Daydream Nation

Ive made ot about halfway through this album, and Im really not feeling it. I can appreciate the stylistic choice to alter the timbre and sound of common rock instruments, and their willingness to push the envelope on having a sound be both discordant and rhythmic. However, I find myself just really not enjoying most of the songs. Overall- just not for me. I can see how it was an influential album on the alt rock of the 90s, but I dont really enjoy the sound they were going for.

Classic album. I was transported back to my high school year.

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

2/5

Another Sonic Youth banger.

Teen Age Riot I LOVED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! had some really good instrumentals and worked nicely as an album I think. idk I am going slightly. insane

I feel like Sonic Youth is one of those bands where their reputation by far precedes how much knowledge I have on the band and based on that reputation, they seem like a band I should love I had already heard Teen Age Riot and thought it was great, but the entirety of the rest of the album was new to me. I found it deeply confusing why I was genuinely not enjoying this album at all until I reached Eric’s Trip and it genuinely felt like a switch flipped in my brain and the album felt very genius and slightly more palatable. I can see their influence clearly in a lot of the music I listen to, reminding me a lot of Pavement and early eaaaarly Radiohead. That being said, the grittiness of this album, I feel, can’t be drawn ONLY to the fact that it is grungy, and it unfortunately has a lot of issues (the highs are too high etc) that come through in more modern speakers, even having been remastered which overall decrease the listening EXPERIENCE but not the work itself!! I appreciate and enjoyed this album a lot, but still found a lot of it deeply annoying and headache-inducing at points! FAVOURITES: Teen Age Riot, Eric’s Trip, Candle, Kissability, Hyperstation 3-3.5/5

Many good songs, but also some that are not really my type of music.

Warm and fuzzy

It seems as though I've finally gotten out of the rut of 3/5 albums. Daydream Nation is a great album. I know, right? This is my third Sonic Youth album of the project, and it is easily the best one so far. This just feels the most like a cohesive musical statement. The sound is noisy yet still weirdly pleasant to listen to at times. It's probably the best part of the album. That's not to say that it falters with its other elements. The vocals enforce this sense of angst that ties the whole album together. The writing is certainly interesting, but still quite good. The album's opener, "Teen Age Riot," is one of the band's most popular songs, and for good reason. It's a great song, and the others are almost as good as it. Daydream Nation is 70 minutes long, but the album is so sonically dense that it doesn't drag whatsoever. It kept me engaged, which is something of an accomplishment for 70+ minute long album. This may not be the best 70+ minute long album that I've listened to this week. I do prefer To Pimp a Butterfly. However, there really isn't any reason to compare the two albums given how different they are, so I won't! But there is one thing that makes these albums similar in my eyes. They're both phenomenal pieces of music. I'm proud to announce that I finally loved a Sonic Youth album. Light 5/5.

Auch nicht mein Fall.

Its ok

The most timeless Sonic Youth. The most listenable without feeling the burden of its era. With one other exception, the rest of their albums sound so rooted in their respective time whether it be the 80s, 90s, or 00s. That's not always a bad thing, some of these other records are also among my favorite Sonic Youth albums. But Daydream Nation is special in how it glides in and across all times. It exists as daydream itself.

Too Much Noise.

I don’t always love Sonic Youth, but I do love this record. That is, perhaps, typical.

Noisy alt rock, nothing to hold my interest here

What luck. Two of my favourite albums two days in a row. End of a really good week in fact. Really think Sonic Youth caught lightning in a bottle with this one, nothing they did before or after came anywhere close, and lord I've tried finding. First 4 songs are an absolutely unbelievable opening sequence, guitar tone sounds like nothing I've heard elsewhere, the tuning is absolutely mental as I found out later. Dips a bit in the middle but the ending is again stellar. Wish I'd found it when I was 15 and 25, would have changed the course of my music journey I reckon.

First listen Saved 8/14 Top track: Teen Age Riot

Why is it that every time I don't expect to love an album (based on no evidence), I get hit with a banger!! Much harder edge than I expected so bonus points!! Songs kept topping previous ones for my new favourite. Not sure which won out in the end between Total Trash and Candle. A) The Wonder would be up there too if they hadn't used a rubber chicken in the drumset (?) Also I enjoyed that the guy sang 'it's total trash' as my train went past a car scrapyard

Yup - there’s that shoe-in for best alternative album ever. The coolest thing about this album is how it pays it forward to all that came after - Radiohead and Foo Fighters especially (more so than Nirvana) - as well as fondly looking back at influences like ZZ Top and Joni Mitchell. I got so many pleasurable hairs on the back of my neck with this disc. It’s a cool magic trick - the zeitgeist of noise rock morphing into something beautiful and resonant. All of my words pale in comparison David Bowie’s review: “[this] is an extraordinary album”. I should not say more.

Как будто это батя Placebo

It's alright and has some good moments but overall it isn't for me.

ahugavert

Abusive.

I have the album myself, but I can't do much with the music anymore. Because I once thought the sound and the attitude were great, I gave it 3 stars, but only for the sake of nostalgia

Best of the 5 Sonic Youth albums on this list for me. I would rather it have been 30 minutes shorter but I enjoyed the listen. Teen Age Riot stands tall as the best track for me. Kissability maybe among the worst on the album. I felt like the wall-of-noise I was hearing on previous albums was clarified here with a bit more melody and variety. There was a spot on the album where the wall of noise parted and a heavy bass section came through. That was my favourite moment, although I don't know what song that was so I couldn't find it again.

It's been a long time since I listened to Sonic Youth. It was nice to hear them again. Some of the music isn't very catchy, but I still enjoy it. 4/5

All timer

Lo-fi indie originators or whatever you want to call it. I liked it alright but it I did not like it when I tried listening to it a few years back. So either my tastes have changed or it's one of those that grow on you. I do believe its on the list more for its social impact than it is because its a solid album front to back. Definitely some good songs but also a lot of noise and filler.

This album hasn't convinced me into loving this genre, but I was on board for the duration.

I liked the last Sonic Youth album more. I get this, it’s an interesting mix of noise and traditional alternative rock. It’s an important stepping stone and extremely influential. Fully understand putting it on this list, it’s just not really for me.

An album I don't know, though I know the lead single by a band I was never completely aware of, though I know John Peel played them. I think now there's lots of albums and bands I love that have a debt to Sonic Youth, I probably should have given them more time and this was certainly worth listening to.

3 stars

Sonic Youth to me always seems five years ahead of what everyone else is doing at the time. Still sounds new and fresh. Or maybe I'm jaded. I dunno. I liked it. Leave me alone.

Seems very ahead of its time for 1988. Enjoyed it and will listen again

3.5/5

Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation is a sprawling, ambitious double album that established them as alternative rock icons. While the album's influence on alternative rock is undeniable, it can be a challenging listen for newcomers. The extended jams and atonal guitar work can feel indulgent at times, and the overall length can be daunting. If you're a fan of experimental rock or a die-hard Sonic Youth follower, Daydream Nation is a must-listen. But for casual listeners, it might be a bit too abrasive and esoteric.

Too much ...

Great bit of noisy alternative rock. Lots of great songs like the opening track. However, it does get a bit same-y at times.

My first sonic youth album. Teen age riot reminds me of the strokes. Very instrumental, which grew on me by 'cross the breeze. I think I enjoyed the instrumentals more than the vocals on this album. There are occasional moments that are really neat (eric's trip, intro to 'cross the breeze). 2.5 rounded up to 3* Enjoyed total trash. Back half of the album got too "noisy" for me.

It’s crazy how Sonic Youth has five albums on this list and I’m getting my first one over 500 days in, nearly halfway through. The thing about this is that I’m not the biggest fan of this - I still like it, but I don’t necessarily love it - but its influence cannot be overstated. Since it’s still a good album on top of that, I feel like it still deserves 5 stars.

One of those bands I've heard of but can't think of a song I've heard from them. This was a pleasant surprise and I'm interested to find more from them.

The first song "Teen Age Riot" is a really great song that I love. Unfortunately the rest of the album is sort of not my jam. It would have been great to hear when I was in high school but the experimental noise type stuff just isn't for me anymore. I do enjoy some of their other work though.

Road trip music doesn't get much better than this.

Sonic Youth is so dirty

The deluxe edition of this is two and a half hours long. I can't stomach it for that long. It gets its point across inside fifteen minutes.

This reminds me heavily of Pixies and I really do not like Pixies, so... Anyway, there were some outstanding tracks in there (namely 'Cross the breeze', the opening track and 'Candle'), but the rest of the album is mainly a bunch of long intros and outros that tend to blend together the longer you listen. It's not bad music by any means—those guys are clearly amazing artists—just not for me. 2.5 stars

Some really cool guitar parts and I like the cool noisey sections. Don’t really like Thurston Moore’s vocals though- Definitely prefer the Kim Gordon vocals. There are some really organic experimental instrumental sections that are beautifully done on here. Must’ve been pretty influential. So much better than their other album we had. My favorite song was The Sprawl. Tough one to rate. 3.5-4

This was cool I liked the noise and instrumental sections more than I liked the actual songs I think. Overall pretty cool vibe but lost interest a little by the end. 3.5-4

I haven’t listened to this in so long. Really enjoyed it especially the instrumental parts

I almost really like this album, but of course it wouldn't be a Sonic Youth album if the actual good songs were outweighed by the sheer amount of pretentious bullshit.

Although I had never heard a single track from this album before, it fitted snugly into a gap in my music that I never even knew existed. Somewhere in between the Velvet Underground, the Pixies, Pavement, and the Wedding Present, there was a little hole that is now neatly and perfectly filled. Listening to this was a rather strange experience, as I felt like I was hearing something I knew really well, instead of having to struggle to come to terms with a fresh sound. It was also fantastic to have not a single duff track, no filler, nothing that failed to hit the mark. Some tracks were definitely stand out on a first listen, particularly TeenAge Riot, but I feel there will be a great reward for future listens.

There are some LONG guitar intros, outros, and breaks throughout. As a result, most of this album feels very manic-filled, chaotic, and noisy. "Noise rock" is the label I'm looking for I guess. I get that this was kind of the makeup of some alt rock from this era (Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., Steve Albini-led acts, etc.). At least there's some song structure here, compared to a few other acts just from this list that I've already come across. For instance, I'd say that this is more digestible than say, "Surfer Rosa" from the Pixies which I drew many albums ago and didn't care much for. A 2.5/5 I'd say. Guess I better prepare myself for the four other Sonic Youth albums that are supposedly on this list.

Parts of this album really are awesome to me, namely 'Cross the Breeze and Teen Age Riot. Sounds like a bunch of people in their garage jammin and given this released in 1988, it was probably pretty unique. This album might need another listen for me to actually enjoy it, though. Don't know exactly why, didn't really click with me as I listened through it.

Ok

Miksi tämä on yli tunnin mittainen… tai siis kuuluvathan nuo särökitarafiilistelyt Sonic youthiin oleellisesti, kuin myös indieen ja sen kehitykseen, joten pakko se kai on antaa. Mutta tunti… Tiivistettynä tää vois toimia tosi hyvin, tyypeillä on oikea ihan hitusen räkäisempi meno paikoin. Siksi en voi jättää kakkoseen.

Olen tavallaan kiinnostunut kuulemaan, mitä olen missannut, mutta tiedän, että minun pitää kahlata äänimassan läpi löytääkseni sen. Funktionaalinen 2,5.

Noise rock, alternative rock. An absolutely phenomenal album. Really just a masterpiece of vibes. I'd love to listen to it another time and really digest the lyrics, but just the music alone is enough. It's lush and deep but not too heavy. Like I'm floating on top of it. I really loved it. Will revisit. 5/5.

Daydream Nation is the monolith from 2001 for American Indie Rock, and is undoubtedly an important and influential work of art. It’s also a fairly divisive album, which I very much understand. I’ve owned a copy of this album since I was about 16 or 17, and today is the first time I’ve managed to sit through it all the way through. I never managed to get past the first side. Listening this time, I really got into it in the second half. I’m still not a huge fan, but I can appreciate it’s influence and how it’s affected a ton of bands I really love. However, I do also think that it’s the sort of album that takes multiple listens to truly appreciate. I’d like to get to know it better, and that’s a take that I didn’t necessarily have 8 years ago.

really good rock album. 4 stars

It was fun, not great but nice

3.5

I listen to so many bands clearly influenced by this

noise rock gotta be my least fave subgenres of rock lmfao

Woof, not normally on the ‘this album was too long’ train, but this album was too long. Not the worst by a mile, but it feels hyper repetitive to me.

Great album Standout songs: 'Cross the breeze Erics Trip A/B/Z

Artsy noise rock so intricate, it’s almost…psychedelic? They’d probably hate that. But I can listen to this one endlessly and never get tired of it and always find something new. One of very few double-length works in which I become utterly involved with every single second.

Love Sonic Youth

Great

TIL the thing I didn't like about the first Sonic Youth album I got (EVOL) is called noise rock, I think. Parts of this were enjoyable, but most of the promising songs ended with a 3 minute discordant jam. I can appreciate the talent behind what they're doing, but I think this genre just isn't for me. Teen Age Riot is worth saving though.

and now, for your listening enjoyment, Sonic Youth. Always enjoyable, such a treat.

Doesn't sound like the 80s

Noisy, tight, precise, punk-y alternative rock/early shoegaze from the late 1980s. It was quite an experience to listen to. I needed a bit time to get into it, it took a couple of songs but I loved it overall. I felt the songs were a bit directionless, and the album is a bit long but at my first listen, this is why it gets a 4 from me.

ahead of its time

I felt like after the first 3 songs the album sounded the same. Overall not bad but did not feel like there was a large range in songs.

Track 7 had me hoping the album had finished. Track 1 was great though.

I'm just not a fan of Sonic Youth. Alt Rock royalty or not, It just don't move me.

It was alright, might listen again to see if it gets better

Classic stuff - my favorite album of theirs. Chaotic, murky and compelling.

wanky shoegaze for pixies fans but i do enjoy, just a bit long. cross the breeze is a certified banger

Never really got into Sonic Youth and this hasn’t converted me either but it was ok.

Don’t get it - feels like there’s no choruses.

Finally a consistent Sonic Youth album :) Great stuff

Muito adolescente para meus ouvidos

Mal ouvi Música de adolescente burro Devem ter depressão e não sabem falar

The importance of sonic youth has still not been credited as of today a top notch group of musicians making groundbreaking experimental punk rock music while the world was still going string on glam rock and what we know as classic rock. Kim Gordon Im still in love with, thirston moore still has not been recognized as he should for his guitar and composing skills. Much above everyone elses at the time and probably today. This is a top album anywhere you put it and its still sounds like it was recorded today and not 35 years ago. Held up and it will for eternity.

Yoo deze moest ik echt al heel lang luisteren van mezelf, is echt een muzieknerd album Blij dat ik het gedaan heb, maar nog niet helemaal overtuigd, mss toch net niet mijn ding Ga het wel nog een keer proberen later

Ja prima leuk album, beetje lang, maar ga hem niet nog een keer luisteren

Heel vaak de naam van Sonic Youth voorbij horen komen, nooit geluisterd Iets te heftig voor me Maar wel sick

Worth the listen.

This ain’t it dog

Thought I would like it more. Felt like noise.

For an album with so much critical acclaim there sure were a more than a few times that it couldn’t hold my attention. At the same time, there were moments where I was really enjoying the music and could clearly spot the influence that Sonic Youth has had on the indie scene since the 80s. There’s some good songs but nothing that really blew me away or that I’d come rushing back to.

This is another album that in theory I should love, but I just didn't connect with. Nothing jumped out for me. Songs were long and meandering with no real payoff. I felt mostly bored with this one.

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

I should like this album, I usually love everything punk and grungy. But this is just so generic and boring. Wikipedia says its noise rock and that its supposed to be minimalist. But idk, if you want to do some counter culture stuff, be more daring! more angry! Like its a mix between punk and prog rock? prog is technical and original, punk is raw and noisy, you cant just mix them together and expect something good

eeeeeeehhhh

Had never listened to sonic youth, but I really liked this album.

Si lo hubiese escuchado en 1994 lo habría encontrado magnífico, pero mi sensibilidad estaba en otro lado. En 1988 nunca me enteré de este disco.

Not that good..

I wish 17 year old me had found this album because I would have loved it! Overall I really enjoyed this music, the right amount of rock with some anger. Sometimes a little too much dissonance for 40 year old me. Also now I don't need multiple 7 minute songs in one album. But overall I would gladly listen and enjoy again.

I'm just going to be upfront about this. I own 12 Sonic Youth Albums. And yes, this is one. But it's not one of my favorites. The next 3 albums: Goo, Dirty, Experimental Jet Set Trash & No Star are all better albums in my book. On those albums, they come into their own as a rock band. The songs just have better hooks & I feel like that's when the band's chops were sharpest (1990-1994). Anyway, that's all a matter of taste and today we are listening to 1988's Daydream Nation. If you are into the dissonant sound that Sonic Youth makes, then this is a pretty good one. And if you really want to hear the guitar alchemy at work, then I recommend smoking some good weed and turning it up way loud. Silver Rocket & Cross the Breeze are my favorites.

Good noise rock album. I prefer Sonic Youth’s 1990 album “Goo” over this, but still an excellent trip into New York’s 1980’s underground art rock scene.

This feels pretty unique and fresh for 1988. It’s the second Sonic Youth album I’ve listened to recently, and I’m right in the middle with them. Quality music and vocals for sure, but nothing totally grabs me and makes me want to love them yet.

I’m enjoying this. A name I only know from The Simpsons lollapalooza that I guess I just wrote off as being smashing pumpkins lite. The distortion adds to it instead of just seeming like a gimmick.

The songs overstay there welcome. And they sound like punk rock for someone who thinks The Cure is hardcore.

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

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

No me gustó mucho hubieron algunas canciones que destacaron, pero... En general no fue de mi agrado.

This album is amazing full stop.

I admit I went into this with a bias against Sonic Youth. They seemed to me to be the definition of style over substance, and they seemed like they viewed themselves as the coolest people ever. (See their interview with Nardwuar) Already in the first song I could hear that they were pretty innovative, as they sound like a 90s band despite the fact the album was made in the 80s. I could hear how the instrumentation(particularly the guitars) influenced great bands and albums (Loveless, The Bends) I would say they sound like an assortment of important 90s bands, but in reality I guess many 90s bands sound like them. Despite that, listening to the album confirmed some of my prejudices; the spoken word sections are meaningless and pretentious. The social critiques (lyrically) sound really basic and the album is excessively long. Still there are really interesting moments musically, particularly in the instrumental sections. The music sounds raw and at the same time very clear and layered. It sounds DIY but sophisticated and even when it's noisy and wild they create an interesting atmosphere. 3.5/5 because while it's innovative and interesting, it has it's drawbacks and to my ear's doesn't have that much replay value.

3 good album with a lot of energy. Just wish there were more/better vocal parts

Not my thing

If every track was like the leadoff song then I'd be in love with it, but just quite a bit too noisy for me. Most have some cool little guitar licks that meander behind the noise so thats a good time. 6/10

Did not enjoy, bunch of whiney grindy sounds

Kinda “meh”. Expected more bangers considering its legendary status.

Not really a fan. It’s really noisy.

Well as my first intro to Sonic Youth it was interesting. Didn’t really enjoy it too much. The album as a whole was very long. I often found the mix to be very muddled, sounding more like a collections of sounds rather than a melodic cohesive piece. The lyrics were fine when I could pay attention to them but I often found them buried in the mix

3.5

It was good.

3/5

Hard to believe this came out in '88. They were definitely ahead of their time. Vocals leave a bit to be desired but that may just be me not liking punk in general. The more I listen the more I like it. 3.5/5 but I'll give it 4 stars because I feel with time I will like this album even more

I didn't come across this first time round as it was 5 years to early but Sonic Youth was a name I knew. On first listen I found it weirdly bland, but I felt there was enough there to come back to it. I managed to get another 2 runs through and it slowly unveiled itself. The initial angry skuzz gives way to some quality songwriting and a surprising amount of space and panorama in the music. I really warmed to it and may return to see what else comes out over time.

Pretty boring album

Decent album but really doesn’t do much for me

Not my style. Also, not the album's fault but kinda tired of the older similar sounding albums. Was ready for it to be over.

A lot of interesting ideas, even if some of them should have been cut form the album. 3.0/5.0: Good

this album grew on me as it went on. it was some interesting musical elements but i think the songs tend overstay their welcome. i think they could really benefit from cutting the length of some of the songs

meh, just meh.

If 1990’s Goo anticipated grunge, then 1988’s Daydream Nation harks back to the spiky sounds of post punk and new wave from 10 years previously. This really reminded me of Joy Division in places and I think that Kim Gordon’s bass playing compares well to Peter Hook’s. The only complaint I have about this is that stretching 12 songs over a double album is a bit much - I’d rather they’d cut them down to 3 minute bangers and kept it as a single album.

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

Coincidentally this came only three days after "Goo" which I didn't like too much. After three songs, it started to heavily annoy me. Some of the songs seem to never end. Actually they do, but only after more than seven minutes… Not my cup of tea.

Placebo did it better.

Almost gave this 5. I don’t know how I’ve slept on this band!

Overall I might enjoy Evol and Sister more, but this is obviously a classic. It's less about the individual tracks. You just have to let the whole thing sprawl out in front of you.

Sonic Youth have never been my jam. This, being one of their earlier albums, features pretty terrible production and I've always found their songwriting to be pretty amateurish. I've never understood why they get the acclaim they do because even during their peak, there were much better bands creating significantly better music in very much the same vein.

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

There should be a sixth star for special occasions

Perfect album and opening track to wake up to.

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

I've heard some songs from this album before (well, Teenage Riot is on it, so it kinda goes without saying) but had never listened to the entire album before. I enjoyed it a lot, I'm a huge fan of the harsh experimental angsty guitars. although I must say the album kinda lost me a little in the end

It's got that 80's vibe for sure. Guitar driven. Understated vocals. Purveyors of the "noise rock" genre. It is held out as one of the best albums of all time. Huh. It sounds very familiar to the times.

It was alright, I quite liked the general sound but nothing really stood out

Not too terrible. Not amazing...

I don't have much to say here. Meh pretty much sums it up

Good album

Very loud, way more rock and roll than expected! Enjoyed it.

Delightfully overwhelming with its sheer structured cacophony of sound and noise, but if I'm being honest I've always found this to be a tad redundant and boring at times. "Teen Age Riot" is perhaps the platonic ideal of this song but also casts a shadow that the rest of the album can never escape from. Sure it comes close at times, namely, "The Sprawl" "Candle" "Trilogy" but this is pretty long-winded at times. Hugely influential for sure, but I feel like publications and tastemakers have been yelling at me to love this album for years and I'll always just be a little lukewarm on it.

I somehow don’t think I was aware of this back in the day. It was an enjoyable listen, some killer drumming. I can see where this fits in along the progression of alt/grunge. 3.5/5 rounding up

Such an influential album on much of the music I grew up listening to and my own song writing at one point. Love how they can write such awesome hooks and surround it with noise and chaos. I've never loved the vocals from Sonic Youth, but musically this is 5.

I really like it. It reminds me of the smashing pumpkins songs that get all swirly and out of control. I can definitely see the influence that this album had on a lot of 90s bands that I love

Lots of yelling, and the instrumental equivalent of yelling. I'm for it.

I love this album and also never listen to this album, because that's the story of Sonic Youth - you're rewarded for your patience with some utterly creative and weird music, but not in a way that makes them constant jams.

angsty punk? Not really impressed.

Meh, track 6 puts it succinctly, Total Trash

i'm not a fan of noise rock (because i'm old it sounds like the youth making too much noise without purpose or, like, melodies), but the combination with alternative music makes it tolerable, as did the female vocalist occasionally popping in. not enough to get above a 2, though, and the fact this was an unnecessary double album did them no favors either. regardless, this album releasing in 1988 shows how ahead of the alternative curve the sonic youth were!

I liked aspects of this album, and I like Sonic Youth's take on noise rock. It was certainly a big contributor to a lot of bands that included noise rock in their sound. However, I found that 1 hour and 10 minutes of Sonic Youth's noise rock was more than I really wanted. Also, I like the side of Sonic Youth that uses more Kim Gordon, but that's just me.

Teen Age Riot //

Really good album! Can’t believe I’ve never really listened to them before. Will add to my albums I listen to on the regular.

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

‘twas the perfect vibe to be in the zone, writing a geometry test on circle relationships

Sounded like just a bunch of noise to me.

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

Teen Age Riot is enough of a reason to enjoy this listen but the rest of the record was fun also. A bit screechy/noisey but overall still very interesting and overall enjoyable.

Icónico

Loved it! The grunge the lyrics the melody amazing combo

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

I loved this album. The discordant guitars really speak to my soul somehow, I love how noisy yet beautiful it is. Fave tracks: the sprawl, Eric’s trip, & candle. These guys rule. Only reason why four stars is because I think it’s a bit long for my taste.

Some really high highs in here. The guitarwork and sheer musicianship on display is outstanding. Conversely, some moments i dont love. But the highs are high enough to make up for it. Really interesting listen

I wanted to like this, and there's a lot to like about it. But it feels like when I really get grooving with this it reverts back to noise. Parts of it really deserve the love they get, and Teenage Riot is fantastic. But on the whole it didn't do it for me.

Morris, Joseph, Emma, Milo, and Madi could do better

A cool album but not a really good one. Like so many albums on the list, it’s way too long. 2.6

This should be right up my street. I was a total indie rock kid back in the day, but it leaves me a bit cold and I’m really not sure why. Mid, as they say

I think some of what Sonic Youth does is really cool, but other things not sim much. I guess I like them in small doses, but maybe not an entire album. I could see myself revisiting this album at some point and we’ll see. It could grow on me.

Spirit desire, we will fall. An album that starts off with a groundbreaking song followed by pretty good and decent songs. Besides the first track, individually the songs don't feel as strong unless you listen to the entire record in one sitting.

Not my jam!

The alleged "genius" of this album must be over my head. Sounds like a bunch of high school kids making noise in the garage.

I didn’t enjoy. Had a hard time listening all the way through.

Thoroughly enjoyed this- maybe not as much as some of the indie rock/alt rock albums that would come after, but it's easy to see the influence this had on them.

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

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

Noise. Melody. Noise. Talk. Noise.

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

3/5 good but not enough

Was really into the third song, second song lost me a little. Third song is dope. These guys just shred. I’m really into this album. Think this would have been better as 2 albums. It great through Hey Joni, then it shifts it’s tone a bit.

Actually bangin album, grungy and like nirvana and quite speedy at times, dissonant and noisy, I can imagine a few bands that might be influenced by this sound

Same vibes as Nirvana. My favorite so far.

One of the very exciting things about Daydream Nation is that you're never quite sure when or if it'll all fall apart. Occasionally an otherwise solid riff devolves into noise or discord. It's all in favor of keeping you on your toes and taking you along for a wonderful jouyrney.

I really dug it. I actually am not sure I've listened to a sonic youth album all the way through before. I loved the grindy noises and shouting.

Probably not my personal favorite SY album, but definitely a classic and full of great songs. Still earns the 5 pretty handily IMHO.

Popppier than I thought.

This is a band I always want to like more than I actually do like. I'm not a fan of the distorted vocals I think.

2.5

Meh

Was okay, but felt repetitive after a bit since a lot of songs sounded so similar.

Another unique sounding group that I enjoyed listening to, 7/10

Very teenage Music. 4.

Het begint goed met Teen Age Riot, maar daarna vervalt het in voor mij nietszeggende gitaarmuziek (die gelukkig niet slecht klinkt, maar ook zeker niet bijzonder).

Influental and interesting in its context, but not really my thing.

Didn't know a lot about Sonic Youth before but can see how they influenced a lot of the music that came after them. Very experimental, came out of a punk rock tradition and explored a lot of new ground -- different chord shapes and progressions, tempos and instrumentation. Unfortunately, sometimes the guys who break new ground aren't the ones who master it. I found this record uneven -- a couple of tunes started with cool hooks, but when good punk rock does that the songs are over in 2:30, while Sonic Youth stretches them out for 7 minutes. I liked the second half of the album better, especially Candle and the Wonder (though Teen Age Riot is a great track). Important record for sure, but I'll probably spend more time listening to the bands that listened to them than this one.

1. teen age riot - 1 2. zilver rocket - 0 3. the zprauul - 0 4. crozz the breeze - 0 5. ericz trip - 0 6. total trazh - 0 7. hey joni - 0 8. providence - 0 9. candle - 1 10. rain king - 0 11. kizzability - 0 12. the uuonder - 1 13. hyperztation - 1.5 14. eliminator - 1

siiiii. 7.5/10

A time capsule from the late 80's. It is an enjoyable listen, but not something I would put on regular rotation. This album and REM's Eponymous really capture the vibe of 1988 for me.

Better than I remember

If you're curious about how music shifted from the late 80s to early 90s this is pretty much it.

Post-punk Indie; yuck. With the exception of the Replacements, rock music from the late 80’s pretty much sucked. What’s bad is bad, and you shouldn’t get points for ushering in the Indie era.

Uhg

Teen Age Riot takes me bak to simpler times, and this whole album just makes me want to go out and shoot skate videos with fisheye lenses...

Typical late 80s-early 90s punk band stuff. Nothing stood out to me. Good quality and all. Just not my thing. Low 3

Not my jam

eh

I'm not very familiar with Sonic Youth. Thought they were more 90s alt. I suppose this is on the continuum of punk/art/rock with Patti Smith. Also uniquely NYC. It's not bad, but not something I'd listen to regularly. I appreciate the originality more than the music. 3.1

I really like it. Gives me The Cure vibes. Ended up listening to the whole thing twice. I really liked Providence

Just not my thing

1.... Aturde

This is one those albums that critics wank themselves silly over. I don't get it. It's like a bunch of middle class american arts graduates who like sniffing their own farts got together and said: 'Why don't we make a Joy Division album but remove all traces of character and make every song double the length? Oh, and while we're at it lets all stand 10 feet away from the mics!' I tried listening to this album before on a plane whilst half asleep. Even being half asleep I thought it was dragging.

Nice grungy punk. Bot too sure on the length of some of the tracks, seemed unnecessarily long. Good in your face music though.

Not a fan, just guitar feedback and drony, angsty vocals. Noise!

Kinda liked this one, grungy and kinda psychedelic. Kinda like punk meets smashing pumpkins

I can't put my finger on why I found this album so irritating, but I couldn't finish it

I always thought that I didn't like Sonic Youth, so I'd avoided them. Turns out, I do like them, up to a point. Unfortunately though, I have an issue with indie bands from New York; there's usually something about them that irritates me. As in this case, it's often the vocals. I blame Lou Reed for starting the drawly/talky thing, but he did it quite well. David Byrne can get away with it, because of Talking Heads' amazing rhythm section. This fella also gets away with it at times, because the guitar sound and song structure is so interesting. But more often than not, the vocals grated on me and there are only two or three songs that I'd go back to. I'm afraid I didn't enjoy the ones fronted by Kim Gordon at all. So why the high score? Because I think it deserves its status for being genuinely very interesting and creative, and my personal "ick" with New Yorkers drawling into the mic doesn't really make it bad.

I expected to hate it and I didn’t, but I didn’t like it either and could have done without it on a cold windy January Monday. Had to turn it down a notch, which probably defeats the object.

A name I knew but had never listened to. Famous for having a woman, Kim Gordon, in the band. Albums that I listen to while I’m working suffer if they’re noisy and distracting like this as I wanted to get it over with so I could concentrate. Is that fair? Possibly not. Do I care? No. Listen to again (possibly) - The Sprawl

meh

Might be the worst record I've ever heard. Just a bunch of industrial noise!

This was a good listen. Have always wanted to check out some Sonic Youth. This didn't disappoint.

While some songs do peak my interest, there's a lot that's just to the point of being obnoxiously noisy. Still the songs that did stand out are quite good. Standout tracks: Teen Age Riot, 'Cross The Breeze, Hey Joni, Rain King, 4 out of 10

Okay, but not really my vibe.

Great music.

This album followed the worst I’ve ever listened to. It may have been a 2, but it was such a pleasant change, here is your 3x

2.5

Cool album I had never really listened to. Not quite my style but overall I dug it.

Good

It's not "Total Trash", but it's odd and unnerving. Just as it's supposed to be in this genre.

I am a big grunge fan and this is a great album from this era.

New wave vibes, should probably delve deeper

Oof, not much good to say about this album. Weak/yelling vocals paired with instruments making noise (fuzz and feedback) that occasionally broke into the faint sounds of actual music. A painful listen.

Somewhat good, but also quite chaotic.

based as fuck 9.7/10

Amazing album and a band that was a huge influence to many of the bands that broke through a couple a years later.

I did not like it

Couple good tracks, but too much noise and not enough solid tracks.

Really enjoy the sounds here - the freedom they're given to flesh out pays dividends and you really can hear the influence this has on future acts. Not a fan of the vocals though - they sound far too feeble at times and very monotonous/unengaging (but more than made up for by the instrumentals)

great trip back to the 80's. Not bad music just not my genre

Welp, it appears I’ve discovered yet another album that I’ve slept on for too long! Room to grow for this one. 4.5/5

It’s too noisy for me 😳

NO!!!

I get it, but I don’t love it. Definitely a good intro to grunge album, just wish they had better lyrics or hooks. First track is the best.

I recognize some influences from this in music that I like. But I did not like this album. I tried (and its duration gives you plenty of time to try!), but I just didn’t like it.

Like listening to one long stream of consciousness I imagine this is what the inside of Thurston Moore’s head sounds like. Although I was more a fan of their 1990 album Goo, this album had regular rotation for me in the 90s. The experimental, moody, hazy and moments of discord clearly give a nod to SY’s influences like the Velvet Underground. And it’s hard to mention bands like Nirvana without giving a proper nod to this band and album as it clearly became the model which multiple bands in the 90s drew from. While not an album that would get repeat listens from me today, it definitely deserves the higher score simply based on its influence. Avant garde art rock at its best.

Double albums are sooooo hard to pull off. This album starts off incredible, and just doesn’t have enough gas to pull off so many tracks. Super influential for so many of the artists a lot of us got into in the 90’s and later. But as an album, I can’t see myself revisiting it that often

I haven’t listened to much Sonic Youth but pretty clear how this influenced much of the music that I like. Solid listen and I’ll probably explore more of their catalog. I played around with the idea of going 4 but ultimately just couldn’t get there as everything didn’t land with me. I tend to prefer more melodic guitar solos rather than so much dissonance.

Sonic Youth has always been a challenge for me. I know they’re beloved and had a massive influence on alternative music. There’s some great stuff on this album, but it jangles and rambles a bit much for my liking. In the words of Kim Gordon… Does this sound simple? Fuck you! 3.75/5

Solid somgs throughout. Hey Joni and Teen Age riot and Kissability were stand outs

Loud, angry screaming. Not at all something I would listen to. Maybe was a voice for a certain young group of people who needed to be heard.

Meh. There's a few moments of cool guitar, but only a few. Had a hard time listening to this album.

Nope. Not a fan of talking and lots of dissonance noise. Some interesting guitar chords though. Skip a few and eventually stopped listening.

IIRC Red Book audio spec is 72 minutes for a Compact Disc. They nearly filled a compact disc with 70 minutes of mediocre music. That's the best thing I can say.

Made me anxious. Wanted to turn it down so it didn't irritate people at work.

Amazing that this was 1988! Production was good. Sound was so ahead of its time. I would listen again in the background while doing something else...but probably not the whole album in one sitting.

Not my cup of tea

This music is the best when the volume is all the way up

I feel like I should give it 4 stars - I can hear how “important” this album is. It’s like a bridge between 80s music and 90s music. But in reality, I probably wouldn’t ever just say “you know, I’m in the mood to listen to “Daydream Nation” right now. Maybe, but not really. I’d probably give it 3.5 if I could. If 5 = perfect, 4 = really really great, 3 = solid, I’ll go with 3. 5 star rating systems suck

Haven't listened to this since flat sitting for David in, what, 2013? It's probably the most evocative of their live sound. I love Sonic Youth.

Maybe it was cool for 1988, sounds pretty experimental and noisy, lots of effects for some reason. Not really enjoyable, no notable tracks.

Ushered in the 90s alt rock era. A lot of bands owe success to Sonic Youth and this album. Definitely iconic and captures the feeling of being an adolescent pretty well. Listening to this album gave me flashbacks to highschool, but in a good way.

Noisy Noise Rock.

Couldnt listen to the whole thing, I didnt like it at all

It was fine background music. 2/5

Hormis un premier morceau que j'ai trouvé très bon, le reste de l'album est trop "bruyant" et "grungy" à mon goût.

Sexless art school vomit. 3-0-1

Clearly good But I wasn't in the mood for it Going with a 3 but will revisit at some point Far far too long

most instrumental parts are S-tier but i just don't like the vocals. The Sprawl (after the vocals are over) and Providence are my favourite tracks

Snooze fest tbh

listened 2x. excellent album 4.3/5

as a huge pixies and nirvana fan, I love this album. it is grassroots grunge, with the same feel and emotion, but a bit more experimental and almost 60s sounding at points.

Building on their Velvet Underground and punk rock influences, they managed to create and define the age of Alternative Rock of the late 80's to early 90's. The list of bands influenced by them is still growing strong today. My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana, Pavement and Wilco, all the way through today's Wednesday, Feeble Little Horse and Death Grips, all owe their sound to the pioneering work of Sonic Youth. My only rubs on this album (and Sonic Youth in general) is the extended length of their albums and the ear fatigue that set in about 40 minutes in. There simply isn't enough sound variety to warrant this to be a perfect album, but it is definitely a genre defining classic.

Not my thing…

I absolutely adored this. Sometimes that wall of sound is overwhelming and sometimes you just want to sink into it.

Byrjar hellað vel og endar svo í hávaða. Finnst þessi plata meira áreiti en snilld. Margir gen-x'ar sem sjóða úr reiði við það. 2.5

Þessi plata er svo mikil snilld. Vanstilltir gítarar hafa aldrei hljómað betur. Fyrstu þrjú lögin neglur og svo er bara keyrt fulla leið áfram. Elska hraðaskiptingarnar. Höfðu mikil áhrif á allt það sem á eftir kom. No Sonic Youth = No Nirvana.

Noisy.

3.49/5

Nicht meine Musik . Blechern, dünner klang, schlechte Sänger , einfallslos , repetitiv

Ziemlich viele Titel. Überwältigt etwas.

I think it might be a good album, but i don't think is the greatest of all. It has cool songs in it.

Gave me a headache haha

File this under ‘albums I thought I’d enjoy more’. I like the energy created by the chaotic guitars and detached-yet-urgent vocals, but the impact gets diluted by the long instrumental sections, and I found myself losing interest by the end of the album each time I listened through. It does feel objectively cool and important though.

Some good ones

Cool sound

Lite väl oslipat och stökigt, men det är nog dagsform.

Sounds like revolution

never really my cup of tea- not bad just not my thing

AJ: saw them open for Pearl Jam once. So that’s a 3. Not my cup of tea, but they’re a rock band.

Left me unimpressed. 2/5

Sound of my 80's angst

So i quite liked the music but could NOT get past the vocals. Couldn’t get to the end of the album tbh.

There's almost some shredding going on here, I dig it. Still don't know how they get away with almost sounding like two distinct bands on the same album, but it works for them.

Enjoyed it just as much as the last SY album. Possibly even more.

Perhaps a bit too long, but I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t a compelling listen for me. Definitely one I will want to revisit.