Dirty

Nineties noise rock in it's purest form. There's defined droning guitars, snarling vocalists, a set of lyrics you can only barely understand, and a wide variety of not much at all. Didn't do it for me, the Sonic Youth I've listened to before this was I think later on, and benefited from being a bit more melodic.

Incredible album. I love how dynamic it is. I love how they alternate from a male to female vocalist throughout the songs. I didn't immediately love Sonic Youth when I first heard them a few years ago, but this one was definitely an A+ album from them.

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

Interesting and intriguing. Appreciate the change ups in vocals. Not my jam.

No

когда включала, думала "ой сейчас будет круто", но в результате очень сильно расстроена - временами было скучно, временами раздражало, временами было просто неприятно. я не подчерпнула ни че го интересного совсем и не понимаю, как это возможно. ну блин как есть... больше к этому альбому я не вернусь 100% если учесть еще и непозволительную длительность этого альбома, мне хочется забыть об этом, как о страшном сне

I should listen to all the recommended sonic youth and pick my favorite. I am a fan but I could see it getting old in long format, seems mlre like a singles to Playlist type band for me

Day448 - it’s probably the gen-x in me but it’s hard not to think sonic youth is cool as hell

Eh, some cool sounds were made but wasn’t a huge fan. 2/5 Fav song Sugar Kane

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

2.5

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

Not good. Musically mediocre, but vocally painful.

Loved this. They're just a great guitar band. No one else has the sound they do.

dirty post punk

Filthy in fact

Bunch of noise.

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.

A tough listen for me. I liked the instrumentals but the vocal work was getting to me. The length was also not helping any.

Liked a few songs but overall not really

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.

a bit too dirty for me. Sonic Youth always has been, despite many of my friends really loving them.

Think I need to listen to it a few more times.

So good, they are my old man guilty pleasure replacement for the Talking Heads of my youth

Sugar Kane, Swimsuit Issue, On the Strip and Chapel Hill(the best for me) are the highlights of the album On Orange Rolls, Angel Spit Kim Gordon sounds like the drummer from the band of Scott Pilgrim https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoS7b0u79mw

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.

Dirty by Sonic Youth is nearly flawless almost a 5/5 in my books. This album is a proper masterclass in blending noise with melody, and while there are a few minor niggles, it’s a record that just clicks on every level. The instrumentation on this album is next level. The guitars are absolutely brilliant – layered, edgy, and at times, downright mesmerizing. Every riff and feedback burst is crafted with precision, creating a soundscape that’s both chaotic and artful. The drums are tight as anything, laying down a punchy, relentless beat that drives the tracks forward, while the bass provides a deep, grounding groove that ties the whole thing together. The vocals, though a bit raw and unconventional, work brilliantly within the mix, adding an authentic edge that perfectly captures Sonic Youth’s vibe. The production and mixing are nothing short of phenomenal. Every instrument is given its own space yet blends seamlessly into a lush, cohesive whole. The balance between the dissonant guitar textures and the more subtle melodic lines is spot on, making the album feel both experimental and accessible. Each track has its own character, yet they all contribute to an overall sound that feels meticulously crafted and bursting with energy. That said, there are a couple of minor quibbles. At times, the album’s experimental edge can veer a little too far into chaos, making certain sections feel a bit overbearing. While I love the daring approach, there are moments when the noise slightly overshadows the melody. But honestly, these are just tiny niggles in an otherwise cracking record. Dirty is nearly a 5/5 album – a near-perfect slice of alternative rock that redefines what’s possible in merging avant-garde experimentation with accessible songwriting. It’s an album that resonates with me on every level, with its stunning guitar work, tight rhythm section, and lush production making it a standout record. Sonic Youth really nailed it here, and while there’s a smidge of excess at times, it hardly detracts from the overall brilliance. A solid 4.8/5 stars – pure, unadulterated sonic genius.

You shouldn't let poets lie to you. Bjork only tells the truth.

Sonic youth incapable of making a bad album. Kim gordon coolest person alive i wish i can be like her when im 70.

One of the best albums I've ever heard.

9/10 Pretty big album for me in high school and it surprisingly still holds up today, I think Sonic Youth making a legitimate attempt to appeal to a mainstream audience while not compromising with their noisy and experimental side is a really funny result. It’s a bit of a shame it didn’t really succeed in mainstream success, there’s songs here that feel like they should be recognized amongst other iconic Alt Rock records, but they’re Sonic Youth so it doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of underground Rock music lol. It’s just an extremely well made Alt Rock album that feels fresh today, it’s just unfortunately eclipsed by the acclaim of the surrounding albums, they’re just too fucking good. https://imgur.com/a/7Mey6Tp I made this a year ago, is this anything to anybody?

Sure

It's not really my thing. I enjoy a few sonic youth songs casually, but overall noise rock isn't really my thing.

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

kim gordon my beloved. i've technically already listened to this but only a few of the popular tracks. 100% - 5/5 Swimsuit Issue - 4/5 Theresa's Sound-World - 4/5 Drunken Butterfly - 4/5 Shoot - 4/5 Wish Fulfillment - 4/5 Sugar Kane - 5/5 Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit - 4/5 Youth Against Fascism - 5/5 Nic Fit - 1/5 On The Strip - 3/5 Chapel Hill - 5/5 JC - 4/5 Purr - 5/5 Creme Brulee - 1/5 Average score: 3.8/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ first 2/3 were pretty strong. the album drags at some spots after Youth Against Fascism (with the exception of Chapel Hill and Purr)

Not nearly as bad as the first two I've drawn here, but just not a fan. Every time a song comes on that makes me think, hmm, maybe it's not that bad an album, the next one confirms that it is that bad. And WAY too long.

no no no

Big fan of Sonic youth so I’m happy to see this album wind up in this list. And just look at that lil guy on the cover

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

2.5 Ok we’re officially hitting diminishing returns with Sonic Youth. This is also overlong and I cannot fucking stand whatever weird awful voice Kim Gordon is using in all her songs here.

Abgebrochen, viel Lärm und nervige Stimme

This album is just alright. No really memorable tunes. Nothing I wanted to sing along with. I could have lived without hearing it 1001 album worthy: No - 47/84

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Atrocious noise

3/5 , will need future listens

Not really sure what it was aiming for but it didn’t hit.

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

Started out OK, but I didn't really like the vocals after a few songs. Some good riffs though. 2.5/5

This was a rooough first album for me to listen to for this project. Listening on Spotify I found it interesting that the few tracks I half-liked were the least listened to by most people. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sonic youth is not for me.

hbo’s girls s1 ep4 hannah’s diary charlie’s song what was marnie thinking to a T

I was optimistic after the first song and then it went downhill fast. An assault on my eardrums.

That was a long hour! Kept me guessing—do I actively dislike this, or am I merely ambivalent? The former: tiebreaker to that feedback on JC.

Less loveable Nirvana

Only some of these songs are songs. The others are noise. Never thought I’d say that the female vocal made this worse? And finally, why did I hear Weird Al so often?

I’m a dirty boy I guess

Could not make it through the album. Sounds like noise!

Didn't need to download this one since its on my regular playlist. Definitely one of their best discs and some great Thurston Moore guitar work.

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.

Ooooh yeah, this felt like, just when I wondered if they were a little overhyped, the point when Sonic Youth really clicked for me. It's scuzzy, loud but super-melodic and with enormous hooks in places. This made me really wish I could see them live, but in 1992 (although ideally I'd be 19, rather than 8). You can totally see how this would translate into a live show, and the sparse production really helped with that. Lovely stuff.

Good album

This band is not as good as people make them out to be. Also fuck them for bullying Nardwuar.

sometimes, sonic youth albums have a tendency to exhaust me. i go in and i love the energy, but after a while the one-line-at-a-time style kinda gets to me. this album however, cuts out the fat and keeps the noise fresh. the balance between up and downtempo is perfect, as is the balance between singers (more kim appreciated lol). this is sonic youth at their best

a little too much noise for my taste

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

honestly, pretty good! i loved the vibes and this is typically my taste of rock though i do listen to many types but i specifically lean to this kind

Ever since my group got PSYCHOCANDY I've been a little on edge about any album labelled with a genre prefixed by "noise." Like, I gotta be fair, maybe PSYCHOCANDY was just a bad first step into noise music. After all, that's an album which reverbs itself out to the point of being dull, undecipherable mush. If there are any pleasant melodies to be heard, they're buried under a mile and a half of reverb. It struck me as music made by people who're so far up their asses about how they're "too good" for popular music, for people who're up their own asses for the same reason. That's not typically a mindset I like to have musicians and their audiences, but I can't even begin to stress how that album was the most unpleasant experience I'd had in a while. So it really does make me happy to report that this album wasn't even nearly as bad an experience as PSYCHOCANDY was. In fact, not only would I say that it's actually a pretty good one, but that's more comparable to something like Nirvana's IN UTERO than anything else. For real, it's a good thing my group got to listen to that album recently,'coz it really did help me in understanding this one. There **is** a lot of noise here — feedback and atonal guitar noises and all the stuff you'd expect — but it never gets in the way of the fact that these songs just rock, plain and simple. None of it is just loud for the sake of it, I wouldn't say. There's a lot of hard and heavy guitar tones, and dang it, I'm down for it. Of course, a lot of this music would still probably scare away... Well, let's call them "people with lesser limits." I was gonna say "untrained ears," but there are just people who aren't gonna like some styles of music no matter how much they "train."I know **I** won't probably won't ever like PSYCHOCANDY — although let's not bring that album up again, huh? And I know what I just said, but I still feel it's kind of a shame that some people would hafta miss out on tunes like these. I don't think I'd wanna say I'm **completely** over the moon for this album; there's a few moments here where the album relies a bit too much on "mood" for me to be completely into it... But all the same, I can be pretty simple: I hear a good guitar, I'm happy. If nothing else, this gets my expectations up for the other, bigger, more famous Sonic Youth albums that're no doubt on this list. If this, one of the lesser big ones in their discography, is as good as this... Woof, goodness. But, yeah, it's a 4 all around from me. "It was not an assault on my ears — a triumph!"

I mean, I like it, but there's not much that I can say on my end asides from this being some good 90's alternative. 4.5 bumped down to 4.

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4. I haven’t heard of Sonic Youth until today, so I had literally no expectations going into this one. I was just sort of hoping it would be good 90s indie rock, and I think it succeeds at that. However, I also think this album just doesn’t commit hard enough to the sound it’s trying to go for, and when it does fully commit, it overcommits to the point of near-parody (pointing directly at the wall of sound on “On the Strip” that would make Phil Spector rise from the depths of hell if it could). In a sense, this is pretty good indie rock, but it’s also trying to be grunge, punk, & straight rock all at once, and it cannot decide on a clear cut universal sound throughout the album. It’s not bad at all though, & they’re pretty proficient at all the styles they try, and that’s mainly why I’m at a 4 – for as indecisive as these guys are about their style, the tracks, for the most part, still shine through to have at least one good moment, even on the flatter tracks. The only one I really, really hated was “Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit”, and even that has a pretty good guitar solo around the 2:31 mark in that track. This album shines at its best when the band does know what it wants to do, and keeps a consistent tone for a few tracks, probably best exemplified by the stretch of “Theresa’s Sound-World” to “Youth Against Fascism” (again, save for “Orange Rolls”). The album sort of falls down after that, save for the excellent “Chapel Hill”, but it never really got boring. For a first impression of Sonic Youth, I’m left… not underwhelmed, but I feel like I’ve gotten a good appetizer that isn’t cooked as well as it usually is. I hear the potential these guys have, and I do want to check out another album from them. They’ve probably got better stuff, and even then, I thought this was still good. Not overwhelmingly great, but I enjoyed a lot of the instrumentation, vocals, and lyricism here to the point where I feel good bumping it up to a 4. You can’t hit on every track, but if you can hit on over half of your tracks, while still providing some good moments on those flatter tracks, then you’ve still made a pretty strong album.

I didn't care for some of the growling and screaming here but this album was alright, overall I don't think I'm going to come back to this and have it at a 2.

While I enjoy the chaotic sounds they wring out of the guitars, the chaos is practically unceasing. The lack of contrast makes it an exhausting listen. The vocals are terrible. An exhausting listen can be rewarding, but this isn't. 2 stars

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

Of all Sonic Youth albums, why this one? Having heard earlier records by the band, I can say there's something about Dirty that seems like Sonic Youth are trying really hard to fit the grunge/alternative mold of the period. It doesn't feel natural or authentic. True to it's name, Dirty, sounds grimy and sludgy, but it seems like a polished, manufactured filth. At times Sonic Youth sounds like Mudhoney and the Breeders; two bands I like, but Dirty sounds too slick for as "dirty" as the instrumentation is trying to be. Highlights: "Wish Fulfilment", "JC" There are better Sonic Youth albums.

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

jahas lisää näitä miksi ei, miksi ei lisää. hirvittävin laulukokemus mitä olen koskaan kuullut. varmasti paskin vokalismointi albumilla mitä olen tähän mennessä kuullut, aivan vitun huumeinen känninen paska painu studiosta vittuun ja vähän ryhtiä saatana askeleeseen.. totaalisumma on neljä.. neljä slottia annettu näille. neljä istumapaikkaa noin tuhannesta.. vain noin tuhat paikkaa no otetaans nuo neljä tuoltanoin.. menkää istumaan ottakaa neljä paikkaa.. niukasti on paikkoja menkää istumaan te neljä sisarusta siellä... ei voi yksi ottaa sieltä vaan yksi kaksi kolme....nneljä!!!! kauan onk ärsitty styssien valtaa juomapoika perkele rintamahan ylös pojat pohjanmaan urhot kalliit karjalan jääkäriveri tässä velvoittaaa... sugar kane

This has been said, but I think this music and a lot of grunge was a direct response to pop music in the 80’s. Without that context it’s hard to appreciate. The noise rock is kinda cool at moments. The guitar sound and variance in how it’s used is very good. I liked Sugar Kane for that reason. Most of this is unlistenable though.

100% and sugar Kane feel like this band trying to show they could have made listenable songs if they’d wanted, they just prefer to make abrasive noise pollution instead for some artistic or philosophical reason. Instead I think they just proved the best they were ever gonna be was mediocre. To me that makes their other songs seem that much more pathetic. I hate sonic youth and whatever it is they stand for.

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

This had more to like Daydream Nation, way more listenable - 100%, Sugar Kane, Chapel Hill - giving a bump for exceeding expectations, and an album I could perhaps come back to in the right mood.

dirty, punky, rough around the edges. Sonic Youth at its best 5/5

Punky noise rock, OK at times, but not an easy listen. Much better than the previous Sonic Youth album I heard from this list, E.V.O.L.

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.

Гранжевый Соник Юз. Любимая группа в доступный период. Лучшая песня - Theresa's Sound World.

I should like Sonic Youth. I like so many of their contemporaries, but I just can't get into Sonic Youth. Maybe it's the uninteresting voices. Maybe it's just a little too raw. I don't have a good explanation, but they don't do it for me.

Really surprised me. Sonic Youth just gained a fan!

Interesting

2/5. I don't think I like Sonic Youth. There is a sense of punk here but it feels filtered. Loud and static, but missing substance. There are some songs here that have some merit and listenability but most are not interesting enough. I do enjoy the vocals and the fact that they switch between the vocalists. The guitar is good most of the time, I just don't like the fuzz and feedback throughout all the time. Best Song: Chapel Hill, Sugar Kane, Swimsuit Issue

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.

опять первые две песни вспоминала отличие соник юс от юс груп/алфавил. соник юс никак не захватывают меня

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.

Rocking album. Disjointed at times but always rocking.

Not doing it for me. Maybe there was a moment in counterculture time when if you happened to be there, and you happened to be into it, then this made sense. Kim Gordon sounds like she's literally projectile vomiting the lyrics in one song (Shoot). “I would like to thank everybody for not going to see Guns N’ Roses tonight, and for coming to see Pavement and Sonic Youth instead,” Thurston Moore told a crowd. I'm at Gn'R.

Close to being a 5. Sugar Kane is such a great tune.

It clicked for me on this one. Noisy, but song structures I could follow.

Torture.

I don't see how anyone can hear loud screaming and loud, out of tune, randomly placed power chords on an overly distorted guitar and think "wow, this is a masterpiece!" But many of the reviews say that this is a great, even "quintessential" or "perfect" album. Is there something I'm missing, or are these just 90s kids being nostalgic about the 90s?

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 absolutely love Creme brûlée! What? The Song? No, of course not!

Haven't listened to these before and I really liked it. Would listen to more. Also one of the Simpsons appearances that I can remember from my childhood.

Generous 4 but it impressed me

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!

Reminds me a lot of other grunge bands but not as aggressive and I don't know if it fits. At the same time it also feels like some kind of pop-rock but with more dist in the guitars which also creates a sound I have a hard time pinpointing. That being said a lot of the songs are easy to listen to while going about the day. I don't know if its something I would actively listen to but I also wont skip to the next song.

Definitely a grunge sound

Can understand the legacy on this one but personally didn't really do anything for me

Not really my cup of tea

7.5/10. The inclusions of Sonic Youth in the "1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" compilation do seem excessive. That being said, this may be my favourite of the bunch. I'm not the biggest fan of noise rock, but this is a rather nice listen!!! :) Also, the cover art is adorable, and I wouldn't want to hurt that plushie's feelings!!! I have a plush duck named Macgaga, and he means the world to me!!! :)

Not knowing a ton about the specifics of Sonic Youth, it's wild to read about the context of this album, and just think about how gross and disgusting the major label machine was in 1992. Butch Vig production in full. This album seems like the polished post-Nevermind version of this band that DGC was hoping to cash in on. But that doesn't detract from how good this band and this record. It's cohesive and punching and direct in all the right ways. A great album.

I always want to like Sonic Youth and then I never do.

The album should be listened to consciously, is musically demanding in parts, mixed with pleasant passages. Stick with it!

3rd Sonic Youth album on this list, and my least favorite.

#446. I've never really listened to Sonic Youth before, but is not too dissimilar from stuff I do listen to, so I'm not sure why. Maybe I should've been, because I do think this album is pretty good 4/5: decent Song added to playlist: Drunken Butterfly I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

I didn't expect this to be anywhere near as good as Daydream Nation, but it actually seemed slightly better. Musically diverse, everyone taking a turn at singing, interesting guitar sounds, I just wish I had discovered this album when it first came out.

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.

I enjoyed the album, very much my type of music, but the singing in Drunken Butterfly was unpleasant lol

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

its fine. im not a big fan

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

For someone who’s not familiar with Sonic Youth, I think Dirty is a good album to start with. This album is more refined, polished, and accessible for a new listener. On the flip side, it also covers their diverse sound. It has some alternative tracks, noisier grunge tracks with distortion, and even a bit of upbeat punk-influenced elements. Although this is a more polished album, it definitely showcases their experimental nature, unconventional song structures, and gives you a taste of their raw and gritty feel.

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.

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.

# 384 : I don't love it, I don't hate it. It's just sloppy noise-rock. This is my second Sonic Youth album in two weeks. I don't get what all the fuss is about. Sometimes this list feels like things are included just because they were really popular at the time, but does anyone actually still listen to this album.

Noise in the making, beauty in the noise?.. great elements here and there, but above all it like it is getting to conceptional. Noise rock for the purpose of noise rock, lacking groove and vibe.. I recall listening to this album back in the day, and not quite getting on board, although Sonic Youth was a big thing then (late 80’s). It hasn’t really changed now that I give it a new listen.

A couple of good tracks, but this is simply too noisy / grungy for me. I couldn't get into it.

Barely listened. Was so not my thing. Yuck!

As I progress through this list I’m realising that when I get an album which I like I find it easy to write about (which I guess I’m stating here the bleeding obvious) But when I get an album which I consider bad it’s harder to come up with comments and emotions that I have not used before. Sometimes a bad album might have been made by an icon and considered globally as a classic. In which case I can say it’s not my barrow but I can appreciate the impact it made on music and deserving to be on this list. Which brings me back to my original point and this bag of shite. I’ve already used all the expletives and dismissive’s for all the other crap I’ve had to listen to. I don’t just like saying ‘not my cup of tea’ in one line as I prefer justify why don’t like it. But as I’ve now waffled on and my review looks long I can now end without saying anything remotely knowledgeable or assessing the musicality of this album and thus fooling everyone except myself. Who reads this anyway? 1/5 10/12/24

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

Musically this album is good, but the vocals are horrific. 3 for the music, but minus 1 for the vocals. 2/5

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

This album has some classic tracks. I'm particularly fond of "Sugar Kane". But the album is a bit long, and some of the songs are tough listens. I gave Siamese Dream a 4, so this should also get a 4.

The aesthetic of disillusionment and cynicism that is so popular in alternative music & counterculture is very tiresome and annoying. However I actually do really love this band's music lol. Somewhere between 4 and 5 for me

More of this please!

Too much noise, not enough genuinely good songs. 2/5

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.

Juno was right, it's just noise

Abgebrochen, viel Lärm und nervige Stimme

I've known of Sonic Youth for quite a while, but this was my first time listening to them. Boy, was it an experience. A good one at the very least. It was very experimental. Very crazy. I liked it.

I know so many people rave about SY. I never understood what all the fuss was about. They just sound like a hundred other bands that I could name. Just found this a little tedious.

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

Dirty is an apt title for this Sonic Youth album. It sounds like it’s being performed in some filthy back alley you wouldn’t want to be in at night by yourself. That’s not a bad thing. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-dirty-by-sonic-youth?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

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.

3.75 Really enjoyed Kim Gordon's songs most of all.

This is where I discovered Sonic Youth, so I have a hefty amount of affection for Dirty. Goo and Daydream Nation might be even better, but this is up there.

Great stuff, doesn’t seem to have aged

Decent

a lot of shit from a butt. i hate grunge

This has to be noise rock at its most melodic, accessible, and thankfully at its best. I love how the albums alternates between Thurston Moore’s more simplistic vocals and Kim Gordon’s sometimes subdued, sometimes vicious vocals between songs. It keeps the album fresh and stops it from becoming stale. Considering its length, the noise did get somewhat grating the more it went on, but this is still a good piece of grunge coming from Sonic Youth. Though so remain curious about the albums prior to this one. Favorite track: Sugar Cane Other hits: Wish Fulfillment, Drunken Butterfly, Chapel Hill, Youth Against Fascism, 100%

I shockingly found myself really enjoying most of this album. The last SY record I had was definitely not for me. This one seemed more accessible somehow or maybe just caught me on the right day. Got me with this one Jon....

not my thing

It's fine. Rarely more, rarely less

Low four. Usually I don’t go for this style of vocals, but I did enjoy this album. I believe I’ve listened to another sonic youth album, and I’d say this one is definitely better.

Thoughts before listening: I think this is the 3rd or 4th Sonic Youth album I've gotten on this project. They are very hit or miss for me with some of their songs really resonating ("Teenage Riot" is one of my favorite songs ever) and others just sounding like an atonal jumbled mess. This being one of their 90s, post grunge explosion albums makes me think it will likely fall into the good category for me. Review: Like with most Sonic Youth albums, there are some songs I really enjoy on here and others that fall into the too abstract and weird category to appeal to me. I think I see why Sonic Youth was always a band that floated around on the periphery of the music I loved growing up, but never actually became one of my favorites. They have moments of brilliance where I can see that they were a huge influence on bands like Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, but they just never quite allow themselves to tip over into the overt poppiness that those bands thrived in. Or maybe its more that every album has a couple pop tracks surrounded by a bunch of songs that are very alienating to casual music fans. Sonic Youth remained underground heroes while the bands that emulated them went on to massive success....and maybe that's exactly what Sonic Youth wanted. All that being said, there is a lot to like on this album. "100%", "Wish Fulfillment", "Sugar Kane", Youth Against Fascism", and "Purr" are all going on the playlist. This is a 4-star album.

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

This album fucking rocks.

There were a lot of songs that I liked on this album. There were quite a few that didn't quite grip me, but were okay to listen to. And then there were a few whose experimentation veered straight into feeling like my ears were being drilled with a jackhammer. But, overall, quite good. Favourites: Chapel Hill, Sugar Kane Least favourites: Nic Fit, Creme Brulee

Sludgy, harsh and full of energy. The good is really good, others in between are tough to listen to. Go punch a nazi to this album.

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.

4+ Stars (12/15)

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

“I bought another Sonic Youth album and it sucks. It’s just noise.” - Juno MacGuff. There are some good songs here, most notably “Sugar Kane” and “Chapel Hill”, but overall Juno is right. I can’t rate an album where one vocalist sings like she’s throwing up everywhere very highly.

these guys just never really do it for me

If you like screeching guitars and a whole lotta noise this is the album for you. Unfortunately for me I'm not a big fan of those things so this didn't do much for me.

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"

I tried to get onboard with Sonic Youth back in the 90's, they just never struck a chord with me. They had popularity, but compared to their competition at the time I found them bland, bare bones and less hooky. There's just so much unnecessary noise and feedback that take away from the songs themselves, I think that was what turned me off 30 years ago. The one minor hit, "Sugar Kane", is the one tune that stands out. I gave it a listen but it's not Top 1001 for me. I can hear some influence maybe but with no hits, no longevity, no memorable songs, Kim Gordon's very unappealing voice and the overall sound that doesn't hold up well it falls well short of making my list.

Not as good as the two that came before it, but still excellent. 4/5

Experimental Rock which is exhausting to listen to because of being more noisy than music more often than not with bearable parts of alternative.

So much noise...I love it! Liked Songs Added: 100% Shoot Youth Against Fascism Chapel Hill

Just a lot of noise

El disco más accesible y disfrutable de Sonic Youth, una institución en la música. Su influencia es enorme, paralela a la calidad de cualquiera de su abundante producción. En dirty se nota la mano de Butch Vig (productor de nevermind, entre otros muchos discos y cabeza pensante de Garbage) Para mi gusto es mucho mejor que Goo, y está al nivel de sus obras reconocidas como Daydream Nation o Sister. 100% es una apertura perfecta, del primer sencillo del álbum. Swimsuit Issue sube el ritmo y la energía para pasar al tenso y emotivo Theresa's Sound-World. Si Jimi Hendrix hubiera hecho algo en los 90 sonaría así. Drunken Butterfly y Shoot, con la voz de Gordon recuerdan a la época Sister pero actualizadas y dando pistas a las bandas Grunge de cómo hacer buenos temas. Wish Fulfillment, el único tema cantado por Ranaldo, una joya. Sugar Kane es otra de sus gemas. Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit- Fiereza punk que conduce a Youth Against Fascism, segundo y perfecto single (con guitarra de Ian McKaye ). Nic Fit es una versión de Untouchables (la banda del hermano de Ian McKaye ) es un meneo de aquí te espero hasta que On the Strip, retorna a esos nebulosos medios tiempos de Sister... Chapel Hill es otra de mis favoritas JC, dedicada a Joe Cole (asesinado en un asalto a su casa junto con Henrry Rollins) como también 100% (o Live Through This de Hole y The End of Silence de la Rollins band) inicia la triada final. Una estupenda canción que ha pasad más desapercibida de lo que merece. Purr, otro temazo, y van infinidad de ellos. Increíble el nivel que demostraron en este disco. Créme Brûlèe, cierre con la más experimental del lote. Un disco que no envejece y no da un respiro. Imprescindible. 1992 también fue el año de: R.E.M. - Automatic for the People , Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months, and 2 Days in the Life of…, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - El león, Sugar - Copper Blue , Barry Adamson - Soul Murder , Lou Reed - Magic and Loss, Beat Happening - You Turn Me On, Pale Saints- In Ribbons, Red House Painters- Down Colorful Hill, Lush- Spooky, Mr. Fingers - Introduction, Leonard Cohen - The Future, Tom Waits - Bone Machine, Inner City - Praise, The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury , , Dr. Dre - The Chronic , Wish- The Cure, Dirt- Alice in chains, Angel dust- Faith no more, Harvest Moon- Neil Young, Dry- PJ Harvey, Sweet Oblivion- Screeming Trees, Palomine- Bettie Serveert, Slanted and enchanted- Pavement, Erotica- Madonna, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion- The Black Crowes, Bigger, Better, Faster, More!- 4 Non Blondes, Check Your Head - Beastie Boys, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE- RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, Tourism- Roxette, MANÁ: ¿DÓNDE JUGARÁN LOS NIÑOS?, GUN: GALLUS, Love symbol- Prince, Joaquín Sabina- Física o química, Kitchens of Distinction- The Death of Cool, Albert Pla- No sólo de rumba vive el hombre, Surfin' Bichos- Hermanos carnales, Kiko Veneno- Échate un cantecito, Balas blancas- Barricada, Sangre española- Manolo Tena, Khaled- Khaled, Morphine - Good, THE JAYHAWKS - Hollywood town hall, LOS DEL-TONOS - Bien, mejor, LEMONHEADS - It's a shame about ray, WILLY DEVILLE - Backstreets of desire, BUFFALO TOM - Let me come over, SOUL ASYLUM - Grave dancers union, LUNA - Lunapark, Nick Cave: Henry's Dream, RIDE- GOING BLACK AGAIN, AFGHAN WHIGS- CONGREGATION, MORRISSEY- YOUR ARSENAL, Lovedeluxe- Sade, Diva- Annie Lennox, El Guardaespaldas...

5.5/10

This is a harsh 4. More of a 4.5 really, and with about 3 tracks trimmed it would be a 5. Noisy and melodic, varied but coherent, raw but slick. it's a real experience. Particular shout out to the superb drumming.

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.

Sonic Youth's "Dirty" paradoxically polishes their sound while keeping their subversive spirit wonderfully unwashed.

Nah

Let's see, I rated the last four (!!!!) Sonic Youth albums 2, 2, 1, 1. Will this one finally change my mind? Or will it make me wish I had actually already died? The latter I'm afraid. No stars. Also, please, no more.

Beany hats worn indoors or in warm weather. 'Nuff said.

Let’s talk about Cool. Sonic Youth are indisputably cool, they look cool, their attitude is cool. If I met someone who said that they listened to Sonic Youth, I’d think that person was cool by association. The problem is that their cool image overshadows most of makes other artists of a similar nature, scene, or style stand out. Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground had a similarly cool aesthetic, but Lou Reed was also in the top four singer-songwriters of the Sixties, and wrote at least a handful of genuine Rock Standards. Every cool band formed since 1968 has rehearsed Sweet Jane, Waiting For The Man, or Pale Blue Eyes in their garage. I’m not sure that Sonic Youth have anything that essential in their catalogue. I would go to bat for Daydream Nation being a pretty good album, and I enjoyed Dirty a lot when I was listening to it. I’m just not sure that there’s any relative cultural staying power in their music. I’ve not ever met someone who’s talked about Sonic Youth, I’ve only ever seen one mention of them in film or TV (a joke on How I Met Your Mother about any Bass playing woman called Kim in any cool band being hot for what it’s worth) and I’ve never heard any of their songs out in the wild. Any time I’ve ever seen them mentioned in discussions of music online (which is also rare) most of the conversation is about how cool and influential they are. This will be their legacy. The band that was too cool for big, lasting hits. Your coolest friend’s favourite band. And if we’re being honest, I’m not sure it’s any big loss. I like this album, I like Daydream Nation. But Sonic Youth’s coolness has always left me a little cold. I don’t think there’s really much to connect to. There’s not that relentlessness, that obsessive search for meaning or human connection or truth that I feel makes for the greatest art. Lou Reed, the coolest of all cool Rock stars, wrote some of his biggest songs by writing about his own insecurities regarding love and sexuality. Bowie spent his time pretending to be a literal fucking space alien writing about the frailty of human connection. Leonard Cohen, who was again just so cool, wrote almost exclusively about the obsessive intersection between sex, death, religion and his own ego. I feel something when I listen to their music, I feel a connection to another human. All I think when listening to Sonic Youth is, ‘wow, this is cool.’ I’m going to give this four stars, because I do genuinely think that this is good music. I’d happily listen to it again. But I’m not ever gonna love it.

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.

Love the tempo play and crustiness of Swimsuit Issue. Actually I think I'm finding any of the songs where Kim Gordon is on the mic/writing are my favorites. Drunken Butterfly > Shoot is a great one-two punch. Shoot is wonderful in its ability to sound off-kilter while retaining a locked in groove and spacious atmosphere. Also love the drum break on Sugar Kane. Found this to be a bit more polished than Goo, with some higher highs. I enjoy all the tempo play and interplay between all of the instruments -- especially the guitar scratching, etc. This is a low-mid 4

painful beginning. Okay end. 2.5 stars

I really try to not let first impressions weigh too heavily on the rest of an album, but this one only took 5 seconds for me to think that it was going to be a 2 star album. Hopefully it gets better, but it started in the hole. Sugar Kane was fine. Purr was fine. These songs saved this from being a 1.

I have learned that I don't really like Sonic Youth

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

Fuzzy noisy rock at its best.

Really good album, but not great, and a little too long. Best tracks: 100%, Wish Fulfillment, Sugar Kane, Nic Fit and Purr.

Woof! 👎🏽👎🏽 … Yeah “Grunge” is still not my thing

I forgot (but not completely) how kick ass this album is! I revisited it a few months ago when Kim turned 70 (!!!) I love them - their power, their dissonance, their talent - they were always cooler than everybody else and it seems that is still true.

Loved this. So edgy. Hard mix of punk inspired in your face unflinching walls of sound. Keeps you guessing with interesting tempo changes, distortion, tension, & sparse melodies. Very unique sound. Neil Young chose them to be his opening act when I saw him at MSG in 1990. He was clearly an inspiration to their sound along with many other 90’s grunge bands.

Great memories. I'm a fan of the gritty rawness of the sound and lyrics. Some songs shine more than others, but it's a fun ride all the same.

Aww yeah. Another one that sounds incredible 30 years later. Not as hazy - musical or lyrically- as previous releases. It's got some tracks. there is some amazing playing here (theresa's sound world), sounds that resemble singable if not quite sing along tunes (sugar cane/purr) and then some Kim Gordon tracks (maybe one too many, maybe...). Much more organized but still enough breakdowns to scratch the itch.

No, I don't care for this music

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.

Punk rocking in the early 90's. Can't say I jammed with the style but its alright.

Compared to E.V.O.L., this is much more accessible for me. One reason is, that they made this album grungy, which works well with their dissonant guitar play.

Probably the high Point of Sonic Youth's career. Commercially palatable without being the sell outs they never aimed to be. Plus this came out at a great time - right when grunge was riding high on people's minds and Sonic Youth were seen as one of the progenitors of that musical style. Plus it is a great noise fest of an album. No one was cooler than Kim Gordon. I was lucky to see them touring this album, playing the Big Day Out in '93 and a triple bill with Mudhoney and Helmet. A gig with so much feedback I thought my insides had been rendered into jelly.

They did me dirty making me listen to this album.

Sonic Youth are really growing on me, I got Sister a while ago, and didn't really like it. I have revisited that album a few times and I do actually really like it now. It was cool to listen to another album of theirs knowing that I should like it this time, and hell yeah dude this is a great album.

Man the 90s were too good, I had this on heavy rotation during my teens. Might be one of my favourite albums that I forget is so good, revisiting this is such a treat. Sonic Youth brought it so well on this record!

I’m ashamed to say I don’t know much Sonic Youth given their contribution to much of the music I love, but this album changed that.

I hadn't seen this album cover before but now I wanna crochet my own little orange guy. Very noisy and loud and good. I loved this. Kim's vocals are certainly something, but I think they fit the music. Favorites: "Swimwuit Issue", "Theresa's Sound-World", "Drunken Butterfly", "Sugar Kane", "JC", "Purr"

Some powerful 90s punk. Highly recommendable, but only if you are into that kind of music. I am not. 5/10

I may be getting to like SY after so many years. Still can't tell the albums apart though. Decent songs

I thought I would enjoy this more. Meh.

I hope I never hear any of these songs ever again.

Love Sonic Youth, but not a fan of this era particularly. This has a few moments – Sugar Kane is prime bombastic psychedelic pop rock in the way only SY can do – but a lot of this does sound like they were trying to out-grunge grunge and forgot about all of the other elements that made their sound so engaging. Not enough subtlety in the guitars, and not generally their best tunes. Dirty: not pretty.

There's so many layers here - not just throughout the album, but within each track itself. Sonic Youth had a real buzz about them. The songs aren't going to trouble the Top 10, but they remain upbeat and joyous, despite the subject matter. Youth Against Fascism had more than one repeat play. It was good to hear a LOUD album to start the week.

Oh good sonic youth. I don't know if I have the same contempt for it as Daydream Nation, they've learnt how to stand near their microphones at least. Unfortunately, sometimes they should stay away from the mics. The female vocalist especially is like nails down a chalkboard. The music is OK, it would get a 3, although it's nothing special and it's long and boring.

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

Not my music

Seattle got a lot of credit for something New York had already been doing for a long time! Dirty is beautiful, and always with the full-range Sonic palette to prove it. Messier and less perfect than Daydream Nation, but arguably more fun?

Decent 90s album.

As a child of the 70s this hit right in my prime era of music consumption, and the alternative scene was my wheelhouse. Despite that, I never got into Sonic Youth. Listening to this full album now, I under better why. Some of was ok, but man to vocals are really awful quite a lot of the time. Maybe they’re going for something I just don’t get. And I’m ok with that.

My second Sonic Youth album on this list. I liked this one a lot more, but that's not saying a lot as the first one didn't exactly set the bar very high. This album drops the ball a bit at times, but never completely loses its way.

I always feel like I *should* like Sonic Youth, but I just can't. I liked Sugar Kane well enough, but the rest of the songs were either just okay, or just bad.

I've stated in my last few Sonic Youth reviews (on this site) that "this is probably my favorite so far, but..." I think there's a part of me that really wants to like Sonic Youth: they exude effortless cool (especially Kim Gordon), and a really big "I don't give a fuck" attitude. However, that attitude sometimes gets in the way. What is an incredibly strong start really hits ground hard the moment "Youth Against Fascism" starts up, wobbles to a stand a few times (namely "JC" and "On The Strip"), but lands with the blasé "Creme Brulée". It might be that this album had the producers behind "Nevermind" giving it a more favorable sheen, but it can't cover everything. Favorite tracks: "Sugar Kane", "Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit", "JC"

I already knew I didn’t care for Sonic Youth and this didn’t change my mind.

Meh

Felt a bit flat to me. Good but not great.

One of the finest American bands doubles down on their noisiest impulses only to lose the plot on certain tracks, offer an uneven work, and thereby creating their first real polarizing effort. Can you tell these kids came from the NYC No Wave scene, which was fun and brash as much as it was directionless? And yet, calling this Sonic Youth's worst album feels like a stretch to me, especially since this is the album that contains "100%" and "Youth Against Fascism." Make no mistake: the tracks that whip ass certainly whip ass. And the tracks that don't can be forgotten. If you listen to enough Sonic Youth, a track that's forgotten feels like a disappointment. But 10 years into their career, bum tracks were inevitable. 'Dirty' is indeed the word. None of the ethereal dreamlike quality in Sonic Youth can be found on this affair, produced by Butch Vig and released in 1992. What we have is a post-grunge Sonic Youth, exploiting the now-ubiquitous soft-loud dynamics in a milieu of major-label privilege. Thurston Moore's guitar tone has never sounded more ferocious and chaotic. On this record, I think of his strings as less up-and-down and more of a circular clockwise-counter-clockwise movement, almost like how a roller-coaster is composed of steel loops and corkscrews, with the car grinding in every kind of direction. This is especially the case on the guitar solo on "Sugar Kane," which belongs smack-dab in the middle of a Greatest Hits compilation (a little bit of a research would show that this would be the third track off of 'Hits Are For Squares'). I always viewed 'Dirty' as one of the best albums to showcase the vital work of drummer Steve Shelley. On "Swimsuit Edition," the drums come in like a brutal gallop; when everything starts to swell and soar on "Theresa's Sound-world," the drums propel everything in an upward direction, like being scooped up by a tornado. The floor toms do some serious work in making "Drunken Butterfly" heavy and swampy, only aided by Kim Gordon's lugubrious vocals. Kim has to be given credit for the amazing bassline that opens up "Youth Against Fascism" and making the song an absolute earworm. To me, Sonic Youth's lyrics never really MEANT anything: some cool turn of phrases here and there, some stray observations on liberation that sometimes work but sometimes don't. In fact, they're quite clunky. Still, I know Thurston's heart is in the right place and sometimes it takes agitation to get people to really understand how they're being oppressed. I gotta say: I love that the chorus to this song is "it's the song I hate/it's the song I hate." Perhaps he's commenting on the nature of producing an overtly political song (a cliché, which of course was dominated by a whole-ass generation of preachy, idealist Baby Boomers that turned out to be massive hypocrites) or commenting on the fact that hatred - in this case righteous hatred - has to be in your heart to stand for something. I would consider "Shoot" to be one of the forgettable tracks, but the bassline that opens the song manages to be cool and approachable in its simplicity while still retaining a sinister quality. "Wish Fulfillment" is a skip and I can hardly remember how "Chapel Hill" goes, which speaks to the coherence in sound found throughout the album as well as Sonic Youth's misguided urgency in releasing this so soon after 'Goo' since it's clear they're using some scrapped ideas. If you're doing that however, why not just go with "Genetic" which was the B-side to "Wish Fulfillment?" I know that "Nic Fit" is just too swift and unserious to contribute meaningfully to this album. It's simply another way for Sonic Youth to flex their cool-kid bona fides. At this point though, it's like, "yeah, we get it." An Untouchables cover that would then help the L.A. hardcore band get some greater notoriety, but really doesn't do anything other than...whip ass! At least that's what I thought when I was 15 years old and ate this shit up like breakfast cereal. After this song, things really start to blur together, with the exception of "Purr," which has such a killer riff that then explodes into the type of screams you'd hear on a Mudhoney record. A little over two mintues into the song, you get what could be some of the prettiest guitar work on the record, only to be met with a blistering melody that probably was noodled around with while writing "Kool Thing." While the lyrics could really be about anything, I'm inclined to think that the references to love, howling to the moon, scratching a dog, "do it again," and "come back tomorrow" suggest the song is about sex, a subject that Sonic Youth excelled in. So at the end of the record, we have "Créme Brûlèe." In case you care, the accents are placed incorrectly! A creepy, cobweb of a song about a hazed-and-dazed summertime hangout. After the sweaty, lusty Saturday night exhilaration in "Purr," we're now met with the Sunday-scary realization that someone thinks, "I'm so happy that we're just friends." Uh-oh. But don't worry: Sonic Youth would do Sunday, and sex, and Sunday-sex on a better record. The album art? It makes a great t-shirt. A-

Solid pacing throughout, knows when to rip and when to chill.

I like this band, 4 stars

me gustó buco this shit was fire as hell. high 8/10

8/10

Funnily enough, I was just listening to this a few days ago. It's always been my favourite Sonic Youth album, maybe because it is more direct and less psychedelic than some of their earlier ones. The only songs on here I'm not really into are Drunken Butterfly, Shoot, and Nic Fit. The rest are pretty great; especially Theresa's, Sugar Cane, Youth Against Racism, and JC. 9/10

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.

What’s not shit is dull and what’s not dull is shit. Not their worst.

get in the bin

Like the many of the Sonic Youth albums I've had (this in #4), it's just a bit too noisey/anti-melodic for me. They do tend to tone it down for a few songs on each record though and those are always nice. 4/10

All over the place, but very unique and compelling

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.

Sonic Youth are always pretty consistent but they were really on a roll in the late 80s and early 90s (I’m a Goo fan, sue me!) This is a kind of grunge inspired album but still keeping true to the harsher and noisier climate of SY’s earlier records. It kicks things off with the super catchy 100% but gets a bit weirder as it goes on, with Gordon sounding absolutely feral on some tracks. Very energetic, very cool, and just very fun really

Noisy noise

Grungy Sonic Youth.

There were a few songs worth listening to but overall not enough for 4 stars.

Way too trashy/punk rock for me.

I want a 3.5 star review here. It's fine. I like it. I'm probably never going to play it over another Sonic Youth album though.

A lot of discordant noise. Meh. Enjoyed Chapel Hill because it was the least noisy nonsense in this album.

Yeah it's fine.

It's definitely not my type of music. But it certainly has its value!

This is what I am talking about. Fractured songs. Noise. Loud and soft. Interesting lyrics (for the most part). Pushing the sonic range of electric guitar and bass.

best wel oke bangers

Noisy.

Not always easy to listen to, but always fun, interesting, and challenging.

Blah

Musicians are talented and it's ok just not my cup of tea

"100%", "Sugar Kane", "Theresa´s Sound-World", "Orange Rolls, Angel´s Spit", "Youth Against Fascism", "On The Strip", "Chapel Hill", "Purr" - consistently pretty good grungy songs. But especially on the fist half of the album also some weaker tracks. Hard for me to decide between 3 and 4 stars!

Great early 90’s rock

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.

Great. Reasonably easy to listen to for a Sonic Youth record. Still quite harsh, but it's actual songs. It has their biggest hit and only a couple of misses. Good starting point if you want to get into the band. Favorite song: Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit

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.

Interesting early grunge rock, but nothing truly engaged me on this album. I did note the interesting contrast between his melodious singing and her angry rasping.

Meh...just ok.

Not my thing. At all.

Una mica massa dur per mi...

Really enjoyed this which surprised me as not really got sonic youth before

Could well be the best band name ever. Album is good, would encourage checking out others 3.5*

It sounds unpleasant. I don't get it.

A good album, I liked Sugar Kane the most.

No. 203/1001 100% 3/5 Swimsuit Issue 2/5 Theresa's Sound World 3/5 Drunken Butterfly 2/5 Shoot 2/5 Wish Fulfillment 3/5 Sugar Kane 4/5 Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit 2/5 Youth Against Facism 2/5 Nic Fit 2/5 On the Strip 3/5 Chapel Hill 3/5 JC 3/5 Purr 3/5 Creme Brulee 2/5 Average: 2,6 The experimental parts didn't click with me.