Daydream Nation

😎

Yes!! The Sonic Youth album accessible to non AP high schoolers

I do not like Sonic Youth.

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.

I expected yelling, which was thankfully absent. But guitar feedback is also not my idea of a good time. I liked some of the blander ones just fine, but nothing to write home about…Still glad to be more knowledgeable in my dislike for the band.

not always the most enjoyable listen from head to toe but at the end of the day, put on any misc moment from this record and it’ll wash over you like a tidal wave.

Noisy and a little experimental for its time, I think. I like it.

The original indie darlings with a breakout instant classic.

Solid album, but nothing super fantastic. Barely pulling a three star. Probably closer to it 2.9, but I'm rounding up.

could i write poetry to this? y

As a fan of Sonic Youth and this album in particular, I gotta ask... Why are there FOUR Sonic Youth albums (so far) on this list? It's not like they changed their sound or direction at any point. It's Noise Rock, not the most accessible genre on the market. If someone doesn't like "Goo", are they in any way likely to enjoy this one? There's a far greater chance that it would push them away, much like how my hatred of Morrissey grows every time he pops up here (which seems to be almost weekly). I have not read the source material book, so I'm unable to read The Author's rationale for including multiple entries from the same artist. It seems to me that he obsesses over certain artists to the exclusion of others that deserve a listen.

I think I finally figured out how to enjoy Sonic Youth and the answer rhymes with my username.

said by plenty of fans as sonic youth's magnum opus, this album has that noisy, buzzy experimental grunge rock sound that the band is known for. sonic youth is absolutely the group you listen to if you were a teen or young adult in the 80s, you hated life and your parents, and you spent your free time critiquing society, smoking cigs and occasionally having revelations. imagine channel-surfing a schizophrenic's brain. this album is anxious, blunt and reflective of counter-culture at the time. disillusionment with politics and traditional definitions of what's popular, and the eternal, chaotic mind of youth. they don't care if you like or hate their music. they're just going to puke out whatever they feel, regardless if you like it or not.

Verwirrend

Favorite Track: Teen Age Riot

“Can’t be much longer” I think as I wearily open the album on Spotify. I’m 4 songs in. Kill me.

I liked this more than I thought I would I guess?

Rämpytys rock, klickar inte helt :/

Perdón, quizás le falte el respeto a Sonic youth pero no pude escuchar más de 5temas

So good. Not sure if this is Post Punk or the start of Alt

Might have had more impact if there were fewer tracks. Less is more, I got bored.

Album good, sonic youth good. Monkey brain like guitars, good music. Rah!Rah! OO OOOO BANANA

I thought I would like this one. I like the Cure, Depeche Mode, and a lot of the bands that are usually considered in the same conversation as the Sonic Youth. But this album was just loud and annoying for an hour. Great if that's your thing but I just don't enjoy it.

Yeah it was alright. Nothing I’ll come back to but nothing awful either

Were they Nirvana before Nirvana? Some say so but i disagree, they are their own entity and are truly better than Nirvana.

I wasn't expecting to like this based on the people I know who get excited about Sonic Youth and I was right. The music I enjoyed a lot, but the lyrics and the singing really ruined it for me. They really got me with the first song... their most popular song and all. It's funny how that's the only song I really liked from start to finish--guess that might explain why it's their most popular song.

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.

I don't know why I have always avoided this album. Moore and to a lesser degree Gordon's singing is excellent and my trepidation re this being "noise rock" was very misplaced. I will never listen to a single song on this album again but I will definitely listen to this in its entirety again. 4.25/5

Not great. Not awful.

This was kind of fun. I enjoyed some of the songs, in fact his voice reminded me a bit of Bruce Springsteen.

This was a cool album. It was a touch longer than it needed to be, but it good. I could hear threads of it which had influenced more modern bands, Placebo in particular.

Upprörande! Femte albumet med Sonic Youth. Det är bara stökigt och påfrestande. Kan skära mig för mindre. Detta album är väl dock ett av de bättre med dem.

This album was badly needed in 1988, and it's badly needed now. Especially on this list.

This has all the musical ingredients I typically love but for some reason I don't. It's just an ok for me.

I'm a Sonic Youth fan. I own many albums. However, I think this was the first time I've listened to the entirety of Daydream Nation in one go. Trilogy was especially good.

Enjoying greatly. Easy 4* likely. Alternative rock.

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.

I did not dislike it as much as the other two albums I’ve had by Sonic Youth, but I couldn’t voluntarily put this on and listen to it. Each time I thought I might like a song, the next one or two set me back three steps with the noise pollution. Just not my band.

They deserved more love back in the day.

Slaps

Didn't finish. Listened to mazzy star album instead and it was 1/3 of the length and 3 times better

Foundational, indispensable

Not exactly an easy listen, but a very influential album and I like it a little more every time I hear it

Loved cross the breeze Candle is a banger Love the drums on this album, lots of delicate guitar parts and layers for something so noisy My first introduction to sonic youth: guitar hero 3 again

if you like noise rock, you'll love this. if not, the most average album you'll ever hear.

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.

LOUD NOISES

There’s a teenage riot… And some other good jams :)

Was ok for one song but after that it was too much

Very genereic grunge in my opinion. Nothing special honestly. Meh meh meh. Specific rating - 2.5 Fav song - candle Least fav- the sprawl

Listened to this mostly on the flight from glasgow to london. It had a nice vibe; thoroughly upbeat, but not anxiety inducing.

I've never listened to a full Sonic Youth album before and this was definitely the one to listen to. Blew me away. I love Kim Gordon's vocals so much and I think Thurston Moore's are a good contrast to keep things fresh. I was about to list my favorite tracks but really I like them all and there's enough variance in the sound that every one of them stands out. Has to be a 5.

I can see how this influenced so many 90s indie rock bands. Great album to think to

What's not to love about Sonic Youth?

Mid

Surprisingly listenable, more so than their previous album Sister. More like background music though 3.1

The 80s have always been my biggest musical blind spot but I do think if I was born 10 years earlier I'd have to have found my musical happy place somehow or another. I've always been instantly put off by jangly New Wave and never that into disco or soul music. So I'm guessing I'd have found my comfort food in the scuzzy embrace of post-punk and US indie when indie still meant 'indie'. This is where I think Sonic Youth just arrived and peaked too early for me. It's a shame for my younger self but I'm happy to make up for lost time now with this discovery. I got on OK with E.V.O.L when that came up last year but this feels a lot more what I'd hoped Sonic Youth would offer me. It's messy and noisy in all the good ways but it has its melodic waves, the drums and bass work are great and I can trace a line from here to a lot of the post-rock and post-punk of the late 90s-early-00s that really shaped my musical taste. Blur-era Blur owes a lot to this; Coxon was clearly a fan. Some of my more recent art rock finds like Guerilla Toss, Traams and Bodega also owe a lot to this. I'll definitely be spinning this one more in the coming months and while I expected it to be something that would need a bit of time to unravel and reveal itself, I'm already enjoying peeling back the layers as there are sonic treats throughout.

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

Every generation has their version of Blonde on Blonde: a very indulgent, very long (typically double-album length) work that sees the artist at their creative peak and their most self-realized. Often, this is the album where some of the artist’s best material comes from, and for any general fan of the artist, it is essential listening. When you start to dig into the album as a whole, though, you’ll find that the artist is feeding into their own vices; yes, here, that results in a fully “realized” project that is the artist gone maximal, but it’s also the start of all future problems and critiques– a tipping point of sorts. Yet here, despite the nature of this project of excess, it is by and large consistent; when asked what you’d cut to improve the quality, there isn’t really a clear answer. Actually, for as self-absorbed as this sort of album may be, it’s never a negative experience, never boring, and never too much to handle. Unless you’re straight up not a fan of the artist in question making this type of album, you can’t really hate it, and if you’re the generation who is being spoken to by this generational artist, well, you kind of love it, by default. The thing with the Blonde on Blonde Album™ is that it also is never the best project by an artist. Sure, it’s the most “themselves” they may ever sound, but front-to-back, there’s a better experience somewhere in their discography. Whether it’s because that other project is more condensed and edited, or is a bit more pop-radio minded, or a bit less pop-radio minded, or even just because the song-for-song hit ratio is ever so slightly higher elsewhere, there’s something better. That’s not to say there isn’t a debate, and many diehard fans will argue that the Blonde on Blonde Album™ is The Masterpiece™, and like….maybe? But beyond the diehards, even if this type of album comes close, there’s always something slightly better. Daydream Nation is Sonic Youth’s Gen X-era Blonde on Blonde Album™. It has some of their best material yet, and it is a consistent fucking album, despite its runtimes. But it also leans into the noise rock, the untangling, the breaking apart, the no wave past. All of that is inherently self-indulgent. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but it can get to be a bit much as a casual fan. (And, if I was being contrarian, I would argue that the way they structure that deconstruction throughout Daydream Nation starts to feel formulaic in and of itself; I know when the song is “over” at 3 minutes and there’s still 5 minutes to go on the progress bar that we’re about to enter “noodling time,” and if I was listening to this casually/not for this project, I’d probably just skip ahead to the next track.) Despite itself, though, I don’t have anything negative to say. Sure, “Providence” is an interlude, but it’s quaint and pleasant. I’m maybe not the biggest fan of the Ranaldo tracks, but I’m not against them. I don’t love the runtime, but I appreciate it for what it is, and it doesn’t feel as daunting as I initially feared. I do think I’d prefer a Side A/Side D version myself, but that’s just me. Nothing here is bad, and everything belongs. Daydream Nation is a great record. Still, even if I haven’t heard every other Sonic Youth record, I know there’s a project that is slightly tighter, slightly less self-indulgent, with a better song-for-song hit ratio. Does that mean Daydream Nation isn’t essential listening? Not at all! (It’s way more essential than Blonde on Blonde, even.) But is it the best album I’ve ever heard? Not at all. It’s a great showcase of a generational artist feeding into maximalism to the point of gluttony, and it’s a miracle that it never eats its own tail in the end, but indulgence is a double-edged sword. Sonic Youth somehow never cut themselves when they’re swinging it, but the weight makes their arms sore, and you can see the muscle spasms.

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

Schrottrock

Uninspiring rock with shitty vocals.

I think the only show I have ever been to that seriously affected my hearing was Sonic Youth. I went with a friend and we stupidly stood right next to a speaker. The feedback was intense, and the show was in an especially old concert hall that has since been torn down. "Teenage Riot", when I heard it live, seemed to float above the crowd, who didn't dance as much as bob gently. The overall feel of the song matches its lyrics - it just keeps going, which is what, I guess, was Sonic Youth's message about teenagehood. As someone who has since spent over a quarter century spending the majority of my time with teenagers, I can attest that they, collectively, are a force that can't really be stopped. I like the fact that the band was moving into their thirties when this record came out. It makes me think that sometimes, adults have essential insight into what it means to be a teen. They've thought about it longer. Sonic Youth really got inside my head and were able to take the angsty energy of my adolescence and give it a sound - a sound that could fuel songs well over five minutes and a double album of music that didn't ever wane.

Most songs were far too long. I wish I knew why these idiots in particular feel the need to ruin a perfectly good song with noise. Extended runs of fucking instrument abuse. Just....why?? On more than one occasion, they would be onto something cool, then they would decend into some noise riddled horseshit and ruin everything. These guys do not need a double album. A standard length album is more than enough Sonic Youth... Favorite songs: Teen Age Riot, Rain King, Eric's Trip, 'Cross the Breeze Least favorite songs: Total Trash, Silver Rocket, Providence, A) The Wonder, B) Hyperstation, "Z) Eliminator, Jr." 2/5

4.4

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?

Love this band, and this is easily one of their best albums. Their droning wall-of-noise sound is something you feel as much as hear. The compositions evolve as they progress, building on simplicity and repetition, and ultimately exploding with chaotic energy. Years of previous experimentation results in full understanding here.

Het vierde album al van deze idioten! Hier word ik echt niet blij van. Wederom een verschrikkelijke zangstem, valse muziek, een boel gekras. Op de tanden bijten, uitluisteren, en nooit meer opzetten.

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.

Bij album nummer zoveel van dezelfde artiest, ben ik wel een beetje uitgepraat. Ik heb de wiki doorgespit, ik heb mijn mening gegeven. Ik zie dat ik toch vnl een 4 heb gegeven voor de andere albums, met veelal hetzelfde commentaar. Ik vind dit denk ik wel het fijnste album van Sonic Youth. Niet per se met heel veel hitjes, al begint het wel met een van de bekendere nummers. Ik ben vooral fan van het gitaarwerk, het zijn fijne riffjes, weinig gekkigheden. Je moet er natuurlijk wel van houden, de zure broeders gaan hier echt niet overtuigd van raken. Ik vind het alleen niet goed genoeg om hier dan wel een 5 voor te geven. Want zoals ik al eerder zei bij een ander album, ik ga dit gewoon niet zo vaak uit mezelf opzetten. Het is soms net wat te moeilijk of te ongemakkelijk. En dan zet ik toch liever of makkelijker andere albums op. Dus wederom een 4 voor Sonic Youth

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.

Sure!

Even some rap albums are more interesting to listen to. A rare record of irritability. 2 out of 10.

Nice jam

so exhausting to listen to. sounds like a mental health crisis.

Surprisingly good

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

⭐️ Pretty bad… first song was alright the rest sucked.

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

Started slow, got a bit better through the middle. Not a massive fan but pretty good.

This album misses admission to my Tidal library by a whisker, which is quite a compliment given that I detested Sonic Youth's earlier album Sister. This album is infinitely more listenable, and I can understand why critics have said it is the group's best work.

Oh what the magic of a simple guitar tuner would do for them

Not to bad, a bit samey across the first couple songs and poor quality on Spotify but overall a fun listen

I’m not fawning over this album, but it was right up my alley. Easy to put on in the background and passively rock to, however I can understand lower ratings that think of this as noise. I dig the distortions and feedbacks. Probably worth digging into this in a deeper way, but for now 3.5/5

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

83% Best: Silver Rocket; The Sprawl; Eric's Trip; Candle; Rain King; Trilogy Must-Hear? Sure

what a crazy dreamy trippy walk through a gray wasteland. wonderfully calm but relentless with inspirational riffs and vocials piercing through the void.

It was a nice enough easy rock album 6/10

Hm, I just had a Sonic Youth album. Pretty sure I rated it a 4. So I bet this one will be good too. This one is also getting 4 stars.

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.

Better than expected. Too much distortion on the production but otherwise very listenable, riff-based rock

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.

Not for me

Ja ik vind hier niet zo heel veel aan. Ben me actief aan het irriteren ook, niet omdat het slecht is ofzo, maar omdat het voor mij allemaal zo nietszeggend is. Het is niet dramatisch en ik kan me echt voorstellen dat mensen het top vinden, maar ik ben zo klaar met albums die ruim een uur duren en vrijwel allemaal als rock klinken. Dit is rock met D I S T O R T I O N! Dus dat dan is het heel iets anders! Toch? Zo werkt dat? Het zal wel, het is slecht opgenomen rock, of punk, of wat dan ook. Het duurt me allemaal in elk geval veeeeeel te lang, had gehoopt op een beter album om mn 400e te vieren, maar dat zit er helaas niet in. Dieptepuntje is Total Thrash, titel is wel accuraat, en dan vooral die verschrikkelijke outro van 3 minuten... Nee, hier is niets van blijven hangen, behalve dat ze distortion hebben uitgevonden. FAVO: Teenage Riot

I just don’t like noise bands

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

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

I think there are more bad tracks here than good ones. Can I appreciate their music without liking it? :) The angsty guitar solos and screaming really isn’t my cup of tea… Best songs: Cross the Breeze Teen Age Riot Silver Rocket

Trying to remember if I ever saw Sonic Youth back in the day. I honestly don't know. I miss those smoky, crowded, noisy clubs. Or maybe I just miss being young.

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

2 too noisy and I couldn't get through all of the songs. Although I understand the significance Sonic Youth made

No mas.... waving the white flag. 1001 you've made your point. I'll do whatever you ask just please, please no more Sonic Youth. I stand by the guitar sounds are good.

Oh fuck you.

Yet again, we run into the “cool kid” of the 1001 albums list. I clearly need to meet a SY fan and have them teach me why im lame I didnt like this album and cant find many reasons to go back. Teen Age Riot was good and the rest were practically angsty noise.

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.

Solid record. No bad tracks

A noisy guitar-driven sprawl of an album, ahead of its time and very influential on modern post-punk/indie rock.

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

tough one. I don't really like Sonic Youth, but I think this album fit my day and mood pretty well.

Better than I expected.

Frenetic and so ahead of it’s time.

uhhhh sure

probably my fav sonic youth so good

2/5, genere che mi annoia, mid

I really liked it. Maybe a 4

It’s fitting to me that this record has a song called “Total Trash”. This one goes on for far too long, and is filled with noisy riffs and lackluster vocals. It’s not even good as background music.

Meh. Boring. I don’t care enough to research.

Listened to this album and several of their other hits as defined by Tidal and just not feeling what they are doing. All in all it was more shouty that I wanted it to be.

About as accessible as they get, which is still a stretch.

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

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

Listening to this makes me feel cool.

My first exposure to Sonic Youth - it was so much fun I had to give it two spins. The distortion and discordant notes really work in the framework of this music. I love the experimental feel of this album and will seek out more of their work.

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.

So much noise and parts that go nowhere. Sonic Youth is pretty high up for me on bands I want to like but don't. I've listened to this album a number of times before, and it's just never caught on for me.

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.

Feels like something I should love but it just sounded like a lot of banging around. Will have to revisit this when I get more time to lay with this big bastard.

Hm. I don’t get it. Very repetitive punk rock chords and vague nonsense lyrics. Some of the songs sound very cool for the intro, but there’s absolutely no excuse for them to go on for 4 to 7 minutes. It’s proto-noise rock I guess where you’re supposed to gain something from the repetition? Sadly I’m not able to do that.

A bit too distorted and loud for me, the first song was great though

Ironically, jam bands are not my jam. Decent overall

Didn't really love anything in here, wasn't offensive either, but just didn't love it.

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

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

Nothing to get too excited about

A good album, I liked teen Age Riot and 'Cross The Breeze the most.

Some cool instrumentals but some of the dissonance triggered an anxiety attack from me. Fav song candle

Easy 4 stars, excellent album. I personally prefer Goo, but they have the right balance with noise punctuating the songs here. What an opening track

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

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.

Sonic Youth never held my attention when they first hit the scene and, this time, I really tried to get into it but still failed. I don't get their appeal--especially from a musical point of view--they just don't seem very interesting or entertaining.

loved this one- helps that I listened to it a few weeks ago for the first time though. the sprawl is great, silver rocket, total trash, will be in rotation

Holy shit. Fantastic album.

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.

Just didn’t vibe with this. Kinda in and out the whole time.

teenage riot is a perfect tune on a very good album

A fantastic and creative art-punk opera

Nothing here to keep you coming back whatsoever.

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

Certainly was noisy

10 Albums You Actually Need to Hear Before You Die Chapter 9 Does “Fuck You” Sound Simple Enough?: Sonic Youth’s “Daydream Nation” Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A corrupt Republican presidential administration, lead by a B-List celebrity and flanked by the religious right takes power with the aim of “Making America Great Again”. What? No, not him. I’m talking about Ronald Reagan. (Seriously, the whole MAGA thing was originally a Reagan Campaign slogan in 1980. You can’t say the right hates the environment…they are clearly into recycling.) People like to talk about the 1980’s as though it was a perpetual good time with neon excess and everyone living without a care in the world. In some respects that might be true, but it also ignores how much of the 1980’s set the stage for the current situation we find ourselves living here in America. With Trickle Down Economics and unfettered capitalism, shady deals with dictators for personal gain, religious influence in law making and a disdain for science and intellect…We are still living in that world and, in two days time, it’s likely going to be pushed into overdrive. Emerging from Lower Manhattan’s No Wave scene in the early 80’s, Sonic Youth represented an almost wholesale rejection of modern musical convention. With their guitars set in tunings of their own design, drum sticks under their strings, fuzz pedals working overtime and a healthy appreciation for the avant garde, they were hell bent on tearing down convention, picking up the pieces and rebuilding it in their own image. Daydream Nation, ultimately, is where Sonic Youth’s efforts to destroy and rebuild convention fully coalesced for the first time. Though they had made excellent records previously, like 1987’s “Sister”, Daydream Nation should be considered their Mission Statement: a full and total encapsulation of what Sonic Youth “is”. It also serves as document of the waning years of Reaganism in the United States and the counterculture it bred. It was a counterculture founded with a spirit of self-sufficiency, that rejected reliance on corporations and prized artistic freedom and expression. Awash with extended soundscapes and otherworldly guitar noise, Daydream Nation is a singular, untamed proclamation of the arrival American underground. Nowhere is the rejection of Reaganism’s embrace of unimpeded capitalism more explicitly evident on Daydream Nation than it is in Kim Gordon’s opening lines of “The Sprawl”: “Does this sound simple? Fuck you. Are you for sale? Does fuck you sound simple enough?” It is a pretty effective message to live your life by: Your values and sense of self should not carry a price tag. Musically, Daydream Nation couldn’t be more out of step with the popular music of its time. It is unpolished, challenging, unorthodox and uncompromising. As a result, it is truly an alternative to the status quo and it may be worth keeping this record in mind as we navigate the next few years, which are sure to be rife with hyper-capitalism and a society that increasingly demands compliance. Daydream Nation is the sound of freedom: Freedom from conformity, freedom from outdated norms and ideas…It is the freedom to do whatever you please.

I’ll confess upfront: I’ve tried getting into Sonic Youth and their much-lauded album Daydream Nation on several occasions, but it’s never fully clicked for me. Perhaps my age is a factor; when this album was released, I was just starting school. Six-year-old me wouldn’t have had any exposure to this kind of sound. Later, as I began forging my own musical identity, my parents occasionally indulged my noisier tastes, but their staples were greatest hits compilations from Queen, Elvis, Elton John, and The Beach Boys. No slight on them—it just meant that discovering alternative and experimental music required blazing my own trail. That said, Daydream Nation is undeniably a landmark album in alternative rock. Its influence on the alt-rock explosion of the early '90s cannot be overstated. Famously, Kurt Cobain sought advice from Thurston Moore before signing Nirvana to a major label. Reassured by Sonic Youth’s experience of maintaining their artistic integrity, Cobain made the leap, leading to the release of Nevermind in 1991 and the subsequent transformation of the musical landscape. Sonic Youth even took Nirvana on their 1991 European tour, acting as both mentors and gatekeepers between the underground and the mainstream. Musically, Daydream Nation is defined by its ambitious scope, unconventional guitar tunings, and sprawling song structures. “Teen Age Riot” opens the album with a dreamy, melodic intro before erupting into a raucous anthem of youthful rebellion, while “Silver Rocket” channels frantic energy and noisy chaos. Tracks like “The Sprawl” critique urban monotony and consumerism through fragmented, impressionistic lyrics, and “Candle” balances abrasive guitar tones with a surprising sweetness, offering a meditation on longing and loss. Despite its adventurous spirit for the time and the undeniable artistry on display, I’ve always found it difficult to connect with Daydream Nation. The extended song lengths, abrasive guitar work, and experimental edge can feel challenging, even overwhelming. The album’s sheer scope—many tracks stretch beyond the seven-minute mark—makes it a marathon listen, and the repetition within some songs contributes to its impenetrability. And yet, its influence is unmistakable. Daydream Nation paved the way for many artists I do love. Bands like Veruca Salt and Elastica, whose female-fronted alternative rock I adore, clearly owe something to Sonic Youth’s ethos of balancing noise with melody. Nirvana carried Sonic Youth’s experimental legacy into a more accessible framework, while even R.E.M., a long-time favourite of mine, embraced similar ideas of stretching traditional song structures within a melodic approach. For all its challenges, Daydream Nation remains a pivotal artistic statement. While I admire its ambition and innovation, it doesn’t fully resonate with me, but that doesn’t diminish its towering legacy. Did/Do I own this release? No Does this release belong on the list? It helped define the DNA of alternative rock and inspired an entire generation of artists. Would this release make my personal list? No Will I be listening to it again? This is another album I want to eventually get to know better.

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

I loved it. I had never really listened to Sonic Youth before. I knew that I should, and that so many bands I liked referenced them, but I never listened. This album was great start to finish. I was shocked though, at how incredibly long the album was. 14 songs and many hovering around the 7 minute mark. 4 stars.

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

Teen Age Riot kinda sucked, was way too samey throughout the song which was really long. Silver Rocket had a nice ear piercing noise rock section in the middle of the song which i respected. The Sprawl continued on with the noise flair. Decent background noise.

Давно їх не слухав. Раніше подобалися, а зараз вже не так. Можливо не той альбом. Здається щось краще було.

medio pelo, 3 estrellas tirando a 2. Innovador al pedo muchas veces, probablemente el sonido más puro de la banda pero no por eso el más disfrutable

eh

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

Враховуючи попередні альбоми Соніків, на яких було безліч карколомних експериментів, розумієш, що на Daydream Nation вони, нарешті, устаткувались із своїм звучанням. І якщо на попереднику Sister (1987), матеріал вже був не настільки складним та експериментальним, то на Daydream Nation, баланс нойзових, атональних елементів та більш зрозумілого пост-панку вже став ідеальним. Слухати це неймовірно цікаво і приємно. Кожен риф звучить унікально, та навіть зараз виглядає як щось новаторське. Чітко відчувається, що цей альбом вже не просто експресивне висловлювання, а навпаки, чітко вивірена та продумана до дрібниць робота. Щодо впливу: цей альбом вивів подібний нойзовий звук у мейнстрім і став одним із тих альбомів, що сформував звук альтернативного року 90-х

One of the most influential Alt-rock albums ever. Might go on a little long but you can't argue with it. 8/10

I've listened to this so many times and it just won't click

4.5

This 1001 list is really taking me on a roller coaster with Sonic Youth. We've done the "I finally get Sonic Youth" steady incline. Then the "this music doesn't make me feel anything" plummet. Now we've reached the fucking loop-the-loop. This album is great. I love the robust, brooding, adventurous guitar tones. The pent-up, coiled energy of the rhythm section. The main sections of song which are all alt-rock anthems. Then the sprawling instrumental follow-ups. Great stuff all around. 4.5*

New one for me but it’s great

Usually “experimental” has me running for the hills, but this was a surprise. It is a sonic experiment, but it had nice resonance, far better than most stuff in 88.

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.

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

Overall, this keeps growing on me. The wall of noise, amorphous schtick works for the most part, as it's backed up with catchy hooks and melodies, which admittedly take repeated listens to find. I really like several of the tunes, particularly the first track, and this is better than Dirty. Just clears the hurdle for a four.

Solid 80s early Indy/protoemo

This was pleasing to my earbells

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

cutting album, I didn't know much about Sonic Youth but I will from here on out

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

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

I've tried and tried but I am afraid I just cant get Sonic Youth. Its fine but not for me!

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

Sonic Youth is just not my taste. Not bad, not great.

Hm, weiß nich ob ich noch n Fan von Alternative Rock werde. Für mich klingt das alles nach in die Waschmaschine geworfen und durchgeschleudert. Raus kommt dann n großes feuchtes Knäuel von Klängen. Was zum Fick war "Providence"? Ich dachte mein Headset ist kaputt gegangen

Dachte wird gute Rockmusik, aber zuviel Synth für mich, Sound hat mich nicht abeholt. Songs der Playlist hinzugefügt: Keine

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

Enjoyed this one a lot more than the last sonic youth on the list, very cool surprise

The finest noodling I heard all day.

If you ever need to explain the concept of je n'ais ce quoi to someone, play them a few post punk albums by other artists then play them Daydream Nation. Virtually any adjective you can apply to those bands and those albums - angular, disaffected, dissonant, incendiary, jagged, muscular, sneering, etc - also applies to Sonic Youth, but there's an unidentifiable *more* to SY, especially on Daydream Nation, that those other bands, many of them incredible in their own right, simply do not have.

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

I always found Sonic Youth extremely pretentious, but this is my 4th Sonic Youth album and I’ve liked, not loved, all of them, so I guess I’m becoming a fan? This one is noisy in an inoffensive way and Teen Age Riot is a great opener. That said, I don’t usually enjoy double albums as they tend to overstay their welcome which brings this one down a bit for me. Great album overall.

Classic

interesting album does not sound like it is from the eighties

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

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.

4/5

Pretty much every song starts off good and then the 2nd half is mostly nonsense.

Cheeks 1.5

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

ligo flyaro

I enjoyed Daydream Nation more than I had enjoyed the other Sonic Youth albums I have heard. Saying that, I still see no reason why there are approximately 198 Sonic Youth albums in this book. They aren't even an English band! This was a long album. It is so hard to make a double album that doesn't suck or experience some lethargy at the end. Enjoyed this more than other Sonic Youth albums but it was still too long and not my thing.

Ok

2.5, went by quick on a dark November morning.

While I've never really been a fan of Sonic Youth, this one finally clicked for me. Guess I'll need to delve a bit deeper into their discog sometime.

I've said it about their other albums, wish I listened to them back in the day. 4 Stars

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 ⭐️

4.5

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

Great mix of noise and more melodic parts. A bit strange I haven't listened to this before, because they have clearly influenced a lot of my favourite muaic from the 90s and 00s. Parts of it is a bit abrasive for my taste, but most of it is great. 4.5 stars

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

Absolutely terrible. A dull, grey 70-minute musical wasteland. Noam Chomsky wrote a book about ‘Failed States’ and I think Daydream Nation was listed as one of them. 1.5 stars.

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.

Jedan od onih albuma koji će mi biti teško poslušati u cijelosti, ali probat ću. Svakako lakše nego kad mi je prvotno Spotify izbacio krivu verziju albuma u trajanju od 2.5h 😅 Ovaj vokal mi je užasno iritantan, a nije mi ni ostatak napet. Joj ti alternative rock bendovi, malo mi proradi crijevo uvijek. Ne mogu. Čast izuzecima, iako sad kad razmišljam, ne mogu se sjetiti nijednog benda iz tog djira kojeg volim. Ovo mi je borderline neslušljivo. Ma znaš šta, puši ga. 1/5, 1.5/10

Koji je ovo kurton od albuma. S ovim komentarom bih mogao uvrijediti Karla, ali pošto ovdje pišem osobno mišljenje napisat ću da sam slobodno mogao i preskočit ovaj album Kužim da su oni kul i inovativni i da su imali praktički za svaku pjesmu novu intonaciju na instrumentima, ali ovo meni zvuči kao kombinacija nojza, granđa i Panka, and not in a good way. Red nojza, red plitkih melodija u granđ stilu, pa malo šarafanje delay pedale, pa malo buke, pa idemo opet u pjevanje s nasumičnim, najružnijim akordima koje prsti mogu odsvirati Gle, vjerojatno ovo live zvuči jebeno, popiješ 5-6 piva, zapalis pljugu, iskrades se na WC pa povučeš liniju žutog, pa nazad kljucat ispred zvučnika dok ti bend radi tinitus Ovo je jedan od onih albuma gdje vjerojatno ne mogu ništa lijepo napisati. Pa ću samo poslušati do kraja, dat jedinicu i idemo dalje Ok evo nešto lijepo, rade super buku. Ono kad između pjesama ili usred pjesme naslone gitare na pojačalo pa onda pojačalo radi feedback. Ne znam dal' mi se uho naviknuli ali hey Joni mi je ok sjela Nakon toga su mi opet đanki muzika koja jako ne želi biti pop Rezime, da je ovo album od 20 minuta, bila bi koja zvjezdica više, ovako ostajem s prvom gnjušanjem. Vjerujem da bi mi album ušao pod kožu da se natjeram ovo poslušati još par puta, ali to se nikad neće dogoditi

7/10 Ovdje cu baciti par usporedbi sa pretprošlim albumom od Pixiesa jer ih slusam u istoj veceri, nisu toliko daleko po nekim elementima, a i ista publika ih sluša. Prva i osnovna razlika je da su mi Pixiesi bili repetativni i smorili su me veliku vecinu vremena (barem s onim albumom). SY mi je ovdje puno zanimljiviji s istrazivanjem novih ideja, riffovi su bolji, gitara opcenito melodicnija, ritmicno smisleniji i oboje vokala mi vise pasu. Ovo ne polazi od niskih kriterija jer najvaznije, zadrzava mi paznju cijelo vrijeme. Da ne ostane sve samo na usporedbama, The Sprawl mi je bila dobra bas vožnja, 'Cross The Breeze ima super dijelove, pogotovo u drugoj polovici, a Hey Joni mi je mozda najdraza. Ima tu jos stvari koje mi imaju super dijelove, a za ostatak mislim da se samo trebam malo naviknuti. Ovaj album mislim da ce mi biti sve bolji sa svakim slusanjem tako da cu si ga definitivno ponovno pustiti. Ima puno potencijala, a i ne cudi me da su mnogim glazbenicima uzor. Na kraju, nije mi ovdje sve sjelo na prvu ali volim ovakva ugodna iznenadjenja pa ce biti sedmica.

just terrible

This is Gen X condensed into an album. 4

I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. Some of it seemed like muddle noise. I think Sonic Youth has some decent albums, this just isn't one of them.

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

неочень

This wasn't what I expected. It was a hot day. I was busy in work. I had too much coffee. This album sounded like it was recorded in a garage. TOO MUCH NOISE.

It had bits that were ok, but mostly it was just lots of noise. I feel like I should like Sonic Youth with elements of both rock and punk - it just didn't click for me and I felt pretty irritated by the end

не, пас

Good.

4.0

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

Man this album made me feel officially old. The whole time i kept thinking “this is just noise!”

So I started listening to it and was irritated by it. About four tracks in, I remembered there was a Trash Theory video about Sonic Youth and Daydream Nation from a few months back that I hadn’t watched. So I watched it. I liked the album much more the second time around. Is that a reflection on me, a reflection on Daydream Nation, a reflection on Sonic Youth, a reflection on Trash Theory, a sign that music (like all expression) needs context in order to be meaningful or proof that I’m a poseur? Fuck if I know. But I like the album now and a win’s a win.

"Total Trash" ... ja, kommt hin

Cool stuff!!

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

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 tunes from Sonic Youth. Dirty will always be my favourite SY album

Nice noises, soothing angst, probably went on longer than it needed to and have heard better albums by these guys. Maybe not enougth sneer.

The more I listen, the more I like Sonic Youth. Still have some kind of weird mental block though, I can't really remember any of their tracks but I remember enough to know that I like this.

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.

Our fourth Sonic Youth album on the 1001. I probably like this one the most, but still find it difficult to differentiate between all their other albums.

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

I wanted to like it but I did not. SO BORING and somehow also really irritating. I don’t get it

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

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

Sonic youth is growing on me.

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

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.

There are some melodies and even some vocals but nothing I would listen to again.

Felt like it could've been something for me with some sections of quite ambient guitar playing with much chorus. Leans a bit into shoegaze territory sometimes as well. But nothing really stood out to me. When I thought a track was going the right direction, instead they chose to take it the wrong way. Maybe I need to listen to the album more, not sure. Not a fan at the moment though.

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

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

Sonic Youth is always a toss-up for me. Sometimes they hit with a gritty, noisy charm. Other times, it just feels like they’re jamming for the sake of it. This one falls into the latter category. There’s clearly some creativity here, and I get why people call it influential, but most of it just didn’t land for me. A few interesting moments scattered around, but not enough to make me want to come back to it. Definitely a miss this time.

As much as I like Daydream Nation, it's never hit that upper echelon for me. Every time I put it on I think it'll be the day that it fully clicks for me, but I'm always left feeling like I'm missing something. I feel like I want it to be more noisy and more abrasive or something. All that said, this is still an excellent album. The guitars are fuzzy, and Moore and Gordon's vocals float across the noise beautifully. I always for get that this album is 70 minutes. Some days it feels too long, some days not long enough. *Hear before

When you make a clone of the Velvet Underground, then clone it again, then clone the clone, you get this untuned unlistenable non-sequitor spewing garbage. Like the bad practice tapes of the crappy punk band I was in as a 17 year old, except somehow they made a record? Because they're from New York maybe? At first it was "Oh, a little Smashing Pumpkins precursor, ok!" but they really lean into the atonal stuff REALLY HARD. The only emotion it evokes is annoyance. And this from a person who has seen this band live and paid money for at least one of their albums (which also is not good). One of the most overrated bands of all time and absolutely the most overrated band of the alternative rock era (1986 - 1994 approximately when all these guys - Pavement, Dinosaur Jr, etc. - got major labels deals because of Nirvana). 1 extra star for the song 'Cross the Breeze, and Kim Gordon.

Some of it is legit really good but a few songs are a bit much

3.5 rounded down. Enjoyable sometimes, okay others

I love the hard, youthful style with which Sonic Youth plays. I love other singles more, but the album was good overall with few standouts - negative or positive.

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.

This album was released 36 years ago. It took me that long to finally listen. I never had any reason to listen until now. It’s a good album. Obviously it’s the guitar(s) but I can’t help but think most of the songs eventually sound like someone trying hard and then just banging away on the guitars.

Best I've heard of Sonic Youth. Treads between experimental and enjoyable very well.

Pure noise pollution. Obviously influential but not my taste.

Up until about track four, it sounded pretty similar. Indie. And I know people don't like to use the term indie when it comes to describing music, but you know exactly the kind of sound I mean when I say that. Then 'Cross The Breeze' is up next and what a change of pace. It's fast, loud and raw and really made me sit up and listen. You can hear the punk tinged influence. I can absolutely see why and appreciate that this may have inspired a lot of bands, but for me it was just a little too distorted and messy at times. It goes past the point of liking it and more towards 'just noise' in my opinion. Some really good highlights though. 'Z) Eliminator, Jr.' is definitely leaning into the heavy metal sound and 'Teen Age Riot' and 'Hey Joni' are also very good. As is the case with a lot of alternative indie-esque bands, I just find it all slightly too samey sounding. I enjoyed the heavier and faster tracks a lot, and just wished they would have done a 45 minute album in that style.

Sigh. I would really like to love Sonic Youth - and I should - but I feel like a lot of bands of similar stylings have had a much better answer to "What do we want to SOUND like?". Let me mess with their pedal boards, switch the pick-ups and turn some screws on the snare. Something. Sure, mushy noise is part of the whole deal but how this often revels in its abrasive dryness has never been quite my thing. That said, "Daydream Nation" is absolutely an album to be in here and some tracks are keepers. 4 for now, I will revisit this one.

Thoughts before listening: I should really be a fan of Sonic Youth, but I just can't get into them. That being said, this is their most well regarded album and also has some of their better songs. Review: "Teenage Riot" kicks this album off and is one of my absolute favorite songs of all time. The general sound of this song with an upbeat driving tempo, monotone speak singing, and psychedelic guitar freakouts is carried out throughout the record to great effect. Despite some sections that get a little too out there for their own good, this really is a great album that deserves its reputation as Sonic Youth's best. 4-stars

Hauskaa! Eikö olekkiin taas hupaisee temppuilua!!. .... ... ei... tylsähkö tällä kertaa surullista..

Some really cool sounds, but too long.

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.

It’s always interesting how the music may be the same but you can be so different. The thing about this project that I am loving the most (aside from whom I’m doing it with) is being able to trace the branches of music- in a way it’s almost like seeing the limbs spur off, cross over, leaf out, create a new node and another branch sprouts. Having never listened to the MC5 or Public Image, Talking Heads, The Velvet Underground, Dylan or The Sex Pistols much when I was in high school I couldn’t recognize them in Sonic Youth. I couldn’t hear New York City. I couldn’t hear the love between Thurston and Kim. I couldn’t hear the panic of the Reagan 80’s, The East Village or the aggravation of living in a tiny apartment with your girlfriend/boyfriend. All I heard was a relatively melody less noise- and I chalked it up to a lack of talent or dedication. Now I hear the direct descendant of Lu Reed and Nico, David Byrne, spoken word beat poets from NYC like William S Burroughs and Johnny Rotten. And I hear the New York City of my 20’s when I used to hang out there with friends. I may have found my new favorite band. That said- I can also hear what followed….. from the jam bands they influenced like .moe to the Smashing Pumpkins in the Midwest, Rage Against The Machine in California, Modest Mouse or even the Strokes. This band is not a twig, it’s a load bearing, thick, primary arterial branch in the Oak Tree of Rock. It’s a 9/10 or a 4 1/2 out of 5. I’m gonna round down for now….. but I’m a year this one may have a place in my heart that would give it a 5.

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

Some of the songs are not nearly as obnoxious as everything else I've heard from Sonic Youth, but they aren't enough to save this album.

Too indie....

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

arada açıp dinliyom

4/5 zeer nice

This still sounds bloody good.

So many Sonic Youth albums in this list. I never realized their impact, but have always enjoyed their music.

Let’s get some h and crash at an old industrial warehouse. Idk might need another listen but bad vibes

Pretty good. Second half is probably not quite as strong as the first, but this is still my favourite of the Sonic Youth records the generator has spat out so far.

Pretty good

Really like this album. Sonic Youth fan here.

Average

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

Was ok.

Some decent guitar and bass work here, but I don't care for the vocals or about 2/3 of the songs.

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

Incredibly influential, and just good to listen to in general.

Kim Gordon saying FU in The Sprawl is my kink.

Not much better

bit of a drone after a while, expected more from the late to the party punks

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