Dirty

goed tot zeer goed

Interesting guitar noise. Some good songs underneath but the vocals don't always grab me.

Not my cup of tea, at all. The guitars were grating most of the time and I'm not sure there was a single song I enjoyed on the album.

Okay, ich mag das alles. Ich finde alles gut. Meine Ohren sind geschädigt, ich finde alles gut. Meine Nerven flattern, aber ich finde alles gut. So geht es mir bei Sonic Youth immer. Hier heißt das Spiel: kann man Sonic Youth ins Alternative Model pressen? Klingt zumindest stark nach Butch Vig bzw. Garbage, die er ja ganz stark mitgeprägt hat, und die Stimme ist nah und roh wie bei Nevermind, weil, oh, Butch Vig. Und die spacig-aggressiven kennen wir von den Smashing Pumpkins, oh ja, weil Butch Vig. Und trotzdem ist das einfach ein Sonic Youth Album, hier vor allem wegen Kim Gordons Lyrics und der Weigerung, anders als schlecht zu singen.

Sonic Youth war bis hierin eine Band die ich nur vom Namen kannte und immer dachte: Gefällt dir bestimmt. Ist auch genau so. Der Blick auf die Jahreszahl der VÖ hat mich dann doch überrascht. Spannend, dass es Bands gab, die das Anfang der 00er in ziemliche ähnlicher Form als "neue Alben" präsentiert haben. Freue mich schon auf das andere SY Album, das hier bald ansteht.

Album #278 Sonic Youth: Dirty Sonic Youth are a band which just oozes cool; no other band makes me wish that I could be sitting outside a 711 on my skateboard in the early 90s more. I, like many others, was introduced to the band through their album Daydream Nation, which to this day holds one of the greatest songs I’ve ever heard, Teen Age Riot. Such is the case for many raw and harder bands though; once they finally perfect their sound and release their magnum opus, they tend to start trending more mainstream. Dirty is definitely a more run-of-the-mill rock album than Sonic Youth’s early work, sounding like fairly typical alt-rock and even grungy at times, but I do think that this sound actually works for the band quite well. It won’t blow you away like a Daydream Nation, but it is still a well above average rock album, and maintains Sonic Youth’s signature charm. However, if I’m going to listen to a Sonic Youth album in this style, I’ll probably opt for Goo. Best Songs: Sugar Kane, 100%, Purr Worst Song: Shoot Score out of 10: 7.5

This has been such a pain to listen to

(3/5) Man, this is what the 90s sounded like. I distinctly recall hearing Sonic Youth but I never really got into them. I think it was just question of my tastes being a bit out of alignment with their style. They leaned heavily into noise and as I've discovered on this project, that's something I have a limited amount of patience and a palette for. I don't begrudge them this because underneath that noise is some decent grunge rock. This album landed at a 3.5 for me, but I'm rounding down because of the more artsy/noise stuff that is just no longer my jam. If you had caught me 30 years ago with this, I know I would have liked it more. But, WHY does Sonic Youth have **5** albums on the list? Really?? Sure, one or two, but FIVE? Are they really that essential, or is this just another Dimery special?

As a grunge kid at heart, I've tried a few times to get into the Sonic Youth and just can't quite get over the hump. It's like if Nirvana and Hole (and Screaming Tres and Dinosaur Jr. and the list goes on and on) had a predecessor with an almost intentionally unpolished sound that those artists later emulated and made listenable. The elements are there, and I have no doubt that behind the layers of distortion and noise in each of these tracks lies a banger of a song just struggling to get out. And the craziest part is that this 1992 album actually sounds MORE polished than their other stuff that I've listened to, and has even had the benefit of being influenced by several of the bands that it influenced. All that to say that this one lands at a 3.5/5 that I really want to like more than I do, and am rounding down because I don't.

205. Dirty - Sonic Youth (1992) 9.15.26 Variety: 5 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 4 Uniqueness: 4 Emotionality: 3 = 4.2 rounded down to a 4 "I stick a knife in my head/ A-thinking 'bout your eyes/ But now that you been shot dead/ I got a new surprise" I wish the generator was a little bit less random so that we would get albums from multi-entry artists in chronological release order as they came up. I think it would really shine a light on the evolution of these acts and make the milestone developments easier to track. This goes double for a band like Sonic Youth, who I think a lot of people, if they've heard them at all, have only heard selected tracks, and then only the more polished, radio-friendly ( as much as they get) stuff. And because these tracs are pretty spread out amongst their albums, it can make for some expectations that clash pretty hard with the reality, which is that these guys, as innovative and experimental as they were, have a very slow musical evolution. In my opinion at least. Like listen to any two albums that came out in a row and you can barely hear much change in the sound and vibe, but even between their first ( EVOL) and last that I've heard ( Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star) there is so much carryover, and they were already so far ahead of the curve, that it would be challenging, for casual fans, to place any given track in time. That said I can track the ealier, echoey post-punky, goth-adjacent EVOL sound to the grungy, tighter, and more cleanly produced Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star. I definitely first heard the band (liek a lot of people my age I suspect) via a clip from Beavis and Butthead of "Bull in the Heather", which is one of their best, and which features Kathleen Hanna ( I was gobsmacked to see that Bikini Kill is not on the list, but at least she shows up in the Le Tigre entry...) jumping around in the music video, annoying the band members. If you heard this, "Teen Age Riot" or "Kool Thing" you might expect something from the band they just can't really deliver in longform. It's been LONG time since I listened to any of their albums, but I don't expect my opinion to have moved to much. THE TRACKS "100%" - A very cool, distilled and radio-friendly version of the band's sound, and one that still manages to work in plenty of the dischordant glavor as accents. It's almost TOO basic an approach for them, and a more cynical person might even think this was a piss-take. But I think it works well to level set expectatons for anyone familiar. And if you're new to the band, then it doesn't sound too far outside of the type of thing that would be blowing up your radios at the time, if maybe a bit looser and jagged around the edges. Also, considereing the far future and end of the group, the line "But I've been around the world a million times / And all you men are slime" as delivered by Thurston Moore is pretty rich. "Swimsuit Issue" - Steve Shelley delivers an awesome propulsive surf rock drum beat to start us off, then the first of many back and forth vocal tradeoffs happen with Kim Gordon taking over with her iconic, breathy, cooly detached, and almost sarcastic speak-singing delivery. As influential as the band itself was, I think Gordon's vocals are ALL OVER 90s Grunge and Riot Grrrl singers' styles. This one is all about atmosphere, and feels like a "wait a minute - did you think we've gone soft?" correction after that first more approachable number. The scummy, slimy feel of the outro of this is entirely effective. "Theresa's Sound-World" - This one opens with a lighter touch, and a nod towards the more ambiently pretty noise with Gordon's bubbly New order-ish bass, and Shelley's sizzling cymbal work almost providing a psychedelic bit of undergrowth for Moore's icy vocals to trudge through. There's a very palpable build up and release of tension when verse rises and layers are added and added until the instrumental bridge can explode with into a spinning tilt-a-whirl finale, and end up exactly where we started. This is the ideal mode of the band for me. I love that they change it up, but when they get to these quieter, cooler, and more cohesive songs it feels like a treat. Also dig those guitars - Moore and Ranaldo in my mind are like one two-headed player, and intertwine and mix and match between lead and rhythm lines between songs so much that I can't tell where one begins and the other ends. "Drunken Butterfly" - What a fucking bop, right? On the surface this might not seem like a band that makes danceable music, but here we are. I mean, the dancing might just involve a bunch of jumping and headshaking, but it's got me wanting to throw myself into the pit. Once again Gordon MORE than makes up in attitude and effect whatever she might lack in traditional singing ability. Just try not nodding your head to that chorus. And the scratchy guitars on here are all gravy. I can totally see someone listening to this and being like "what the fuck is this noise?" and it would be a not unreasonable reaction, but there's such a tight structure underneath all the abrasiveness, and the melodic lines are definitely there, they're just stretched out and deformed and camouflaged a bit by the noisey decorations. This is not the kind of music that works well when you space out to it, as all the best little touches can get overwhelmed by the presentation. There's also a great music video for this where all the band are janky sock puppets, with Gordon looking like some deranged, thrift shop version of Janice from the Muppets' Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem band. "Shoot" - Some nice distortion as the appetizer here, with Gordon's menacing bass line being the main course. Which fits the dark as fuck lyrics. Courtney Love feels like a little kid playing dress up in comparison to this performance. Gordon is snide and sneering and full of a seething rage here, without ever having to go full on scream mode. The boom-bap hip-hop beat Shelley provides this is the lifeline here, and gives the song an extra snap that something more basic and rock-based would have done. "Wish Fulfillment" - The Ringo track! Ranaldo gets his lone shot on lead vocals, and a combination of this reverb heavy touch, and the bigger focus on the guitars give this one a much different feel than anything else. I'm reminded of both Guided by Voices and Nada Surf in the more emotional vocal delivery and the pounding, dirty, yet melodic guitar lines. "Sugar Kane" - Willing to bet some money that Billy Corgan must have played this one repeat more than a few times. Pretty sure Butch Vig also worked on the first couple of Smashing Pumpkins albums and Sonic Youth DNA can be found all over those. Go check out "1979" for example, and then come back. I can even hear a lot of Moore's vocal delivery in Corgan's stuff. This is as guitar-heroey as the band gets I think, with relatively clean lines, and a driving bass pushing things along. "Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit" - Just in case you forgot about the band's formative years, this one is meant to remind you. There's still a driving, forward momentum that gels with everything else, and the pre-chorus bit and especially the instrumental break are much more user-friendly, but Gordon's vocals on here are ragged and messy and very thorny. Much as I like me some Hole, this is yet another comparison where you can see how diluted the copy is to the original. At least in terms of raw power. It's just ever so slightly off-model for me that it gets knocked a bit. "Youth Against Fascism" - Love the messaging on this one, not so much the whole package. Moore's much warmer performance on here comes across as more snotty than genuine to me. That combined with the total lack of anything resembling any ear-pleasing cohesion on this drops it into dud territory. Straight ahead punk rock is not their best look imo. "Nic Fit" (Untouchables cover) - More punk vibes, with an Untouchables cover. This one at least feels more like a more honest stab at a being faithful to a specific hardcore punk sound, as filtered through their own, more accomplished playing, where the last one was just to plain and generic. While fine enough itself, it doesn't belong anywhere near the better stuff on here. "On the Strip" - After a brief detour, we're back on familiar ground. I hate to call t a formula, but as much as I like this one, it does sound like a synthesis, if not an improvement on other stuff we've found on here. I kept waiting for the explosive chorus, which never came, and instead had to settle for a middling bridge that was a poor substitute. An ideal bathroom break song ( it's also too long) should you ever find yourself at an unlikely reunion show. "Chapel Hill" - What's this? Did Dinosaur Jr. make their way into the studio? The start of this is as friendly and bright as we get on here, but then things turn dark once again when the tone drops down and we get a tale of assassination and terror, and local music scenes. Possibly my favorite instrumental break on the album. That blistering, surf-adjacent guitar lone and the tempo is killer. "JC" - relatively subdued, and even pretty I'd say, this track is a somber one. Lots of impressionistic, almost nostalgic lyrics delivered in a breathless staccato, almost spoken word poetry style on top of an unconventionally structured song made up one long verse and one very short verse. The song dissolves into a hissing chaotic fuzz at the end, and remains no less pretty for it. This is up there with my favorites on the album. We're heading for a strong back half here if the momentum keeps up. "Purr" - After the last track, this one hits like an adrenalin shot right to the heart. Exciting and energetic and about nothing in particular it seems except maybe fascination with the unattainable? Moore's in his best mode here, with the cool and almost nonchalant delivery. One of the more radio-friendly tracks on the album, especially with the more or less conventional instrumental break. "Crème Brûlée" - And as one last parting shot, the band just had to remind you they haven't entirely given into the pop world. After a finger in the eye to open with we at least settle into an almost Beat Happening-style, understated and simple bit of repetitiveness. Fun but hardly essential, and feels like a bit of a lark compared to how purposeful and arranged the rest of the album was. HIGHLIGHTS - "100%" - "Swimsuit Issue" - "Theresa's Sound-World" - "Drunken Butterfly" - "Shoot" - "Wish Fulfillment" - "Sugar Kane" - "Chapel Hill" - "JC" - "Purr" MIDLIGHTS - "Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit" - "Nic Fit" - "On the Strip" - "Crème Brûlée" LOWLIGHTS - "Youth Against Fascism" FINAL THOUGHTS I'm not exactly sure on the timeline here, but I think the band got some flack for seeming to take a calculated stab at the grunge and alt market that had aped so much of their style already. They had already been with a major label for a few years prior, so I'm sure the same criticism had already hit them, but on this one in particular I think the production is cleaner, and they are putting out tighter songs. Not all the rough edges have been filed down, and they never would be, but I think some of the reaction to it did make them take a step backwards on the next one and try to level set when they realized maybe they'd seemed a bit too try hard on this. That said, I think it's a damn successful entry, and not giving two shits myself about "authenticity" or the concept of "selling out" I think this was the right move for them. They already had the look, the sound, and the reputation, so why not reap some of the rewards that all those younger ( Kurt Cobain, to use him as a measuring stick of the period, was almost a decade younger than Moore, and almost a decade and a half younger than Gordon) kids already had. I think it's just after this that Daydream Nation started to be evaluated retrospectively as some sort of John the Baptist-like prefiguration of the 90s, and the band from here on enjoyed a kind of respected elder place in the alt and grunge world, often touring with supporting these acts they had influenced so heavily. This album is not my favorite from the band, but of the stuff I've heard, it's maybe the plateau of their more mainstream sound and a quite good jumping on point for anyone who doesn't want to invest too much time in their noisier past. This one was pretty danged solid overall, despite the saggy middle, and a few off topic excursions. The good stuff was so good, it more than made up for any slips along the way. They have another 8 or so albums after Experimental Jet Set... which I have not heard, so who knows. I strongly doubt that they ever settled into a mainstream acoustic folkie act though. Looking forward to whenever they pop up again. Possible turn-Offs might include: - dissonant, noisey, and often aggressively un-melodic segments - disaffected and sometimes purposely amateurish vocals - a disregard for whatever passed for basic grunge and alt song structures - abrasive and hot production sound - a feeling that the band's vibe has been watered down ( if you are a fan of their earlier stuff) You Might enjoy this if you: - like a bit of experimental noise rock - enjoy textures and atmosphere over a good solid melody - don't mind some artsy indulgences in your vocals - like their older stuff, but wish it could be more focused and user-friendly PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - I'd settle for the highlights FURTHER LISTENING - Teenage Jesus and the Jerks EP by Teenage Jesus and the Jerks - The Ascension by Glenn Branca - Zen Arcade by Husker Du - Psychocandy by The Jesus and Mary Chain - Loveless by My Bloody Valentine - You're Living All Over Me by Dinosaur Jr. - Pretty on the Inside by Hole - Hungry for Stink by L7 - Blonder Tongue Audio Baton by Swirlies - Spanking Machine by Babes in Toyland - Pussy Whipped by Bikini Kill - The Future of What by Unwound - Blonde Redhead by Blonde Redhead - The Great Annihilator by Swans - F♯ A♯ ∞ by Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Sonic Youth is one of those names that I’ve heard more than I’ve heard their music. They’re the band that all your favorite bands tended to like. Which makes you want to sit ip and take notice. I’m not familiar with their 80s stuff (but it looks like I will be by the time I finish this list). Here they seemed to have found comfort in being a standard 90s alternative rock band. This album was a buffet of crunchy guitar sounds. Pair that with Kim Gordon’s stilted deliver and Thurston Moore’s experimental riffs and you’ve got something that rocks. This was a sound that takes me back to nights of just falling asleep to 120 Minutes on MTV. 4/5

Amazing display of musicianship, it's noisy, it's hard and all the rage of youth is expressed and put on to this album. Never a bad moment in this album.

This sounds just like a Sonic Youth album. I have three Sonic Youth albums. I don't need another Sonic Youth album. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆(6/10) Total reviewed : 435 Already owned : 98 Purchased : 21 To buy : 5 Nope : 311

Polished noise perfection. I absolutely love this album.

Good enough album. I can see the appeal

Bardzo podoba mi się tendencja do synchronizacji tych płyt z pogodą w jaką wypadają. Dzisiaj akurat jest paskudny, szary jesienny warszawski poranek i ta płyta, swoim brudnym brzmieniem, surowym wręcz, doskonale mi się zgrała z drogą do pracy. Może nie będziemy besties, ale Kim Gordon, u are A WOMAN.

Not as good as E.V.O.L. or Daydream Nation. Sounds like a 1992 grunge album as made by Sonic Youth. I miss the more "noise" parts of those other albums. Not bad and the guitar and drumming is excellent, but a lesser Sonic Youth album.

Enjoyable art rock meets grunge, some great songs like Sugar Kane, Theresa's Sound world and Swimsuit Issue. I own this album but don't listen too often to it. Maybe a little bit too long, still 3.5 stars going up to 4.

more sonic youth today. this is their seventh album release, recorded after the success of their previous album goo, plus the incoming trend of alternative and grunge rock hitting the radio airwaves. the group managed to get the same producers who worked on nirvana's nevermind, so between what they've did in the past leading up to this album... it's very clear that they were trying to hop on that wild and wonderful grunge train. is this noise rock or is this alternative rock that's noisy? i feel like it's the latter... whatever you might classify this as, this is probably the most accessible album by the band. sonic youth to me is very smoky in sound by default, and this is probably the cleanest and most polished i've ever heard the group. also has some of the best vocal performances from the group as well... maybe because for once i can actually hear them, haha. if there's one thing that makes me a little confused, it's platforms that label this album as experimental? i wouldn't really say that... sonic youth just continues to prove to me that they're the "cool" grunge group. the group that scoffs and spits in your face if you try to talk to them. and i mean, i get it.

I didn't find anything about this enjoyable.

Ellen Paige in Juno was right, Sonic Youth are just Noise

Loved this one. Guitar and drums in particular were especially great.

They are punk meets grunge with a little metal thrown in. I enjoy the overall message but its just a little too grungy metal for me to really love. 20 years ago I would have loved it though. There are also some pretty sweet guitar solos.

This is our fourth Sonic Youth album, and I'd probably rank this at the top of what we'd had. Does that mean I love it? No. I haven't been able to really get into these guys, hard as I've tried. But this is pretty rockin' and I can actually understand them. Purr was my fave track.

I think this is the most I’ve enjoyed a Sonic Youth album of the few we’ve had on 1001 albums so far. It seems like a good balance between noise-rock and proper song writing. Though no one track stands out in particular.

Grungy. I like grunge. It was my era but somehow I did not know Sonic Youth that well. I liked but didn’t grab me as much as I hoped.

Tätä kun soitti töissä taustalla niin piti jossain välissä kurkata et mitäs helvettiä tää on ja toivottavasti loppuu kohta. Oli siellä joku ihan ok viritelmä välissä

Naislaulaja kuulostaa välillä laulaessaan siltä kuin olisi samalla vääntämässä paskaa. Muuta ei jäänyt tästä mieleen.

Oon mää tätä yrittänyt joskus kuunnella, mutta ei oo lähtenyt. Vaikee sanoo mikä mättää, varmaan jotenkin niin LAKONINEN meno. Voi myös olla, että kun pändi kikkailee vireiden kanssa niin ei tällaisen popparin korvat ymmärrä ja hyväksy. Niin kauan kun ei lähe niin ei lähe ja ei pysty sitten hevosteleen arvosanan kanssa.

Aika sekavaa menoa, en oikein saanut mistään kiinni.

Quite enjoyed this in a non-serious sort of way. Nothing particularly marvellous going on, but quite fun to just have on in the background.

Yet another great album I missed. In some ways, it's like "Never Mind" part two. I've listened to Goo quite a bit, which is much rougher around the edges, Butch Vvig really makes a difference.

Bien

I had way more fun with this than Goo. Steve Ranaldo is the underrated MVP, Wish Fulfillment is one of the best tracks here.

Fake Velvet Underground crossed with fake Stooges, made even worse by lyrics and singing that dial up the level of pretentiousness to 11.

Another great Sonic Youth album

Solid, a clear 2.5 could get to 3 on maybe more listens.

I'm on my second listen through today, and "Theresa's Sound-World" has drawn me in both times.

Never got into them but it's decent.

Far too alternative rock for me.

poop

This is ok - Kim Gordon’s vocals, though, are not and really drag down what might be quite an interesting alt/almost grunge album.

I really don't like Daydream Nation (and I have tried), so I had low expectations going into this one. Color me surprised over how much I enjoyed it.

Great album.

This might be my favorite of all the Sonic Youth albums I’ve had on this list. Still think they’re just missing something to put them over the edge.

I'm coming to terms with the fact that Sonic Youth may be one of those great bands that don't connect that well for me. Teenage Riot is a cool song but it's on another album.

I like a lot of what they do, but there are not enough strong points as an album for me to love it. I liked Theresa's Sound-World, and Purr

Not for me

Sum punkish, skaterish teens, antifa EDIT: i love the album and the singer

This simply isn't my thing I'm afraid. I appreciate that they're doing something a little different but I find the unique aspects grating. I can perfectly imagine someone who is into this but that person is sadly not me.

It's a vibe for sure - musicality its impressive with drums that just DRIVE..but the album also DRAGS

OK

I like wish fulfilment but not the biggest fan. 3 stars for me

Preferred this far more than the other Sonic Youth album. Maybe they are growing on me.

Much better than the last Sonic Youth album

That was a mixed bag. I didn't care for most, but some were annoying (due to screaming or noise.) I really liked Theresa's Sound-World, Wish Fulfillment, Sugar Cane, Chapel Hill and Purr. Chapel Hill is the best song on the album.

didn't click for me. Sounded dirty I guess. Found it a bit of a slog to get through. Think I heard the Smashing Pumpkins somewhere in there. Not for me. 3/10

i have of course heard of sonic youth, but had never listened. Turns out I like sonic youth! I can definitely see their influence on grunge and experimental rock

I've bounced hard off of other Sonic Youth albums, but this is pretty great. The tracks with Kim Gordon singing are the better ones, imo, but whole album is solid. Regardless, justice for Nardwuar.

Hat mir gut gefallen. Sollte mich wohl mal mehr mit denen beschäftigen.

Fand ich richtig gut

Tolles Album, eines ihrer zugänglicheren. Nicht mein Favorit von ihnen, aber höre ich gern.

Smells like the cheapest weed and Sean's bedroom. Instant teleportation to another time.

Very good

This is album 739 for me and it’s the closest I’ve come to quitting the project. 66 days since the last hip-hop album. This is the fourth Sonic Youth album I’ve been delivered. That’s…I mean…come on. This is obviously an important album but Jesus Christ. Always…this album is great.

Raw and cohesive. Mix of singers is nice. Not really my sound, but I appreciate what's going on here. 3 rats.

Don did ya dirty

Music theory is made up anyway. 3.4

Great

Yeah

Cooler than Nirvana? Certainly less radio friendly.

Didn't like this. Most of the time was just noisy, like a group of kids got together with their parents instruments and were banging around

Loud and hectic, but that's pretty much the point. The album sets up a load of interesting things, but I will never enjoy the vocal style of Sonic Youth. Quite interesting to have two lead singers, and neither of them really being a strong point.

Thurston and Kim go grunge with good results. More Butch Vig excellence to keep this show running tight.

Five star album, it’s weird, vibes, but I love it. Solid songs, not too experimental to be inaccessible

Hér er svakalega margt töff, eins og þeirra er von og vísa.

Heerlijke grooves op deze plaat

Bloated and less poignant than Daydream Nation and Goo, but it's still Sonic Youth at the end of the day. My rating more reflects how full this album's runtime feels with songs that leave less of an impression and more space for Kim or Thurston to yell random shit. Justice for Lee (7/10, 4/5 on this scale)

Great alternative record

Enjoyed

I too believe Anita hill

really liking the amount of sonic youth lately. i get it

This is a sonically adventurous album that definitely went against the grain for its time. But, with this band, I always feel as though they're trying so hard to be ultra cool that they keep the listener at arm's length. There's kind of a remove with them and it never feels emotionally true or honest. That said, this is a better album than "Goo" and there are some really good songs on it like "Sugar Kane," "Youth Against Facism," and "Chapel Hill." There are also some real duds and this could have been single album length. A mixed bag overall.

I liked this a lot more than Goo. Its adventurous in every sense of the word; they throw everything at the wall to see what sticks, and a lot does. Damn near every song has some kind of instrumental twist I didn't see coming. The three song run of Sugar Kane - Orange Rolls - Youth Against Fascism is peak

Ofc some bangers, and very repeatable songs (with or without you). But the rest of the album slugs on got bored

Can't see myself being in the mood for this sound and putting on this album instead of the pixies

Boy - that was awful.

Some really neat sounds on here. Generally enjoyable.

Better than the first Sonic Youth album (E.V.O.L) but still just not to my taste. 3/10

Honestly, pretty cool punk record.

Just noise. Didn't do it for me.

Did not enjoy, nothing really caught my attention. Either not my sound or just a tad mediocre…I guess we’ll never know.

Correcto

3.5; rounding up. I always wanted to be a Sonic Youth fan more than I actually was. Dirty finally clicked. “100%” and “Sugar Kane” are absolute standouts—I’d happily add both to a playlist. The album feels like it’s flirting with ‘90s grunge and even the occasional sitcom-theme-song hook, making it far more approachable than I expected. Then Kim Gordon shows up every few tracks like she’s demanding we all remember that Siouxsie and the Banshees is a personality trait.

Dit grate teen my ore ek love dit. Ek moet na meer van hulle goed gaan luister

Weird switching between styles, Guitar noises on the backgrounds of songs are off-putting,

Sonic Youth strahlen einfach eine krasse Coolness aus, insbesondere auf diesem Album. Klar ist hier nicht jeder Song eine 10/10, aber die Platte strotzt voller toller Einfälle und Vibes. Ohne je groß in deren Diskographie eingetaucht zu sein mein bisheriger Liebling von ihnen.

Das hat mir echt gut gefallen, wäre tendenziell auch eine coole Band für Rock am Ring, wenn sie sich nicht bereits aufgelöst hätten.

Ich weiß auch nicht so recht, was ich davon halten soll. Der Name war mir ein Begriff (grob), die Musik bisher noch nicht. Das bisschen schnellere Spiel gefällt mir ordentlich gut. Die grundsätzlichen Liedstrukturen auch. Aber es catcht mich nicht genug, un wirklich geil zu sein. Ich denke, wohlgemeinte 4 Sterne sind eine absolut faire Wertung, auch wenn ich Sonic Youth vermutlich nicht nochmal hören werde.

Wow, der Sound bläst mich komplett weg. Wie etwas gleichzeitig so laut, dissonant und trotzdem genau richtig klingen kann ist mir ein Rätsel.

Has a rather VU feel to it overall with some extra hard kicks at times. May improve with further listenings. 3.5

Great rock album loved it

I liked it better than other sonic youth examples but still harsh and painful vocals. Decent instrumentation and a cool use of Gaze as an accent mark. Ultimately I think what i liked in this album was anything that sounded like the pixies. And if that doesn't really tell you all about my bias against Sonic Youth then I don't know what will. Lmao.

I guess I just really don’t like Sonic Youth. I don’t dislike them, though. They exist, I guess is what I’m saying.

100% Swimsuit Issue Sugar Kane Youth Against Fascism

I'm not a fan of Kim Gordon's dry heave singing. Better than other Sonic Youth albums, I did enjoy a few of these songs when I was in high school, and I recognize it's significance in music so I'll rate it higher than their other noisy bullshit and give it a 3.

Okayy

Noisy for sure. I didn't get hooked unfortunately

The movie Juno got it right when they said the sonic youth album sucked it was just noise. Could be talking about a different album, but I’m applying it to this one.

This a really cool album. Not sure I will listen again, but it’s really cool, messy, cocky, and sometimes really harmonious.

Tho a lot still delves into noise rock, way more listenable then I had anticipated from a SY album...some favorites: Sugar Kane (Clay Pigeon played it on Wake n/ Bake this morning) and Youth Against Facism.

i wish i liked sonic youth more than i did. kind of into creme brulee

7/10

This is really good. I love the guitar tones here. Grunge, but fun! Sometimes the vocal tone gets a tad repetitive, but I like it. Solid 3 album. The instrumental writing is great Liked Songs: "100%" , "Swimsuit Issue" , "Wish Fulfillment" , "Sugar Kane" , "On The Strip" , "Chappel Hill" , "Purr"

Pretty boring

Okay….

Didn’t grab me but I did like it - very high 3

Atmospherically 5, lyrically 3, musical ability 4.

Fun rock album, really good instrumentals and very good for background music. I think it will reward multiple listens

Nice

great album by a great band. I think I'd have replaced this with Washing Machine or Experimental Jet Set as more essential listening. hell of a run though. I thought there was at least one album to skip in between Sister and Washing Machine but there isn't.

Pretty much every other time a band has had five albums on the list, it’s pissed me off. Here it’s fine. Not because I believe Sonic Youth has five essential albums, but because it took me five Sonic Youth albums to feel like I’ve really embraced them. I will never admit that out loud though. It’s a secret that I like Sonic Youth. Incidentally, maybe a half year back I started reading Our Band Could Be Your Life, and I stopped reading it halfway through the sonic youth chapter because the author was so insufferable about them. They have that effect on people.

Malardo no me dio para escucharlo entero

No es malo, pero no es de mi gusto. Algunas canciones me parecieron sexys.

Nice sound. Nothing stands out. I'm in the middle on this. Enjoy the band but this seemed like a mediocre effort.

Que grupo de mierda, nada de ritmo y tocan cualquier huevada!

Another album I’m having difficulty understanding why I needed to listen to it.

My first time listening to Sonic Youth. Not my vibe with this one though I do appreciate the instrumentals

Non il mio genere, spiaze

Gosto muito de Sonic Youth, mas não gosto tanto da Kim Gordon… Baita posição difícil de ocupar. A banda é ótima, mas poucas das canções com vocais principais dela me agradam. E realmente, Dirty possui várias canções de Gordon. Mas é claro que isso é só um detalhe. A banda ainda é brilhante, com seu estilo Noise. Guitarras cheias de atitude e garra, é cada passagem linda e cada solo eletrizante. Dirty é um disco bem equilibrado, pois possui passagens bem barulhentas, mas também há alguns momentos mais calmos. É uma escuta agradável. Quase uma hora de Sonic Youth é sempre difícil de digerir. O outro álbum duplo da banda, Daydream Nation, possui composições bem mais engajantes e com isso, sua duração parece ser mais palatável. De fato, quando você chega nas últimas canções desse disco aqui, o feitiço já acabou. Mas enquanto o feitiço dura, ele é fabuloso. Ótimo álbum. Menos Kim Gordon por favor. 4/5

I like aspects of this. But I don't think it comes together for me. Though I can certainly appreciate Youth Against Fascism.

Grungy. Middle school me would've loved this, but without the nostalgia it's just okay

Oh, hehe... I'm sure there can't be that many Sonic Youth albums left. I mean, I've already had four. *checks notes* THERE'S ONE MORE?! WITH A 2.9 RATING?! WTF?!?!?

Goated

This is still so great 34 years on. Alongside Nirvana, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers at the time, this was eye opening in all the right ways. It has their most straight ahead pop tunes (100%, Youth Against Fascism, Purr), some beautiful stretches of instrumental guitar rock (Theresa's Sound World, Sugar Kane), an Ian MacKaye guest spot (Nic Fit) and NSFW furries underneath the CD tray (lost now to the CD era). It's a weird kind of paradox too - they were firmly embedded as a major label band by this point, and the presence of Butch Vig would make you think they'd be prone to the ever present in 1992 accusations of "selling out". And sure, from a production point of view they never sounded clearer and more built for radio - but you'll never hear some of the guitar noise breakdowns or the sheer feminist rage of "Swimsuit Issue" on any radio station I know of. Crazy good. I think they dipped significantly for a decade after this, but it caps off a fairly flawless 5 or 6 album run for the band.

Aujourd'hui, on plonge dans l'un des albums qui a défini l'essence même de ma culture musicale. 1992 fut une année de séisme planétaire, une époque charnière où le rock alternatif a brusquement cessé de geindre dans des caves humides et confidentielles pour enfoncer la porte des grands médias à coups de Doc Martens et de larsens survoltés. Et au centre exact de ce cyclone culturel, il y avait un album majeur mais pas n'importe lequel. Le colossal Dirty de Sonic Youth. Quand on me demande mon avis sur cet opus, je ne passe pas par quatre chemins détournés : c'est un 5 sur 5 incontestable et gravé dans le marbre. C'est indiscutablement l'un des disques les plus pop de toute la carrière du groupe, un projet habile qui lui a permis de flirter ouvertement avec les charts internationaux sans jamais, au grand jamais, vendre son âme au diable ou renier ses précieuses racines expérimentales. C'est, tout simplement, un immense et grand album. À l'époque de sa sortie, voir ces parrains absolus de la scène no-wave new-yorkaise débarquer sur une major et aligner des hymnes calibrés pour les fins de soirée de MTV tout en gardant leurs guitares totalement désaccordées, c'était un choc esthétique. Aujourd'hui, avec le recul, ce disque résonne toujours avec la même urgence électrique et la même pertinence. Pour bien appréhender l'impact de Dirty, il est nécessaire de comprendre la trajectoire du groupe. Sonic Youth avait déjà tâté le terrain des majors avec le très bon Goo en 1990. Mais en 1992, le paysage musical mondial a radicalement changé. Un certain trio de Seattle venait de tout balayer sur son passage avec un raz-de-marée nommé Nevermind. Qui était l'artisan sonore aux manettes de ce miracle commercial ? Le producteur Butch Vig. C'est donc de manière tout à fait logique que la bande de New York est allée chercher ce sorcier du son pour s'enfermer dans le studio Magic Shop de Manhattan. Le plan de Butch Vig était aussi simple que risqué : prendre ces catalyseurs historiques du noise-rock et les forcer à accoucher d'un son qui respecte scrupuleusement leur histoire complexe faite d'art conceptuel, de punk hardcore et d'expérimentations leftfield, tout en servant le tout d'une manière parfaitement cohérente et articulée. Le résultat de cette collaboration est une pure merveille d'ingénierie sonore. Les structures des chansons sont plus serrées, les refrains s'accrochent immédiatement à votre cortex, mais sous la surface polie, le venin, la distorsion et les accordages bizarres s'en donnent à cœur joie. C'est l'équilibre parfait entre l'agressivité brute et l'efficacité de la pop. Je refuse catégoriquement de disséquer cet album morceau par morceau, ce serait une insulte à votre intelligence et cela gâcherait le plaisir de la découverte sauvage. Alors allons droit au but car la véritable force de Dirty réside dans son interprétation chorale et dans la tension créative constante qui s'exprime entre ses différents membres. D'un côté, nous avons les jumeaux terribles de la guitare asymétrique, Thurston Moore et Lee Ranaldo. Ensemble, ils élaborent des paysages sonores d'une richesse inouïe, naviguant sans transition entre des moments de pure rêverie hypnotique (comme sur l'immense et rampant "Theresa's Sound-World") et des riffs d'une agressivité proprement pétrifiante, à l'image du frontal "Youth Against Fascism". Leurs interventions ne cherchent jamais la démonstration technique stérile ou le solo de démonstration ; ils travaillent sur la texture, le larsen contrôlé et l'impact physique du son. De l'autre côté du spectre, il y a Kim Gordon et sur cet album, elle est tout simplement impériale, terrifiante et sublime. Elle y déploie une palette vocale extraordinaire, oscillant avec une aisance déconcertante entre une colère féministe incandescente et viscérale sur des titres brûlants comme "Swimsuit Issue", et la douceur brute, presque gélatineuse et étrangement sucrée de la scène finale portée par "Créme Brûlée". Sans oublier, bien sûr, la frappe chirurgicale, lourde et hautement imaginative de Steve Shelley derrière ses fûts, qui maintient ce train fantôme sur les rails sans jamais faiblir d'un iota. Ce qui fait de Dirty un jalon incontournable de l'histoire du rock moderne, c'est sa capacité unique à imposer des classiques instantanés sans diluer son propos. Les singles issus de cet album sont devenus les hymnes d'une génération de kids. Des morceaux comme "100%" ou "Sugar Kane" ont prouvé au monde entier qu'on pouvait squatter les ondes hertziennes et les rotations lourdes de MTV sans pour autant lisser ses angles ou abandonner son intégrité artistique la plus stricte. L'album transpire cette dualité permanente : celle d'un groupe qui reste farouchement fidèle à sa propre personnalité multiforme tout en capturant à la perfection l'essence et les tensions des événements de son époque. C'est un disque qui mélange habilement le personnel et le social dans des couches hautement stimulantes de son et de fureur noire. L'artwork lui-même, avec cette esthétique signée Raymond Pettibon pour les visuels environnants et le travail de Kevin Reagan, venait parfaire l'identité visuelle d'une bande de rebelles qui refusaient de rentrer sagement dans le rang. Si de nombreux critiques aiment se tourner vers le passé et glorifier uniquement Daydream Nation, je pense qu'ils passent à côté de la maturité acquise sur Dirty. Certes, les albums des années quatre-vingt comme Evol ou Sister possédaient un charme lo-fi et une noirceur underground indéniables, mais Dirty représente l'aboutissement technique de leur formule. C'est le témoignage d'un groupe au sommet absolu de ses forces créatives, qui s'offre le luxe insolent de s'adresser au plus grand nombre tout en lui balançant des décharges de larsen en plein visage. Je ne me lasserai jamais de la fraîcheur insolente de ce disque et à chaque fois que je relance sa lecture, je suis instantanément emporté par cette électricité ondulante, cette coolitude naturelle et cette vision du monde acérée qui caractérisent chaque seconde de l'enregistrement. Ne cherchez pas plus loin : c'est du grand art rock, livré brut, sans fioritures commerciales superflues, et diablement efficace. C'est un chef-d'œuvre total.

It's okay and fairly representative/genre-defining for what it is, but I never got into them back then and am having a hard time getting into them a few decades after the fact.

God I bet these mfers were so tight as a live act. The coolest parts of this album are the tones that they place upon their instruments. Having three guitars on this record might be the best decision the band ever made, the songs feel so textured because of it with guitars dancing between clear echoing melodies and screeching wails. PERFECT example is on Drunken Butterfly, they make them strings sound like a mfing siren for approximately 5 seconds and it's the tightest shit ever. 4/5

I've liked the few Sonic Youth singles I've listened to recently (over the last year just by chance), and this is my first exposure to a whole album. This music is mostly a match for my interests: '90s, grunge-y, and instrumentally inclined. The music is good, but I don't like Kim Gordon's voice, it's quite abrasive (luckily she's not featured on every song).

Not as good as Goo. But still good. For me, some of it is a little too angst-y and lacks melody. But some of it is great. Love Chapel Hill. Lyrics are awesome on that one… but I’m bias as a CH resident. Tend to like the Kim Gordan songs better. Again, good, but not their best work.

I love this sound, and when I’m in the mood for them, they’re pretty much my favorite band. This is a phenomenal record, truly the peak of their creativity i think. To have a double lp that’s this solid, and having to cut down on material they recorded, is crazy to me. I generally don’t like how the best of their music is mixed/recorded, but this one sounded good too. Thanks to the big guy producer.

Sonic youth and this album specifically has a natural musical quality that allows them to make abrasive and challenging music that still sounds good. The pixies are the same way, I was very impressed with this album.

Aggressive and loud, unfiltered and sometimes unnecessarily unproduced. I wanted to like this more than I did but that isn’t to say I disliked it. I think I get the appeal of Sonic Youth now, and I understand why they’re such a big influence on people born maybe a decade before I was in the 80s. This is music to mad with and music to let out your feelings with. It’s pure youth rage and it’s absolutely great for that. I wish it was just a tiny bit more structured, but that would be for bands to come. Still great as a real founding point for the bands that would really grab me just a few years later.

Not quite as good as Goo or Daydream nation, but solid. Standout songs: Sugar Kane On the Strip Chapel Hill

It’s ok but a bit too long of an album

I just don’t know. They are always up and down and left and right so I don’t know what to think

Pretty good, and I don’t really like Sonic Youth. Little less organized than Nirvana which hurts them. Also a lot of it just sounds too discordant for me.

So this is the 3rd album by SY so far on list & it sounds like the other 2. While I overall enjoy their sound, confused as to why this is on list. If there was an album w just Kim doing vocals-that would be worth putting on here. And she’s the reason it gets a 4 & not 3

I feel like these songs would be in the Mixtape videogame

En vrai oui Mais c'est pas un favorite

Mmmhh yeees Creme Brulee mon dessert préféré Playlist pick : 100%

Between a low 5 and high 4. Enjoyed the drums and it felt like each instrument had a voice.

I love this in places but not everything works. High 3

Some great moments but not everything lands for me

Having only heard 1986’s EVOL I was struck by how different Sonic Youth sound here. In fact, how different they even sound from track to track. Instrumentally they had previously been more of an experimental Goth group but here things are a lot grungier and much more 90s. I think it's fair to say that some of the experiments work better for me than others but I’m a big fan of them retaining the rotating vocalists which continues to give different flavours across the LP. I like it when they get noisier and lean into something that more resembles post-punk.

A low 5 for Sonic Youth from me. This is one of my favourite functions of the list, making me listen to artists i’ve never listened to but always meant to. I always had a feeling i’d love Sonic Youth whenever I finally gave them a listen and yep, I love this record.

Not for me overall but definitely had moments, some very cool guitar bits mixed in there

I'm a fan of Sonic Youth, but I'm not sure why we needed another album from them - from the same time period. To anyone unfamiliar with the band, this one would sound no different than the other -4- albums on the list. Seriously? 5 albums. All put out within 6 years. Even as a fan I think that's unnecessary. I do love this album, and am scoring it accordingly, but I'm seriously doubting the choices of the book's author.

I feel after three Sonic Youth albums on this list ... I am a half-Sonic Youth fan. As I like the Kim Gordon songs much more than the other guy. Are their any albums with isolated Kim Gordon tracks? Also for a post punk alternative album .. this seems to run a little long.

This is not for me. Felt one note throughout.

Vibey

I expected to like this one more, but all the fuzz and somewhat disappointing vocals were kind of a letdown.

escelente 4.7 a primera escucha, a reserva de subir a 5 en un futuro

NicFitNicFitNicFitNicFit Might be better lb for lb than Daydream Nation, without quite reaching the same highs

Hell yeah, more Sonic Youth is never a bad thing. Honestly, the 10 years where they released EVOL through Washing Machine is legendary and one of the best 10 year streaks any band has ever had. This album is definitely on the more noisy side compared to some of their other albums during this time, but it's all great either way. Songs like 100%, Drunken Butterfly, JC, Purr, etc. are just great and stack up in their catalogue. Slightly prefer the Kim Gordon songs on this album over the Thurston Moore songs, but not by much. Only real dud is the one minute long nothing song Nic Fit with it's aggravating singing, but that's not enough to affect my rating at all. Overall, fantastic album. Not quite the statement or as good as Daydream Nation, but damn close.

3.5. Which way to go?

Nojoo aluksi en oikein tykännyt ja oli ehkä liian noisea, mutta on tää ihan kivan mielenkiintoista. Oli hyviä tunnelmallisia hetkiä. Mielenkiintoista sellaista vähän erilaista rokkia joka ei yritä okla liian miellyttävää. Parhaat: JC, Chapel Hill, On The Strip, Shoot

Dirty grungy sock puppet

Some of the music on this album is fantastic. The melodies are catchy and the rhythms are infectious. Thurston Moore’s vocals fit the tone perfectly. My only complaints are track 10, a nonsensical comedy song, and Kim Gordon’s vocals. She tries too hard to sound angry and it’s just too performative for my liking. It doesn’t feel real and for me it ruins the songs, making me impatient for Thurston to take the reins again. Overall though, it’s a solid effort. I had always thought that “Dirty Boots” from Goo was their best individual song, but "Theresa's Sound World" will have something to say about that. It reaches a crescendo of an epic wall of noise, which remains simultaneously loud, yet coherent. Overall, I really enjoyed Dirty and I can comfortably say this is Sonic Youth’s best album.

fun

Good rock but a bit too experimental for me

A little too noisy for me. Likes: Theresa’s Sound-World; Sugar Kane

++: Swimsuit Issue, Theresa's Sound-World, Shoot, Sugar Kane, Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit, On the Strip, JC, Purr, Crème Brûlée +: 100%, Drunken Butterfly, Youth Against Fascism +-: Wish Fulfillment, Nic Fit, Chapel Hill 8,2/10

Very loud, lots of angst and just not that good.

When I was younger I probably would have liked this band and indeed there were some interesting parts, but overall the sound was just a bit chaotic for my ears.

I can get into this!

Such a good album! 3.5/5 for now, but could see a bump to a 4 after another listen.

Almost nostalgic.

Definitely not going for catchy on every song but there's lots of emotions pointed in the right direction.

What even is this genre, wanted to like it

Sonic Youth are one of my top five bands. Such a solid run up to Rather Ripped and Dirty is my favorite of them all. SY were pretty much peerless at that time with Pavement yet to truly emerge. One of the biggest appeals of this album is how it sonically wanders around. Chaotic and noisy, sleazy, sincere, melodic, experimental, sensitive, and brash all fit.

meh total 4,5/10

Saw them on the tour they did to promote this album. Perhaps not their absolute best (Daydream Nation for me), but still awesome.

I really wanted to like sonic youth. I have a weird memory of everyone speaking about them when I was a kid and it being like a rebel thing to like them. But, no, it's that 90s non grunge scene but I found it more screechy and unstructured than a new era

'Sounds like the Pixies' as M. said, and I'd use that as both an accurate description and a compliment. 'Candy Kane' is a legit banger. Hit material. 'Youth Against Fascism' is a bit simplistic but... *checks notes* oh I see it's 2026 ok.

Messy, loud, bitter, silly. "Dirty" is an apt name for this. Honestly I was going to give it four stars, since this is my first time hearing it, but who am I kidding? This is the attitude I want to channel most days.

Some songs were good some were weird

Some good noise, but not arranged in songs I want to hear again

Sugar Kane

Wish I was listening to this in the 90s

Maybe its just me, but I always pair this with Goo, which came out right before it...because in my head, its a 'dirtier' version of Goo. Very song oriented, like Goo, but with some more dissonant tones that make it Dirty. I don't know if that made sense to anybody. 4/5.

Little glimpses of something decent instantly drowned out by harsh noise and shitty out of key singing.

This is the 2nd Sonic Youth album I have heard and I have to say that I am a fan. The guitars are loud and just rock as hard as anything that was out in the early 90s. Kim Gordon is the key here with her lyricism. It points out the issues with being a woman. It still resonates today. A great double album. I’m glad I heard it.

Decent album, not their best. Still solid.

muy gritones

Magnificent noise

Somehow it's so loud it nearly put me to sleep

Great album! Quite like sonic youth! This is a classic!

“Want this cup o tea, Shaun?” “Nah, it’s not mine.”

Pretty much as I expected, though it did start to improve after the first couple of tracks. But not by much.

A classic of its time. ‘Sugar Kane’ is one of my favourite tracks from the decade!

I still chuckle at the thought of Sonic Youth on a major label. Victims of circumstance I guess. Like Goo before it, this has them writing well structured songs with almost a mass market appeal for the Grunge fans, while still an element of uncompromising attitude of Noise Rock about the whole record. The fact they became known by many a heavy rock fan shows how messed up the music scene had become at the time. 100% still gets a run out from time to time, the best song from their Geffen years by far.

One of the definitive albums of the 1990s.

Had some grunge vibes at times that I really enjoyed, but all the short experimental bits scattered all over missed pretty bad

I just hate music like this.

this is more mainstream than their earlier records, but still has some grit

all i know is you got no money, but that's got nothing to do with a good time Album holds up incredibly well, some of the deeper cuts I actually like more now than when it was released. Really glad I got tossed this album today.

I always got the feeling that Sonic Youth are really trying to be alternative, man. Sometimes it comes effortlessly and it's really good; sometimes it seems forced and it's not so good. This album is one of those compilations.

Solid album. Nothing really stood out.

It rocked pretty hard, and there was lots of cool tones and stuff. However, I just simply wasn’t in the mood for this aggressive punk energy today

Beautiful guitars.

pretty good

Como 'Goo' me parece un buen disco. Ahora, mejor que 'Goo' no es. Con más escuchas le agarraré mayor gusto.

KEN. love it

It took a couple listens to get fully on board. I like the style but it initially found it to be a bit played out by the end. The second time I enjoyed much more from start to end. The noisiness creates a great frantic tone, but I also enjoyed the quieter, more thoughtful moments that give the noisy parts room to breathe and stand out. Particularly thinking of Theresa's Sound-World, I really like the slow build up to the chaotic, almost black metal-esque sections I'm a bit Selective with Kim Gordon's vocals. She's good when more subdued like on Shoot but can be a bit annoying when she does the strained thing. It wasn't enough to harm my enjoyment though Highlights: Theresa's Sound-World, Chapel Hill, Shoot, 100%

I fell in love with this album just now!

The Good: Dirty things can get cleaned! The Bad: Turns out that this dirt is hardbaked… The Ugly: Stains that can’t be removed… Fuck me that was a chore to get through. I love the ‘90s, great music in general, all genres… not as great as the ‘70s, but still… great decade. This. This was just a pain to get through. If I want to listen to noise, I can go and sit next to a busy highway, or stand outside an elementary school while it’s break-time… I don’t know if I’d rather listen to the sounds coming out of a slaughterhouse.. I guess there are noises which are worse then this album. Still, did not enjoy the experience. Sorry. 2*, and I’m being nice here...

They got it

Not my jam. Headache inducing. 2.5

5.0/10 Didn't really enjoy this much at all... thought I would like it more

This album varies from quite good to not good. Usually it is somewhere in the middle…

prima, punk

Remember listening to this, and not turning it off half way, but don't remember much else 🤷‍♀️

Better than goo

Weird and long but there's some good stuff in here. Not one that I'll probably revisit often but a good museum piece of garage band rock. Top tracks: "100%," "Theresa's Sound-World"

--100%...noisy. bass breakdown at the end is fun --Swimsuit Issue…my feeling on Sonic Youth up until today was that Moore should sing all the songs. this track supports this feeling --Theresa’s Sound-World…ominous and interesting --Drunken Butterfly...more Kim Gordon too-cool-for-school vocals. don't care for it --Shoot...two straight Gordon tracks. brave --Wish Fulfillment...the other guy! yeah, guys, stick with Thurston on the mic. the verses are nice, chorus ruins it --Sugar Kane...a pop song! it's good. okay, maybe a little too long for "pop" but it's pleasant --Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit...another Gordon song. guitars are doing cool things to elevate it a little --Youth Against Fascism...if only. nice, chunky bass. lyrics are a little direct but maybe directness has always been necessary in these matters --Nic Fit...apparently this is a cover —On the Strip…no thanks —Chapel Hill…nice guitar rock —Stalker (not on original release)…yup, it’s noise rock —JC…/checks watch —Purr…some noise rock mixed with pop riffs. track is fun but it's more evidence that this album doesn’t really know what it wants to be —Crème Brûlée…delete

Sonic Youth are a band I really should have listened to before now and they didn’t disappoint, I enjoyed both the vocals from Thurston and Kim, and liked that the sequencing allowed for back to back Kim led songs, given she seemed to have the minority in that sense.

Alternative rock. Kinda punk-y. I didn’t really care for it.

Almost a one. I've heard this referenced many times as a seminal moment in music, but it's simply not a pleasant listen.

It started better than the last Sonic Youth album but got worse as it went on. I'm all for noise rock but some of this is just so bad and annoying

This is not my thing.

This is a rock group out of New York, and the music here is rock and hard rock. The song titles are better than the music. A few of the tracks might be ok if I heard them a few more times, but no thanks.

Not my vibe, although cool that there are multiple singers and one is a lady. Also cool that they have an album called "Goo". And I presume I align politically. However, I got an MRI today and this felt less melodious.

No me gustó el estilo de rock

Would listen again. In fact, did!

I know and like this album cos I have it. Proper diRty and grungy. Teresa's sound garden is a cracking tune.

Sonic youth are good enough to make music that could be really good to listen to, but instead they do weird shit and she starts singing likes she’s constipated.

I think this is a good album, one of many Sonic Youth released! Not sure this would be my top choice, though.

Great album. A good mix of experimental, noise and rock.

Great. a bit long, and I think I prefer their early stuff. But still enjoy this a lot. Good motorcycle album too

22 years ago a friend’s older brother gave me 4 CDs on the same day. Sonic Youth’s Dirty, Slint’s Spiderland, My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless and Mogwai’s Happy Songs for Happy People. Ben - thanks for changing my worldview. I should really message you. It’s been a while.

Reading all the 1 star reviews is hurting my head. Learn how to give better criticism than "iT's JuSt NoIzE!!!1!1!111!!!" please I BEG of you.

5 Stars. Noisy. Buzzy. But still with a pop sensibility. ‘100 Percent’ and ‘Sugar Kane’ are standouts, as was a off-kilter cover of the New York Doll’s ‘Personality Crisis’.

Solid album if you want to hear their prior noise-rock stylings at a higher quality level, but they're really not selling themselves as a band with diverse enough offerings to earn five spots on this list. Still good, though

Theresa’s sound world : jolie mélodie L’ambiance de l’album est mélancolique et fonctionne bien, donc l’album se tient et les chansons sont complimentées dans leur ensemble L’album devient finalement assez répétitif. Les voix lassés… lassent, au bout de 40 min Ça va, ça se relance assez vite et on a à nouveau de la variété au 2,3 de l’album Chapel Hill : superbe ! JC : enivrante aussi Vers la fin vraiment ça s’arrête pas les bons riffs

Whimsically titled guitar and drum heavy post punk. Relatively agreeable.

Noisy

one reviewer listened to this album and still typed the words "there's not a lot to dislike about this album" unironically. My only advice to you is to ask your doctor if Vraylar or Prozac may be helpful for you.

The mixing and production on this was so awful I’m not sure what the music was actually like

So irritating - couldn't get through a single song. Once he starts singing.....

Strong songs all the way through, and much poppier than some of their other albums. The best songs on this are Kim's I think.

Feels like 90s rock.

Hard to understand how they got 5 albums on that list. Definitely not their best album. Some good stuffs but way too diluted.

Once i'm through all 5 Sonic Youth albums, i'll probably have 10 songs that I like to make up a good album. This had 2 songs I enjoyed; Theresa's Sound-World and JC. 2.5.

I love Sonic Youth. I think they’re probably my perfect band, if not being my absolute favourite. Experimental, strange, weird, unconventional, but all makes sense. They arent some sort of mad noise rock band that makes no sense to anyone but the purists. Everything always seems to count with Sonic Youth. This record is as great as Goo and Daydream Nation, and still has that raw experimental madness of Evol and Bad Moon. Although everything they touch is experimental. Their entire legacy is pushing things, and this for me is one of them records that proves you can push things and experiment whilst still being accessible. Guitars werent meant for standard tuning and 4 power chords… Daydream, Goo, Dirty must be one of the greatest ever 3 record release runs by any band.

First half of this album was at least as good as goo, if not better. Probably the most listenable of any sonic youth we've had. They have this characteristic tonal sound that is great but they don't deviate from it enough, really liked it when they'd do a more melodic bit before the noise came back, nice to have some dynamics. By and large it stayed unsettling and noisy, which I also really like but I'd be a bigger fan with more variety. Sonic youth don't really sound like everyone else and I love when shuffle brings them on randomly. As a full album I'm not as big a fan but it's still great.

Chapel Hill, Youth Against Facism, Drunken Butterfly, and 100% were the standouts. Lovely wall of noise, loads of feedback in every track. I got on well with this, flew by. Vivid, coherent, captivating. JC was good too. Actually the whole album was good. Go on then, a 5.

Sonic youth are good aren't they. Really like having male and female vocals. 100%, pure and sugar kane were my favourites. Not as good as daydream nation or goo for me, but still good 4 (would probably give daydream nation a 5 now)

Kurz vor zu metalig für mich aber kim gordon ist einfach Queen!!

Not really for me. Female vocals grated on me. I'd listen to one or two songs again, but definitely not an album I'd return to.

A gen-x shibboleth that I still don't quite get. Truly ambivalent: some of the music is amazing, some of the lyrics are trash. Sometimes hypnotic, sometimes just boring.

A lot of this sound just like your average 90s alt rock, not what I expected from Sonic Youth. For the band that made challenging, weird sounding albums like Bad Moon Rising, EVOL and Washing Machine, this is surprisingly normal, way too normal for my liking. Might still grow on me, though.

# Album Name: Dirty # Artist: Sonic Youth # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Honestly, i still dont see the appeal of this lot. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? No

Maybe it's because it's the first one I heard, but this is my favourite SY album

Solid

I preferred Goo but this was still goo(d)

Second SY album and still none of their really good ones, do sort it out RPG, 3 stars for “Dirty” but hopefully we have even greater listening pleasures to come. Tom.

全然わからん

Not sure how the top comment about this band being better than mine is accurate. I think I could do better than some of these moaning or vomit sounding tracks. Really not good

ok

So much good stuff on here, with a lot of variable, well executed songs

My second Sonic Youth album in 3 days. What have I done to deserve this. Cannot understand the hype with this band. Unmeasurable and tuneless. Found this one to be quite boring with no standout tracks. Sounds like a band trying to make a more mainstream album and failing

Not for me even though I usually like a bit of noise.

Really like the album and it's produced nicely without sacrificing much of the Sonic Youth ethos. I'm curious to hear the other 3 SY albums I have yet to get to and find out why there are so many. Sugar Kane hits pretty hard and I love the left turns the rhythms and songs take at times. This one could rise in estimation, but staying with:

Classsssssss act, sy, great!

Vaguely listenable, and feels longer than it is.

One of my favourite LPs and I still play it regularly. Three different songwriters, vocalists and song types, but all of it unmistakably Sonic Youth.

I had previously heard some Sonic Youth material but not this album. This is rock which pushes pretty far into the alternative category. It has a cohesive sound throughout which I appreciate. There's some substance here that I appreciate and although I am not jumping up and down, I would listen again.

They are aptly named. I didn't know "Noise Rock" was a thing, but this is definitely it

Either pretty solid or just absolute garbage, no in between. The songs Thurston Moore does vocals on are actually pretty solid. 100% is a pretty nice track, reminds me a lot of Nirvana at times. There’s some decent guitar instrumentation in there and some really cool techniques. I absolutely can’t stand Kim Gordon’s vocals, when she wants to sound good she can (On the Strip) but there are some putrid performances in this one. Orange Rolls, Angels Spit is absolutely awful, easily a bottom 3 song we’ve gotten so far. It legitimately sounds like she’s retching and about to puke at times. Nic Fit is also particularly bad, but at the very least it’s only 60 seconds. With a half dozen omissions I legitimately think I’d love this album, but the stinkers on this album are just unbearably bad.

Sonic Youth Dirty, huh? Have you tried... not doing that? Let's just wail over the music, that'll really enhance the ambience. There are inklings of good music in here, solid riffs and the like, but ugh. It's like they dumped too much MSG in their food.

This album came out in 1992, I was 22 years old. It didn't appeal to me then, and it doesn't appeal to me now. I realize why I don't have any Sonic Youth CDs in the collection.

I kind of like the sound and energy this album has, but there are certain moments that I just hated listening to. The album would get repetitive and boring and I would want to give it a 2, but then it would get good again and I would want to give it a 4. This opinion going back and forth causes it to be a 3.

The great part about this experience is that I am listening to artists I have never gotten around to listening to before. In this case, I had always heard about Sonic Youth and their influence in music but this is the first time I have ever listened to an album of theirs. The downside of this is that I may not be starting in with a good album to fully appreciate what a band has to offer. Which brings us to this album. I know this is not “the” Sonic Youth album but I also do not know if it is a good place to start in their discography it being a double album and all. It falls into the problem with most double albums in that few bands can acutally make an enjoyable double album that doesn't have too much filler. There are some songs that I like and others that should not be in this track list (such as the multiple songs where the vocalist sounds like they are literally throwing up in the microphone). I look forward to getting more Sonic Youth to get a complete picture of what a band hah to offer. With this one though I am giving it a 2/5 as the misses greatly outweigh the hits.

Some of it was a little difficult, but I liked it overall.

That's a nice cover, better than most music.

Classic

No. 172 Musically this album is good, but the vocals are horrific.

idk what you want from me.

Almost abhorrent there just was a few good moments to justify this not being one of the worst albums I’ve listened to this list.

How can you be both boring and noisy? I have no idea. Neither vocalist was particularly great. How out of it do you have to be to enjoy this? Well, I have another three of their albums to listen to in the next two years, I guess.

Sounds to me like this could be the most overrated band in the history of music.

Better than the last Sonic Youth album I listened to. Still not the best stuff I've heard, but better. Clearly influential, so I understand it being on the list, but there's a lot better stuff out there that I'd rather listen to, personally.

Aging is a hell of a thing. As a teenager I quite liked this album. 30 odd years later, I think it's fine, but it may be another 30 years before I listen to it again.

Solid album. Loud, but not overbearing. Again really enjoyed having the two contrasting vocals on different tracks. Just a really solid rock album, no complaints.

Getting teenagers depressed is like shooting fish in a barrel. The wisdom of the Simpsons knows no bounds. I've always wanted to try getting into this band. Not as a backup bassist or sock puppet stylist, (as cool as that might be) but in terms of enjoying their artistic output. Like many dumb suburban kids, I was introduced to "Kool Thing" via Guitar Hero. Actually, I stand by that game. What a blast. Anyway. Now that the sponsored portion of this unreadable review is over with, I realize that Kool Thing isn't on this record. You know what is on this record? Good fuckin' songs be on dis record. Not songs to fuck to. I think any romantic rendezvous would be swiftly terminated before "100%" had a chance to hit the first refrain. While it is true that this would only crack the "sex playlist" of only the sickest puppies out there, this album rips. It is rife with sardonic angst that somehow conglomerates a blasé aloofness with a hatred and venom that comes from caring too much. Whip out the longest guitar strap you can find and hate the man, man. I love this record. 3.5-4 HIGHLIGHTS: Max(imum) Payne 4

I thought this was cool!

Nice sound! Fuzzy and indeed dirty, but quite listenable . Sugar Kane instrumentally....very nice, the dark solo guitar .

Nice and dirty!

There’s been too much of this band. I’m not listening.