Dirty

Sonic Youth are, and always will be, better than your band.

Hey, no one ever went to a Georgia O’ Keeffe exhibit to gaze at realistic reproductions of flowers and landscapes. Nor did anyone view a Terry Gilliam film with the understanding that actual events were being depicted. So don’t approach Sonic Youth with the expectation that you’re going to hear songs with sustained, consistent tempos or beautiful harmonies, or even instruments in tune! If so, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. If, however, you can listen beyond the norm, and adjust your tuning frequency to that of the band’s, then you’re in for a uniquely good experience. I have a friend who happens to be a priest in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The liturgy chanted in their worship is lengthy, to say the least. They are just warming up on Sunday morning while most Protestant and even Catholic congregations are closing shop. The sheer amount of words emanating from the priest(s), the reader(s), and the choir is overwhelming. It’s simply too much to consider in real time. I asked my priest friend about this once and his suggestion was to allow the liturgy to just wash over you, and release the need to reflect upon what’s being communicated. It’s not really a didactic exercise for the congregant anyway. It’s more of a spiritual communion between the Divine and human, a foretaste of heaven on earth. (This isn’t his exact quote, just my general memory.) While an aural experience of Sonic Youth is hardly religious, I think a similar practice may be helpful. It’s not really a didactic exercise either, although the lyrics are mostly decipherable: bassist and vocalist Kim Gordon comments on cultural issues from a feministic perspective on songs like ‘Swimsuit Issue’ and ‘Shoot.’ Same with guitarists and fellow vocalists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, weighing in with pretty harsh condemnation (emphasis on the 'Youth' part of Sonic) regarding still more cultural issues on ‘Youth Against Facism’ and ‘Sugar Kane.’ And then there’s a handful of surreal offerings like ‘Drunken Butterfly,’ for example, which contains nothing more than lyrics and titles of songs from the classic rock band, Heart. But lyrics aren’t really the heart of Sonic Youth. Music is, or more accurately, the mood created by the music. I don’t know of a lot of other bands that create a more potent ambience than Sonic Youth. And while Dirty is a good LP, it’s not their best, nor the best representation of the typical volume of glorious dissonance found on most of their other recordings. In fact, as I understand it, producer and engineer Butch Fig wanted to tighten the arrangements up a bit, and I think it’s to the detriment of what Sonic Youth does best. It’s like asking the Grateful Dead to not jam so much. Again, don’t get me wrong, 'Dirty' is still a fine recording. Just take the bridge on ‘On the Strip,’ starting at about the three minute mark and extending for about 70 seconds with it’s A piacere, dissonant feedback (like the end of many of the live Who or Hendrix concerts back in the day), and imagine that extending for several more minutes sometimes as an intro, other times as a middle, often as a conclusion- that’s Sonic Youth. These fellas (and lady) have the patience to give the song time to breath, like a uncorked bottle of wine before its poured. They also understand the value of ritardando in a song, which is a word most rock bands wouldn’t even be able to define. And, as would be expected, their utilization of dynamics emphasizes the emotional effect each song is aiming at. The interplay of guitar work between Moore and Ranaldo, the notes often rubbing up so close together they almost become one, is jarring while at the same time surprisingly agreeable. Then, when they do finally sync up or harmonize together It’s like the feeling of health you always get (but often take for granted) following a bout with the flu. You find yourself exhaling a breath of air out of your lungs before you even realized you had been holding it in. And Steve Shelly’s steady drumming remarkably manages to hold this whole thing together, while even delivering a flourish of his own. This guy loves a shuffle beat, and it’s to Sonic Youth’s betterment. Finally, no one’s ever going to invite Kim Gordon to sing the National Anthem at a ball game, but her fierce growling of the lyrics at the end of ‘Shoot’ are convincing enough to make the hair on any man’s neck rise. She’s perfect for Sonic Youth. The golden tones of Karen Carpenter would be quite out of place here. Sonic Youth has long been one of my favorite bands. And years ago, when I read that Neil Young loved ‘em too, it made my heart skip a beat. Turn this one up loud, and cinch your seat belt tight. And toss your habitually conditioned clean ears and expectations right out the window. It’s about to get 'Dirty.'

No. I can't understand why you would learn how to play an instrument to turn around and make shit like this. I want to sue them.

There's very little to dislike about this album. Sure, Kim Gordon's vocals wander around looking for the key like a drunk in the dark trying to unlock their front door. But, other than that, it's a pretty good post-punk, post-grunge, alt-rock album. The issue is that there's not really a whole lot that amazing about it either. The lyrics are culturally relevant but stop short of being pointed commentary. The musicality has an edge to it (that's often missing in a lot of grunge-adjacent rock) but it's stops short of kicking anyone in the nuts. The album is good but it's just not great. Guitar tones are on point though and it was fun background rock.

Noise rock perfected. Crazy, wailing guitar lines, pop-punk sensibilities, dirty drums, interesting vocals and lyrics. Favorite song: Wish Fufillment

LOUD NOISES!!!!!

There’s a damn fine case to be made for Sonic Youth as the greatest American rock band. At the least, they are the band that exemplifies what I consider to be “the American spirit” more than almost any other. Let’s review: Ambitious? Check. Adventurous? Check. Aggressive? Check. Rebellious? Check. Forward thinking? Check. Politically savvy? Check. Innovative? Check. Experimental? Check. Influential? Check. Unorthodox? Check. Unique? Check. Willing to carve out their own path? Check. Most importantly, they fucking rock. Dirty might be Sonic Youth at their most aggressive. It’s exceptionally loud, chaotic and noisy. If you want to scare the shit out of your neighbors at 3 am, pick up an original pressing of this record on vinyl (it’s mastered *so* hot) and crank it up. But it’s not without songs and melody. Sugar Kane is one of the greatest 90’s alt-rock songs - that it’s relatively unknown, outside of Sonic Youth fans, is a crime. The twists, turns and breakneck speed of “Purr”…the ethereal grandeur of “Theresa’s Sound World”…the blunt teardown of America’s sexual harassment problem on “Swimsuit Issue”…and the gorgeous, chiming, opening strains of “Chapel Hill”: These are the heights that hacks like William Corgan and the majority of your alt-rock heroes could only dream of attaining. Dirty isn’t the best Sonic Youth record and it’s not even my favorite - they made better records before and since - but it is the record that turned me into a Sonic Youth obsessive. For that, it will forever get high marks in book.

I was a casual Sonic Youth fan before listening to this. Like, loved pretty much everything I've heard and always intended to dive in deeper, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. This album assignment was the push I needed to finally do that. Now. In my defense, I was very stoned before i hit the play button. But I immediately purchased a Dirty vinyl after one listen. Anyway, to sum up my thoughts, I'm an alt-rock girl at heart (maybe tied with pop at this point for my favorite genre), and listening to this was like letting my angsty soul have a nice long rest at home. Oh, also, as an avid crocheter, I will definitely be creating my own little orange alien to sit on the shelf next to the album.

Yknow that scene in a recording studio where there’s some terrible band making noise and the friend/producer/lead is pronouncing that what they’re creating is art but it’s it’s actually just shit? That’s what this album sounds like.

Really surprised I haven't come across this sooner because it's totally up my street. I usually hear people talk about Daydream Nation or Goo when it comes to Sonic Youth, which I like a lot - but this feels more polished, more direct, and influenced by the grunge scene which was exploding at the time, while not losing sight of their own experimental edge. Superb

Pretty bad

My favourite Sonic Youth album after Sister: non-stop 5* rock songs, highly accessible without doing any concessions to their sound.

Probably the most accessible Sonic Youth album I've heard so far, but that doesn't make the Kim and Thurston duo any less tasty.

Is this Sonic Youth at their most accessible? Most mainstream? They're still doing their own crazy thing but maybe the rest of the world finally caught up with them? Maybe they were still streets ahead of the curve?

Sounds 5/5 at times and some cool riffs sprinkled throughout but I couldn’t tell you many actual tracks that stood out.. also feels very lacking vocally for extended stretches. Missed potential IMO! Incinerate >

This was always my favourite Sonic Youth album, and it still sounds great today.

your favorite band's favorite band. I can definitely see why. Intuitive guitar sounds, powerful vocals. Pretty hectic and fast paced throughout, but also has some more relaxed songs to break it up a bit. However, not an album I feel the need to listen to over and over again. Not that many memorable songs.

I don't get it. This is apparently revered by some, and I really wish someone could explain why. It is muddy, flaccid and noisy. The vocals are flat and seemly deliberately off-key. The only track on here I can suggest I "like" (and I use the term in a very loose sense) is Sugar Kane, which goes on a minute too long. I guess if you grew up with Nirvana and were tired of grunge, this represents and a nice little change of direction, but jeebus it's a not a fun album to listen to.

The most underrated band ever. These people were geniuses and their experimental rock post punk introduced the grunge movement. Without these people no nirvana, no soundgarden no temple no alice nothing. They are one of the most important bands in history

As a teenager, I had a taped copy of Daydream Nation that I played a lot. I bought Goo when it came out and totally loved it. I bought Dirty on the week of release (Australian vinyl first release with a screen-printed cloth sleeve). I liked it (especially '100%', which is a banger), and especially dug how Sonic Youth were playing short powerful songs with hooks and riffs, with a lot less of the stretched out noise-scapes of some of their previous records, without compromising their sound. I mean, Butch Vig and Andy Wallace did a great job of making this sound like a million bucks, but there is no mistaking it for anything other than a Sonic Youth record. But their attempt at cracking the mainstream in a big way did fall a bit flat. Sonic Youth were integral in the "alternative music goes mainstream" push. Husker Du's signing to Warners cracked the door open, and Sonic Youth signing to Geffen flung the door wide open. It paved the way for Nirvana and a thousand other punk rock and weirdo bands to get major label contracts and break it big. And this was Sonic Youth's attempt; it was the year after Nevermind, and they had the same label and producers, and they stripped their format back to radio-friendly length songs that were identifiable as pop songs with more direct lyrics and less aloof distance, and this was supposed to be huge. But it wasn't, and SY retreated to a more useful niche at the edge of the music scene. Don't get me wrong -- I think they made a pretty comfortable living for a band that was as noisy as they were, but they didn't become Nirvana-level famous. This was their swing at the big time, and I can appreciate it, but I can also see why it didn't quite get there. A good record, but I still prefer 'Goo'.

This is the album where I became aware of Sonic Youth (after the Nirvana explosion) so these songs are burned a little deeper into my memory. Liked listening to the rehearsal tapes on the deluxe edition.

The scratchy guitar feedback noise at the start of the first track. HOW MANY TIMES? HUH? HOW MANY TIMES? I cracked at Wish Fulfilment, I just can't do this stinking cliched rubbish anymore. I try, really I do, to listen to everything otherwise what's the point? But what is Dimery's obsession with this fucking band? I went awol for a couple of years and I still think I've had six SY albums shoved in my ears. Enough!

Piss

Misery music.

I get it, should have listened earlier Will I listen to again: 100%

An argument could be made this is their best album, or certainly their most accessible. I love when the drums kick in on "Drunken Butterfly", now that's punk rock!

Soooooo goooood! I had no expectations coming into this album based off my lack of knowledge of the band but I was blown away by how entertaining and just interesting this was. From what I’ve heard, sonic youth were very experimental in their albums before this, with this focussing more on grunge but there was definitely some experimentation going on here aswell and I think all the ideas are used so well. Most songs on here were amazing with some, in my opinion, slightly less amazing but what I liked so much about this album is how there was always at least parts of a song I really liked even if I wasn’t a massive fan of the whole run time for example “shoot” which I didn’t like the pace of especially how it’s a longer song with not much change throughout but I really like the distorted guitars coming in through the breaks in vocals. Overall though there weren’t many songs I didn’t like anyway which means it’s hard to give my favourites because it’s genuinely hard to pick but my favourite track for sure is chapel hill, I loved the guitar riffs, the drums were perfect, vocals perfect and the part about mid way through where the tempo speeds up was really cool. This reviews getting too long though so I’ll give my verdict: 9/10.

A perfect blend of noise rock and grunge. Sonic Youth show why they are among the best rock bands out there.

Weirdly, while this isn’t my favorite SY album, it might be the one I know the best. I listened to it a ton in high school, and it’s full of great songs. As a whole, it might not be as good as Murray Street or Washing Machine, but it’s a classic all the same.

I will admit that this band has never been one that I listened to. This gap in my consumption is a bit shameful/surprising considering my fondness of this type of music from this era. Anyway, thanks generator for having me listen. I loved it. Time to rabbit hole.

So good!

Sonic youth innit

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.

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.

One of the best albums I've ever heard.

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

Goddamn I love this band so much. That signature thing where they start with a spacious slow groove and detached flat affect vocals, then build up layers and layers of guitar lines, dissonance distortion and feedback, filling in the space until it's super saturated as the vocals get more and more angst and it eventually bursts and a clean guitar arpeggio comes in like the cool feeling after a quick dew point drop and a downpour have taken all the oppressive humidity out of the air. Masters of tension and relief, of the hard-earned explosive climax, of time and texture. The two-three guitars going back and forth, interweaving lines, bouncing ideas off each other, extending each others openings, or just layering give this such an dense exciting feel - like Television re-invented for the grunge era. This album is packed with so many riffs, melodies, turns of phrase, powerful sounds, and they come across so forcefully and precisely and with such control even as they're pushing every meter deep red.

Wonderful rock album. Powerful, loud, noisy and interesting.

This is a really good album. I didn’t listen to much Sonic Youth growing up, which is a shame because they are definitely one of the best alternative grunge bands of all time, and this album showcases that perfectly. While it dips a little for me in the middle, there really isn’t a bad song on here. “100%,” “Youth Against Fascism,” and “Purr” are probably my favorite songs, but I was captivated from beginning to end.

Surprisingly I have never listened to Sonic Youth, but I am glad to rectify that now. Very solid outing and I look forward to more.

Another SY album that might be my favorite of theirs! Listen to this one regularly, it's got like 5 songs that could be my favorite SY song. Anyway, easy 5. I believe Anita Hill.

Every time I listen to Sonic Youth I think I should really listen to more Sonic Youth

This was my Sonic Youth. This weaned me (but not completely) off hardcore punk with its crunchy guitar and throwaway lyrics. I might be rating this higher out of nostalgia, but at the very least I believe it to be one of the best Sonic Youth albums.

Love it! Now we're talking!

Really influential album and sound. All of the instrumentals are dope and have a lot of cool dynamic changes. I also like the very straight forward lyrics in some of these songs. A lot of the noise/shoegaze bands usually have very cryptic lyrics but songs like swimsuit issue are almost like punk lyrics. I didn’t love Kim Gordon’s vocals at first but they grew on me and the music is just so good. JC has a haunting kinda sound that I really like and stuck with me. A lot of the songs have great riffs and/or melodies under the layers of noise and distortion which I feel like takes the songs to another level and conveys the energy of the writing really well. Whether it’s adding to a fast song to take it another level or destroying the more soft songs like JC. So many cool dynamic and tempo changes in this one too that draw you in and makes the album fly by. Sick album and I’m looking forward to listening to this and more sonic youth in general. 👍: JC, chapel hill, purr, sugar kane

“I’ve been around the world a million times and all you men are slime.” Love love love this album. I have listened to plenty of Sonic Youth over the years but never sat to listen to an entire album. Nothing but love for this one.

The albums on this site have brought me to love Sonic Youth. This album is not exception.

Masterpiece

This music is doing battle with the Christmas music playing in the grocery store. Listening to Sugar Cane as I look over the brown sugar selections wondering why anyone would buy light brown sugar.

I kept seeing stuff about how experimental and weird this album is, what are you talking about??? This is a relatively generic alt rock album, not the residents. Let down on my expectations, but still good

A fan of SY’s ‘80’s stuff, I mildly shunned this album, a common error. There’s a recording of them in Brixton from this time that absolutely slays; the few years when they were playing at being a warped, jet engined version of a big rock band were exhilarating and I miss this version of the band as keenly as the scruffy freaks of “Bad Moon Rising” and “Sister”. Second half wanes just a tad, but I think the record is strong all the way through to and including “Sugar Kane”, and rest blazes often.

This passed me by when it came out, too busy chasing local talent (one way or the other). But it's pretty good! I'll keep playing it over the next week or two but it's at least on par with "Goo" so far. I just realized I did indeed see them live around this period at a festival (yes! Phoenix Festival 1993) and enjoyed it, although probably not as much as catching a newly-signed David Gray strumming an acoustic guitar on an adjacent hay bale to an audience of 3 people and a dog (literally!), or Matthew Sweet (who was excellent).

i wrote a very good paragraph about noise rock in general but i think its more suitable for "Daydream Nation". and that album is better. 4/5

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

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

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.

I've still yet to really appreciate these guys (and gal) but I get their authenticity.

It's impressive how it can be both pure noise and melodic at the same time. I have owned this album since it first came out but I rarely come back to it. But when I do, I enjoy it.

Well, shame on me for never listening to Sonic Youth before. This was awesome. Noisy and agressive instrumentals, but not grating. The music perfectly matched the vocals, too. It was cool to have alternating singers, each adding a different flavor to the music. Kim Gordon was the definite highlight but I also enjoyed how Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo complemented the abrasive sound. Putting these guys on regular rotation from now on, that's for sure. Standout tracks are Purr, Chapel Hill, Sugar Kane, Wish Fulfillment, Shoot, and 100%.

Sonic Youth's second record on a major label. When Nirvana's Nevermind burst onto the scene in 1991, grunge was suddenly everywhere. It would be downright dishonest not to admit that they were the biggest influence on '90s rock. In the wake of this storm of grunge, Sonic Youth released Dirty in 1992. Some people have claimed that this is their grunge record, but I think the influence is only slight. Concretely, Sonic Youth has still made alternative and noise rock bangers on Dirty. We get the most from Kim Gordon on this record and she's a fantastic vocalist. Compared to Goo, I'd say Dirty is the better record. Perhaps Sonic Youth had to adjust to major label expectations but this album shows that they could still turn out great songs like they did on the indie labels. Sonic Youth is one of the best sounds of the 20th century, and I'd consider us lucky that we got to hear so much of their stuff.

god sonic youth are cool

Yeah, this is really cementing for me that I shoulda got into Sonic Youth decades ago. It's well badass. I could see more listens pushing this to a 5 easily enough. Fave track - "Youth Against Fascism" is delightfully catchy and off-kilter. Also really liked the vibe of "JC"...

Ne vous faites pas avoir par cette note de 4/5, il s'agit en réalité d'un 3,6/5.

I enjoyed this album. Coming from not knowing too much of their work, I think this opened me up to their style of music. Their music has uses heavy distortion but it's controlled and fits with the singing(like in "drunken butterfly" and "orange rolls, angel spit"). The sound is heavy and sometimes melodic which is what I like to listen to and I enjoyed some of the 'softer songs like "chapel hill". Their a great mix of hard rock, 'grunge' and punk.

I’m glad I got past the first few songs, because I think the album improved after a rough start. But maybe I just became desensitized to the vibe. Overall, it had some cool moments, but it was way too long and very unfocused. Sugar Cane and JC created interesting grooves. Everything else just kind of blended together in a kind of sonic stew that resulted in everything tasting and feeling pretty much the same.

It's rare to find an album that's great from start to finish, but Sonic Youth struggled to write a song that's great from start to finish. I like parts of most of these songs, but there was always something that took me out of the moment and killed it. Felt like they wanted to incorporate a bit of a grunge sound into their music but missed the mark and ended up ruining what could have been great songs. And the common mistake of too much, you dont need 15 songs on an album. Overall this missed the mark, but not by much. Still mostly enjoyable.

Have been aware of Sonic Youth and people gushing over them for decades and I just don’t get it. It’s ok, that’s it. There’s not a lot that engages me here

A fun ride, that at times feels a bit disjointed. I don't know if it's the two voices, but I feel like they are two different album, some classic rock that is well made but not that inventive and some experimental that is rougher and a bit noise adjacent. I found it interesting mostly, it gives scope, but they are not that many band like that one. I also think it is a tad long, but man they had a lot to say about the world.

Loud music, minor chords, angsty lyrics, monotone singing, heavy hammering drums, and fuzzy recording quality. Yep, it's early alternative rock. I've never really gotten into Sonic Youth. I know the Gen X crowd tends to love them, but I never got it. I think I was a couple years too young, and by the time I started finding my own music bands like Green Day, Offspring, and Sound Garden were cooler (and better sounding).

Much, MUCH better than Goo which is surprising for the straight follow up. I think it helps that they drop the 2cool4u attitude and just go back to their usual demeanor that is more disinterested but works in making the music not feel, well, of its era Even more its how they add back in some of the sounds they played with before even Daydream Nation, but with a little more focus. The biggest cons in my opinion is that it is too long and some songs can be a bit grating but otherwise, pretty good.

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.

I love noisy guitar bands, Mary Chain, Pixies, Ride etc but somehow I never really got into Sonic Youth. Cool guitar sounds but where are the tunes? 'Sugar Kane' is fantastic, if the whole album was that good it would be 5 🌟 but sadly it is not.

this album went all over the place for me. i didnt really see much consistency and there were a lot more duds than hits. i am also not a fan of kims vocal delivery in this album. i like the mixing for the album though; drums sound nice. towards the second half, it got a little tiring and boring to listen to. the highs are good at least. 3 personal favs: sugar kane, chapel hill

I always get Sonic Youth mixed with Smashing Pumpkins because of that Simpsons episode, and this album has not helped Cool sound though, would listen again.

Nice try list but you’re not going to make a Sonic Youth fan out of me

# 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.

headache in form of music

I like some of their earlier avant-garde stuff, but that’s more curiosity. It's like looking at an abstract painting and thinking, “That’s neat, but I’m not gonna look at it for an hour!” When they moved into the grunge-pop era with this, I was out.

It was just pure noise. Like there was literally 30 seconds of static noise at the end of a song. If that's your thing, more power to you, but it was not my cup of tea and probably won't ever be. Honestly the most surprising detail to me about this album was that sometimes there were rhythms and beats that they followed.

There is a lot of horny sounds going into my ears, and it's very uncomfortable. I've never been a fan of noise rock, and I don't think this album will change my mind on it. Also, why are all the albums on this list over fifty minutes? Nobody wants an unnecessary double lp.

Goated

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

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

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

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

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

Dirty grungy sock puppet

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

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

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

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

One of the definitive albums of the 1990s.

KEN. love it

They got it

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

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

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

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

Classsssssss act, sy, great!

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