Dirty

En vrai oui Mais c'est pas un favorite

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

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.

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.

Vibey

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

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

fun

Good rock but a bit too experimental for me

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

Some songs were good some were weird

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

Sugar Kane

Decent album, not their best. Still solid.

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

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

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 those compilations.

Solid album. Nothing really stood out.

pretty good

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

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…

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"

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

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

Feels like 90s rock.

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.

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.

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.

Vaguely listenable, and feels longer than it is.

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

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.

idk what you want from me.

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.

a chunk of the songs lacked a "bite" (for lack of a better word) that made them fail to keep my interest but there are definitely a few gems here and there. it caught my attention whenever they picked up the tempo. i'm not really a fan of the female vocalist i'm a bit sad that i don't like this more because i'm sure the people who like this are really cool. i wouldn't complain about hear this playing in the background at some kinda gathering but i think i'm a bit too much of a loser to ever find myself in that situation fave track: chapel hill

Sonic Youth have redeemed themselves! On the fourth album in no less. Maybe it just hit a bit harder, it doesn't just "sound like noise". this may prompt me to re-evaluate past ratings.

Just could not bring myself to enjoy through this album. Nothing quite hooked me that well - although it wasn’t tough to listen to either.

Raw grunge/experimental rock. Hallmarks of the genre: angsty lyrics, heavily distorted guitars. Enjoy other Sonic Youth better but this is a fine album. Standouts are "Sugar Kane", "Purr" and "Swimsuit Issue".

I wasn’t paying quite enough attention to this and for that i am sorry but im too far behind to dwell. I enjoyed parts of this but the opening couple tracks were a touch too squeaky and the vocals (i think intentionally) grated in some songs. Should probably give her another listen…

I’ve tried to get into Sonic Youth before (unsuccessfully) and this time listening through was pretty much the same. Maybe they’re just too cool for me? Lots of songs started out sounding good but then lost me part way through. Theresa’s Sound-World was maybe my favourite? Maybe some of their other albums contain more delights?

The only Sonic Youth album I own - and actually purchased it shortly after it was released. Did not get it then and it has taken quite a few listens over the year to appreciate it. Until doing this list I had not listened to any other Sonic Youth albums and can now say that this is my favorite Sonic Youth album as it feels tighter and more focused. It also features Sugar Cane which I believe is their best track.

Was not looking forward to a second Sonic Youth album. That said, this one was alright. Couple of tunes sounded decent and only a couple of WTF was that tracks.

My second Sonic Youth- same sort of grunge/alternative sound. Didnt really wow me- not a bad album though. 2.5 / 5

One of those bands I'd always kind of heard about but not really listened to any of their stuff. In my head they were always predominantly a 90s band but was surprised to see they originally formed in 1981! I guess what interests me the most listening to this album is hearing who they might have been influenced by vs who Sonic Youth went on to later influence; tracing that line of punk, experimental new wave through to 90s alt-rock grunge, i.e. Velvet Underground, Sex Pistols, Patti Smith -> Nirvana

I prefer this over Goo, but it still doesn’t quite get there. There are a few good tracks scattered throughout, but overall it falls a bit flat.

- i like the faster tempo it opens with - good but not necessarily something i'm itching to revisit etc - favorites: 100%, shoot, sugar kane, chapel hill - rating: 3/5

it's an alright album. not particularly bad, but left me wanting more than what was offered. notable: theresa's sound-world 2.5/5 if i can do that otherwise 3/5

a more interesting/experimental sound than daydream nation, but not as good or cohesive love the lean into embracing noise rock highlights: 100%, purr rating: 3/5

Prefer this over “Goo”, which I gave 3 stars, so guess this gets a 3 as well! Let’s say 3.25 to be generous

Best Song: Sugar Kane. This track really shows how talented they are as musicians. The way that this song is able to play with crescendos is fantastic. Worst Song: Creme Brulee. What an absolute energy kill to the end of the album. This is an example of the exact type of song that this album could have done without. Overall: Really great musicians, shame about the vocals. I don't know what it was about the vocals, but they seemed to sit stuck between rock/punk/indie but never pushed hard enough into any particular direction to actually feel notable. I will say I vastly the preferred female vocals to the male ones. At the end of the album, I was left with the feeling that the band had only ever pressed the gas pedal halfway, and I wish I could have seen them press it to the floor.

sugar kane is a car song okay

- sonic youth on bändinä itselle vähän välimaastossa, hyviä biisejä mutta ei niin hyviä että jaksaisi päivittäiseen rotaatioon ottaa - tämäkin levy ihan jepa

I have really tried to like Sonic Youth. They’re from the grunge era. They are seen by many grunge artists as icons, but for as much as I love grunge, I just can’t get into these guys.

Aw, man, these guys again? (lol) And still not even the album that I thought was supposed to be their best one (Daydream Nation). (I peeked at the book, and it actually lists *5* Sonic Youth albums; that definitely seems like too many -- but they always were critics' darlings.) I don't think my review of this one is very different from the previous one. If anything, this tends to solidify for me that I just don't love Sonic Youth as much as the critics do. The music just doesn't grab me, and is also maybe too full of, what, angst? dissonance? jarring noisiness? for me. Also, their singing isn't very good. I don't hate it, though, so I guess I'll give it a 3. Best track: "Purr."

Škripavo i dezorijentirajuće, ali skoro na dobar način. Solidno zanimljiv album, mada malo predug. Konačno donekle razumijem šta je njihova poenta i moram sad vidjeti da li mi je prošli album bio baš loš ili samo nisam kontala.

There are some great moments on here, but also a lot of stuff which is a chore to get through. I can defo see the influence on bands even today.

Liked this one! I preferred the man singing to the woman

Yeah it's dirty, but in one of the best ways. Other than dirty, I'm not entirely sure what to call this. Prog grunge? Doesn't matter. This isn't mind-blowingly wonderful, but it certainly doesn't suck.

It’s Sonic Youth so always interesting but not my favorite of theirs. I don’t find it too essential of a listen and not the biggest grunge fan. It still has some classics on here though. Rating: 3.4

Solid, but not one of the greats.

Well, talk about recognisable album cover. Daydream Nation was my introduction to Sonic Youth (through this list) and I was kinda meh, so curious to see how this lands, especially as a more recognisable album (?) and been wanting to listen to it for a while. I feel like I would expect to like Sonic Youth more. Their rough edges, the experimentation and going against the grain, but it just doesn’t lad in a particularly pleasurable way. It’s good and different but I’m left just kind of meh. Again, seem to appear to prefer Kim’s vocal tracks (unsure if these songs are her songwriting more?) getting a similar feeling to Daydream Nation - got my fill and know where I stand with them, but still half the album to go. LOUD NOISES! (3.5)

i prefer this album when they stick to their alt rock sound. the punk attempt just doesn't work for me. it's a shame because there are some really good songs on here. but there are some very bad songs too. which ultimately makes for a bit of an erratic listen. very mixed bag. it's also a pretty long album. i think it could have been cut in half basically. like, "sugar kane" is a pretty neat song, but i'm not sure it needed to be nearly 6 minutes. "youth against fascism" is a cool song title, but unfortunately, just as he sings on the chorus, it is a 'song i hate' (sorry lol). "purr" is pretty sick though. i wish they had stuck a little more to that kind of sound. maybe there's another sonic youth album that does that i would prefer.

So far this album has a good vibe to it. Liked 100%. Wasn’t a huge fan of Swimsuit issue, but then loved Theresa’s Word Sound. Had a good indie rock feel to it. I feel like it’s very up and down in terms of style. There’s a lighter track, then a heavier track and it keeps repeating. I think it’s messing with the flow slightly. Even Shoot, with the heavier vocals, was still a lighter track. I slightly regret saying this, but the female heavy vocals sound like she’s about to vomit. I much prefer the male vocalist. Wish Fulfillment was a really quality track. So was Sugar Kane. Back to the other vocalist with Orange Rolls… ugh. I just don’t like the way this lady screams. While I can get behind Youth Against Fascism, I didnt overly enjoy the track. The guitar and instrumental parts on Chapel Hill were awesome! As much as I don’t really like the vocalist, JC was pretty good. Purr was a good track and Crème Brûlée closed it alright enough. Ughhhhh, 2.5/5 ⭐️. Like it probably deserves better but the bad outweighed the good in this case. 63/1089

Angst!

Good for first listeners Not for me this one at least

Not bad. Rate 6/10

RYM 2.5

A lot of highs and lows with this one. Moments of greatness; moments of clangers and clunky lyrics... one song, 'Youth Against Fascism', I looked up on genuis.com just for fun - and saw this exchange: AriannaHiggins 7 years ago the revolution is coming, comrades. courtesan 3 days ago 7 years later, still waiting on that revolution…comrades

It’s a good album it’s just really long. Better than the other album I heard from them.

I know it's a classic but I was never really a big listener of sonic youth? I'm in the genre and age bracket. It never quite grabbed me. I will say that Chapel Hill was a striking song and I do like the album. I'll probably listen to it again at a time where I'm not at work.

Ok

Another album from my youth. More scattergun than I remember witha huge array of song styles. Not all hit but you can see why so many bands were influenced by them

Is this Sonic Youth at their most accessible? Most mainstream? They're still doing their own crazy thing but maybe the rest of the world finally caught up with them? Nah, particularly when Kim Gordon’s looking for the notes in every song. But it washes over you in a special way. 3.5⭐️

🎧Some of these songs are very good, like Sugar Kane. Some are very bad, like Swimsuit Issue.

I like that this one is more punky and less shoe gaze dirge than Daydream Nation, this is the album that helped me get what the fuss is about. “Swimsuit Issue” is a new personal banger.

Fun, but a lot of noise.

Maybe the first Sonic Youth album we’ve had where a Kim Gordon vocal isn’t my favorite of the bunch. That honor goes to “Theresa’s Sound World”, but I don’t think it matters who sung on this one. Such a hectic, engaging wall-of-sound performance on that song. “Sugar Kane” was also worth remembering, this sounded like their effort at a single, with its relatively-digestible chorus. Good enough to get a 3/5, a stronger second half of the album was very welcome. I can see myself giving this a higher score with a few more listens. But I’d be happy to be done with Sonic Youth albums on this list for the sake of variety.

coolio

Started well enough, but the bloated length led to several average songs. Realistically, it’s forgettable.

This was a lot less smug than I though it would be given my preconceptions about the band. Much more accessible than anything else I've heard by the band, its loud and noisy yet it still feels like good alternative rock that is a steps ahead of a lot of the grunge bands that they got lumped in with. It's able to be both radio friendly whilst still feeling experimental. Take 'Drunken Butterfly' for example. Starting out as loud anthem with a lot of attitude due to Gordon 's breathey vocals, the song takes a turn when Moore' s wailing guitar brings the noise in the second half. The biggest downfall to this record is its length. 58 minutes might not be a particularly lengthy album, but this would be an easy 4 stars if they trimmed the fat. It feels like they ran out of ideas 3 quarters way through.

Stand-out tracks: 100%, Swimsuit Issue, Wish Fulfillment, Chapel Hill, Purr Most tracks are very hit or miss for me. Some I would relisten to again. Too much distortion on some and some have off-putting vocals.

Highlights: Swimsuit Issue, Drunken Butterfly, Shoot, Youth Against Fascism, Purr Love the style, but feels a bit too abstract for it to be something more than a nice one-off listen. Musically it slaps. I wish the lyrics weren't so lacking in comparison. The record oozes with cool, but alas, in the sea of other "cool" albums from the 90's this just doesn't stand out with its bland themes. Also, couldn't help but think how the female vocalist constantly sounds like she's taking a giant dump. It didn't bother me, it was just a bit funny.

It was fine, not amazing but an enjoyable listen

This was *fine*, some actual bangers in here including "Theresa's Sound-World", "Shoot", "Wish Fulfillment", and "Sugar Kane", but the vocals were SO BAD for most of the album, unbelievably grating, along with barely understandable accompaniments

Was fine. Youth against Fascism was the best track, good bass.

Not bad

Thought this would be better

Slightly depressing Experimental Grunge Noise Rock. Not really a fan. In my opinion, the best tracks on the album are "Theresa's Sound-World", followed by "Sugar Kane".

Definitivamente é um rock Nao pulei nenhuma musica Mas nada especial

7/10 enjoyed a few of the songs

Typical SY. Lots of noise. Lots of societal commentary.

As with all Sonic Youth records, it has its charms and there are some really strong songs.. there are also some that don't quite do anything for me.

We got two Sonic Youth albums in a row, and I love them so that’s fine. But Dirty has never been one of my favorites, and listening to it a day after Goo didn’t improve my opinion of it. There are cool moments (Sugar Kane chief among them), and the band is as tight as ever, but it’s missing that hypnotic quality that gets you lost in the organized noise.

Guete nami mitnenand Zrugg us de lange pause. Das album öpe 3 mal halbe ieglosst, weiss aber immer nani öbs cool experimental oder nervig isch. Glaub es isch eifach 3

Noisy, metal, rocking. Very raw and electric sound on this one. Moody guitars with even moodier vocals. The tempo is moderate, but they rock out every so often. This is a solid record.

I know you don't have money but that has nothing to do with having a good time

Again, not my typical style of music to listen to on a daily basis, but it was a lot better than I expected going into it. The only song that specifically stuck out to me was JC because I liked the women’s voice for a change, something I feel like I don’t hear a lot in this style of music. Overall, the album exceeded the expectations I had for it.

Loved Theresa's Sound-World, but skipped most tracks. I get the feeling this was important to the evolution of punk and grunge but I prefer other artists in the genre.

This was OK. I think it might grow on me if I gave it a chance. 2.5/5

Yeah pretty good

The middle ground between the pixies and Nirvana, maybe? This album started strong for me and slowly fell off a cliff. An hour for this type of music is too much.

Probably my favourite one of all the fuck ass sonic youth albums on here

Liked about half of this, and I preferred Thurston’s vocal leads over Kim’s. Some nice guitar vibes here and there, countered by too discordant noise elsewhere. Enjoyed it better than I expected to.

I'm a bit on the fence on this one - it's kinda fun to listen to but also kinda poorly performed, although I feel like if it was well performed it would lose the fun aspect. I don't know man, I'll give it a 3 and let future me decide on this one

We have listened to this at least twice and yet somehow we still don't remember much about it. There are too many Sonic Youth albums on this list.

There were some really good tracks, but then some tracks were just abhorrent. I feel like if they trimmed the fat on this album, this would have been a 4+ star rating. Sadly there is too much holding it back. 3.25 / 5

Not my vibe and too long. Mid 2

It's surprisingly melodic for a so-called noise rock album, but it also leans too close to punk, which I don't enjoy much in large doses. It's a good album though! Standouts: Theresa's Sound-World • Drunken Butterfly • Chapel Hill • Purr • Creme Brulee

Not my favorite Sonic Youth by any means but they're always solid, gotta love their edge

Better but still rough for me.

*1992. *I haven't listened to much Sonic Youth, but they're in my wheelhouse (90s alt/grunge) so not surprisingly I mostly like this album. *There are some odd songs on here (eg Drunken Butterfly) and some kind of annoying ones toward the end, but most sound pretty much the same. Decent slightly moody background music. RATING - 6/10

Among all the indies they are definitely better, maybe

I don't know what's on here that I haven't heard in the other 2 albums on this list. 3/5

The sound is interesting and raw but they feel like an endurance test and I need more variation or shorter songs or more melody.

It’s a little bit more workmanlike than their very best records, but ‘Dirty’ is still another solid, if slightly inconsistent outing by Sonic Youth.

Better than expected... A need to be in the "right mood" kind of album

i'm not a fan of noise rock so this was a sort of a tough listen. it doesn't help that i REALLY didn't like their singing. some of the songs i was just hoping it would end soon. love: like: 'Sugar Kane & 'Chapel Hill' meh: the rest bad:

Not bad. Not great

Raw. Sounds like the 90s.

medio fuerte pero interesante. 3,5

The third Sonic Youth album that’s popped on this list. Last two Sonic Youth albums I listened to for review I mentioned I’d listen to more. If I sit tight the rest of the catalog should pop up.

A good album by a great band. Daydream Nation is still gold standard for Sonic Youth in my opinion

After the more accessible sounds of 1990's Goo, Sonic Youth delve even further into early-90's Alternative Rock. While it may not as successful at remaining unique as the previous album, it still blows most of its competition out the water. However, other then the excellent Washing Machine from 1995, I can't say I'm a big fan of anything they've done after. Fitting, because I wasn't really a fan of their pre-Daydream Nation days either. Key tracks: 100% Sugar Kane Purr

As others have said, I want to like Sonic Youth more than I do. Hadn't heard this album before. Liked it but didn't love it.

Sonic Youth's "Dirty" has a distinct 90s alternative sound and a few "experimental elements" (most of them are actually intentional background noises). While bass and guitars feature a muddy low-end crunch, the vocal production is crystal clear and the drums - well, sound like standard 90s drums. Some of the songs are not bad (e.g. "Sugar Kane", "Youth Against Fascism") and I like the overall punk-attitude influenced vibe (no, not exactly grunge) so it was a nice-ish listen for me.

Kinda heavy but good

Good!!

Highs and lows

Bändi oli taas nimenä tuttu, mutta tuotantoa en ollu yksittäisiä biisejä lukuunottamatta kuunnellut. Tämä levy omi semmoista räimettä mistä tykkään, mutta ensi kuuntelulla jäi kokonaisuus vähän valjuksi. ”Drunken Butterfly” jäi ainoana mieleeni. Siitä tykkäsin.

This is the third Sonic Youth album that has been presented to me on this list. Unlike the other two, I actually kind of liked this one for the most part. Some of it is just noise, and there is a lot of musical anarchy in here, but I found this one to be more listener-friendly than the other two, which were Sister and E.V.O.L. I will give this one three stars, but likely won’t listen to it again. There is some good stuff in here, though…if I could edit out some of the selections, I think I would give it four stars. I am an old man approaching 70, for what it’s worth.

Some good tracks. Need to be in the right mood

I think that this album got lumped in with grunge-mania at the time, which is slightly unfair. It’s their seventh album, and pretty much in the same post-punk/experimental vein as previous releases. This is a varied selection of songs, alternating between vocals from Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, and occasionally descending into howls of feedback and distorted guitars to thrilling effect. Good stuff.

Some of the songs were incredible (Chapel Hill, Purr) Others had painful whining/wailing voice or really basic lyrical structure that were so borderline cheesy they reminded me of primary school poems. A way better album than Goo, but Sonic Youth just seem to have a mixed bag of tastes/sounds and only half of them are good.

Hmm, I still don't love Sonic Youth, but this was noticeably better than Sister, so I feel I must give it a higher grade.

3.1

Better than expected, had boring moments

I’m a casual Sonic Youth fan, I find this album misses the mark!

So so

3.5

This is probably the closest Sonic Youth will get to my heart. This dropped right around the beginning of HS for me and was definitely on rotation.

I wanted to like this more than I did. The music itself isn't bad and I liked the vocals but maybe I'm just not in the mood for it. I dunno. Good album overall but not quite a 4

Raw and harsh, in a good way!

I think I enjoyed the back half of this album more than the front half. Sonic youth is a little better when they use grunge sounds, rather than those songs where they sound like a Velvet Underground cover band. I gotta give them an extra star just for the fact that the singer often sounds like Dinosaur jr, which is cool.

Very good.

Grungy cool

Liked Sonic Youth a lot when I was 17, so it has a sentimental feel/vibe. It’s occasionally abrasive music but they did create a sort of influential noisy, DIY sound. I like the “commercial” songs a lot more than the artsy/noisy stuff, and I think they are more creative musicians than they pretend to be, but I would get why someone wouldn’t like it. Every one of their albums has like 3 songs i really like, 5 that are fine, 2-3 that are just kind of bad, and every song is like 2-3 minutes too long. Kim Gordon’s vocals where she sings like she’s sentimental can be especially tough….but there are still bands - many of whom are highly acclaimed - imitating this sound today, so what do we do with that?

01) 100% - 7,0 02) Swimsuit Issue - 6,5 03) Theresa's Sound-World - 6,5 04) Drunken Butterfly - 7,0 05) Shoot - 7,0 06) Wish Fulfillment - 7,0 07) Sugar Kane - 7,0 08) Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit - 6,5 09) Youth Against Fascism - 7,0 10) Nic Fit - 5,5 11) On the Strip - 7,0 12) Chapel Hill - 7,0 13) JC - 6,5 14) Purr - 7,0 15) Crème Brûlée - 7,0 TOTAL: 6,77 (68/100) Current ranking: 445/678

5/10

Para el genero (que no es mi favorito), no está mal.

Bit undecided on this one. Really liked some of the guitar parts, some really good playing. Riffs just really hit right. But I also found it dragged on quite a bit and towards the end I wasn't really enjoying it anymore.

Never listened to this which is a little surprising. Liked some songs but a little long as they sometimes were in this era.

Lotta sonic youth lately. This one came later and is less exciting than the last one I got. Thurstons voice is appropriate, but does kinda drag. Kim gordon is an interesting singer. This one does pick up toward the end. Was the fascism always here - did they see it clearer back then than the rest of us?

This was cool

Way inconsistent, and the vocals are offputting

I wanted to like this more than I did

3/5

this was fine. they really leaned into the noise rock thing more than i remember them doing on other albums.

It was good.

I always expect more

I like their stuff from earlier than this more, or at least I listen to it more. This was pretty good but it seemed too long and repetitive. It's still good though. I wouldn't complain if someone put it on.

Sounded kind of like alternative punk, I dunno it was hard to pin down, especially on the songs that just droned on. I enjoyed a few songs, but most of the album was just OK. 3/5

This album is dirty. It's raw. It's grungy grunge, and it is really sounds good. Sadly, for all its matured grunge sound, it has an adolescent attitude toward the dirty and perverse. I am no prude, but it is hard to take them seriously.

The most tolerable and accessible of the golden age of Sonic Youth and probably the album I enjoy the most of theirs, although my favorite track of there's is on GOO ("Titanium Expose"). Having said that, I never find myself seeking out a Sonic Youth album when I hanker for listening to an a album rather than listening to an individual song or playlist. I grew up with Sonic Youth fans and none of them ever listened to a Sonic Youth album all the way through, on purpose, during one sitting. What kind of masochist does that? I rarely enjoy protest songs, but "Swimsuit Issue" did resonate with me.

I really like some of their songs, but overall it's a bit noisy for me.

I like it when the woman is singing. I do not like when the man is singing. 3 stars.

I liked some of the songs. Lately all the music I have listened to has been heavy/sad. I prefer upbeat rhythm even if the lyrics have sad message. Still dint hate it.

Fuzz buzz, cat scratch fever, chicken yowls, head down, terror angst. The cool way your guitar hangs down when you play it. And don’t play it. Thurston, who else is named Thurston but Mr. Howell? Still: rock star. Kim was better. In everything.

I think I like Sonic Youth and definitely understand now its influence on lots of the music I love. But this doesn't feel like the best representation of their work.

þarna er mikið af ömmu að öskra. fín lög en þarfnast yfirlegu. aðra. 3,5.

Hørte kun halvdelen, det var ret fedt, af den jeg hørte kunne jeg bedste lide det første nummer. Min far troede det var britisk, men det er måske også lidt inspireret af det. Kan godt forstå hvis andre syntes at det larmer, føler det er en genre som deler lidt

Sugar Cane is a banger! Every other single is either hit or miss. The definition of “OK”

J - 3/5 Best Track - "Sugar Kane"

Overall a good album. Like the switching vocals between songs. Energy was good. 3/5 Might listen again

Kinda enjoyed parts of this but hated others. The more musical tracks were enjoyable enough but the album as a whole won't be revisiting

wish i liked this more

genre: some kind of rock vocal: 4/10 instrument: 7.5/10 lyric: no idea

If i didn't hate the singing, an easy 4

Great messages. Cool tunes

Still appreciate the uniqueness and different sounds they are putting out, still not sure it's for me

Not my jam but recognize it’s good

I like it. Just the right combination between noise and rock n roll. I can hear so many bands influenced by this. So it's very cool.

Going into this album, I was unsure of how I would feel about it. Though I know this album was very influential on 90s alternative rock, a genre I love, my first two introductions to their existence were from other people negative reviews--my mom, after having seen them open for Pearl Jam, and a line from the movie Juno that describes them, much like my mother did, as "just noise." I love noisy rock music, but I was worried that maybe this would somehow end up being too much. That was not the case, at least in terms of their sound. This album is certainly loud, but it also has clear melodies and hooks. The thing that was too much for me was the length--it truly felt every single one of it fifty-nine minutes, and not in a good way. A little over halfway through the album, I began to get tired of it, only to learn there were still so many songs to go. The standouts here tended to be the songs with vocals by Kim Gordon over the ones with Thurston Moore, though I did like Youth Against Fascism a lot. Overall, I felt like while I wasn't a huge fan of this album, it did make me curious about checking out Sonic Youth's other albums, as the sound itself was great. I'll give this a tentative 3/5.

Their seventh album. Grunge / Alt Rock / Avant Rock. Swimsuit Issue, brilliant track. I like how the album alternates between male and female vocals for the journey. I like the Kim Gordon tracks best. She's got the vibe down. Organe Rolls, Angel Spit is a cool track. A solid alternative album.

Noisy half-baked music.

I liked it, but it took a while to get into.

Cool album, unique, but I don't listen to this genre

3.75, maybe a 4 with time.

Same musical echelon as their earlier album E.V.O.L., but slightly more adherent to chord progressions, melodies, and hooks. The influence from other grunge bands really benefits Sonic Youth here, creating a more palatable kind of noise rock than some other contemporaries. But noise rock, at its root, is all about the passion and not about the sound. Nothing about this sounds particularly good. The instruments are all played well, but the notes and tones they're playing (particularly the guitars) are verging on noise-for-the-sake-of-noise. Swimsuit Issue is the first real offender here, though the first half of the record is pretty good overall. The song "100%" is a solid, punchy way to start the album. I would've like a melody instead of the singer kind of muscling his way through the lyrics as though he has a personal grudge. Great drumming though. Orange Rolls Angel's Spit is an absolute debacle of a song, with several completely unintelligible verses/chords of various timbres. There's nothing good and everything bad about the lyrics, which sound partly inspired by babies going through an amphetamine withdrawal. It's a shame, because it comes right after the coolest and (probably) cleanest track, Sugar Kane. The entire album is a little patchy from this point onward, with Youth Against Fascism being passable but fading into abrasive punk territory, and Nic Fit not even trying to avoid the punk influence anymore. I really like Chapel Hill, particularly its riff and the breakdown+speeding up towards the end. This is in contrast to JC, a melodiless and aimless song with only its percussion going for it. The vocals, guitar, and bass are all muddy and unappealing. All in all, not much better than E.V.O.L. (if it's even better at all). 3/5 Key tracks: 100%, Sugar Kane, Chapel Hill

I don't really know what to think about this album. On the one hand, I liked some parts of it, but others felt uninteresting for me. It's not a bad album, but it lacks of something to really catch me.

This was alright, but I didn't care for the album as much as for other Sonic Youth projects on this list. This album takes a while to figure out what it seems to want to be, and then it wanders away from that. Like many Double albums, I wonder if it would be better if it were merely edited down a bit. Favorite track: "Sugar Kane"

The album sounds like a group of youths who have just discovered sonic feedback. So an apt name then. But you'd think after 7 albums they'd have moved on from feedback as a feature. I think after a few listens this might grow on me so I'm not dismissing it out of hand. However, this project is so relentless that I can't afford it that luxury. 3

3 or 4.

This is maybe the third Sonic Youth album on this list, and I think it’s the best of the lot. Sonic Youth is somewhat of a coin flip for me. I never know if I’m going to like it or not. The last album struck me as incredibly pretentious and boring; I nearly gave it one star. This time, I enjoyed it a whole lot more. There’s plenty of noisy rock guitars that comes out swinging. The general feel of the album is really cool. It does, however, sometimes veer into noisy pretentiousness, like in “Nic Fit.” There are quite a few good riffs, “Purr” is a great example. Punky, cool, just slightly pretentious. Three stars from me. Never thought I’d like this as much as I did.

Familiar with Sonic Youth but never really listened to them. Pleasant surprise. Double album, so a few songs I didn’t like but the ones I didn’t like were more about the vocals. Both singers can come across a little harsh sometimes. Otherwise, impressive album!

(40 known/84 new)

solid sonic youth

This is not my kind of music, but i respect the creativity and i can hear the influence this band had on music that came after. The lyrics on some songs are really bad. But other pieces are really good—the anti-fascist number is right on time, these days. Respect. It’s a 3.

It's pretty incredible that I'm so far into life without focused listening to Sonic Youth. That said, I'm confident with every time I've tried and found them not really matching my personal aesthetic. I could see myself trying to emulate some of the elements of their sound. I love the bass tones. Drummer is interesting. Vocals are where I disconnect. I can see myself putting this on under various conditions but it's not a favorite. Double album of this is TOO much. I hate how out of tune the last song is.

So all the sonic youth albums are on here? This is fine but I'm just not a big fan

Solides Grunge/rock/punk Album. Öfters mal nerviger gesang. Ansonsten immer wieder überraschende und coole Momente. Klingt sehr dreckig und kaputt aber meistens nicht so sehr dass es abfuckt. Leider aber nicht ganz gut genug für eine 4 deswegen 3/5 aber je nach Stimmung potentiell mehr

I'm sure this is influential enough, it's just kind of boring. I don't always necessarily mind the mix and the dissonance of it, but it does get to you a bit. It's so sludgy and dirgy at times. Ultimately, it's fine, but not that engaging or exciting. It doesn't really deserve a 3, but I don't want to give it a 2. 2.5 rounded up.

Kim Gordon once said that Lana Del Rey should kill herself once.

Eh, it's Sonic Youth alright. It was fine, I guess? I always thought "Teenage Daydream" was the better SY album.

I love Daydream Nation, and Teen Age Riot is probably one of my favorite songs period. That said, I don’t really dig Sonic Youth all that much. I like Thurston Moore’s guitar work, he’s pretty innovative even if the sounds are often intentionally jarring. I think that’s it, it’s that noise rock that I can find some respect for but it’s rare for me to actually be in the mood for it. There are some nice moments on Dirty, and I know among fans of the band this one is held in high esteem, but I’m a long way from it clicking with me as a masterpiece.

3.5/5,decent

This grunge album is so interesting, with some really great sounds, progressions, lyrics, and i imagine messaging - grunge is angst, revolt. Always gives way to great messaging. This being said, grunge is not my thing. The sound is sooo industrial, so underground - not that thats a bad thing. This shit would go so off live in one of those brick basements. Its just not something that my ears would search out to listen to. I love satisfying resolutions, intricate and detailed progression, etc. Still, this sound has some incredible moments, especially the solo's, the riffs. They stand out between the noise of lyrics.

Otroliga sånginsatser på sina ställen, men jag fattar ändå inte riktigt grejen. Trea

Sonic Youth were always a band on the peripheral of my listening. They're good and raw, but this album is too long. If it were more focused I could give it four or five stars.

Good angsty album

Неплохо немного нервно, женский вокал

Pretty good stuff, I remember listening to them when I was in high school. It was a little more obscure then with only the more musically adventurous kids having it. Great lyrics and the music is very different. I really enjoyed listening to this album and I'll will definitely listen to it again.

Not really that familiar with sonic youth. Pretty solid album across all the tracks. None of them really grabbed me beyond a pleasant listen.

Dad- 5 Mom- 3 Mike- NA Lori- 6 Michael- 6 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 5

Kim Gordon is all.

If I look, I can find elements of this that I find compelling. The strangeness, the nonchalance, the grooves. Most of the time, though, I find myself irked by the noises (which unfortunately are sort of its trademark). Every now and then they strike typical pop rock, which makes me suspicious that they are just either pandering or ridiculing. Not something I’ll spin regularly, but I don’t hate it either.

If ever a 3 star album existed, this would be the very middle of the road in my opinion. This is very passable Indie Rock music that stays fairly consistently ok through the course of an hour play time. A bit grungy, which is typically one of my favorite styles of music, but it’s just kind of boring here. There isn’t anything particularly memorable either. I’m going to forget about this by tomorrow most likely. “Chapel Hill”, “Sugar Kane” and “Purr” are my favorites. Don’t love the female singers voice when she starts screaming unfortunately, I think the male singer is much better personally. Generally, the songs sung by him were leagues above hers. There are some absolutely killer guitar riffs at times that are very good, but the entire album is just kind of disjointed and not very memorable as a whole. Very much a 3 for me. Cute album art though. Maybe I should start critiquing the album art occasionally?? I hadn’t thought about that until now.

I liked the first half of this album more than the second half. Really enjoyed the first few songs but then it fell off for me near the end so it's evened out to 3* for me.

First listen, not my thing as a whole but parts are incredible. I’ve got today off so I’m set to dig back in once I get some more context behind the album and Sonic Youth as a band. Edit: Did not have time to get that context, my bad. Album’s gonna be a 7/10 for me, at least for now.

Don't think I could ever rate a rock and roll record lower than three. Considering this was my first time listening to Sonic Youth, I'd say I had a positive experience and would definitely come back to more of their music. But, boy, was this album long...

Listened Before? N This is certainly a polarizing album if you read the reviews. Many think it's a masterpiece - and just as many think it's absolute garbage. I'm going to be a coward and come down in the middle of these two extremes. I really didn't hate or love this one. It does have a nostalgic feel - and it's more cohesive than some of their other work - but it wanders aimlessly at times. All in all an okay listen, it just sounds like something edgy 90s high school kids would listen to... and it is! Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Sugar Kane

Starts out a lot stronger than it finishes. Enjoyed it more than Sister

I know they're influential, but there's a reason many of the groups they influenced made it much bigger: their music was just a lot more fun to listen to.

Yeah it's all right but just too screamy all right?

Too harsh and crazy for me

Gear: Grado Hemp Artwork: 🧸😳❗ Production: 👊😎👍 Music: 🔴🕊️✊ Rating: 💥💥💥/5

My 2 favorite songs are covers. But listenable.

Pretty good, but nothing I found myself wanting to re-listen to in the future. Their other album Daydream Nation (and maybe others) deserve to be on this list, but I’m unsure about this one. Borderline 3 or 4 for me.

Not the best Sonic Youth but still good

I’ve always really wanted to like sonic youth and feel like I should love sonic youth but I have to admit I don’t find their albums that enjoyable. I’ve tried for years to get into this but find it a bit of a slog. I can totally appreciate and respect their influence but it still hasn’t clicked for me yet (although quite like drunken butterfly).

I knew they couldn’t get through a whole double album without a descent into noisy noise. (I’m looking at you, “Tamra.”) As we finally reach out final of the 5 Sonic Youth albums, I once again recall our first: “But while they have such talent and potential, "E.V.O.L." wanders off and gets lost in the abyss a bit too often. When it's focused it's phenomenal, but it can't maintain those highs. It doesn't need to be focused all the time, but there were too many extended segments of bizarre background noise or weird feedback.” Here on “Dirty,” there is more focus. But over 24 tracks of a double album, you’re going to get lost from time to time. Not in the abyss of noise, but rather the abyss of unnecessary songs. On album #1033, I don’t have the patience to go back through all 24 tracks now, so I’ll just leave it at some are better than others, and “Drunken Butterfly” is a highlight. I generally prefer Kim Gordon’s voice over Thurston Moore’s, but they each have songs on “Dirty” where their vocals are great or lousy. That’s the trouble with the DIY/garage/experimental sound - it's so uneven and inconsistent.

And with the 5th and final Sonic Youth album on the list, my love/hate relationship with SY comes to an end. Overall I think I have come around a little bit and ended net positive since I first listened to EVOL. That's basically how I feel about this double album (did it really need to be a double album?), overall net positive but there are definitely moments of just noise.

Sonic Youth’s rawness is why I like them and also why I can’t like them more. The energy is great. The unrefined thoughts are a lost opportunity.

Some good tracks (especially liked 100%, Sugar Kane, Purr) but I feel like they needed to cull about 1/3 of the tracks. It was just way, way too long for me.

I know Sonic Youth are a seminal, respected band, but this isn’t for me. However I do want to watch Scott Pilgrim again now. I much prefer the less noisy ones like Chapel Hill.

Sure, ok

I'm gonna stop trying to like Sonic Youth. They'll never be for me I'm afraid. Favorite track: Youth Against Fascism

Another British punky alt rock group... Pretty sure there's more than this one genre. Not bad but nothing special

Better than other sonic youth but wouldn’t listen to this album again

dirty post punk

Sonic Youth is the bridge between punk and grunge. Or like a harder version of the Pixies. You can definitely hear both in their music. Rage Against the Machine's Testify has the same sound as Drunken Butterfly. I wonder if the producers of The Crow or Judgement Night asked them to just do the whole soundtrack for their films. You can hear their influence in a million different songs. Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit is just Kim Gordon yelling and I could do without that. This album is losing steam. I like the less punk songs better. Chapel Hill is one of the better songs on the album though. Creme Brulee is starting off on the wrong foot with all the distorted sounds.

Sorta messy and fun. I think the problem with something so noisy is it’s hard to find a melody that’s memorable. I LIKE a lot of the songs on this but none of them really hooked me.

this is another one of those bands that has incredible energy and is great live or as a soundtrack but not really something I’ll put on as an album to listen to in the foreground.

Sure

My second Sonic Youth album and I have to say, I do think it was better than 'Daydream Nation'. This record came out four years after and I feel like I can tell. The songwriting is not only a better quality, I do feel like it's a more mature effort. It's seems more focused than before. Still present, but less scratchy, screeching guitars. Not only were there more standout riffs scattered throughout the album, I would say there were more standout tracks too but it can still be a bit of a distorted mess here and there. I prefer it when they absolutely all out balls to the wall, otherwise it's a weird middle ground. Overall a better effort from this band, but I still don't quite get the hype surrounding them.

Noise and melody locked in a messy, beautiful knife fight. Sometimes the chaos wins, sometimes the hooks cut through. It’s like if early Pixies and My Bloody Valentine had a kid who never learned patience. Guitars clang and squeal, the vocals drift between detached and desperate. It’s a bit much, but that's Sonic Youth. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - 100% - Sugar Kane - Purr

no no no

Nothing I absolutely hated (anpart from Orange Rolls, Angel’s Spit), nothing I particularly loved (okay, maybe the outros to Theresa’s Sound World). A lot of these songs sound longer than they actually are. Favourite songs: Theresa’s Sound World, Sugar Kane, Chapel Hill

Decent album.

Too noisy, still

3/5 , will need future listens

A great album. Folk country soul and with an outsider point of view

Less loveable Nirvana

Another Sonic Youth album that just doesn’t do it for me. Clearly influential on a lot of stuff I like but I need some hooks!

Original, lo-fi indie rock. Most of it is good but there are a couple of songs with great guitar parts. My favorite song here is Sugar Kane.

Look I’m happy with any album that contains a song titled “youth against fascism” (and slams Clarence Thomas) but this was a rough listen for me. I don’t have a problem with noise per se, but I prefer it in the melodic form we just heard on In Untero. Other albums we heard by Sonic Youth worked better for me.

Still yet to feel much but a dull stirring. The SOUND cool but they don't SOUND good.

noisy in a good way , wont listen again for a while . 3

3.5 - some cool ideas but got a bit too experimental at points. Fav songs: sugar Kane

I can see how this made the list, but it’s also just not my cup of tea. I love the energy just can dig in the noise. There were some great moments, but I felt I was just tolerating much of it.

messy

It's OK, but I have had more than enough Sonic Youth for one week

Our second SY album IIRC. This one took me for a loop. Im starting to actually like some of the tracks. That said, I think the front half of the album is much better than the back half. Purr is the only song I liked of the last 6-7 tracks. I’m going with a 3 because of Sugar Kane, 100% and swimsuit issue. I understand why people like those songs and how it couldve pushed alt rock for the rest of the 90s

Better. Not a big fan of this group of misfits. Unless you’re trying to rest during a particularly heavy 4-day Meth binge, noisy nonsensical punk gets tired fast. This one had moments of more traditional punk rock, and it was so much better. Alas, they still suck.

Interesting

Previously rated: E.V.O.L. (1/5) Goo (4/5) ******************** This is what I imagine being strung out on drugs sounds like. That's how I can best describe it. It has its moments, but it's not nearly as good as Goo. Still much better than EVOL. A couple of the early tracks and Purr are pretty good. Youth Against Fascism is laughably bad.

Interesting at times, with a few highlights, moments in songs that stand out, like in On the Strip. Some good songs, most notably Sugar Kane, but too nervous and incoherent in the end. Interesting all in all, but did sort of struggle to make it to the end of the album.

I wish I was cool enough to be deep into Sonic Youth. This is clearly an awesome record. I just don't get most of it.

I like this band and their style; but this one doesn't stand out to me. I don't quite understand why they have so many albums on this list!

Definitely a grunge sound

Solid but I was never able to fully get sonic youth. I like the cool vibe and sound of the band, but the songwriting was never over the top for me. Anyway, this is an enjoyable listen and I especially enjoy Kim Gordon’s contributions.

It was okay. Some songs were a bit meh, but some songs were great.

Sonic Youth doesn’t get enough credit for their influence on grunge Gen X music. I don’t know of any SY songs that stand out over others, but it’s a classic sound that takes me back to my 90s youth.

Yep. That was some noise rock. 2.7

Cool guitar work, but it really seems like no one in this band can sing.

It's alright but there are still too many Sonic Youth albums on here. Before this list I couldn't name you once Sonic Youth album let alone 5! As for the album, it's nothing special but still fine.

I did not use a private session for Spotify. I have listened to a fair bit of Sonic Youth and have listened to some of their albums, but I can't recall if I have listened to this one or not.

I actually like this but it’s hard to distinguish between the songs after a while and I even listened to it twice with some time in between though.

3.3 1x catchup 12/10/24

This album is a bit hit-and-miss for me, mostly due to the vocals. Both Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon fluctuate between a style I quite enjoy and one that doesn’t work for me at all. However, Steve Shelley’s drumming is consistently stellar, providing a strong backbone throughout. I found myself gravitating more toward the grunge-leaning tracks than the punk-inspired ones, which felt more in line with my tastes. Standout Tracks: Theresa’s Sound-World, Sugar Kane Score: 3/5

Loved the noise rock and shoe gaze, some of the vocals weren't to my liking but can see the Sonic Youth influence in a lot nowadays

This album has a variety of alt-rock and punk styles that Sonic Youth switch back and forth between, sometimes mid-song. Some of it is exhilarating but some of it gets a bit tedious for my taste. I think one of my issues with Sonic Youth is that their music can sometimes feel more like performance art pieces than rock. They've got raw power, a punk spirit and loads of innovative ideas but there's usually something holding me back from getting into it. The music only occasionally grabs me and shakes me. Then again, as with most of their albums, this feels like one that gets better with multiple listens. Maybe I'll get there with Sonic Youth but for now they continue to be a band I respect at a distance. I definitely respect the noise of this album. 🙏 "Sugar Kane" was a highlight

Sonic Youth have been a late in life listen for me, which I find surprising because I love the sound and if I would have heard them earlier I would have gotten into them. Regardless, it's great now having a ton of "fresh" music. Lots of good ideas in here. I love their use of buildups- it feels like every few songs they throw an incredible buildup at you that really hits you, even though it comes from a mile away. I also love how often they use major chords/keys/tonalities. Usually this music avoids "major" as often as possible but they aren't afraid of it. It makes for really conflicting and compelling music. One downside is the changing vocalists / styles throughout this. It makes for a bit of a disjointed listening experience I guess? The voices feel very different from eachother and it hurts it for me I think. The verse vocals on "Orange Rolls. Angel's Spit" are probably the biggest turnoffs for me. Overall a pretty solid record.

Album 606 of 1001 Sonic Youth -Dirty (1992) Rating : 3.5 / 5 I enjoyed this. A few more melodies than I would have expected. They gained little broader appeal with this one, I believe. Not as unconventional but not losing their personality.

Kind of blends into itself as you work through the whole hour, but a big directional step for grunge and noise. Very important SY album showing their maturity as they continued to work with a real label. Especially notable they worked with the same producers from Nevermind

It’s ok, not my favorite album of theirs

Can't say this one knocked my socks off, but it did loosen my shoelaces.

Sonic youth I like the really noisey parts and like the grungey vibe but wished I liked the songs more. This was better than the other album. Tough one to rate. I’d rather listen to Dexys Midnight Runners

Noise is kinda cool but everything else about this is pretty underwhelming. The songs arent good and neither is the singing. The vibe is sort of cool

Their lyrics are boring to me. Some highlights of songs like Swimsuit Issue. Her voice is cool and I wish it was only her.

Some excellent tracks here, but a lot of the time the album lives up to its name.