Reviews (page 7 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.
It's not "Total Trash", but it's odd and unnerving. Just as it's supposed to be in this genre.
New wave vibes, should probably delve deeper
Somewhat good, but also quite chaotic.
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.
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
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.
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
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
Not my thing…
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
Noisy.
3.49/5
Ziemlich viele Titel. Überwältigt etwas.
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
AJ: saw them open for Pearl Jam once. So that’s a 3. Not my cup of tea, but they’re a rock band.
Sound of my 80's angst
BL: An album I've not heard anything from. I wasn't a massive fan of the previous Sonic Youth album I got on the generator "E.V.O.L", To me it felt quite reductive, not having the punk flare of Gang of Four, or Dead Kennedys, nor the post-punk charm of something like Joy Division. However I am going into this with an open mind to see if I change my mind. BL: This album was certainly a lot better than their previous work. It feels like there was a big sonic progression, utilising complex guitar parts with harmonics and crushing walls of drum lines. Vocally the performances were still rather hit-or-miss I found, generally at a 1:1 ratio of hits and misses. I can definitely hear big inspiration from a project I like "Parannoul", they clearly listened to SY heavily. Overall this was not a wasted listen, but definitely could've done with some heavy fat trimming. FT: "Teen Age Riot", "Eric's Trip", "Hey Joni", "Candle", "B) Hyperstation" 3/5
Catchy song that descend into chaos
noise noise noise. sometimes you're in the mood for that. today I wasn't.
I think I like it, but I think I have to be in the mood. The older I get the more I realize I am not interested in the affectations of the cool kid bands.
Mediocre.
Depressed art kids in the 90s must have gone crazy for this. Favorite song: Silver Rocket Least favorite: ‘Cross the Breese
I feel like I’m not giving the album a fair shake, but there is just something about this genre of fuzzy, amorphous guitar+bass that makes me super anxious. Listening to The Sprawl on the drive home was an actively bad experience. The more structured songs were easier to listen to, but once they dissolved into miscellaneous sounds it would trigger the stress part of my brain again.
Some days I like SY. Some days I don't. Today I don't. But I might tomorrow.
I wanted to Iike this so much more and while there were a few I did love - Silver Rocket, The Sprawl, Eric’s Trip, Candle - I can’t see myself coming back to the rest of the album as often (noisy in a way I found more headache-inducing than enjoyable).
Was looking forward to this album as a lot of artist that inspire me, we're inspired by the Youth of Sonic. I can totally see why this band was as popular as they were, and at the same time, why they didn't get super popular. A lot of their music isn't very commercial.. It's like they're one of the best underground artists of this genre. But couldn't break through. I know those who like this band, really like them. I think most music lovers know of this band. Sort of like The Pixies. Both iconic bands but not commercially huge. Which is a shame given how talented they are. I was introduced to this band in my teens, and I wonder how many people in their teens in 2023 even know this band? Long story short, decent album. Love the guitar work. Kim Gordon is incredible!
Teen Age Riot - 4/5 Silver Rocket - 4/5 The Sprawl - 4/5 'Cross the Breeze - 4/5 Eric's Trip - 4/5 Total Trash - 1/5 total trash Hey Joni - 2/5 Providence - 2/5 Candle - 2/5 Rain King - 3/5 Kissability - 3/5 The Wonder - 3/5 Hyperstation - 3/5 Eliminator Jr. - 3/5
The instrumentals throughout this are fast paced and incredible. I can tell this album inspired a lot of 90's & early 2000's alternative bands. The vocals are really the only thing holding this back from being a 4 for me. [Silver Rocket] probably wins out as my favorite.
I thought this was an okay album. They did some cool experimental stuff but I felt bored after a while
3.5, actually
Good album. A lot of great tracks. Musically, it fired on all cylinders. Nothing particularly memorable other than Track 1.
I like the genre, maybe a bit too rock for me Top Tracks: 1) The Sprawl 2) Cross the Breeze 3) Candle (Restored) 4) A) The Wonder
Not bad, didn't blow my skirt up either.
There really shouldn’t be any reason for me to not like this. It has all the ground work laid out for an album I would love. And for an album of this caliber and acclaim, it should be a banger. But I could tell something was off when I put the first song on. And I’m saddened to say that I didn’t like this very much. To be brutally honest, I thought it was boring. There were a lot of times where I was sitting and waiting for the album to be over. It tries a number of things, and doesn’t hit it on the mark for any of them. Noisy and aggressive, but not noisy and aggressive enough. Slacker rock adjacent vocals, but sometimes it feels like the singers couldn’t care to try. And drumming that is trying to be fast and wild, but it just ends up coming out as amateurish and sloppy. Now I want to clarify this is just my opinion, and there are probably other people who feel very differently. And it sounds like I’m being harsh on this. Which to a degree I am, but this is also a huge record. One that people love and that is widely considered one of the best of all time. And there are certain parts of songs I enjoy. But I don’t think I could name one individual track that really stuck out to me. What I want to hear when I listen to other Sonic Youth records is more. More heaviness. Go crazier. Be more experimental and weird. Or do the complete opposite. Try something more lo-fi and chill, like the intro to Candle. But not this. This is too much of not enough for me to get into. Rating: 6/10
A very 90s sound for 1988, I can understand the influence this album had on angsty alternative indie rock. It’s a sprawling album, long and varied with multiple vocalists and driving guitar riffs. But ultimately, I find it to just be a bit average in todays day and age. “Teen Age Riot” is the obvious standout, but that comes so early as the opening track you forget it an hour later.
Hipsterry, but not too many vocals, which I like
Grosse influence sur le alternative et indie rock genre. Je m'attendais à plus, mais je m'en sors avec un mehh.
Sounded muddy-ok but not my favorite. 3/5
First song has a nice intro
album could have stopped halfway. Vocals were just not bearable after a while.
Solid Album but not my favorite. Felt it was a little long and noisy sometimes. First time listening to sonic youth so I'm still not sure what my opinion is on them. So overall, I really dont know
Very alternative. A little too much for me currently.
Сначала думал говно, но в целом неплохо Как будто ем дошик без специй намальна пошел нахуй За финальный разьеб можно и до 7 поднять 7/10
Pretty good but not really for me as a whole, too chaotic.
Yeah, cool. OK that sounds good too. Man, I wish I knew this back in the day! Alright, another with that dirty sound. And another. OK, this sounds a bit like the previous, just a tad nastier. Again, not bad. Right, I got the gist now. Hmm, let's see how much more songs there is on this album. Still not bad, but my head is spinning now. Still not over? There is too much of this, I'm afraid. OK, please turn it off, I'm tired.
Nice melodies, sometimes very lengthy instrumentals and second class singer
1. Teen Age Riot - weird intro but I liked it once it started the verse and the music is good. 2. Silver Rocket -i didn't mind the sound of this one. 3. The Sprawl - pretty aggressive...but it has an ok sound, but way too long. 4. ’Cross the Breeze - a bit more mellow sounding, although it got more aggresive. very long instrumental to start with and end with. 5. Eric’s Trip - interesting sound, don't love the singing. 6. Total Trash - similar sound, it's ok 7. Hey Joni - not what I expected from the name, i thought it would be less upbeat. I kinda like it. 8. Providence - did not like the start of this one so I skipped. 9. Candle - didn't like the melody in this one or singing style. 10. Rain King - this one is giving me urgency, very fast sounding. It's also a bit creepy and aggressive...don't love it. 11. Kissability - interesting theme about fame and its underbelly, but don't like the sound of it. 12. Trilogy - Split into three on Spotify... (a) wonder - sounds like a scratching record or pitchy, not pleasant (b) hyperstation - similar to the others (c) eliminator jr - weird, do not like it I listened to this really late so didn't give it my full attention...maybe will revisit most of the songs were ok for me but not like something I would seek out. Does seem like there are way too many 7 min songs. I prefer the male singer to the female singer.
Enjoyed several songs. (Feel like I remember Teenage Riot?) But others just seemed to drag on and went too ‘metal’ for too long for me enjoy.
Some ups and downs on this one. I liked the vibe a lot of the time, but the album could have used some editing—the last three tracks just felt painful. I enjoyed Kim Gordon's vocals a lot more than Thurston Moore's. Favorite track: 'Cross the Breeze 5/10
Grunge/punk is not usually my thing, I thought a lot of the songs were a bit too long, however I did like the first song of the album.
Je suis plutôt de la team Sonic Battle
plus rien ne me surprend .... (4 albums de sonic youth dans les 1001)
Interested to hear more SY
Raw and experimental, noisy without being overly aggressive
Bit of a chaotic hot mess at times but there are good tracks to be found here. Not enough to require a double album, but worth a listen if you have an hour to kill.
Bit too shoegazey for me.
A bit harder than my tastes usually go, but apart from the final track, it's all pretty listenable. Not sure I'd seek it out again in the future, but I totally hate it either
Crazy this is from ‘88. Should have listened to it in 6th grade
I've only heard of Sonic Youth before, don't think I'd every heard their music. I liked the album more than I thought I would after reading a bit about it. Kinda punky and industrial, some of it worked for me and sometimes it didn't. I was a little over it by then end of the album though.
Noisy and bombastic, my first real listen to Sonic Youth and my opinion is that experimentation is experimental, and every ones not gonna like it. I appreciate different and weird music, but this is just too hard for my ears(timbre0wise not necessarily arrangement) . Some really cool riffs along the way though. Highlights Include: Cross the Breeze Candle
- Sounded kind of ahead if the time for when it came out - Well made - Kind of meandering though? - Not really my thing 6/10
This album makes me wish I smoked and lived in New York but only in the nighttime.
Best Song: Teen Age Riot
New wave punk? Appreciate the music but not my cup of tea.
i n f l u e n t i a l
Interesting precursor to grunge. Overall enjoyed
First hit is awesome! Although I like the noisy alt rock sound, rest of the album is too much of the same.
Teenage Riot is a cool song, after that it's mainly a lot of noise again as we've come to expect from Sonic Youth
It’s not a bad record, just maybe a bit too experimental for my specific mood today…
Can totally understand the influence here, but not my fave
3/5. I love the jam aspect of the album, a lot of long form guitar riffs and solos. This one feels like an investment to get into, I didn't not like the songs, I just felt distant at times. I understand the importance of this album but I would have to be willing to sit through it which feels like not a 5/5. I listened to it once and the second time I was dreading it. It's not bad, just not the best overall.
Going to this already liking Kim Gordon but I've never listened to this album in full before Enjoying this album as a one off listen, although sonic youth tends to lack a 'relistenable' quality to me due to their unconventional song patterns and lengthy instrumentals full of their trademark noise Turned it off halfway through because it was turning into annoying background noise sorry to sonic youth
Interesting, I particularly enjoyed Total Trash
Love sonic youth, loved a few songs on this album but I don’t picture myself listening to it front to back again.
Ok. Surprisingly melodic guitar.
Part of going through this list is learning how there is always someone or a band that did a thing first or at the least, earlier than when "it" became a thing. Alternative gained a significant popularity for many listeners during the 1990s but when this album was released in 1988, it forces those same listeners to go further back into the genre's history. This album makes 1988 feel very 1998. The change in sound makes Sonic Youth seem younger than they actually are, but by 1988 this was their fifth album. By the time the genre started to hit fever pitches in the mid-90s, the assumption is that these guys appeared out of nowhere, but this has been there the whole time.
Album 154 of 1001 Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation Rating : 3 / 5 Favorite Track : Candle From some of the reviews I saw, this is should be appealing to an angsty teenager. I can see how that could be the case, but it had some good moments for me, as well. I think I may have came across this one a little late in life for it to hit as it might have...or it came about a little late in mine. The previous album of theirs I listened to, EVOL, was really good but this didn't quite hit the same mark for me. Still, I really enjoyed a few of the tracks and those made it worth the listen.
first listen a vibe
25 minutes too long
I get the angst and the effect this album had on teenage youth... 3/5
While I have a soft spot for Kim Gordon, this album proves a little too noisy for regular rotation. However, the standouts and exceptions to that notion include Teen Age Root, The Sprawl, and 'Cross The Breeze.
pretty decent alt rock/punk rock album with some interesting stylistic choices that make it a bit more harsh
Initially thought it was better than my last Sonic Youth (which I don't think I liked), then it went on a bit. Quite Undertones-esque for a bit
с только женщиной на вокале мог бы быть хорошим альбомом, а её очень мало, инструментальные приколы есть крутые со звуком дослушал даже до конца, но 3 всё равно
Not as noisy as I expected, but not really my "cup of tea" in term of everyday music either. I largely prefer out of tune saxophones throwing themselves on the walls than out of tune guitars on 8 different fuzz pedals.
I prefer other Sonic Youth albums. Was OK
This got a bit grating after a whle. i quite like the chunky guitars but the vocals I can take or leave. Just too long...
Not bad. Would listen again. Long.
Some pretty good songs. High three, like the sound, but just didn’t strike a chord with me, especially with the 70 minute length.
One of the must hear it
Decent vibe but very much a background album.
Not bad, can see how they imagined linfluenced a lot of artists
Solid album, but didn’t have a lot of songs that really stood out to me. I didn’t mind it, but I couldn’t see myself coming back to this album a lot. 3/5
A lot of the songs do sound very similar, but there are some stand outs that are very good and I will revisit. About half of the album is pure instrumentals which is fine, but a lot of the time it sounds like pure loud noise. To me I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy this, as I am not a big fan of noise rock, but it is a good album, and some songs will be revisited. Standouts: - Teen Age Riot - Silver Rocket - Eric's Trip - Providence - Candle - A)
I didn’t really get it.Like some of the time I got it and it was fun rock ambit for like 25% it was just noise and not in a cool nirvana way just in a kinda boring way.It was fine.I can see why it was revolutionary without liking it that much.
At times I loved it and thought it had some really cool, dark post-rocky sounds that were way ahead of its time. And other times, it was kinda meh. 3.5/5
It was alright 2.5/5
Started out rough but really grew on me. Similar to the pixies. I’ll have to give it another listen, but for now it’s a 3/5
Fastnade inte riktigt för denna men bra musik ig
Good! fast paced, angry. I liked it better than I thought I would, and almost (?) a 4.
Has bits where this album really shines, but then there's also some really generic stuff in there too. The album itself is cohesive, it's just the level of creativity that is a bit whack imo
first time listening
It's Sonic Youth. You either love them or hate them. I'm pretty meh myself.
I can see how this album helped inspire a new generation of music, Teen Age Riot & Eric's Trip stood out for me. Some of the songs were just too song and I had to stop listening to the album at one point to listen to something else more upbeat.
Pretty good, I enjoyed it.
Some interesting experimentation, providing the foundation for many alt rock groups to come. But did it really need to be 70 minutes long?
Simpatico, non di più
It's alright, not my jam
Probably my favorite Sonic Youth album I've received on this list, but it's still... long. The noisiness gives almost a bludgeoning effect after a while, with the songs somewhat swirling together into one great big wall. It's good, just listening to the entire thing gets tiresome. Favorite tracks: "Teenage Riot", "'Cross The Breeze", "Hyperstation"
Better than i thought beforehand
It's alright, "does this sound simple? Fuck you." Is a great line in the sprawl
Im glad I listened to this. I put a few song s in my library. But overall I didn’t find it fantastic.
Rating: 6/10
I like Sonic and I like youth so I went into this with high hopes. The first two songs made me wish they had a different singer. I bet they did it on purpose as the third song has a different singer. Nvm, she sucks too. The outro in The Sprawl is beautiful, and the instrumentals in general are way better than the singing
it was pretty good actually
Not a fan of this one. Sorry.
if this wasn't a double album if will would be excellent 5 3.5
Chaotic at times but an enjoyable first listen. Can hear plenty of bands I like in this they obviously influenced. Will be back for more.
Listened to most of this in one or two song pieces across a couple of weeks which probably isnt the best approach but the sound is pretty consistent the whole way through. Reminds me a bit of psychedelic smashing pumpkins stuff but felt like most songs were missing something that would make them work. Lead singer reminded me of the guy from Ash which I appreciated. Solid 3.
I thought this album was decent but could have been a lot tighter if they trimmed the fat a bit. It's great in places but the "noise" of a whole album got tiring. Highlights Teen Age Riot Candle
Mjög alternatíf töff, og sumt er hressandi, en ég veit satt best að segja ekki hvort mér finnst þetta beinlínis skemmtilegt. Rennur svolítið saman í eina súpu. Held samt að ég myndi fíla betur ef ég væri að spila þetta sjálfur.
overall pretty enjoyable listen but there weren’t any great songs or anything really special
Wanted to like it more ... But to was noisy. Self indulgent. Unpolished. Unpleasing... Not a single standout good track. Listed to it twice.
I wasn’t able to give this a really good listen. From what I could take in, I’d say I can see why it’s significant, and some tracks I quite liked, but it’s not something I’d reach for again.
Je comprends l'impact que ça a eu. La production et le mixing est excellent. Overall un album très bien construit. Mais je trouve les compositions un peu faible par moment et l'album aurait pu être un peu plus agréable s'il avait été écourté.
Not the best Sonic Youth I've heard.
This is proto indie alt. its a solid meh from me.
Brings me back!!! One of my best friend's favorite bands who I lost to drug addiction. Listening to the album was bitter sweet. </3
Really good. Creative, hard-hitting, wide range of influences.
Petit fait cocasse, je ne me suis pas rendu compte que l'album était terminé et commençais à me demander pourquoi Sonic Youth avait intégré un chanteur à voix de merde dans leur groupe avant de me rendre compte que Spotify avait enchaîné avec un morceau de Joy Division. Évidemment.
Les Sonic Youth sont toujours aussi jeunes et toujours aussi peu interessants. Il serait temps de passer à leur forme adulte des The Sonics, et ce dans les plus brefs delais.
Decent punk album. 3/5. Favorite Track: Teen Age Riot
I loved Teen Age Riot, Eric’s Trip and Hey Joni. I loved parts of the other songs too, often the first 3-4 minutes. You can definitely hear the breadth of influence this band and album had. But I just can’t be doing, personally, with the long experimental instrumental bits. For me the song was fine before you started mucking about on the distortion pedal for minutes on end. Just write a good rock song and get out, which these guys are definitely capable of. Others will disagree and no doubt I’m a casual, but I got bored at several points.
That was a thousand times better than the other Sonic Youth album. But it's still only average. Their other album was horrendous. This isn't a band I need to listen to.
I think I missed their last album but I quite enjoyed tjis. 3*
We've had a few Sonic Youth albums. Thought this was the best of them...
Good
This is the third Sonic Youth album, and I hated the other two albums that I have gotten so far. So I am not very optimistic about this one, but I am going to try and keep an open mind about it. Overall some aspects of this album shined way more than their predecessors, however the album went on a bit too long. Everything started to blend together towards the end and I was getting ear fatigue. I might give this one a second chance as it has annoyed me the least of the three albums.
:) meh
This album seemed very avant-garde and experimental. There were a few songs on it I did not like at all, but most were okay and I loved the two penultimate tracks in particular. Also, while I would say I didn't really like the album as a whole, I can appreciate all the work that must've been put into it and all the interesting, new sounds I heard in each song. In fact, every song had a really cool soundscape of its own. I also enjoyed the meaningful lyrics. I also want to praise "Kissability" for being so forthright in what was probably a controversial song for its time! Overall, not a bad album. Most of the songs were pretty lengthy and I can tell it was a work of love.
too many lyrics, a little same samie
This is my third Sonic Youth album and I haven’t even gotten 30 albums yet?? This is obviously good, but it’s never reached me like my favourite Sonic Youth albums, maybe someday, but it still didn’t today.
Honestly it's way too long an album. Just going on and on. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the instrumentals but I feel like too much of it is a bad thing; songs are unnecessarily long and the music isn't exactly blowing me away. 6/10.
Obvious take alert: this would be a great single album. Silver Rocket, Teenage Riot and Eliminator Jr are all immense. It starts and ends in great style. However, the middle of this ('sides' 2 and 3) is not their best work, although it does point towards their more commercial Geffen material / phase. Generally not a fan of the Ranaldo vocal tracks (on any SY album), and that holds here with Hey Joni. Half an excellent album, so 2.5 stars.
Good
Kinda mid. Listened to it while lifting. But I already knew that I don’t love Sonic Youth and that’s ok.
Very mixed on this, quite liked Teenage Riot and Total Trash and the sound is right along the lines of where my taste sometimes go, but some of this experimental noise material doesn't land with me. 2.5 stars for me.
Another listenable album
Not really my thing
These guys always make me feel like I’m missing something, like I’m not cool enough to get what they’re going for
Sunday up for liv, exiles, liked the vibes, sunday drinking is bleh, home and tired then dawsons ($10 cookies bleh), and park to call in cloudy, home and tired, begin interviews awkward and nervous, not sure about change
Un bon album de sonic youth . Dans leur best 3.75
I've tried to get into Sonic Youth a few times and although I generally do like them, it's never really clicked for me. That aside I did like this album
Standard 1988 post punk. Ok. not more
This is my 2nd Sonic Youth album and I did not enjoy it as much as the first. Too long and not that interesting to me musically. Definitely could have been half the length and had more impact on me. 2.5/5
This must have influenced a ton of bands, for some reason the one that jumped to mind was Nada Surf. It was hugely long, and a bit noisy, but mostly worth a listen.
Alright. I didn’t give this one the closest listen, but it’s cool
So incredibly mediocre I upped it from a 2 to a 3 because I am so impressed with its unwavering ability to be benign
3-4 star
Nice one
Ok in parts
first song is amazing, teen age riot. I love the sound of the song, kind of lo-fi which I love. I'm excited to listen to this album. teen age riot is the song I could live in. the album is good but long, the songs are too shoegazy for my liking and can be hard to follow but it is overall interesting to listen to. maybe this just affirms that I need a melody to songs but I'm not so stringent that I can't appreciate it
Need more time with this one
Teen age riots- not quite an anthem, bit too laidback for the subject matter Silver Rocket - instrumental pretty insane👍 The sprawl- long outro which made me feel nothing 'Cross the breeze- like the Guitar work more on this track👍 Eric’s trip- sounds pretty cool👍 Total trash- very interesting but not I would want to listen to often. Again quite long, maybe for good reason Hey Joni- this is a well put together song, I don’t really connect to it Providence- this isnt really a song, just random shit Candle- all a bit obscure, enjoyable 👍 Rain king Kissability-👍 Wasn’t very focused on this today, might be worth relisten at some point 3/5
Bueno, estaba bien pero no lo escucharía de nuevo. 3.5-
A little overwhelming in total. There were some actually catchy songs with what seemed like classic alternative arrangements. There were other songs that were a complete assault on your ears. Loads of distortion and trebly noise. Lyrics that are intelligent and different, but sung in an almost chanting way. I can see the appeal, but it’s not an album or a sound I’m going to be very interested in going forward.
Plain af
It was OK.
Listened Before? N So Sonic Youth is a band I've heard much about (being a GenXer), but I have never listened to. Now I see what the hype was. They were basically making the music that would become the hot alternative rock of the 90s, early. All this with very little fanfare. That being said, they were a little bit experimental on this album, and their average 6-7 minute song length put me off. Overall not bad, but I understand why they never gained the notoriety of some of the bands that made catchier music. Side note: "Total Trash" is exactly that. At least they were self-aware. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Silver Rocket
Cool
Yea not bad
Could be a 4. Could be a 3. 3.5. Round down due to how fucking looooong the album is.
Really like the sounds
I still don't love Sonic Youth's music, but this is a likable album with some good moments.
Very punk
Daydream Nation is a decent listen, mostly when there's no vocals, but it creates a fairly interesting and consistently engaging sound, nothing groundbreaking but it's good. 3/5.
Listened to this first last week, and didn't get it at all. Listened again this morning and get it a little bit. I do want to give it another listen to see if it keeps growing on me, but need to move on to catch up with the rest for now (and also to give my ears a bit of a rest, that album is quite hard work!). It's too long, but there's some glimpses of gold in there once you dig a bit deeper, it's not accessible by any means but I will certainly go back to it. 3/5 for now, may well update to a 4 in a few more listens time.
Kinda good but just off putting and not for me
I liked this a lot, but too many of the songs sounded the same and were too long
I gotta say what said in regards to their album "Goo" and reiterate that Sonic Youth band members are clearly inspired by The Velvet Underground, every single band after 1960's was too, but they are HEAVILY inspired by them, it's too noticable for me. I will say I did like this more than "Goo" but still, not as exciting and groundbreaking as I was led to believe. Not to be a cynical asshole, but I'm gonna be a cynical asshole. This album is only groundbreaking to the people who haven't listened to "White Light/White Heat" & Kraftwerk's first album, that's the kind of noise I want to listen to. 3.5/5
Very experimental and noisy, although I don’t love it I completely understand why it’s sets the foundation for other important American rock music :)
In theory, I am a Sonic Youth fan. But I've come to realize that I don't really like early alt rock
After like the first two songs, which were great, it became just like the other couple sonic youth albums I’ve gotten. Pretty standard I guess
I know I’m not a ‘music guy’ and more of a ‘guy who likes music’ because I still listen to Sonic Youth and go “…okay?”
Drugi raz na liscie material od Sonic Youth, kolejny ktory slucham pierwszy raz, wiec bez uprzedzen i oczekiwan, Daydream Nation z 88 jest piatym studyjnym krazkiem bandy, tym razem jest to o wiele potezniejsze wydanie niz EVOL, bo jest podwojny album z 70 minutowym longplejem, co go zdecydowanie odroznia od szybkiego i chaotycznego pierwszego picka jest budowanie albumu wokol jakiejs mysli przewodniem, ktora jak dla mnie zdradza sie w nawiazaniach do neuromancera, wiec tak jak w ksiazce znajdzie sie miejsce na eskejpizm w inne swiaty, czy to komputrowe, czy narkotykowe, odrzucenia nie tylko zawodow milosnych, ale takze zawodow na plaszczyznie socjalnej, wiec jako fan sci fi czulem sie jak ryba w wodzie podczas tych 70 minut wedrowki po brudnym swiecie przyszlosci, ciekawe czy cos z tego krazka znalazlo sie na OST cyberpunka, bo jesli gierka bylaby tak dobra jak miala byc z zapowiedzi, to widze tutaj kilka solidnych pozycji ktore mozna by bylo przemycic, a ta cala fantastyka podana nadal w dosc punkowej formie, ktora jednak przechodzi juz w indyjskie czy alternatywne rokowanie lat 90, ale nie boi sie jednak eksperymentowac z halasami gitarowymi, bo mocno przesterowane dzwieki sa tym co wyrozniaja instrumentalnie album, a nie brakuje miejsca do ich prezentowania, bo samo nagrywanie mialo forme mocno jamujaca, wiec zdarzaja sie kawalki w ktorych 5 minut z 7 bedzie czysto instrumentalna, ale nadal swietnie budujaca klimat, ktory narzucaja wokalnie, bo jesli chodzi o spiew to glownymi wokalami nadal sa pan Moore i pani Gordon, ale kazdy czlonek jest zlistowany jako lirycysta, nadal o wiele bardziej przypadaja mi meskie wokale na takich nagraniach, ale slychac mocny progress w zenskim wokalu, nie jest to juz takie wycie jak na EVOLU, no moze poza zamykajacym eliminatorem, na ktorym dziki wokal pelen zabojczego erotyzmu eksploduje zamykajac plyte, ktora sluchala sie wyjatkowo dobrze, czy to tylko zasluga dobrych wpomnien po neuromancerze, czy jednak jest to az tak skladna calosc, na plejke dodam openingowego teen age riot i pierwsza czesc trojutworowego endingu krazka, czyli the wonder, dwa pierwsze traki idealnie sie lacza i sa spiewane przez Moora, a wspomniany eliminator eliminuje ten efekt
It was an interesting album with some original stuff
Cool
This is mostly pretty good (aside from some intervals of truly intolerable noise garbage) but I’m having a hard time getting past the (yes, it’s getting to be a monotonous refrain with me) egregious over-representation of Sonic Youth on this list. Five albums! This isn’t the Beatles or The Rolling Stones (neither of which I think need 5 albums to be adequately represented, for that matter). There is an awful lot of music in Sonic Youth’s genre space. What a waste of an opportunity to elevate some more obscure offerings.
I've heard of Sonic Youth many times, but haven't heard their stuff before now. I wasn't really in the mood for this kind of music today, and unfortunately a lot of it didn't connect. The one song that did was excellent though, so I'm going to be generous here and recognize that it's probably a good album that I just wasn't feeling today. Favorite tracks: Providence. Album art: Very simple shot of a candle. I've definitely seen this one around, nice to know what it sounds like. 3/5
Huh this came out in 88? When I was listening I absolutely thought this would have came out in the mid 90's. Which makes me either think this was way ahead of it's time or that it had a huge hold over music for a while.
They have the 1 song
A bit too much of a good thing when it comes to the song structures on this one. The grungy wall-of-sound guitar approach means there's plenty to love sonically, but things do tend to blur together with how low the vocals and other instruments sit in the mix.
Pros: - Really dig the lead singers voice. I'm going to bastardize it by saying it sounds like bands/singers that are way younger / newer but it's the only way I can describe it. It's like punky while also having an approachable sort of Rivers Cuomo type of sound to it. - I don't know what this lyric means but it's funny to hear "Marshall stacks" in a song. This means really big and loud amplifiers in their biggest form/configuration- something that bands like this really loved. "Everybody's coming from the winter vacation Taking in the sun in a exaltation to you You come running in on platform shoes With Marshall stacks to at least just give us a clue" - I really love the spoken word parts (similar to what they do 2 years later on GOO)- like the track "providence". - I love how the second track "Silver Rocket", just stops around the 2 minute mark. It just falls apart. Experimental structure! Cons: Misc:
Never really got into Sonic Youth when i was a *ahem* youth... (i'll get my coat :-) ) Gave them a really good go this time - wanted to give them a chance. yeah, didn't love it. I can see they're great musicians but the whole thing feels, well, 'grunge' and underproduced and woolly. meh!
3.5
Nokkur verulega góð lög, en nokkur full strembin fyrir minn einfalda smekk. Heilt yfir skemmtileg, mun hlusta aftur
The nineties landed two years early. Sonic Youth years ahead of their time setting the guitar heavy template with a laid-back soft edged voice, no hair-rock roaring or screaming here. Prescient stuff.
There are a lot of elements that I like about this album, but I think other bands have perfected that sound in my opinion. I like the sound, but its a bit stale to me. Highlights: 1, 3, 12, and 13.
This is a pretty good album. I can hear so many different bands that too influence from it as it played. It definitely fits the Jam Band vibe that the recording sessions ended up being. The guitar can be a bit screamy at time and the feedback on some of the songs is not kind on the ears. All in all it doesn't really do that much for me. "Candle" is my favorite song on the album.
Not really my thing. Hard to hum along to. But good as background music while listening to politicians talk.
De va helt bra👍
1,001 albums... I have a troubled relationship with Sonic Youth's middle-class, no-wave rebellion. I did buy Goo at the time and played it an awful lot for a year or two but I've never quite bought into them like many others do. That said, Teenage Riot is a lot of fun even if it sounds a bit like an early New Order track and Kim Gordon, in particular, has some great moments on this album. Overall, even though it outstays its welcome, I enjoyed it a lot more today than I have in the past (I did buy it a long time ago but it's spent most of its life on the shelf). Might dig it out again soon. Then again, might not.
Fine but not one that blows me away
Rockin' nerds. Overlong, but still a jam.
Tämä oli mininun kirjoissa vähemmän Sonic Youthmainen levy, kuin listalla aiemmin vastaan tulleet. Tuntui vähemmän taiteelliselta/kokeelliselta kevytversiolta.
Sonic Youthin paras ja arvostetuin levy. Vaikka ymmärrän levyn ja bändin suosion, en ole oikein koskaan päässyt täysillä sisälle yhtyeen musiikkiin. Hyvien indierock-kappaleiden seassa on liikaa kokeellista kikkailua. Erityisesti tämä korostuu Kim Gordonin laulamissa kappaleissa. Vaikka levy on parempi kuin edellinen SY listalla, ei tämä edelleenkään nouse suosikkieni joukkoon. Peruskolmonen on kuitenkin ansaittu.
Another difficult one. I feel like Sonic Youth is good for one real killer song on an album...and then the rest? Teen Age Riot is a bit of a bore for the first 80 seconds but it's quite good after that and has everything there is to like about the band - pace changes, off tempos, picking and strumming, distortion and wall of sound all in one. Add in blunt lyrics and the album should be really good. I wanted to like it more, but ultimately it felt too uneven. I'd say I really enjoyed about every third song (The Sprawl, Total Trash, Candle, and The Wonder/Hyperstation - they blended together) but the rest was sort of meh. Maybe the songs were too long (i.e., self-indulgent). I listened to it a bunch of times too, over a week. Super talented but I just couldn't get there. Makes me feel bad as an alternative rock fan but that's my conclusion.
I feel like I'm right at the intersection between the Velvet Underground and indie bands that followed like Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene. This album is a little too distorted and noisy for my delicate sensibilities, but the melodic instrumental stretches are nice.
Better than the last Sonic Youth album I had on here (Goo) but not one I can see myself coming back to. Too long to hold my attention. Teen Age Riot is a banger though.
Een hele zit. Hier moet je toch met iets meer aandacht naar luisteren. Dat lukte deze keer niet. Maar voordeel van de twijfel en dus 3 sterren.
Niet alle nummers zijn even goed, maar over het geheel is dit een van de beter beluisterbare Sonic Youth albums. Hier zijn het nog voor het merendeel echt nummers met een kop en staart, ipv eindeloos gepiel en gefeedback. En ook Kim Gordon's zang is hier nog best te pruimen, in tegenstelling tot het bronstige gehijg en gesteun op latere platen.
Better than I was expecting
Very minimal exposure to Sonic Youth beforehand. Probably better after a few listens.
teen age riot is well known but unlike melvyn im not into teens anymore
Was okay, not a big fan
7/10
Interesting sound although a little harsh for my taste
Probably need to come back to this one. It should be up my alley but it just seemed one-note and on the nose. Maybe that's the point. Teenage me would have loved this.
Hurtigt, råt, godt! Trods det amerikanske islæt, stadig godt.
Ahead of its time but clearly an inferior album to what they create later in their career.
Just too messy and unremarkable to be anything more than average
Quite heavy on the distortion, would like a little respite every now and then. Anger seems to bleed into the performance, sending decently composed tracks into bustops full of nuns.
not bad
I was surprised how much I liked this album and is another one that was way ahead of its time. The vocals were weak for me and prevented a 4 start rating
Great early grunge sounds supported by solid music throughout but I’m a sucker for vocals and both male/female leads are lacking. Great instrumentals, good variety of sounds, decent garage band lyrics.
This album is alright, I guess average. It doesn't sound bad, I just feel like most of the songs sound similar and it goes on for 70 minutes.
I think of Sonic Youth as a band that the kool kids were into. I get it, there is a lot of fun in the driving tempos and guitar work. I found myself enjoying quite a bit of the album…but not all of it. Perhaps it is my lack of youth, but the extended instrumental breaks and noise solos were a turn off for me.
This is a band that I've seen on other people's T-shirts but I've never really listened to. And now I've listened to them. It's not at all that I disliked them. Not at all. But I can't really say that I liked them either. The music is fine but didn't make me feel a lot of feelings: good, bad, or otherwise. The instruments are standard rock band. Songs are melodious but not really pretty. A lot of the singing is more like pitched talking or yelling. And again I'm not saying this is bad, just not for me. Here are the songs that I appreciated: Teen Age Riot, 'Cross the Breeze, Eric's Trip, and Total Trash.
I enjoyed listening to DAYDREAM NATION for the most part. The album combines punk with some catchy pop melodies and a lot of instrumental experimentation. The experimentation sometimes come off great, but there are a number of places where the songs and experiments go on a little too long. Still I did like a lot of the music. Some of the standouts for me were: "Teen Age Riot" - loved the opening and it is catchy "The Sprawl" - especially the ending "Total Trash" - except the ending (experimenting was a little too long) "Candle" - pretty good with some catchy lyrics "B) Hyperstation" - this one is interesting and I think at times would not be among my favorites (along with the other two in the trilogy at the end) -bordering on too much - but I appreciated the odd tunings, lyrics, and crazy sounds they were getting out of their instruments At times I found myself wishing that the distorted, fuzzy guitars were cleaner and let the melodies shine through a bit more. I found the listening experience better on higher-quality headphones than on speakers. The fuzzy guitars came out better and I was able to distinguish more subtle bits of the music. This seemed equally true playing on quality computer monitors, home stereo or car stereo. This album is definitely ambitious and really feels like it was clearing a path for a lot of 90s music. DAYDREAM NATION likely won't become a regular listen for me. Still I very much appreciated the opportunity to make its acquaintance.
Quite powerful, but prob won't listen again
Kind of droning one-note. Pretty typical of the genre.
Every song almost sounds good.
So…I gave it 2** initially, which is wrong. But is it a 4****? Maybe not yet for me, could do with more hooks. But interesting and I will listen again.
I can totally see why people would enjoy this (I might well have done so myself back when it was released) but it's not for me, I'm afraid.
So, this is our first of 5 Sonic Youth albums! This one reminds me a bit – believe it or not – of Hawkwind, the way they lay down a riff and stay with it for a long time – though Hawkwind had a crisper guitar sound. Lots of dark energy and good lyrics. The lead singer(s) sound at times like Lou Reed and/or Iggy Pop. I would give it a higher mark without the long-drawn-out guitar feedback endings, though I know that’s is their shtick.
Moments of greatness, moments of droning that is grating to my ears.
I have a couple sonic youth CDs, bought used well after they were in their prime. I've listened to them here and there but nothing has ever grabbed me. I think this record is consistent with that. This is a band that people assume I love because I'm in FAWNN. Not true. But there are moments. I see this record was made in 1988. That's impressive and refreshing. In the context of all the shit rock music being made in 1988, I'm thankful.
If you're going to be a punk band, keep your songs in the 2-4 minute range. There's no need to "explore" these songs and drag them out to 7-8 minutes. Having said that, the ones the fell around 3 minutes, I actually enjoyed. Hey Joni, Candle, Kissability - pretty good stuff. The other songs were mostly great punk songs, just broken up with a bunch of unnecessary nonsense. I can definitely hear how they influenced 90s punk/rock though - I'll give them that.
I've already had Sonic Youth Goo come up earlier, so my reaction to this is similar. I'm not wild about "noise rock", but I see the influence on bands that came later. I like Goo better than this album, but just barely. 3.2/5
Great to listen to for historical reasons but I'd probably need some more time with it to fully appreciate the musicianship. Don't fret, I'm as dissapointed as anyone given how much I was looking forward to listening to this album.
All the things I like about Sonic Youth are here, but then there's sort of twice as much as I actually want? I love any band that can make noise entertaining and Sonic Youth has given me some of the best noise I've ever heard. Still, this one does go on a bit.
It’s just okay.
Meh, ei silti mitään paskaa.
Leuk album. Lekker voor in de auto of op een festival.
Never heard this one before, I liked those rhythm changes and themes but it drags a bit
Not as good as Goo
Really good album…tad too long. Almost 4 stars but I’m going with three
Would really give it a 3.5 - 3.75. Good rocking album that wears its influence on 90's grunge on its sleeve. Does it belong on the list? YES Average: ★★★ 1. "Teen Age Riot" ★★★★ 2. "Silver Rocket" ★★★★ 3. "The Sprawl" ★★★ 4. "Cross the Breeze"★★★★★ 5. "Eric's Trip" ★★ 6. "Total Trash" ★★ 7. "Hey Joni" ★★★ 8. "Providence" ★ 9. "Candle" ★★★ 10. "Rain King" ★★★ 11. "Kissability" ★★★ 12. "Trilogy: The Wonder" ★★★ 13. "Trilogy: Hyperstation" ★★★★ 14. "Trilogy: Eliminator Jr." ★★★★
Non ho mai sentito un album dei Sonic Youth per intero, questa era la prima volta. Non mi sono dispiaciuti, ma è come se le mie orecchie siano un po' sature quando si tratta di queste cose. Forse sto invecchiando e sono stanco. Il sound è comunque molto familiare perché indubbiamente hanno influenzato molti gruppi negli anni a venire. Molti dei quali tra i miei preferiti. Li ho trovati molto più sperimentali di quello che mi aspettavo conoscendo solamente le greatest hits. Voto: 3
Bland
Fun album. Early alternative.
Very aggressively punk rock, enjoyed the first half of the album
In conclusione: Qua sono in seria difficoltà. I Sonic Youth sono praticamente i padri spirituali dell'80% dei gruppi che amo e infatti quando iniziano a fare quei riffetti di chitarra zozzi e disperati io mi sciolgo come se avessi di nuovo sedici anni. Però non è un album di facile ascolto, anzi ho fatto sicuramente fatica, i pezzi come struttura mi sembrano molto "abletoniani": sequenze ripetute per più tempo del dovuto. Però questo gli dà anche quella qualità ipnotica. Il vero punto su cui sono in difficoltà però è il fatto che lo spirito punk mi fa arrivare in modo diverso anche la struttura strascinata. Cioè non è del tipo "non siappiamo scrive" è del tipo "non ce ne frega niente di scrivere secondo i canoni e non ce ne frega niente che a te non te piace", cioè la pesantezza è parte del messaggio artistico, è una pesantezza spontanea e quindi anche comunicativa. Detto questo molti pezzi suonano un po' troppo come uno sfogo personale, per quanto sincero, piuttosto che un genuino tentativo di comunicare. Mi sa che mi vedo costretto a dare un 3 anche se moralmente sarebbe un 4.
Good for a listen through. Loved the energy, at least in the music. Although many of the songs were indistinguishable. Vocals were generally lazy or spoken which kinda killed the vibe for me. Also could have done without the longer tracks that devolved into distortion and screeching etc.
3, solid grunge with a great opener.
Interesting but each track similar to the previous one
Can see how it's contributed to the evolution of punk. Punk sounds and beats but much mellower, more melodic. Almost a bit Preoccupations - ish. Enjoyed it but didn't quite feel enough for a 4. 3/5
This is an album I wish I had as a kid, for sure.
Just, but just, crosses that threshold into “nice music”
Every tune sounds almost identical to the one before it. Not necessarily a bad thing but it means nothing stands out...
Just not into sonic youth these days..lamb chops though
Tracks - Teen Age Riot Candle
I enjoyed this more than Goo. I won't say I'm in love, but there's some interesting bits in there...
noisy in a good way
its aight
Some interesting stuff in there. Great musicality. A bit avant garde for my liking though.
I’m familiar with Sonic Youth - primarily the “Dirty” album which I listened to frequently back in the 90s. I like this album - it has a solid sense of urgency - that feeling of REALLY needing to catch that flight, but for some reason there are 300+ kids in band uniforms already in the security line at the airport. Overall recording quality seems kind of muddy, and the album grated on my nerves at times. I like it / I hate it - might have been what they were going for. Favorite track = Rain King. I will listen to Sonic Youth again, but Daydream Nation won’t be my first choice.
Not massively taken by this but liked the energy and interesting song structures.
A good racket. I enjoyed it without thinking I'll rush back to it or remembering any tracks in particular. 5.8/10
Heavy,gloomy guitar based music, not something I would seek out but glad I listened to it. Interest guitars that remind me of some of Radiohead/smashing pumpkins used in later albums.
A petite dose
Su mejor disco, pero aun así me acaba saturando
pretty good, bit too heavy rock for me
I find Sonic youth hard to love if I am honest
Hatte immer ein wenig Angst vor der SPEX wie auch vor Sonic Youth, dieser vatikanischen Obrigkeit in Sachen Alternative Rock. Zu lange den Bogen gemacht um diese Ikonen und sie nur nebenher wahrgenommen; peripher rangemacht mittels Dekonsruktion dessen, was ich auf der eigenen Suche nach spannender Musik immer als Inspiration genannt bekam und nun teilweise erkennen kann (die Field Recording Ästhetik „Providence“ wird ein Jahrzehnt später ein GY!BE Markenzeichen). Ihr Noise Gewand durchwirkt ein klarer Popfaden. Ich vermute, es gibt sperrigeres Material, aber „Daydream Nation“ will bei allem Gezerre und Gezeter schon sehr gefallen. Ein durchaus erstaunlicher Spagat, aber so viel Ehrfurcht früher herrschte, so wenig Begeisterung kommt nun auf. Wovor man sich als Kind fürchtete, provoziert heut nur ein nachsichtiges Lächeln Furchtlose 3.0
Merke, wie wenig ich mich mit dem Gesamtwerk von Sonic Youth auskenne. Wirklich gehört habe ich eigentlich nur die hier, Goo und Dirty. Und würde sie im persönlich Ranking umgekehrt platzieren. Hier gefällt mir (natürlich) Eric‘s Trip am besten, The Sprawl am wenigsten. Weitere Ausführungen spare ich mir für die (hoffentlich kommende) nächste Runde Sonic Youth. Vielleicht bin ich dann noch mehr Fan! 3,4.
Background Rage, but it has its place
"Teen Age Riot" "Silver Rocket" "Candle" "Providence"
Ok album
El sonido estaba ahí antes de la explosión del grunge. Les faltaba tal vez una visión más comercial, canciones más cortas por ejemplo. Creo que como artistas les daba igual. Se deja escuchar pero no creo que sea algo para tener en bucle.
It’s was fine… some good tracks and some that didn’t do anything for me
The drummer was the only thing that really saved it for me
This was okay. Second album by Sonic Youth which is a bit disappointing. I guess there are a number of artist repeats on here which is surprising to me given over a hundred years of the world's music but whatever. It was about the same imo as the last one.
i have mixed feelings. it’s cool but also just sort of sounds like noise? i might have to try some more from them.
Pretty good. Not a huge fan of the dissonant/noise stuff but I do appreciate some of their music.
"Teenage Riot" is an all-time favorite of mine. Great start to the album but the 2nd half is leaves something to be desired.
Fav song: Eric’s Trip
Liking the straight-ahead indie punk thing they do. "The Sprawl" made me think of Parquet Courts, esp that talk-singy thing at the beginning. Started to get long and repetitive about halfway through. Getting worn down by the consistently dire vibe. Really starting to hate it toward the end - if it ended 5 songs ago I might have rated higher.
Not really my thing, but there are some fun songs and interesting sounds in here. They definitely have a different sound which is somewhere between alt rock and punk.
Enjoyable besides the obnoxious vocals
Not bad, also not memorable.