Reviews (page 5 of 7)
It's fine. Rarely more, rarely less
no what I expected, too loud and raw
I'm becoming a bigger Sonic Youth fan with each album. I can't say there one or 2 songs that stand out, but for the most part, I generally like a lot of what I hear. There are times I swear I can hear some Perry Farrell in his voice. I really like the girl singer too. Both seem to have a pretty solid range of singing styles. Thought this was a solid album. Songs that stood out are 100%, Drunk Butterfly, Wish Fulfillment and Sugar Kane. Added bonus, the random plays on Spotify after the album is over are pretty solid too. Good album, but not great. Think I've listened to it 5-6 times over last couple weeks with the intention of putting in my review. Well today is that day. 3.5
3.5 “Oh and you know what? I bought another Sonic Youth album and it sucked... it's just noise!” I watched Juno for the first time recently, and, at the risk of spoilers, that’s what Elliot Page’s character had to say about Jason Bateman’s favorite band after an uncomfortable, emotional moment between the two. Funnily, “a bunch of noise” is the exact phrasing I used about our previous Sonic Youth album on this list, Sister, though I gotta disagree with Juno in that it sucks. To quote that review again, “That noise is my kind of noise, dammit,” and that still very much applies to this album here. I mean, in a lot of ways this reminds me a LOT of Sister, hence the same rating. There are some absolute bangers to be found here, including 100% and Sugar Kane, and also some great messaging as well, especially on the songs Swimsuit Issue and Youth Against Fascism (the latter of which I really wanted to quote given the current political situation in America, but there isn’t a damn lyric in the song that isn’t applicable). Raw, guitar-driven rock paired with progressive, anti-authoritarian lyrics will never be uncool to me, and outside of your more straightforward punk bands, Sonic Youth may exemplify that the best. That to say, there’s something about both albums I’ve now heard from the band that doesn’t seem to offer any clear sense of identity to each besides just “Sonic Youth”, especially given the amount of filler that feels mixed in as well. This definitely flows well, and it certainly delivers on what the band is known for, but I’m really having a hard time remembering like half the songs here looking at them now. Also, I’m all for gritty vocals, but something about Kim Gordon’s delivery here started to wear on me just a bit by the end. Overall, it’s still generally the kind of thing I like, so I can mostly forgive its flaws, but I think I’d be more likely to cherry pick songs from this to re-listen to over the full thing.
That cute doll tho 😭
Noise rock, not awful but nothing crazy
I'm a fan of Sonic Youth but I have to be in the right mood and I wasn't when I listened to this one.
I like the style but ripetitive
A bit better than George Michael but still boring as fuck
Sometimes I feel like I want to give it a 1 and sometimes I feel like I want to give it a 5. So I guess 3? I think I’ll need time to see if I want to keep revisiting. Brought back a happy Simpson’s memory though.
Rock
3. Not that good
Yeah, it’s not “true” grunge, but it still lives up to the title—dirty, unpolished, and real. Thurston sounds great here.
Still decent
Mwah Prima, maar niet super Sommige nummers waren chill, anderen waren skipbaar
3.5. Points for rhyming Encino with "why are you so mean-o"
5.5/10
straight up didnt get it, need relistens YNN
One hour is too long for me to gaze at my shoes. They're white, pretty plain. There's some good stuff here, but it's wedged in between too much time-wasting material.
Me escapa. Me gustó Sugar Kane, pero el resto de las canciones valen por sí solas. De hecho, este disco parace un compendio de lo mejor se Sonic Youth so durante toda su carrera hubieran mezclado perfectamente el pop, las melodías y el ruido.
I liked the songs where the dude was singing. Some really good noisy/grungey rock that got my head bobbin. The songs with the woman singer though....yeesh. Not havin that.
They did some really interesting stuff with electric guitars. Showed the instrument's versatility to the fullest. Sometimes the amount of wild guitar noise was distracting. That one song where he sounded like the AC/DC guy was ewwy. All together not bad. Wouldn't listen again though.
Me enloquece un poco
Better than the last Sonic Youth album we listened to, but Gen X is still the worst generation for music.
One of the singers sounds like the singer from the Pixies. Sugar Kane rules. Definitely has some crazy noise rock parts to it but there is some other really good shit behind it. High 3
All the jangly coolness I expect from them.
Definately dirty rock! I like it but don't love it
I wanted to like this way more because I was already a fan of Sugar Kane. But I was quite disappointed unfortunately
I liked this one better than Daydream Nation which I think most fans prefer. This one seemed more thought out or maybe it just sounds similar to other music I am familiar with from that era, like some of the grunge bands of that time.
Solid punk, though it's probably not a good sign for a punk album that the best moments arrive on the slow melodic songs. I appreciate that the record lives up to it's name in the opening seconds of the first track.
I may be getting to like SY after so many years. Still can't tell the albums apart though. Decent songs
Shades of what they would become, but a lot of evolution to do. They through our most of the rules of music and only later added back what would work.
I heard a song of theirs on rockband and really didn’t like it, so I dreaded this listen, but honestly not bad. I’ll land on solid though
Decent 90s album.
Felt a bit flat to me. Good but not great.
Ok, another Sonic Youth album, by my recollection the 4th I've encountered on this list so far (5th? was "Goo" on the list also?). Do we need to have the majority of artists' catalogue? Not a terrible record, but not their best and certainly not the one I would want to use to introduce someone to the band. "diRty" would be ok to include as a footnote to the discussion of "Daydream Nation": if you liked this, check out more . . . My introduction was through Evol when it came out in the 80's, and I became a fan - this record would not have grabbed me in nearly the same way.
This is the kind of thing that I fully respect and kind of respect as an artistic expression, but being a somewhat well-functioning and generally optimistic adult makes me never listen to this.
There were a few songs worth listening to but overall not enough for 4 stars.
Yeah it's fine.
It's definitely not my type of music. But it certainly has its value!
best wel oke bangers
Good noise rock/alternative rock by Sonic Youth from the early 1990s. Not always an easy listen but they have talent and it is a compact and consistent album.
Never heard before. Fine I guess, but nothing stood out to me. I probably won't listen to it again. Closer to 2 stars than 4 stars. "The zoftig chick is mine"
Well, I prefer "Goo" and "Daydream Nation", but it was nice to hear this album. Some wasn't great: "I'm just from Encino. Why are you so meano?" Classic or ridiculous?
I used to listen to Sonic Youth back in the day, and even have vague memories of seeing them in concert. I may have outgrown them because I haven't listened to them in a long while. They sound more modern even though they are labeled "grunge". But ah the 90s. Kim Gordon sometimes sounds like she's singing karaoke drunk. Guitar distortion, soft, loud, whispering, yelling, droning beats.
Meh...just ok.
Could well be the best band name ever. Album is good, would encourage checking out others 3.5*
A good album, I liked Sugar Kane the most.
Love the Kim tracks and the vibe but just not for me
Joe's review is pretty spot on, actually. Some great parts, but somehow no extended moments of greatness. Also, the vocals aren't my favourite. Not bad, though. And they were probably quite an experience live.
Damn man, album number five (!) from Sonic Youth. This one seems marginally better than those we've had before, could even be the best in the bunch. Still, it's not super distinct and not a sound that deserves this extensive of a representation on the list. I'd cut these down to three albums MAX, realistically maybe just one or two. Who needs five on here? Spread that real estate to more interesting artists. Favorite tracks: Shoot, On the Strip, Chapel Hill, Purr. Album art: I like this one quite a bit, a little red guy made of yarn. He's a nice fella with a nice grin, and the border/text is solid. 3.5/5
Sonic Youth turns up the noise but not the songwriting. Not their worst but there are better options by the band both before and after this one. I wonder how many people who are calling this senseless noise rated Nirvana highly just because of the brand recognition. This is about as good as Nevermind, even being paced similarly.
6/10
I quite liked this. Can imagine it would be good live. On balance i think i peferred the songs with the male vocalist. Wish Fulfilment and Purr were my highlights
A double album that didn't feel tired and repetitive! Not to mention, grunge and noise rock are not my genres, but this album was more than tolerable for me: I liked it! The female vocalist was more appealing than the other vocalists. Her drawling voice was engaging, even if wasn't a "pure" sound. Then I got to songs like "Youth Against Fascism" or "Chapel Hill," and I couldn't be more on board. Fuck yeah, Sonic Youth!!!
Sonic Youth peaked before my adolescence, so I vaguely remember them from the 90s. But the music's zeitgeist is familiar.
Mostly noise, but I like it anyway
OK. Nothing wrong with noisy rock, but it just doesn't click with me to sit and listen to a full hour of this. There are some high points, but it turns into mush by the end. Unexpected bangers: Shoot, Sugar Kane, Swimsuit Issue
Another band I want to like but lose interest in when I listen. I really think this is good, and I really think it's just not for me.
A good album, but I've always preferred Daydream Nation.
It was alright
Some great riffs and dirty cool guitar. Liked some songs a lot, wasn't a huge fan of the female vocalist.
Okay yeah
I love the album cover hehe, I enjoyed a lot of these songs they make me want my drum set so bad!!!!
Sometimes I really dig it and am totally into it and other times I find it grating. I don't mind the guitar tone, unless the guitar tone is the song. Then it's just obnoxious.
Pretty wild punk album! Not every track was a banger, but a lot of fun instrumentation.
Good, though not my personal preference. I have to imagine that playing guitars like this feels therapeutic
I like Daydream Nation a lot but didn’t like this nearly as much. Female vocalist wasn’t doing it for me, but there are definitely good songs and I think the album rounds out nicely.
This is an OK album, but not great or anything. There are better sonic youth albums (goo), its kind of weird that this one would be on the list. 3/5
I didn’t care for the females voice, it was kind of nearly headache inducing on most tracks she was on. The songs the guy was singing on were more listenable and the musicianship was pretty good throughout I thought.
It was fine
I tried to like it. On paper, I should love it, but I just can't get there.
Seems good but not my vibe
The internet says this isn't grunge, but c'mon, it's clearly grunge. Lots of depression, heavy instruments and catchy tunes. I enjoyed the album, but it's hard to vibe with it when I'm not an angsty teen anymore.
Cool one but too long.
too hip for me
rip chapel hill
Enjoyed most of it but it got a bit samey and some of the songs were weird
kind of annoying but also good
The guitars were a bit too screamy for my taste, and some of the vocals a bit whiny for me. It's another one of those "Now I've listened to this as well" albums.
I'm not sure this one is hitting for me today. It's good and all, but after two listens, I don't really remember anything from it, and on the second listen nothing was familiar from the first listen at all, it could have been 15 completely different songs and i wouldn't have noticed. Sometimes something should be your thing and it isn't, sometimes something is completely out of the blue and becomes your thing, its okay, it doesn't mean the music is bad. Maybe if i sat down and listened to this every day i would LOVE it, but as is, its okay, decent, just isnt grabbing me. a 3 is a fair rating, but may listen a third time and see if anything sticks
It’s a raw grunge rock sound from the 90s. A lot of it fits right in my groove, but I do have to be in the mood for it. That second disc is almost exclusively instrumental pieces. . It worked really well as motivational music for the run I’m on.
Solid
Juu, en minäkään usko, että nämä biisit jäävät päähäni soimaan ikuisiksi ajoiksi. Mutta kitarasoundi on korvia hivelevä (kerrankin bändi joka hyötyy "ammattimaisesta" tuotannosta), ja kun Youth Against Fascism vaihtuu HC-coveriin, ja se taas yhteen Kim-biisiin, olen ihan "fiiliksissä".
Dirty I’ve only ever listened to Goo, as I love Kool Thing, (which I only really ‘discovered’ recently,) but Sonic Youth are one of those bands that passed me by as a teenager. Probably too discordant and difficult for my tiny brain to cope with. I really enjoyed this though - as an album of noisy art rock with loads of guitars I thought it was great. Loose (in a good way) musically but uptight atmospherically, it also combines a sense of directness with sense obfuscation. I really like those tensions. First listen I was thinking 3, but the second listen moved it closer to a 4. It’s definitely an album I will listen to more, and makes me want to dip into more of their albums. I’ll go 3 for now ⭐️⭐️⭐️
My preferred sonic youth era and sound. Sugar Kane is a great song. The guitar sound on this isn't all attack treble metal zone distortion and had bit more beef and fuzz. Still not putting it into rotation though.
17th Sonic Youth album much the same as the others
This album is alright. I dig some of the tunes. But I definitely didn’t need a double album of Sonic Youth. To be fair the original album isn’t all that long for a double.
This didn't sound like the sonic youth I was expecting to here, it's like proto-grunge. Definitely not what I had previously heard from this band. It wasn't bad, just unexpected, they definitely grew into their sound over time
listening to this album, you can tell sonic youth is cool. they are too cool for me.
The first Sonic Youth album I bought. After getting into Pavement, These guys were next on my list and i was won over straight away with 100% and Sugar Kane, the progression on these songs just makes you wanna pick up a guitar. This was their mainstream attempt through Geffen records and it was a big FU to the mainstream too as a good third of this album is distorted punk tracks that could make your regular listeners ears bleed. Unlike Moby who is a talentless hack who can't write anything memorable or interesting. This isn't the best Sonic Youth album its song ordering doesn't always makes sense set out like walking over jagged rocks in plimsoles but İ do like it anyway. I dunno how many others will appear in this list. Probably just Daydream Nation but Washing Machine, Evol, Sister and Bad Moon Rising just to name a few should be on this list too.
Sonic Youth on mukavaa hälinää. Hankala sanoa mikä tässä albumissa oli mahtavaa, olengan kuullut jo lonta Sonic Youth albumia. Mutta tässä ok selvää soitantaa. Respect ollaan jätetty Shadow Of a Doubt laiset biisit pois. Hyvä biisi 2 star albumista.
This one was tough. After the first listen, it was going to be a 1 or a 2. After listening again, I found that I just didn’t like Kim Gordon’s vocals. Overall, musically, I really enjoyed it.
I wanted to love it but it didn't hit. Listened to it twice and each time it seemed so unremarkable. I tried really hard but a lot of the album felt plain boring, not enough exciting or ear-catching things were going on to make me like it. Just needed smth more.
Algunos temas me gustaron
Track 1: I liked the riff and the vocals Track 2: I like the fuzz guitars in this and some of the licks they have after phrases Track 3: not a bad song not my favorite out of the top half yet. I do like the bass. Track 4: I liked this one and the vocalist for this. Track 5: good song. Track 6: I like the riffs and the yelling the vocalist did Track 7: good like the end Track 8: I like this vocalist alot more. Track 9: seems kinda like one earlier riff wise Track 10: kinda funny song in the middle Track 11: okay song Track 12: decent song Track 13: like the tone of the vocals in this with the weird sounds everywhere Track 14: I like the second half of this song a lot. Track 15: kinda a bad closer Overall: 5.9/10. I thought it was good but I probably won’t listen to it again because it was kinda long. I felt like there were a few songs that could be cut.
me gustó, seguro lo escuché más veces.
Sonic youth ist einfach nicht so meins.
I should probably like this album more? I understand its influence. But it wasn't a particularly.... enjoyable listen. Lol.
Not my favourite Sonic Youth album
Grunge æra Sonic Youth, lyder lidt grunget men har også virkelig deres dreamy støjrock æstetik kørende. Synes der var mange fede sange, kunne nemt have været en 4er hvis det havde været lidt mere tight. TIL at Chromatics stjal nogen af melodien til "Shadow" fra Sonic Youths "Wish Fulfilment"
Fin plade!
Wasn't carried away by this. Wrong timeframe for me I think
It is a lot of loud noises and some of the tracks didn't really blow away as of now, but overall I like the punky aggressive atmosphere the album has. It's not my favorite and I'd say in some parts it feels a little long, but overall not bad. Theresa's Sound World is kind of a vibe.
Yeah, this was fine.
Sonic Youth's seventh studio album includes a collection of noise rock tracks, typical of their edgy, guitar driven sound. SY's sound - as clearly expressed on this album as any - was influential in avant-rock for decades
I’m a 90s kid and I never warmed to Sonic Youth. Listening now, I’d say I was a bit harsh on them, but I definitely remember why I never liked them. The Thurston Moore-led songs were better than I remembered, but the Kim Gordon screeching songs were intolerable. Overall, a perfectly serviceable early 90s album that bridges the gap between 80s punk rock and full on grunge. 3 stars is just right.
Sonic Youth should have been more a part of my coming of age, but it just wasn’t. I was too busy listening to musical soundtracks. This album in particular doesn’t resonate for me. 2.7
Forgettable
Well, as the name suggests, it's dirty. A decent roll of that brand of dirty alt-rock.
3.5
Better than Daydream Nation, I think. Grunge is front and center!
3.1. Early 90s experimental grunge
創造的
That was a fun ride. 3 stars
Why 3 times on here? They were not that good. This was slightly better than the other 2 but still not worth being on here 3 times. Maybe a 3 and thats giving extra props because someone, somewhere thought they deserved 3 entries on this list
Grungy
Favorite Tracks: 100% Chapel Hill Youth Against Fascism
Imma keep it a buck, I wish it was shorter. I got bored from the second half which sucks cause I was enjoying the first half
Why two hours? Geez!
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would (definitely more than the previous SY albums we had). But it's miles too long, both the individual tracks (to a lesser extent) and the album as a whole (could quite easily cut this in half to make a far better album, should definitely cut at least 15 minutes worth). Much prefer the male vocals to the female ones. The odd good song, but not much more. Scrapes a 3. Can't believe this lot have 4 albums on our list already.
Not really my thing.
I never fully appreciated Sonic Youth, but they definitely left an impression. They sound like the bridge from post-punk/new wave of the 80's to the Grunge era of Alt Rock.
Angst vomit
Pros: LOUD NOISES!!!!! One of them learned to sing Cons: LOUD NOISES!!!!! 𝘖𝘯𝘦 of them learned to sing I'd love to hear someone else on the vocals. Or maybe even an instrumental album. Such a waste
Noisy
You know how at live shows, at the end of songs, where the band just fills the stadium with sounds that don’t always go together? That is what Sonic Youth sound like to me, except during all their songs, not just at the end.
personally, im a little poppier and lean more toward clarity so "dirty" may be a little well, dirty for my taste, but there are a lot of cool ideas happening on this album. lee ranaldo's playing is amazing, albeit unsettling. i love kim gordon's work on it. sift through the tall overdriven grass of the guitars and she has some killer grunge basslines all through this. her dry and sultry vocals had me jonesing for a record solely led by her, and then i remembered the yeah yeah yeahs exist, so thats where i'm off to next!
Nope
Not my thing, but but for what it is it's good.
Rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.
3/5. This album started so good and I thought it was heading towards a 4 star rating, but it turned out to be top-heavy and the rest of the album spiraled it out of the upper echelon.
Probably the album that I enjoyed the most from SY's discography. The only problem with this one is the cringy vocals from time to time, but hey, that's punk I guess.
Good album. Really long album! Enjoyed it but got a bit bored towards the end
I like Sonic Youth, and this is a good album, but no where close to an album I should listen to before I die.
Four really good tracks and too much filler and nonsense. Best track: 100%
Heilt greit, ikkje så minneverdig
I keep WANTING to like Sonic Youth more. So much of their stuff is what a lot of bands I like is founded on. But there's just something about the actual songs that just never clicks with me. Songs like "Swimsuit Issue," just seems like it's unfinished. "Theresa's Sound World" sounds a lot better though. It's not the guitars, the crunchiness. I think it's just Kim's vocals, there's not a lot of melody to it. Hearing "Drunken Butterfly" I'm like, yeah it sounds like that to me. I just never seem to "get" it. The elements are all things I like, and yet...?
The 5th (and final) Sonic Youth album. Like the other ones... it is just fine. Nothing exceptional. Don't think they needed 5 albums on here.
A fair album but I'm not sure why it's on this list - it didn't strike me as particularly noteworthy in any way.
Interesting, inventive, def there are parts that felt rockin' but I think ultimately it wasn't particularly engaging for me. High points: Purr, The Destroyed Room, Sugar Cane Low Points: Nic Fit
Theresa's Sound-World was the highlight, cool post-rock sounding riffs. Also liked Sugar Kane and Chapel Hill. Actively disliked some others (ex: Drunken Butterfly) - vocals not working for me. Would listen again with some skips.
A band that I've always been vaguely familiar with, without ever having really felt the need to listen to. Very much from the early-90s punky / grungey / indie vibe, and that's no bad thing to be honest.
nice jams but got stressful
Kaksjakonen levy. Hyviä biisejä makeilla tunnelmilla, mut sit välillä ihan joutolaisia seassa. Päällisin puolin kuitenkin jäi hyvä maku ja vois kuunnella uudestaan
Hyvää räminää, tykkäsin tästä enemmän ku SY:n aiemmista levyistä tällä listalla. 3/5
Not Sonic Youth's best album but still a pretty good album. There just not really a singular song that feels like a big hit.
Some high highs and some looooow lows. Tough to rate because of that.
Het is wel knappe, bijzondere muziek, maar vandaag bevalt dit me niet zo. Ik kan me wel voorstellen dat dit kan groeien als ik het vaker luister. Voor nu geef ik 3 sterren.
Not bad, but nothing really stood out to me on this one. Looking forward to hearing the other releases from Sonic Youth though.
Nothing terrible, but no stand outs either. Inoffensive music that I'd play in the other room while I'm doing stuff; nothing I'd want to actively listen to.
Released in 93 and produced by Butch Vig it was hyped up on MTV constantly, but I never felt it lived up to that hype. It's an ok album, it's a big a step down from Daydream Nation. A 3.5 but I'm giving a 3 due to the awfully dumb song Youth Against Fascism.
Not the best SY, but a solid record with some good tunes and a few that should maybe have been edited off the final release.
Sonic Youth is cool. This is the third album I’ve heard from them on this list. They’re all basically the same. So - good job on staying consistently pretty good.
There were you a few songs I skipped because they weren’t my kind of vibe but all in all, not bad.
Crunchy.
Rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.
I love sonic youth, and I agree this album should be on the list, but it’s not one of my favourite, day dream nation, sister and goo would rank ahead of it. Still on its own merit it’s a worthy 3 star album.
Probably my favourite Sonic Youth album, mainly because it was the group's answer to the far superior Nirvana. The album's not bad, but it's a far cry from the real thing. As in, it's hard for me to imagine a scenario where I'd prefer to listen to this album here over listening to Nirvana. Which is to say, I don't think this album's qualities merit its inclusion here.
Cool
Maybe when I was 22. Does that count for something??
I want to give Sonic Youth a chance but now is not the time.
Even growing up with Sonic Youth and grunge, they never really spoke to me. It's heresy, I know, but I would not recommend this album. It does need to be heard as the sound does mean something for music in the 90's.
Highlights: "Swimsuit Issue," "Drunken Butterfly," "Wish Fulfillment," "JC" This is what I expected Sonic Youth to sound like when trying out Daydream Nation and Goo: a mix of Glenn Branca (eg 1982's Ascension) with all the New Wave stuff to which it was responding. I don't think it's accurate to just say this was Sonic Youth being influenced by grunge, because what they're doing here is predictive of the edgy uptempo rock that would run through the decade until nu metal rap-rock took over.
Part of me believes that Sonic Youth was just taking the piss on this album because of how accessible it seems. That being said, it's far and away the best Sonic Youth album that I've ever listened to
Noise rock
Some decent grungy noisy rock, I enjoyed it more than some of the other sonic youth ones. Maybe a 3.5?
The pretty guitar on sugar Kane was a nice departure from the heavy noise in the rest of the album. Overall the project grew on me. Chatting about it with buddies def made me appreciate it more. Gonna have to look more into the discography to see if this sound is something I’m really into.
Heard of sonic youth before but never heard their music. Then I realized they were considered noise rock and figured I'd hate it. And while there were certainly songs that I hated (drunken butterfly was an utterly terrible experience), there were also some that I found enjoyable. Was it noisy? yes. But the album was a lot more melodic than I had expected. Some redeeming qualities here for sure. Yet another album that suffers from being too long. In my eyes, the track list could use some cleaning up, as there were a decent amount of tracks I would consider filler. On the other hand, I'm not typically a fan of the genre so maybe the tracks I would cut are considered essential by others. To each their own. The 5-6 tracks that I enjoyed are gonna keep this at a light 3 for me. If the track list was cleaned up, I could see this creeping into the high 3-4 territory. A pleasant surprise. Songs I liked: Theresa's sound world, chapel hill, sugar kane, wish fulfillment, purr MMM: ITS THE SONG I HATE! ITS THE SONG I HATE.
A few songs I liked we enough, but I listened to this album 3+ times and it just never made an impact on me
I like the sound, the style and aesthetic that Sonic Youth has. But a lot of these songs were misses, and did nothing for me. A lot of decent songs as well like Sugar Kane and Wish Fullfillment. I'm gonna be generous and give this a 3. Something about the grunge sound here had potential to be better, but it ain't too bad.
Another week comes with another Sonic Youth album on the 1001 list. With one more, I promise to give 5 stars. Keep trying. For this one, it's not as good as the last SY (we are becoming friends) I received here, but it's not bad.
I really liked this fuzzy rockin’ album with somewhat nonsense lyrics
Very good album will definitely listen again
I’m pretty sure I had this album. And yet I remember relatively little about it. I am letting it roll over me - fine but not fabulous. Sugar Kane was the highlight.
Ok I don't love Sonic Youth. I do really get why people do and I can appreciate the skill and passion which does make me appreciate their music on some level. However, most of the songs really stress me out! Same on this album mostly although I actually loved the opener and the closer! 100% is about a roadie and friend who they lost and it's beautiful. Creme Brulee is also so so beautiful and really an interesting song. So this start and finish did intrigue me and bring my rating up to 3 I think.
I've always wanted to like Sonic Youth more than I really do. But listening this properly just now if probably the most I've enjoyed them. I know they are very important and influential to a lot of artists I love but I just don't love listening to it all
3.5
I appreciate Sonic Youth more than I enjoy them.
I am not familiar with Sonic Youth but have heard about them a lot. So it was good to have a chance to listen to them. My thoughts on this album? A bit meh. It’s fine as music playing in the background when I try to soak up in it I find most of the tracks too meandering with not much melody to make any of the tracks memorable. Maybe that’s the point with noise rock? And I usually like my fair share of noise and distortion. I think this kind of sound was probably groundbreaking in its time but after grunge became mainstream this doesn’t sound too exceptional. Anyways this is also supposed to be their grunge album. Disappointed that I didn’t like this album but afterwards I started checking out their earlier stuff and I like them a bit more. Standout track for me here is Chapel Hill with its catchy opening riff.
3/1- Driving to School
There’s a large bucket of albums on this list where I respect but do not like the music. This plops firmly into that pool.
Definitely some angst on this one. Doesn't click with me as enjoyable listening.
Very 90s sound but can you write a song that doesn’t sound like a dr. Seuss book
i liked this one. nothing too crazy but def not terrible
The album title fits the dirty punk rock well
Not their best effort, but feedback is always welcome.
This is my fourth Sonic Youth album in this project. If I were a power that be, I would have suggested we could have just gone with this one and got all we needed. As the previous albums I listened to were earlier ones, I wonder if Sonic Youth kind of grew into the 90s. There were moments I liked this.
Oh, you Youth...why all the noisiness?? I almost liked a lot of this album and actually did like some of it.
Fun noise
For Sonic Youth it was not that bad
Not the best Sonic Youth. I really want to like SY more than I do...and I feel like I should, but it is pretty much just always average for me. 3.5/5
OK
solid grunge sound from that era.
This was the album in high school that the cool nerdy kids were all into. I was never a cool nerdy kid. It’s got merit, for sure, but man, fuck those cool nerds. Ha.
Heilt greit, ikkje så minneverdig
All that angst
It’s like every time they get something interesting going they feel the need to throw in something avant garde so people know they’re still cool
An acquired taste to be sure. If you're in the mood for the occasionally great melody smothered in feedback and no wave burbling then this is for year. Difficult music for men with glasses to obsess over, take over the stereo and clear a dance floor with and to name drop archly at parties... if they get invited to parties that is. Best Tracks: 100%; Wish Fulfilment; Sugar Kane
Sort of rock. Sort of heavy metal without the lead guitars. Sort of punk. Not bad, just not great either. Not something I'm ever likely to listen to again.
Very interesting. Will need to listen to it more definitely, but really liked the vibe.
Man, I really liked some of these songs-
Not THE sonic album but still a blast from the past
Not a big fan of the noise-rock thing. I like some of their more accessible songs. 3 stars.
Good music but just not for me
Is it missing some hits? Playing this a couple of times. Keep thinking I’ve missed it , but nothing memorable. Cover art: please say no one was trying too hard for this
Good album, the production and the title perfectly match. The whole thing has a very dirty feeling to it. The band seems to really understand their own sound and what they want to be. Stray guitar sounds, feedback, and peaking of the microphones all happen many times within the record. Very cool overall and very cathartic. Although in my own opinion the record did seem to drag a bit and I felt it could do without a couple of songs. Favorite Track: Chapel Hill Least Favorite Track: Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit
A grab bag does not a great double album make. That said, all the music material on Dirty is pretty good Sonic Youth. The album is less spiky, though still full of noise and with its affect dependent on the person currently on vocal duty. Accessibility grows, and I'm not sure whether to point out at the sequencing or in at the listener. The lyrics deserve lowlighting as underbaked, unfortunately.
Un bon album, pas un qui m'a vraiment impressionné, mais je vois clairement sa pertinence dans ce palmarès. On entend tellement le son alternatif typique du début des années 90 qui a aidé a forgé la scène à venir.
Like most Sonic Youth albums, this one never fully coalesces as a whole for me. The tracks are mostly enjoyable, containing the usual noise-rock mixture the band is famous for, but at a certain point it feels more like a semi-related playlist than a fully-realized LP.
I can appreciate it but the sounds are just not my favorite.
It was good but nothing stood out for me.
I had a hard time with some of the tracks but others were fine. Barely a 3/5
As always SY deliver but short of my fave.
C'est vraiment le concept de Sonic Youth. Il y a beaucoup de sonic. CA s'écoute bien pour une partie. L'autre est dure à digérer parfois. C'Est mon troisième album de sonic youth et je comprend le vibe du groupe un peu plus. Je dirais que j'ai préféré à Goo qui était mon mieux noté de ce band donc j'y vais avec un 3.5
This was okay. I didn’t dislike it but none of the songs stood out to me. It was very much a product of its time and I was never a big early 90s grunge fan.
I bought this when it came out and didn't get in to it then. I'm still struggling now.
Challenging. I don’t know how to rate this. I’ve never gotten into sonic youth, and the vocals here were actively, purposefully antagonizing me. If we’re going atonal I want angrier, louder, more aggressive vocals than what they offer. However, there was something undeniably compelling about the back and forth between pure noise, grunge riffs, punk, and the occasional burst of melody, and I got through the whole album having hit some weird understanding with it. Not sure I’m going to return to it though.
Mixed feelings about the album. 'Theresa's Sound-World' was a really enjoyable track as it had a bit of craftmanship in the arrangement which meant it had some dynamics, contrast and a decent melody (and vocal). Another decent track for similar reasons was the creepy sounding 'Shoot'. I do like bands who experiment with guitar sounds but some of the tracks were just guitar noises with annoying vocals which made me want to skip to the next track. It's interesting to compare this directly to the Nirvana Nevermind album recorded at roughly the same time; both had the same production team of Butch Vig and Andy Wallace and sound similar but the Nevermind album is so much more interesting and listenable (to my ears).
3.8 - More an album I admire than enjoy. The guitar sounds create a boundless landscape, harnessing feedback, hollow arpeggiation, scratchy power chords and gritty noise. By themselves, the guitars make this album a compelling listen. The songs themselves, on the other hand, leave me cold. The lyrics convey dry cynicism and a snarky affect, especially when Kim Deal sings on "Drunken Butterfly."
I dont have time for another listen, i think a few more may bump this up.
A bit of a samesie alternative rock album. Not bad, but nothing ground breaking!
I had heard some of these tracks before -- I remember liking "100%" when it was released -- but had not heard the whole album. It's as noisy, chaotic, and at times incredibly grating as I thought it would be, and none of those terms are meant in their negative senses. This interested me even though I don't usually listen to this style of music. Good stuff.
I've listened to it three times within weeks and still don't get it.
Just like the last sonic youth album I got, I thought this was good but wasn’t super memorable. The mood is what stuck with me the most especially on tracks like shoot
Some good tracks. Others not too bad. Influential for sure
Okay...It's better, though not as good as the first albums. (6/10) FT: Sugar Kane
Big indie icon in my college radio days. I don't hate this but the music is just straight ahead rock with a vocal style I'm sick of.
I actually knew this album from when it was released and had forgotten it. Yes, it does work better than the very experimental noisy earlier albums. A comfortable 3.
Decent enough background music
Con ellos empezó todo. Aquí hay canciones muy buenas pero en general el disco se hace un poco cuesta arriba. Pero vamos aunque solo le voy a 3 estrellas *** creo que es imprescindible. Canciones como: 100%, Drunken butterfly, Purr y sobre todo Sugar Kane.
this sounded about what I thought it would. punky and fuzzy. It was fine and not too long.
That was good early 90s heavy guitar oriented attitude
Wow, those noise guitar intros! I think there are more songs I like on this LP than Goo, but there are more songs in general. Now that I'm a grind core aficionado, I can better appreciate Nic Fit (all 59 seconds of it). I'm between a 3 and a 4.
I'm not a fan of grunge but Sonic Youth's take on grunge is better than what was coming out of Seattle in the early 90s IMO. This album hits you with the a wall of sound in spots, eg Orange Rolls and Theresa's Sound-World and they really punk out with Nic Fit. I see they used 3, count 'em 3 guitars and it shows. Sugar Kane is the best song on this album IMO but it's not quite up there with Kool Thing or Teenage Riot. This is a decent effort from the yutes though.
Never listened to Sonic Youth before, and while it wasn't necessarily for me I did like it more than I expected. I liked 100%, Sugar Kane and Wish Fulfillment
A raging and raw album that floats between calm focus and chaos bursting at the seams (check out the tracks "Shoot", "Wish Fulfillment" and "JC" to see what I'm talking about). The parallel lyrical themes of mourning and female harassment/exploitation ground the album with a weight of meaning that either puts you off or pulls you in. For me, I appreciate their willingness to be honest and I think the album endures because of it.
SY is a very talented band. They might fall into the category of respect more than like, though for me.
Really good stuff. Sometimes the vocals can get very off and sound wrong, but still its so crazy and filled with energy so it doesen't really matter, and even enhances the music. The instrumental sections are fucking great though. The tempo changes on "Chapel Hill" are awesome. 3.5
7/10
Bit loud and nonsensical in part. Decent grungy rock. Purr is a nice punchy banger.
Not my thing but well made
Second Listen. Still enjoying it second time around 3/5.
I’ve never listened to this album in full before. Seems like a precursor to a lot of rock that came after.
These guys were doing grunge before anyone knew what grunge was. With the exception of Youth Against Fascism, one of my favorite SY songs, this is not my favorite SY album. I’d put Daydream Nation, Master-Dik, Goo, Sister, and maybe even others ahead.
First time with Sonic Youth. I probably would have loved a lot of these tracks in high school. 3.3.
Good early alt. band.
The album sounds a lot like it’s title, dirty. I am here for it, if you’re in the right mood the messy loud noise penetrates the ear holes just right. Great album, although personally I much prefer the songs that have Kim Gordon on vocals. Highlights : swimsuit issue, shoot.
Really wish the vocals had been solely left to Kim. For instance, Thurston doing his best Malkmus vocal impression and singing about slimy men in "100%" is nowhere near as engaging as Kim singing about the same topic one song later in "Swimsuit Issue". The instrumental sections on "Theresa's Sound-World" are a highlight, especially Shelley's drumming--it's a 5 1/2 min song that never tires. "Drunken Butterfly" anchors this to the grunge era but I think it coulda been left off the album. "Sugar Kane" might be a bit divisive but I think it adds a bit of energy to an album that was loosing a bit of steam. "Youth Against..." is a fun little bop as is the Untouchables cover "Nic Fit". What ever happened to slamming a cover song in the middle of an album? I might be doing this album dirty (ba-dum-tiss) but there's NO half-stars in the rate. ⭐⭐⭐
Pienso en como muchos temas con tremendo wall of sound tienen partitura de guitarra o que lee Renaldo le va zurrando de diferente manera en cada concierto donde la tocaban. Theresa sound world tema fav por ahora super viaje. En realidad live deberias de caerte de culo. ¿Mis temas favoritos? Los que canta Kim Muy guay para escuchar con cascos la mezcla juega con los paneos en muchos pasajes con los ambientes que crean las guitarras ¿Sugar kane? Canción sobre lo guay q es comerse un poglion
Heard a bit about Sonic Youth growing up but never got the chance to listen to any of their stuff. This album fits in with the timeline of the grunge movement of the early 90's. Lots of long guitar shredding solos midway though songs, presumably to help the headbanging movement. Lots of socio-political references to the era of the album. Best: Sugar Kane, Youth Against Fascism, Swimsuit Issue Worst: Chapel Hill, JC, Purr
There were a few standout songs that I really enjoyed and a few that I was left confused and not understanding. Overall a good album though.
Kinda cool, not exactly my thing.
some good tracks on here. not a big fan of the female vocalist unfortunately
Bouncy, aggro punk awesomeness.
Je commence à en avoir ras le cul de vos albums sans aucune saveur que personne ne connait
Not the usual violent ear sodomy from SY
Some v good tunes but a lot of crap there too
Decent, some great some good some bad
Will listen again
Vette plaat, maar moet dit nog wel een paar keer luisteren.
I can see the place in history, but not that interesting to me right now
Pa quien le guste
Not bad
Not a big fan of their vocals...
It was fine? I liked some more than others but got tired of it.
I like SY and their flavour of noise grunge, but this album just went on a bit too long. Great distorted noise and kim gordon wailing, but also lots of filler and I was kind of waiting for the album to be over.
pretty punk
twas pretty good
Not my style, so hard to judge. Liked this *way* more than their other album though. I would actually do this one again on my own.
cool album cover. cool drums. cool song names. the female vocals were better than the male ones. coo coo
Nothing hooked me
I quite enjoyed it, 3.5
Their stuff is always hit or miss with me.
This is a very nice album, but I didn't listen to its entirety
I thought it was a good album, there were some songs that weren't good at all, but most are enjoyable
Early 90’s rock just hits different. Very grunge-y, love the songs where Kim Gordon sings. I will say a lot of these songs sound very similar
Sonic Youth is hit or miss for me. This one's on the better side in my opinion but suffers from being an hour long. Maybe cut it back a bit gang?
Damn it all my commentary is an album off.
Some fun and energetic instrumentals, but I was not a fan of the vocals on many of the tracks
no songs stuck with me but this album cover tho, i wanna make this doll
Another album I’m having difficulty understanding why I needed to listen to it.
I like aspects of this. But I don't think it comes together for me. Though I can certainly appreciate Youth Against Fascism.
Not for me overall but definitely had moments, some very cool guitar bits mixed in there
This is not for me. Felt one note throughout.
A little too noisy for me. Likes: Theresa’s Sound-World; Sugar Kane
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.
meh total 4,5/10
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
muy gritones
Somehow it's so loud it nearly put me to sleep
Pretty much as I expected, though it did start to improve after the first couple of tracks. But not by much.
I just hate music like this.
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
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...
Not my jam. Headache inducing. 2.5
prima, punk
Remember listening to this, and not turning it off half way, but don't remember much else 🤷♀️
Better than goo
--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