Age Riot

Decent alt rock. 3/5

Moody grungy goodness

Is a classic. Lee ronaldo was always an influence on me guitar playing when i was a young lad. I do prefer other sonic youth records. First 7 songs are great however but i do think this one is a bit long like

Just ok innit. Was expecting to be blown away. Sonic Youth have always been a band I think i should like but dont do a lot for me. Appreciate theyve inspired a lot of bands I like, but I wouldnt choose to put this on. If you want Clangy, distorty then fair play. But other than Teenage Riot I couldnt be arsed with it Generous 3

I think I said this earlier on another Sonic Youth record but I feel I'm maybe 4 or 5 years too young to appreciate this as much as the people of that age will. The roots of grunge and 90's punk are all in here, and the raw production is really just a sign of things to come. The issue is that I like what came after more than I like this. Still a great listen, but I'd rather here the inheritors of this sound than the original. Pros are that the dual vocals are great and really change the tone of each song depending on who's singing, the playing is an excellent wall of noise but somehow in time and put together, etc. The issue for me is that the tone of the whole album never changes; it's the same sound throughout. For a long album like this, it does get boring. I'd love to see it live but to sit through it is a different story. Cool, but it left me wanting something a bit more polished.

Yeahhh. Tried to get into this in highschool, above me then. Ended up obsessed with incinerate off rather ripped but never came back. Really enjoy the opening track, find myself tuning out at moments even though it's noisy!! I am unclear what environment this is for, i don't dislike it, but it's not catching for me. Again, first song rocks

Noisy, feedback guitar makes brain go BRRRRRRRRRRRR

3-/5 et je suis gentil

honestly? i dont really vibe with them

This is the fifth, and final I believe, album on this list. I have found that I am not a fan of this band, but didn’t mind this one as much as most of the others. I won’t listen to this one again, but I will give it three stars.

This is a rebellious, fast, and young-sounding album that still feels incredibly meaningful. While listening I felt energized and immersed — it’s an interesting experience from beginning to end. The album is full of that raw, noisy energy Sonic Youth does so well. Fast heavy riffs crash into dreamy, chaotic textures, creating something that feels both aggressive and thoughtful at the same time. It perfectly captures that late-80s underground spirit — restless, intelligent, and full of attitude. There’s a real sense of freedom and youth running through the whole record. It’s noisy without being pointless, experimental but still strangely catchy in its own way. The whole thing just flows with confidence and purpose. Daydream Nation is easily one of their strongest albums. It’s a great listen that rewards you whether you’re paying close attention or just letting it wash over you. A true underground classic.

Pretty good. Unique voice from the lead singer, catchy punkish songs. Would listen again.

eh

6/10 Me gusto pero es muy largo, medio que me canso al final, no es malo pero algunos temas bastantes pj

Nice

This is the fifth album by Sonic Youth I've had on this list. The band is ok. But five!?!? Why five!?! I really hope there isn't another one. It's a nice band but you certainly do not need to hear five albums by Sonic Youth before you die.

Started off pretty strong but then started to lose me towards the middle. Then it brought me back and then lost me again. I find the guitar tones and instrumental sections interesting and then I find the vocalist kinda boring.

Great bones but lots of filler. Could have benefited from a trim down. Still, a classic for a reason.

this overstimulated me

Not a huge Sonic Youth fan but this is one of their better albums for sure. More songs here that have melodies and choruses and less skronking and shrieking guitars. The songs that lean hard into the noise area do nothing for me after a few seconds. Unfortunately there is still a good deal of that here. 3/5

Eh pretty good. Opens with a banger, pretty much all I recall. Listened at work so wasn’t really present/focused listening. Should re-listen to this in the future more intentionally at home.

I liked this a lot better than the other Sonic Youth album we had.

Hmmm, this really grew on me

Not really my thing however the guitars are strong throughout. Songs unremarkable and vocals terrible.

Easy listening, very NY but coming much later it doesn’t hold that same fresh lo-fi sound. 3 for teenage riot

por lo general el punk no me gusta y este álbum apunta a eso, está bien a partir de la mitad del álbum pero, en lo personal no me gusta

Another Sonic Yourh. My 3rd now in 3 months. Little indifference about this one compared to Dirty. The first 6 songs are all amazing and a great first half of the record. The following 8 just don’t hit me the same way unfortunately.

Post-Grunge boring

Pas trop ma came normalement mais plutôt sympa

Quite alot of noise on their records, Sonic Youth needs to be seen live for best effect.

Whiny vocals, frantic energy, and some lovely pop rock music that clearly influenced better bands.

Nice. Some great tunes. 3.5/5.

meh

I should like Sonic Youth and this album more than I do, but...I just don't. The heavy distorted guitar and driving drums are pretty great but I'm not compelled to seek this out.

Pretty cool, didnt need to be a double album

Not my kind of music but today I found it enjoyable. Definitely good music

some good overall rock.

Kinda cool, kinda grating. Lowest 3 possible

Is this the first time hearing this album. Definitely a 3, probably a 4. It’s hard to give an album you listened to once a 4.

Bit of a background album again today. Can see the influential nature of it, and can appreciate it, but just didn't do much for me overall

Similar to the other sonic youth I had. Noisy and messy, with occasional moments of clarity. Definitely an influential band for sure.

3-4 готино звучене, ама не ме чак грабнаха

Album wasn’t too bad. Again, for the 200th time it was just ok to me and I’m not sure if the point of this is for the albums to be other worldly or just ok music.

Like it 3/5

Really liked it. Nothing new about this album but it was pleasent to hear

Vaikutti melkoiselta pioneerimusiikilta. Pitää kuunnella lisää ajan kanssa. 3,25/5.

I don't listen to a lot of rock, but this album was really good. I enjoyed pretty much most of it, although I will say some of these songs were a bit too long for my liking, but overall, some songs off of this record are going into my giant playlist of songs that I really enjoy rating: 3.5/5

I'm on the fence about a 2 or 3 here. Every few years I think "Maybe now I'm ready to appreciate Sonic Youth" and I try listening to this album and it does nothing for me. They overlap with so many other things that I like. Grunge, punk, 90s indie rock, etc. I don't hate it, but I just don't enjoy it.

Meh

Sonic Youth will never be a band I truly like, but I acknowledge this as their best and most complete album. They are talented, just too edgy and vague for me. Best song: Teen Age Riot

It was alright. I enjoy the genre but I thought this would be heavier than it ended up being.

Had high hopes for about a minute

What an addicting listen. Something about the amazing instrumentals, the admittedly bad but still endearing vocals, it’s just so enticing. I guess if I had to pick one main issue it’s that I’m not crazy about most of the writing here, as it just completely failed in keeping me interested.

Sonic youth is very boring but not bad music

I should like Sonic Youth - I like lo-fi garage-y pseudo punk noise rock, and I was in my teens when they were big, but they just passed me by, and continue to do so. It’s ok, but I didn’t really enjoy it, as such.

Started out decent...then it all just ran together and started sounding the same.

Another band I’ve been meaning to get into and an album I wish I had given a closer listen to. Nevertheless, I can certainly see why Sonic Youth is painted as progenitors of the noise rock movement, which is a sub-genre of rock I’ve been getting more into. It’s certainly an album whose total is greater than the sum of its parts, but it’s damn good. Favorite track: Total Trash

Nice driving sound, but maybe just because of the vocals, nothing to really hook me. Continuously I'm swinging between two annoying stars and four star ("Candle", Kissability", "Trilogy"). 2,5

Not a huge fan of this band. Lots of my favorite bands drew inspiration from them and I can see why but their songwriting itself doesn't interest me. Radiohead and other bands of this genre do it way better

This album was a little too “noisy” for my personal taste, though I did like the song Teen Age Riot. I am glad I listened to it and can appreciate Sonic Youth’s contribution to the genre!

Surprised at how good this was after enduring EVOL. 7/10

I like it - over to you Tomek 😉

Wasn't sure about the start of the album, but The Sprawl hooked me in. During Eric's Trip I felt it took a dip down again and by Hey Joni the album had lost the charm I thought it might have had. The last A) and B) songs had some really fun playing of the instruments and I am torn on what to give the album overall. I think it sits right in between a high 3 and low 4, but I think the last song cemented this album into the 3's.

Some good songs

This was the best Sonic Youth experience I've had. You can really see the bones of the 90's built on these sounds. It's still very rough but progressive and talented.

Noise rock is never noisy enough for people who like actual noises. I like actual noise, and think most double albums are too long, so 2.5 stars here is quite generous.

Probably could have been a single album.

This album starts SO GOOD and falls off for me around the middle.

As far as opening tracks go, Teenage Riot has to be right up there. Wouldn't say this is a record I would necessarily go back to and listen to over and over again, but there is no denying the influence this and Sonic Youth had on American rock/grunge in the late 80s and early 90s. An important record, if not necessarily a great one.

chill

*1988. *I really like these guys about 1/3 of the time. I'm here for the melodic, slower, grungy stuff, but they lose me with the more yell-y punk stuff. *Teenage Riot is a good song. *There are 5 songs on here that are at least 7 minutes, wtf? RATING - 6/10

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.

The guitar work was cool, but it dragged a bit.

Solid alternative rock album, surprised I'd never listened to Sonic Youth before!

I quite liked Daydream Nation a fair bit. This album has more of the sound that i was expecting from Sonic Youth, not the more noisy stuff from Evol and Sister. Instead it just has this somewhat hard indie rock sound and i like it since i'm a fan of a lot of indie rock especially when it's the harder, faster, heavier kind. Granted this album is still far from perfect, the noisy parts are still there despite not being nearly as prevalent and the lyrics are a bit on the stupid side but i don't think that those two things were enough to completely detract from the parts of the album that i did like. I was expecting this to be like the other two Sonic Youth albums i heard but this one is actually a fair bit better. Best Song: Rain King Worst Song: Silver Rocket

eh, pretty long, but not too bad

Edgy and youthful

It's okay. Some of their other albums on this list I thought were better. Just kind of noisy. 3/5 Probably won't listen again

Been wanting some Sonic Youth on here. Weirdly a band that has always passed me by so glad to get my chance… Kinda feels like Weezer mixed with Lou Reed somehow, with punk undertones. It’s raw and scrappy, dissonant and chaotic. Nice to have the variety in vox, probably prefer Kim’s with this sound. Can really see how it gave rise to some of the more instrumental rock / experimental bands of 90s/00s and enjoy their freedom in this and the longer arrangements. Whilst I enjoy it, unless you are super into it, it’s easy to feel like you have your fill and goes on for quite some time after. I respect what they’re doing, but maybe I’m just not cool enough….yet (3.5)

3/5

This was alright

Enjoyed a lot of it. But the parts I didn't enjoy I really didn't particularly enjoy.

Enjoyable punk, innovative, exciting and fun to listen to. Though nothing is jumping out as an ear worm

(4/7) "Teenage Riot" then a lot of crunchy guitar

Man this was tough to get through. I do like bands with multiple singers, but the music was just so harsh. If this album was 25 mins shorter I could have maybe gotten to a 4 but this was rough.

I never could get into Sonic Youth. This album didn’t help any. It’s fine, but too much “wall of noise” for my liking. There are roots of things I do like, however.

Not too bad, a bit samey after a while

Very interesting lp that combines a lot of genres. I enjoy the bits that sound more like indie and post rock. Not so much the punk and noise parts. Not so sure what to do with this?

I thought I hated this album, but I didn’t mind it this time around.

2026.01.31

Langweiliges überladenes mittelmäßiges Rockalbum, ging so.

Will definitely be listening again.

Altså, på papiret burde det være lige mig, men det er simpelthen FOR skramlet. Det stikker for meget. Men noget af det er meget cool, i små doser.

I was not in the right mood for this album and couldn’t get through it.

I suppose this is ok. Even a bit better in places, and I’m sure that if I were a fan I’d love it. But there’s too much of it and it’s not innovative or catchy enough to merit anything better than ok I’m sure it was super influential back in the day. It almost certainly should be on this list. But I doubt I’ll listen again

3.6

Best one for sure but still not my fav it is way too long

enjoy it lol

As a person who has spent a lifetime being classically trained in music and obtained a four-year degree in music, this album fascinated me. I heard influences of what I would call contemporary classical, or at the very least some kind of serialism or atonalism. There is a tonal "center" to each song, but not a whole lot of melody going on. Guitars are playing familiar-sounding chords with crunchy notes between, creating a grungy, underground kind of sound. Production is excellent. A very unique sound done well, with plenty of hard-hitting moments and moments of reprieve as well. I thought some of the songs were simply too long and for no good reason. I did not really enjoy the vocals - they were just underwhelming and not very memorable. Instrumentals are strong. This is the kind of music that makes you scrunch up your face and nod your head in agreement, or possibly disagreement if you have different tastes. It's very effective, if not a bit brash. I think this is objectively *good* and it makes sense to be on this list, and I might come back to it in some deeper musical discussions. 3/5; solid, but not really made for me.

Too punk for me

Being a huge fan of 90’s alternative, this album has always been one that I have meant to get around too. Being one of the forefathers of the grunge sound and hearing a few songs of theirs; I had very high expectations for this going into it. The starting track was everything I imagined it to be with power driven riffs and vocals that drone and are at times delivered with snark that are showing that they are everything that pop music was NOT at the time. Sadly, once I hit the middle of this album I started to lose interest. Being an “all gas no breaks” type of project; I think this album would very much benefit from breaking up the chaotic riffs every once in a while. While I respect that this album paved the way for a whole genre of rock music and inspired countless artists to come; my advice would be if you want a more consumable album that paved the way just as much, and better song writing, I highly recommend Doolittle by Pixies over this one

iyo raa ver mivaqcie yuradgeba mara kargad mesmoda

Street Joy is a great tune

Alternative rock/punk/post punk. It's pretty good but it's generally too much on the punky side and less melodic/hook driven than I would prefer. Nice riff on Total Trash, almost presaging pop-punk. Best track - Cross the Breeze, Eric's Trip 3 stars

2.54 / 5 stars for Daydream Nation. It has some winners (Teen Age Riot, Silver Rocket, The Sprawl, Candle), and some real head scratchers (Hey Joni, Providence, Rain King, Kissability). The last song, the 13 minute marathon is pretty good, but will never grace A Mixtape. too long and not really a joy to listen to. there ARE 13 minute songs I don't mind listening to. this is not one of them. I somewhat understand why people put this on those greatest albums ever lists, but it definitely would not make mine. But I get it.

A little heavy at times for me, though I can see the influence it has on more recent punk/rock bands, and thus, their significance.

Sonic Youth are another band I always meant to pay more attention to. The bits I've heard didn't grab me much. I enjoyed this a bit more, but I can't help thinking that Nirvana listened to this and went, 'This is great, but what if it had actual tunes and the vocals weren't drowned in guitar soup?'

I should like noise rock because I like distortion in other genres, but I don't. I think it's the punkiness of it I don't like. Which is odd, because I quite like punk. There were bits I did enjoy, such as the song 'Cross the Breeze, but most of it I found rather unexceptional. Not a fan of any of the vocals either. The length doesn't help. I'll have to come back to this though at some point. I can see this being one of those albums that take a few listens before it clicks.

It's only been an hour since I listened to Daydream Nation, and I've already pretty much forgotten what it sounded like.

I once again mainly listened to this album in the background. I don't think this album was for me, but I also don't outright think it was bad. There are some songs I really didn't like (see: Kissability) but there were definitely tracks that had a lot to enjoy. There are four more Sonic Youth albums on this list to get through, so hopefully there'll be something on those that grabs me more. Favourite song: Candle

Meh, some good tracks but got lost with the noise stuff on a lot of the tracks, 7/10

solid 3/5

It sounds like punk but with a bit of polish which I really like, the album is quite unnecessarily long tho

Mixed feelings about this. Great riffs, but songs are looooooooooong! Not the right record to listen to on a long train journey.

It's cool, but nothing spetacular.

This album reminds me how much I like guitar. Straight up riffing. Very enjoyable. 3 stars. Favourite track - Total trash.

Probably a pioneering album in its day, but a lot of this sounds like amateur hour with a garage band.

Some of the music's OK. Don't care for the vocalists, though. Or the excessive noise/feedback aspect of their sound.

Probably needs to be on the list. Influential and takes rock music in a new direction. Not an easy Monday morning listen though. Teenage Riot is great of course.

I have tried to listen to Sonic youth before. Did not work then, did not really work now. I understand the relevancy, it's just not for my ears personally.

Innovative Noise/Modern Rock, but not an album I ever choose to listen to.

Love the backing music, I can hear so many other bands who hadn't yet formed in there. However what really lets it down is the vocal, I can't stand shouting into the mic with no melody, it just ruins it for me and sounds tone deaf. Can do with less experimental stuff too but that's just personal preference

The Sprawl and Total Trash are great. Gave me Maggot Brain vibes. I liked when they tapped into these long intervals of instrumentation. The singing was not that great but I get that this is not a band where singing is the focus. I probably won’t listen to this ever again but it was quite the experience. Enjoyable noise.

Jesus this was painful! some songs were ok, it felt like a late-90s/00s indie band at times, which I guess speaks well about the album, but it was TOO LONG! it was difficult to get through it...

I like sonic Youth and Teen Age Riot rips but maybe this didn't need to be a double album?

Grew on me as it went on

Very same-y. Had a few notable moments but mostly just kind of sounded like the same riff and singing on repeat for an hour

6/10, 2 liked but jus boring

I liked it somewhat. The out of tune singing was distracting at times, but besides that it was alright

More like 2.5. I feel bad rating it this low when I feel like they walked so Sleater Kinney could run, a band I like significantly more somehow lol.

Thought I liked this more than I did with this re-listen. Great at times, blah for many. the first half of total trash is so good, shame they torch it with the latter.

Innovative, cool sounds and some songs I really like, but at times it feels unfinished and by the end the grinding distortion wears you down.

def need to listen again!

Tengo que escucharlo de nuevo.

I knew their famous songs but I’ve never went more into their discography.

0/18 bekannt 5/10 Beste Songs: electricity, silver rocket, computer age Silver rocket erinnert mich an einen anderen Song (aber ich weiß nicht welcher 😭), electricity wertet das ganze Album auf

Their brand of noise rock is at a perfect crossroad with their pop sensibilities on this one

Bit too raaaarrr for me...but I can see why it's good

It’s an ok album. Obviously inspired lots of bands that followed. For me it gets too dragged out and repetitive. Perhaps you had to be there?

Hard to get through, not bad but not my favorite. 5.7/10

Kim Gordon's vocals are not my thing, but the guitar work absolutely is. It's a pretty good album but not something I'd ever rush to listen to again.

Best Track - "Teen Age Riot"

I typically don’t gravitate to these guys, but I appreciate it the revolutionary noisy sound this time around and I think about it in context.

I think the first song really was the best in this one.

It’s good, and lives up to it’s name in that it is very dreamlike. Teen Age Riot is my fav.

Sonic Youth are such a weird band. Sometimes they are good, other times they are annoying and awful. They just can't figure out what they want to be.

The more I hear these guys the more I get into it a bit - don't love it but willing to check them out some more.

didn't do much for me but there were a couple of interesting points

Again, not my taste, too grungy, but it was still an enjoyable listen

Maybe I’m in a good mood but I actually didn’t mind this. Usually this shit kinda sucks to me but it scratched an itch for me. Interesting late 80s punk. Total Trash starts playing completely foul notes like 3 mins in but I fucking love it? Wtf I think I need to be in the right mood to listen to this. Or it put me in that mood. …Which is anxious. But I actually fuck with this a bit.

Not bad, lo-fi stuff.

Mmm Was okay

Probably my favorite album so far from this genre.

I have dallied with Sonic Youth in the past, and actually happen to own one of their records in "Goo" as another bargain purchase made off the back of the endless praise I'd heard for it/the band. I've never found a huge amount to grasp onto with Sonic Youth on previous attempts, and somehow glossed over this album which appears to be held in some of the highest esteem within their catalogue. Whilst I did enjoy large spells of Daydream Nation on my first listen, appreciating the manner in which they married angularity with relative accessibility compared to some of their other entries, it is a touch too long and my engagement did ebb and flow at varying points. Again, there's never really a focal point within the music that screams out at you and demands your attention; rather, this felt like a "sum of its parts" type of record meant to be taken in as a sprawling, curious experience. There's definitely enough going on here to warrant a revisit, but I'm not sure it's a record that I'd ever come to love or be itching to purchase in future.

It's okay - nothing stood out. Listened on my commute. 3l

Pretty good.

A FOURTH Sonic Youth album are you kidding me??? It's like the list curators only know five bands

This seems like the kind of music that is very oriented to its scene and aesthetic. I don't mean that in a derogatory way. It's just like... Welcome to the Lower East Side, we've pulled the tubes out of our amps and replaced them with tiny cheese graters and loose pinball machine parts. Have fun kids.

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