Reviews (page 2 of 9)
WOW! I had a very hard time picking a favorite on this one! I loved this album a lot, I feel like these guitar instrumentals are some of my favorites ever. I know I’ve been giving a lot of 5s but I really like this. Highlights: Dirty Boots Tunic Disappearer (favorite?) Cinderella’s Big Score
It was good but that’s about it nothing super special
Take this review and rating as a compliment: - sounds like music my edgy artsy 7 year olds would make - hated every minute of listening to it
Good, fine indie rock. I couldn't find anything tangible to grab onto that sets this apart from other stuff, but I think this is an album that has an audience that I don't find myself a part of.
Not a sound for me at all. Grungy post-punk, couldn't even get to the second half of the album.
Goo...oood. I liked this for all the reasons I like Daydream Nation but i haven't spent as much time with it. Really liked the first few tracks.
I didn't really dislike this, but it took me three sittings to finish because I kept getting bored so it doesn't feel correct to give it a 3
This is such an overrated album. Just the cover makes me roll my eyes at the pretentiousness
Dirty messy
Had to break it down
Better than Coldplay
Rubbish
Sonic Youth feels like the kind of band pretentious artsy people love. They do some cool dissident stuff and the bass lines are fun but overall this album just has a " we're so cool and if you dont get it, its because you're too mainstream" vibe.
Occasionally this album's smugness can be eye-rolling, but when this album's high points make it worth sitting through all the hipster stink. Noisy and discordant, Sonic Youth somehow were able to adapt their avant-garde sound to put out some hits that could be played on the radio. Both "Dirty Boots" and "Kool Thing" rule and I'm impressed that something as chaotic as those songs got airplay before Nirvana came along and changed the game. It's not all good though. The outro of noise on "Mildred Pierce" felt like noise for noise sake. Lee Ranaldo takes lead vocal duties on "Mote" and I wish we got more songs with him singing instead of Thurston Moore, whose voice can sometimes get grating. Overall this is a very influential album that I do respect despite its flaws.
My personal favorite of Sonic Youth's albums. Still don't get why they have so many albums on the list, as anyone not familiar with them going in isn't going to hear much difference between this one and the others.
Please see my previous 27 reviews on Sonic Youth. This one is Kool
There was a big deluxe reissue of this album when I was in high school and I fell in love with it then. This really is the hinge point of their career -- the guitars all still kinda sound like Daydream Nation, but the songs have a bit more of a "pop" structure. Lotsa love for Goo!
I've listened to 5 out of the 11 tracks, and they were (without a single exception) fucking awful. I just can't call this music, it's noise. I can often appreciate that if I don't like something there is 'something' in it that I could understand other people enjoying - but I don't get that with this album at all. To be fair, the other Sonic Youth albums I've endured through this site have been consistently shit.
Goo is such a legendary Sonic Youth album, and it really shows how far ahead of the game they were compared to the rest of the 90s alt-rock crowd. Some people think it’s too polished since it’s their first major-label release, but I think they nailed it. They took all that signature noisy, dissonant energy and somehow turned it into catchy songs without losing their edge. Kim Gordon is the real MVP here. Her vocals on "Kool Thing" and "Tunic (Song For Karen)" are just incredible and still sound super fresh. Between the fuzzy riffs on "Dirty Boots" and those classic feedback squalls, the whole thing is just perfectly balanced. It’s way more than just a cool t-shirt design, it’s basically the blueprint for the entire decade of music that followed.
It was a bit too noisy for me. I know it’s the grunge era and it was the trademark back then, but I didn’t enjoy it as much. I don’t have much more to say about it. 3/5. Slight chance, except for Dirty Boots and Kool thing, I will listen to it again, and probably gave a higher note. Dirty Boots : 5 Tunic (Song for Karen) : 2 Mary-Christ : 3 Kool Thing : 5 Mote : 2 My Friend Goo : 2,5 Disparearer : 3 Mildred Pierce : 2 Cinderella’s Big Score : 3 Scooter and Jinx : 2 Titanium Expose : 3,5
not for me but okay
I appreciate the themes explored overall but the sound just isn't for me. Most of it feels like it's not meant to be listened, but also I'm no musician so maybe I'm just dumb, I don't know, what I do know is that I don't want to hear it again (Maybe mote, I didn't mind the moth) Dirty Boots ★★✩✩✩ Tunic (Song for Karen) ★★✩✩✩ Mary-Christ ★✩✩✩✩ Kool Thing ★★✩✩✩ Mote ★★★✩✩ My Friend Goo ★★⯪✩✩ Disappearer ★★⯪✩✩ Mildred Pierce ★⯪✩✩✩ Cinderella's Big Score ★✩✩✩✩ Scooter + Jinx ⯪✩✩✩✩ Titanium Exposé ★★✩✩✩
this album kicks so much ass, the sounds that he gets from his guitar is just unmatched. and obviously i mean, kim gordon!
Bit heavy for my taste
It's OK but too noisy for me. This is the third Sonic Youth album from the list, and that is at least one too many. My opinion on this is exactly the same as their next release, Dirty, it's punky noise rock.
Epitome of cool.
At times, including from the jump, I thought, not so bad as the others from them. Then, by the end of a song, or from the outset of the next, they changed my mind. Again and again.
Really enjoyed the first half of this album, wasn't as crazy about the second half.
Love the sound. Love the (smart) lyrics.
Just meh
First impression - it’s the American Stone Roses with added noise. Dirty Boots a strong opening. Stays strong for a few songs, but feels like they ran out of ideas a bit and start stretching songs out with distortion and noise. 3
Quintessential teenager buying a T-shirt from urban outfitters to prove they’re cultured album
I can barely call this music. Most of it just becomes annoying noise after listening to it for a while. A bad album overall.
While I enjoyed the first few tracks that had a fun and catchy vibe, I found that the rest of the record was quickly dragging without bringing much. Plus, "Mildred Pierce" nearly gave me a heart attack 😅. Favorite track: Tunic (song for Karen).
I'm an aesthete and I hate ugliness. As far as music is concerned, I detest noise. Which makes SY intolarable for me.
5 out of 5. First time listening despite knowing of this album for a long time and I think I'm in the right time to appreciate it.
It’d been a while since my Sonic Youth phase, and I remembered liking this album less than Daydream Nation and Dirty and even Washing Machine. But then I gave it a full attentive listen and actually, it ruled pretty much the whole way through. Then I put on Dirty just for a fresh comparison and that ruled too. These guys really made three 5-star albums in a row, maybe four if you include Sister. Must-listen #394.
I really enjoyed this album. Can't name any standout tracks from the first listen, but can see where this influenced some others.
Good for getting ready to go out on a Saturday night. But I’m too old for those type of shenanigans and such behaviour is a distant memory. That said I did go out last Saturday night and had five pints. Felt shocking on Sunday which convinced me I shouldn’t ever do that again. So the chances of me ever listening to this album again are nil. 3/5 24/8/26
Surprised by this one
Blah.
Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
Iconic cover. Okay album.
4.5
Not their best album, but their most commercial album. 3.5 stars
I have mixed feelings on this album. On the surface, Sonic Youth makes the jump to a major label and makes a more polished, accessible album, but I also don't think the songs reach the highs of their previous few albums. It's almost like they're trying to fit in with the burgeoning alt rock boom they helped to influence instead of just doing their own thing. There is some good stuff here -- "Kool Thing", "Dirty Boots", Disappearer", but the rest is sort of a mixed bag for me. 3.5 stars.
Cover art is cool. There are a couple of scratchy cool harsh rocking classics like Kool Thing which was on Guitar Hero 3 and Tunic (Song For Karen) which is a punishing beautiful tribute to Karens. I was listening to this with my girlfriend and she got a headache about 4 tracks in so she demanded that I turn the album off but I would say this is the most listenable and essential Sonic Youth album to put in the book. 3.5 stars.
ah sonic youth. the band everyone says they love but nobody listens to.
It's got a certain vibe suitable for teenage angst...
I was listening to this while stuck in a university campus in Brussels. I think it's the Sonic Youth album I've liked most. I especially preferred it when Kim Gordon was singing, so that's a thing. Dirty Boots is the song I remember most, but I remember generally liking this.
i’m not sure if this is genuinely a 5 or if i’ve just been so taken by surprise by this after not liking Sister. loved this.
This has so much energy and the clashing notes are great. The whole sonic landscape is incredible. A few of the tracks have really fun interesting lyrics. The 3 different vocalists add something interesting too. I feel like I'd love there to be more "songs" but I really enjoy the feel and the energy, so I'm giving it a really high 4.
The energy on Goo is awesome. It’s got a rebellious quality that feels so genuine and unique, despite surface level sharing many aspects with their punk and post-hardcore peers. The second half fades a bit for me, or doesn’t add enough new energy though. Fave Tracks: Tunic (Song for Karen), Kool Thing 3.5/5
Liked the instrumentals at times. Vocals were not for me
actually quite good! i came in with low expectations because i haven't been a huge fan of the sonic youth i've heard so far, but i actually really liked this! feels like a very noisy and sludgy take on 90s alternative rock, which i quite enjoyed. high 4/5, and one of the few sonic youths that actually deserves to be here!
I liked this recording a lot. Distortion, screaming (at times) vocals, heavy thumping drums all toward creating some unique sounds.
I mean, are you gonna liberate us girls From male white corporate oppression?
There's some good ones on here, especially Kool Thing... and then there's Mildred Pierce, which I was unable to appreciate. I'm rounding up based on the earlier parts of the album.
First half is better but still a good album. Better music than lyrics but still worth another listen.
Our fifth and final Sonic Youth album. Good riddance.
it’s a “1” because fuck you it’s a “1”. It was going to be a “2” until I listened to My Friend Goo. What a piece of shit song that was! The balls on whomever decides which albums make this list must be the size of planets. Five Sonic Youth albums??? Seriously?? I mean we’ve only heard 2 Beatles albums to date, but clearly that’s because SY is 2.5x better than The Beatles. WTF. In the immortal words of the Asian groundskeepers in the movie Major League, “They’re still shitty!”
There is nothing here that hasn”t been done before … or better.
If Sonic Youth were ever to reunite they should change their name to Sonic Boomers. (Yes, I checked. They are all in fact baby boomers) No surprises, not their best, not their worse.
I really wanted to get into this, but it's just not for me. Kinda screechy
Nostalgic but didn’t hold up For me
I ought to enjoy Sonic Youth a lot more than I do given the bands they both were influenced by and influenced themselves, but they just sound so fucking bored, and not in an angsty ennui fuelled way like bands like Unwound, but in a way that implies they’re just making music because they know they’re good at it and it pays the bills so why not. If these guys weren’t Sonic Youth I get the resounding impression they’d be typical Wall Street cutthroats. But they’re ARE good at making music so 3 stars I guess.
This is not bad. I've never listened to this band before. Not really my cup of tea, but obviously talented.
Shoot you good my dude
++: Dirty Boots, Tunic (Song for Karen), Mary-Christ, Kool Thing, My Friend Goo, Disappearer, Cinderella's Big Score, Scooter + Jinx, Titanium Exposé +: Mote -: Mildred Pierce 9,6/10
I've always heard about Sonic Youth, but I don't think I connected them to their actual music. It's not good. Pretentious art rock. Did they write their music to appeal to the smallest number of people possible? Is this output their sincere truth? I don't know. It's not the worst thing on this list, but I don't plan to revisit it.
I really really wanted to love this. But it just didn't hold up musically. I don't know how else to say that... A bit too much guitar feedback, too screamy, and not enough variation and interest to hold itself together. I feel like similar artists (Pixies, Patti Smith) have accomplished what Sonic Youth was going for here. They just missed the mark. 4/10
An assault on the senses-great if you’re out on a run, terrible if you have a hangover.
There must be a Sonic Youth fan lurking in 1001 as we still have others to come, including Daydream Nation. Goo launched SY into mainstream consciousness, including mine. Noise and rage, catchy guitar twanging, visceral lyrics, the SY trademarks, and, of course, the coolest woman in rock and roll. Looking again at the cover artwork and dialogue, it is in bad taste IMO, but this has not affected by star rating.
FFS. I do wonder if 1001 just tries to be too alternative sometimes. Broadly unlistenable.
I really wanted to like this. I guess I'm just not cool enough. 2*
Is Kim Gordon the coolest person alive? This is a rhetorical question.
I’ve given each of the other FOUR Sonic Youth albums on this project three stars. I feel that they deserved those stars. Decent albums, some good songs, some bad, mostly mediocre but listenable albums. This album sucks. Five mediocre Sonic Youth albums, but not a single album from bands like Deftones, They Might be Giants, Salt N Pepa, Neutral Milk Hotel, Tool, Madvillian, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Tyler, The Creator, J. Cole, Death Grips, Childish Gambino, Mos Def, Black Star, Danny Brown, MF DOOM…the list goes on and on. But at least there are five mediocre Sonic Youth albums, Six Beatles albums that sound exactly the same, and NINE David Bowie albums. So there’s that.
I'm conflicted. I love some of the guitar on this record. Some of it is my absolute favourite type of raw punky expressive guitar. I feel like on a lot of tracks the vocals and general atmosphere match that. On some, I feel like it's hugely undermined by that low energy talk vocals. The whole thing feels a little bit confused to me for that reason. Still very cool
I enjoyed this record. A little angst and a lot of noise. It's a good suppressant for my thoughts. Favourite Track(s): Dirty Boots Least Favourite Track(s): Scooter and Jinx
Ooh a Sonic Youth album! If I had this earlier I would've recoiled a lot. Turns out I can tolerate and maybe enjoy some noise rock if you put it while cooking. The minutes of fuzzy guitar feedback pass by so slowly that I need to do something to make good use of it. This isn't my first time listening to them anyways. I do appreciate how tight the songs are while still keeping their edge. I really want to bump this album to a 4 just to look like I do love experimental acts. Guess I can't help but have pop in my veins (3.5).
It’s easy to forget just how fun this band can be. Enjoyed this quite a bit.
Really good balance of heavy and chill, loud and soft, tight and loose playing, silly and serious.. listened several times and kept coming back over the next week. Really liked this one
Everything that sucks about punk. After hearing the Circle Jerks album (a 5 star tour de force!), thank you for reminding me everything I don’t like about punk.
Innovative sound for the time and dripping with aura, as the kids say
4/5 Favorite Song: Dirty Boots
Love Goo. Sonic Youth's major label, and most accessible (?) to that point. I mean, "Kool Thing"!
First one half to two thirds rocks. After that, it’s a little too much “wall of noise” for me.
iconic indie album
8/10
Sonic Youth are one of those bands I always want to like more than I actually do. I thought this was decent but I didn’t love it.
Probably the best Sonic Youth album I've heard thus far. I can see why this album is on the list (not so much some others), but this one was good.
Me tendría que acostumbrar.
Too much noise. Go away.
1 hour of please let this be over. This is just not my style and way too much noise
I feel like I should like this but didnt really click
This was definitely a decade and sound defining band and album, however it’s not something that deeply resonates with me nor do I feel like I’d go back to it
This is a great album. I believe this was the first Sonic Youth record I ever listened too, I had this on my iPod in High School. I love how punk this is. Its wild, its crass, its heavy, but also quiet and soft. I like the humor and jokes in the lyrics. This feels like a true indie record. It has this kind of tongue and cheek style of cool, where they're hyper aware of how cool they are, but also being "too cool" to do anything conventional. This record rocks.
By 1990 this was just a big retread of past music.
Hijole, demasiado guitar riot…entiendo lo alternativo que resultó en su momento pero no para mi
Listening to Sonic Youth makes me feel cool.
I really like Kool Thing. She’s got a really good voice, kinda built for this type of stuff. The bass line at the start of My Friend Goo is also cool. Overall I quite liked it.
Alternative rock, noise rock.
Ok
It was a 3 until the screaming and chainsaw noises
Not one of my favourite Sonic Youth albums. Starts off well enough with 'Dirty Boots' then meanders a bit before 'Mote' brings it back again. Maybe it's Gordon's vocals that grate a bit and come across a bit snobby kool. And she comes back again with 'My Friend Goo' to put me off again. Ok, 'Cinderalla's Big Score' redeems her somewhat and then 'Scooter And Jinx' piles on the motorbikes and F1 squeels to bring it back properly...but way too short. 10 minutes of that would do me just fine but back we go to the regular Sonic Youth track to finish off the album. So, the odd track doesn't really save a fairly mediocre album for me.
Blends into the rest of the plentiful noise rock albums on the list moreso than it stands out, it's a solid block of songs, only as a wheel that doesn't find itself reinvented
Very much enjoyed the sloppy, fuzzed out, chaotic mess this album is. No real hooks, no real cohesive concept to the album, just good ol' garage band vibes.
Heard Before: Many times. I was a big Sonic Youth fan for a while. Notes: - this list NEEDS a two-albums-per-artist limit. and in this case, Sonic Youth has only one essential album, and this isn't it. - Kim Gordon is cooler than the rest of the band combined. - I'm always amazed at how simple and even quaint the drums are. He's not an attention seeker, unlike a certain someone else. - Most of their albums are poorly produced, with bad bass tone, no separation and too much compression. Ditto here. - Always a treat for me when a band has multiple songwriters and vocalists. Verdict: If you already love Sonic Youth, this fits the bill perfectly. Otherwise it's just a lesser, but interesting, work by a pioneering group. Listen Again? Probably not. I've heard enough of them. And also they were mean to Nardwuar! Unforgivable.
Static, yelling and an electric guitar do not automatically make a good album
Maybe my favourite Sonic Youth record, I always like alt rock stuff and this is a great fusion between the classic artsy Sonic Youth Stuff and 90s alt rock
1006 - "Here's your juice box and orange slice. Thanks for coming." (P.S. - I actually liked this album. How it is included here as an afterthought and didn't make the original list is beyond me. I mean really? Leonard Cohen has 5 and this didn't get a whiff? Unbelievable.)
3.3 I know I’m supposed to like sonic youth. Some of their stuff is great but some of it just seems there. I get that it was new and raw and if I heard a band presently that sounded this way, I would just say they are ripping off sonic youth. So I guess that means something. Back then it was something. Presently it just feels like it’s trying to be something. I obviously understand 1990 was a way different time and I think there are flashes of brilliance.
Solid, a good mix bag of relaxation and tension.
Having checked, it turns out I gave Daydream Nation (1988) four stars: a review I wrote 36 months ago, in which I basically said it was interesting and creative and worth a good score despite finding the vocals grating (and I didn't like the Kim-fronted tracks at all, apparently). Then, three months ago, I gave Dirty (1992) 1 star, simply saying that it wasn't for me. So, do I like earlier Sonic Youth better, and would this therefore end up somewhere in the middle? Or am I now too jaded from years of listening to an album a day to find anything in this genre interesting, unless I really like it? A bit of both, it turns out. I liked the first two tracks, and Disappearer. I couldn't be doing with the really rackety ones (Mildred Pierce. Although I might now read the book.) The final track was good. So, it's quality, but my inability (jaded unwillingness) to engage with many tracks means it's a generous three. I wonder if Dirty was really that bad. I can't remember. There have been a lot of albums.
I mean this needs no endorsements from me this is one of my favorite albums. Great songs all over the place. Tunic song for Karen is a bangerrrrr
*sigh* another alternative rock album from the 90s. Hey guys, it's not alternative if every single artist is doing the exact same thing as you! How abouts we play an instrument other than an electric guitar? Maybe? I'm finding the ending of Mote particularly egregious, and the Mildred Pierce song was a crushing disappointment. Sonic Youth gate gay people, why would you bait us with Karen Carpenter and Joan Crawford and then just do this shite?
idk man i just fw it
Not my cup of tea
The sound was muffled but I guess that’s what they were going for. They’re like a garage band but I’m not in the garage. I’m listening from the other side of the house through the walls.
Now this is the territory of the older cool kids. I came to understand this group is important & influential to a lot of what I like, but they were just enough before my time and on my periphery that I never made it backwards for a proper investigation. Years (and a virtual lifetime of musical exploration) later, I discovered Mr.TM in free jazz spaces. And so my estimation of him (& the group in general), as well as their position on my priority list, skyrocketed. So here we finally are. I fukkn love it. I fukkn LOVE it. The influence is SO clear. It's a serious failure on my part that I never got to this before. They're near universally acknowledged as giants in their lane. How the hell did I let them slip into my blind spot?? Well, not anymore! I fukkn love it. I'm not prepared to rule on the overall standing and impact of this album on the scene. In terms of expectation to enjoyment however, this is a STRONG 5. I'mma be spinnin this one for a while
5/10. Es un disco raro, como rock punk metal. Me gustaron algunos temas, pero otros para nada. Messirvio descubrirlos.
(4.5) kool
Love Kim hate thirst on this record is fab the experimental bits sometimes feel a bit like whiplash but I’m down for the ride
Liked this.
They have my respect for the Karen Carpenter song (RIP forever legend) but ... I cannot say I really enjoyed listening to this? I feel the vocals (both sets of vocals, to be clear) are kind of terrible and amateurish even though the instrumentals are incredible.
annoyingly interesting Would I listen again: possibly Deserves to be on this list: yes 3.4
classic. love that Chuck D cameo
Not a band I've ever really listened. Really enjoyed it though
music is love
Not good
The first half was good but the second half went a bit weird and shouty
It's just a banger innit
Mit Goo wagte die US-amerikanische Noise-Rock-Band Sonic Youth 1990 den Sprung zu einem Majorlabel: DGC Records, ein Ableger von Geffen, brachte das sechste Studioalbum der Band heraus, aufgenommen in den New Yorker Studios Sorcerer Sound und Greene St. Recording unter der Regie von Nick Sansano und Ron Saint Germain. Der Wechsel vom Indie-Umfeld in den Major-Betrieb hätte leicht zur Verwässerung des eigenwilligen Sounds führen können, doch die Band hielt an ihren verstimmten Gitarren und ihrer strukturellen Sperrigkeit fest, verpackte sie diesmal jedoch in griffigere Songformen. Stücke wie "Dirty Boots", "Tunic (Song for Karen)" und vor allem die Single "Kool Thing" – mit einem Gastauftritt von Chuck D – zeigen, wie geschickt Sonic Youth Zugänglichkeit und Widerständigkeit austarieren. Kim Gordons distanzierter, oft sprechgesangartiger Vortrag trifft auf Thurston Moores und Lee Ranaldos verschachtelte Gitarrenlinien, während Steve Shelleys Schlagzeugspiel dem Chaos einen erstaunlich tanzbaren Puls gibt. Das Artwork von Raymond Pettibon, inspiriert von den Moors-Morden, unterstreicht die kühle, leicht morbide Distanziertheit, die das Album trotz seiner relativen Eingängigkeit durchzieht. Kulturell markiert Goo einen Wendepunkt: Es öffnete Sonic Youth einem größeren Publikum und ebnete – gemeinsam mit ihrer Tourbegleitung Nirvana – den Weg für die Alternative-Rock-Welle der frühen Neunziger, ohne dabei die Ecken und Kanten der Band zu glätten. Goo bleibt ein seltener Fall, in dem sich künstlerische Eigenwilligkeit und Massentauglichkeit nicht ausschließen, sondern gegenseitig befeuern.
If you search all of my other Sonic Youth rankings, they are pretty different from one another. But after getting these records on this list, I kinda started to dig them more than I thought I would. It's noisy but done in a pretty good manner. I enjoyed this one. I like other ones more though. This is like a very high 3.
Raucous noise, thick distortion, punishing drumming, nervous tension that releases into explosive stress. The rhythm guitar layers are so dense and dissonant, pushing back and forth between two open tuned chords, droning, shifting, warbling in the fuzz - magic.
Definitely a bit front loaded but this one has some of my favourite sonic youth tunes
this needs some more listens for me to truly appreciate it, but i could see this becoming something that i do enjoy listening to… therefore this is a tentative 4
not a bad album. I can appreciate an alt rock band that throws in plenty of guitar distortions, amateurish recording style and grungy vocals, but I still prefer pixies because they are a bit more upbeat and relatively more energetic.
good
A classic from my formative years!!
The distortion is fun, but they never do anything interesting with it
Daydream Nation var et såkalt watershed-øyeblikk i alt. rockens historie. Hvor går man som et band derfra? De holder seg i stor grad i den litt mer polerte og poppa stilen fra Daydream, men uten epos formatet. På sitt beste er det på høyde med EVOL og Sister; tenker da spesielt på Dirty Boots, Tunic, Kool Thing, Mote, Disappearer... Det er fortsatt jævlig bra fra et av de aller største innenfor sin niche, men ikke like essensielt som trilogien som kom før. Lugger spesielt i sluttpartiet som er det eneste som gjør at jeg nøler med å gi full score.
Sonic Youth får til det umulige, nemlig å følge opp Daydream Nation. Det er verre med meg, siden jeg allerede brukte opp min Sonic Youth-historie i min Daydream Nation-omtale
For Goo, I think it earned more points than a normal punk album. There was some cool experiments with sounds in the album which, while I did not enjoy, I at least appreciated. But not enough to get it more than a 4.5/10.
Really enjoyed this one. Lots of really excellent songs and a sound I can get behind. Not sure why I haven’t listened to more Sonic Yourh.
Loved it. Great drums, guitar tones and drones. Great bass tones and drive. Super.
sweet edgy noise rock
Fine but got repetitive
I just reviewed “Sister” by Sonic Youth and said “ I really want to like Sonic Youth... But whenever I listen to them it’s just really annoying.” But for this album that’s only partially true. Some tracks are really good, some are okay, and some are still really annoying. I think I have to give this a 3 but if it were an EP of just the tracks I like it would be at least a 4.
Never really sticks in my head after multiple listens. Did enjoy though…
Nope. Not for me.
For some reason, Chuck D saying "woooord up" on Kool Thing fills me with joy every time I hear it. More than a 3 but not quite a 4.
Better than I expected
i own this album on vinyl, but for some reason i never listened to it after i listened to the album i can say that im not a fan of it lol i dislike staticky sounds in the songs which was part of the reason
yes it's unconventional it's GOOD guys i swear. mote and cinderella's big score really impressed me with their guitars. obviously knew the big two before this but this is one of those albums where i haven't stopped thinking about it since i listened. giving this a 5 because i gave EVOL a 5 and i'd feel bad ranking it lower. would probably have given it one anyway. just has so much going on but doesn't feel like a slog to listen to unlike a lot of albums that try the same thing.
Sonic Youth is one of my favorite bands, but this album wouldn't even sniff my top 5 from them; a couple songs feel like retreads of earlier stuff and a couple of them are just sort of not that interesting, but it's a testament to how incredible this band is that I still think the album is fully great regardless of that.
I didn't quite like it as much as Daydream Nation, but there's some cool songs here. I liked Dirty Boots, Kool Thing and Disappearer the most.
Focking 'ell. Another Sonic Youth, innit? I consider myself an enthusiast of alternative music, which is why it's incredibly disappointing to me that the figureheads of this genre are so SHIT. Pixies and Sonic Youth instill a sense of frustration and disappointment in me that I rarely feel from anything else. I can hear this album already. The lazy, shitty, blown out guitars and vocals which are comparable to an enthusiastic handjob are already coming through loud and clear. The only positive comment I can see myself making about this album is that the album cover is both great and deservedly iconic. Guess I'll just rip off the Band-Aid and get into this one. Here goes. Yep. These guitars sure are lazy, shitty and blown out. I haven't splooged once throughout this album either, though "Disappearer" did give me a half-chub. That song's alright. I still can't get over the female vocalist of this band. The dudebro intonation in her singing voice is just so fake, lifeless, flimsy and lame. The male vocalist isn't much of an improvement, though I can barely make him out most of the time which easily puts him as my preferred vocalist. The instrumentals are somewhat competent. The blown-out, ghastly sound still doesn't move me, though the guitars feature some solid chord progressions and a general sense of direction. The songs aren't focused enough to hold my attention for the full runtime, though I was at the very least engaged while listening to this album. The stoned, frumpy losers murmuring over said instrumentals does undercut the appeal, however. Overall, I found this album to be dull, though it did hold my attention, which can't be said about the other Sonic Youth albums. Book time. The band's first release on a major label. The frontmen of Dinosaur Jr. and Public Enemy provided vocals for this album. "Goo was accessible in terms of song and structure, yet still experimental in tone and texture." The book entry closes out with "While many tip the critical nod to Daydream Nation, Goo remains a masterclass in how an underground rock band can make the jump to a major label and not only survive with its soul and balls intact, but flourish and reach a wider, appreciative audience." I think the Sonic Youth inclusions should be cut down from five albums to three. The band have been loved by critics for most of their career and were massively influential in the founding and early trajectory of alternative music, but five albums is just way too many for what this band represents. Five inclusions puts them up there with Led Zeppelin and ahead of Pink Floyd, which doesn't at all sit right with me. That being said, EVOL, Daydream Nation and this album appear to be their most noteworthy releases, so I'm content with letting this one through. I cosign this inclusion.
When I was young, I really didn't get Sonic Youth. I wanted to. I wanted to be someone who liked music on the edge, but I didn't even get into music until I was in my teens. My conservative household was pushing the envelope with the Kingston Trio. (Have mercy!) Every time I tried to approach them, it was more than I could deal with. Of course, at the time, it was Toad the Wet Sprocket, REM, and Counting Crows in my disk changer. It would take a long time before I would be comfortable with their brand of musical swagger. I enjoyed this album. A couple of bangers. I doubt I'll be reaching for it much, but I'm glad I can appreciate it now.
honestly, 7/10 some songs were a masterpiece but the rest of them were kinda…surprising. Anyway, nice begin.
Some good songs spoiled by guitar wankery. Certainly a mix of musical.
5/10 Finally, a Sonic Youth album on which can be found nuggets of magic - melody and song, revealing themselves in the sludge of two tone "riffs". However, I like music where the magic comes not in nuggets, but in great globules of wonderfulness, so... Very interested to find that the album art source was related to Myra Hindley - the great ghoul of the news that still cast a long shadow over the 80s of my youth. Seriously not cool.
4/10 Fun but not for me
An okay album, I liked Mildred Pierce the most.
It wasn’t terrible, it just wasn’t my thing.
A good solid album / lots of distorted guitars
haven't been consistent for the past few days but this is definitely a nice album to get back on the road (i hope). i love this album, disappearer is my fav track!
Nothing on here feels genuine. 2.5/5
I would play some of these songs again. I think a 7/10 might be too high but I’ll let it slide this time.
Surprisingly catchy and not as much incomprehensible noise as I'd imaged by the reputation.
Not to judge an album by its cover but again I have low expectations for this one based on the cover and name. dirty boots is pretty cool I guess. Definitely a good guitar. Terrible vocals/lyrics on tunic. Just talking. Good guitar tho. Is this song what South Park is referencing in the shop class episode?? Why did they not fade Mary Christ right into kool thing. Waste of a bridge song. Great guitar on kool thing. Bullshit lyrics. Note is better. Really really good guitar on this one and better vocals. I like the outro on this one too. Or what o though was the outro. Didn’t think there’d be 3 more mins after. Still a cool song. My friend hop is generic indie rock. Trash. Bad lyrics, singers voice isn’t even good. 5 yos must go crazy for this song. Best part about it is that it’s quick. Back to basics with disappear. This song is much better. Good guitar riff, catchy lyrics. Mildred is good. Good production with no bs vocals to ruin it(for the most part). Last 30 seconds suck. Cinderella’s score is fine. Better writing on this one. Cool production again. Ready for this album to be done which is a bad sign considering it’s not that long. Makes me actually appreciate scooter and jinx even tho it’s nothing except for short. But again, a missed opportunity for a cool fade into titanium exposure. Cool intro on this one, and really good main production. Much better vocals/lyrics. If only every sign was just like this one. But as always when I say that, they aren’t. This is a true JAA. Some pretty good songs and some straight ass songs. 2.3/5 stars.
..
too weird
kommer ud lige ved alternativ rocks explosion. De vinder sig ind på et stort label efter daydream nation og på det her album viser de så noise rock i et mere radiovenligt format som kan sprede sig bredt til media. De kommer jo fra kunstskole og undergrundsmiljøet, så det er præget af post-punken på den måde som minder om suicide et sted, hvor man prøver at lege med tanken om hvor langt man kan skubbe lyden af rock før man ødelægger den. Så det oversætte alt fra deres tidligere mere kanoniseret albums til et sprog som er lette for _MTV osv. Det her er en af mine yndlings albums nogensinde specielt pga albumcovered som jeg synes er mega fedt. Har sjovt nok altid forestillet mig, at det var to personer som sidder i en bil. Jeg tror det er det er den måde de sidder ved siden af hinanden, men jeg tror også det er fordi at guitaren og lyden af albummet minder mig så meget om en motor. Ham der har lavet albumcovered har åbenbart også lavet det for Black-flag tidligere. Jeg anbefaler det her album til alle som skal introduceres til larm :D
Dizzy up the kids.
Happened to get EVOL yesterday, so this has been a pretty great couple of days. EVOL was the first Sonic Youth record I had, Sister is still my favorite, and Goo was the one that made me feel like the world was beginning to change. Kool Thing with Chuck D on MTV, legit rock and roll hits, but on an album that still had Sonic Youth noisescapes like 'Mote' and 'Scooter and Jinx.' In my impatient youth, I wanted to skip some of the tracks, like 'Cinderella's Big Score' but I really enjoyed them on this listen through. There's some monsters ('Dirty Boots,' 'Tunic (Song for Karen),' 'Kool Thing,' 'Titanium Expose'), but there are no weak tracks here, a great album listen. Yes, on the lists.
I should dive deeper into Sonic Youth, really liked both albums I've heard of them so far
I know very little of Sonic Youth, other than _Kool Thing_ which I think may have been on a Guitar Hero. I was pleasantly (if that's the right word) surprised with it, thinking it would be a less accessible (if that's the right word) than it actually is. Elements reminded me of The Velvet Underground and I can't stop humming _Kool Thing_.
Back when I first heard this, it always felt a bit too lo-fi and fuzzy for me, but listening to this fairly soon after Daydream Nation, this actually sounds quite polished by comparison. Maybe because I am older, maybe because I stopped being sniffy about what genres were cool, I enjoyed this a lot more than I let myself 30+ years ago.
An album of two halves. The first half was very punk with a lot of energy the second half at descended into a chaotic rabble Reading the reviews it says that this is not the best album which is encouraging 3/5
Pensé que no me iba a gustar cuando lo vi por encima en algunas canciones, pero al escucharlo me gustó sinceramente, tiene muy buena instrumental y los cantos están muy bien hechos. No tenia ni idea de este album, ni del grupo, pero la verdad me esperaba mucho menos debido a lo poco que escuché con fragmentos de canciones al azar. Aunque, pese a todo lo bueno, habian momentos tipo que era mas como "ruido" o interferencia, y eso no me gustaba mucho, era como un relleno, aunque pese a eso, se disfrutó. En las últimas canciones iba bajando un poco el nivel, pero si no fuera por esos puntos, llegaría al 4.
three stars for a sick album cover and "dirty boots" God bless
I think this is just slipping into 5 star
This album is so great. They cover so much musical ground here. They bring the noise (and Chuck D). Kim Gordon attacking misogyny in hip hop and left wing politics all in the same song. The guitars are all at once wild and expressive, but still well in control. The drums are composed in service of the song like an alternative/noise rock version of Ringo Starr. The songs are alternatively and simultaneously accessible and challenging. It’s an impressive feat. I’ve calculated 4.7 because there’s a couple of songs that go against the flow without derailing the album, but I’m bumping it up to a 5 because it’s such a great and important album.
Another one of the albums I was highly anticipating from this list, and for the moment, they didn't miss with the Sonic Youth choices. My first impression was great. Everything that makes the band so unique and interesting is here. Hard riffs, great vocals, super noisy parts and great balance of energy and melody. With following listens, I was expecting to grow on me, as I was hoping for another top tier release, specially considering this is the follow up to "Daydream Nation". In my first tries, my opinion was a bit stale, thinking the album was great but not noticing any improvement on what I thought about it. It wasn't until I gave it a proper active listen that the album was starting to show its strengths and I really was getting what it is going for. So as always, Sonic Youth shows through their work that taking time is the key for truly appreciating everything. The record starts with the piece "Dirty Boots". It introduces the album in a calm manner, with a melodic and upbeat sound coming from guitars, bass and Moore's voice. Then, it unexpectedly breaks with hard riffs at the meddle point, providing a sudden burst of energy. Then the song continues with an instrumental section that reminded me a lot to the one in "Schizophrenia", with all the melodies, chaos and the crescendo combined. Next is "Tunic (Song for Karen)" which keeps the melodic work, but instead of a bright tone, it gets sadder and more melancholic, specially thanks to Kim Gordon's vocal delivery and lyrics which make her sound very vulnerable and delicate. The sorrow doesn't last long, as the next song is "Mary-Christ", which is very energetic and also has a super punchy a catchy riff that makes the song rather fun. The following track is "Kool Thing", another piece with an incredible riff. What makes this song special is that it features some lines by Chuck D in the bridge, something I didn't expect at all, and it also has a super great guitar melody after the bridge that I absolutely loved. Afterwards is "Mote" the only song in which Ranaldo is the lead singer, and he delivers a killer job. As "Tunic", this song lands in the melancholic side, specially due to the voice melodic and vulnerable tone, but also the guitars do a great job in contributing to the overall feeling. However, this track also has possibly one of my least favourite moments. Once reached the middle point, it becomes a noise fest, something that I usually like, but I don't in this instance, as I don't think it works well with what the first half of the song did, and also feels too long. Talking of middle points, "My Friend Goo" brings back the energy with a very fun and kind of goofy sound. It doesn't have the most remarkable riffs or vocal deliveries, but it is really fun either way. With the track coming after, "Dissapearer", the album returns once again to a serious feeling with its suspenseful guitar melodies and calmed vocal deliveries. It probably has some of the most interesting sounding noise solos sections, full of fascinating guitars. Then comes "Mildred Pierce", a very short song that is basically a build-up with intense guitars until it reaches a point where Moore starts to savagely scream and everything else becomes incredibly distorted and chaotic. Compared to "Mote", this is a pure noise part that I really enjoyed, as I think it is well placed and helps the song culminate into a very rewarding sense of pure mayhem. The second to last real song of the album (as the tenth track is an interlude of static noise without anything going on) is "Cinderella's Big Score". A very interesting song that blends very tense sounding guitars and some very fun verses where Kim Gordon is constantly threatening to pick up a fight with another person, assumed to be her brother. Finally, the album finishes with "Titanium Exposed" another banger song with some of the bests riffs the album has to offer. Super punchy and energetic, until the vocals come in and the tempo slows down and becomes quite groovy. Thankfully, the hard riffs return to give a great taste to end the album. In conclusion, I love this album. Maybe not at the same level of "Daydream Nation", but still full of incredible guitars works, noise and catchy singing.
I’ve never been able to get into them. Yes, everything sounds very cool, but so what? And how has Kim Gordon always sounded like a middle-aged mom? Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
A strong showing with some interesting takes. Probably not their best.
Not the best Sonic Youth album, but they're still awesome.
This album is such a specific headspace it’s amazing
The Strokes are Sonic Youth 10 years later. Love the sound and punk rock energy.
Scuzzy and distorted. A bit too DIY-sounding for my taste
2.5
Album #96: Goo - Sonic Youth Genre (W): Alternative rock, noise rock Singles: Kool Thing, Disappearer, Dirty Boots I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: The cacophony of the feedback is quite stimulating and overwhelming. However, I love the lyrics of songs like “Tunic” and “Mary-Christ”. Overall, an essential decent album! Favorite songs: Dirty Boots, Tunic (Song for Karen), Mary-Christ, Kool Thing, My Friend Goo, Disappearer, Mildred Pierce, Titanium Exposé
This is #day663 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… "wintertime comes summer, you are why it's happening," right? This is my fifth and final Sonic Youth record. Now, sometimes I feel like there's just nothing better than blasting some late-'80s/early-'90s Sonic Youth, and Goo is a case in point. "Tunic (Song for Karen)" and "Kool Thing" are absolute classics, among a couple of others. And then there's Kim Gordon with that detached, cool delivery of hers. She's Sonic Youth for me. Otherwise, I can only imagine what it must have felt like when this record dropped, with the whole '90s alternative scene just about to explode. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day664.
Some ok songs. Lots of unnecessary nonsense noise as well
not my thing, and i normally like punky records
No don’t like it
One of those bands I wish I could see live
If anyone ever asks you what the 90s were like, toss them a copy of Goo. It encapsulates everything about the experimental, wild west feel of never knowing what you were going to hear next on the radio during that time period. Sonic Youth delivered a record that manages to be conversational, confrontational, discordant, and strangely beautiful all at the same time. Ultimately, Goo is a cornerstone album of the decade.
Gooey and alright.
I listened to this when I was in the right mood and really liked most of it.
Very good album. For some reason, I never paid attention to Sonic Youth. I must have listened to this album once or twice in thwme nineties, but only now I do really appreciate it. I loved it. First thing I did right after listening to this album was to check if other Sonic Youth albums are included in this project. And yes, there are some. I particularly enjoyed the songs with Kim Gordon as the lead vocalist. But, overall, I enjoyed both the more accessible and the more noisy songs. This is 4,5 stars for me but, for now, I'll keep it at 4 stars.
I so badly wanted to give this more stars, but they turned up the "it's not a phase, mom!" Aspect up to the point where it's just cringey. The instruments are there, the significance is there, but I just can't get past the unaffected female lead singer voice
This is why you do this. I’ve never heard this before, and now can’t stop listening. So good!
meh
Sonic Youth discovers how to give their songs more structure and… accesability, i guess? On the one hand not the worst idea, but in turn it sacrifices some if that chaos found on Daydream Nation and their previous albums. But these stongs still burst with energy and get enough space to fully develop themselves. At times the songs are a bit self-indulgent, but it didn‘t really bother me (maybe because everything Kim Gordon touches is just effortlessly cool). And Karen is one of the greatest songs ever, no doubt. Also, Mildred Pierce is such a valid crashout put to song.
I don't love Sonic Youth as much as I probably should knowing my tastes, they were the peers and influences of so many of my most loved artists. I also think Kim Gordon is brilliant and I love her bass work. This album leaves me slightly cold, apart from Kool Thing. Not sure why, i just do not get the same feeling as I do from a Daydream Nation. Killer artwork though. Iconic.
Sonically "Goo" is a big sounding album and has all the ingredients that I might like to really rate this album highly, such as nice loud guitars. But it never really seems to connect or grab me in the way that it does for others. I have listened to it multiple times, over a number of days but my my response is pretty much the same - it's a good album but doesn't strike me as essential. It lacks an edge. All of the tracks were solid - Three stars. 330/1001 180/330 albums reviewed were new to me.
Frenetic and fun. Liked it more than I thought I would - without being blown away - at the beginning. Then then last four songs hit... Chaotically disappointing end.
Will I write a coherent review? Fah no. Did I like the album? Yeah, of course.
It's alright but two sonic youth albums in two days is a bit much for anyone.
More listenable than the other sonic youth album but still doesn’t do too much for me
First full listen ever. Whenever I hear "Tunic (Song For Karen)", I'm reminded of the film Irma Vep wherin Maggie Cheung slinks around in a leather bodysuit while that song plays. Likewise, "Kool Thing" was featured in Guitar Hero III, so I guess I'm not wholly unfamiliar with Goo, but not familiar enough to know that Chuck D is featured on "Kool Thing". I understand why people like Sonic Youth and why they may have been the band to watch at the time, but something about Goo isn't as impressive as the few albums leading up to it. That said, still very enjoyable and noisy.
Love Sonic Youth. This one isn’t quite Daydream Nation, but it’s still amazing.
Man, if I’d found this in like 10th grade? Buuuut… I didnt
that was awesome, raw, lyrical and most importantly, sounds beautifully raw. One of the greats.
For starters, "Kool Thing" is the only song I know from this band or rather, the only one I am aware that I know since I found it in my Discover Weekly on Spotify. I really liked it, but not enough to actually delve into the band's discography or even the actual album the song is from. It's a 4/5 song if you ask me to rate it. "Tunic" also stood out to me; maybe I just like Kim Gordon. The instrumental in "Disappear" is great, though. "Mildred Pierce" surely is a song; that's all I can say about it. There’s not much I can say about the other songs, as it’s all kind of the same punkish vibe. I just got to "Titanium Expose" and I have to mention that this is fire as well; I really like the way the guitar goes a bit crazier at the end. I would have loved more of that throughout the entire album. I actually love the way this album ends. The way everything gets distorted at the end is a great touch. I actually thought I was going to enjoy this more since I’m a big fan of alternative rock, but I think this album is "too primitive" in the sense that it’s going further back to the roots of the genre, so it lacks a few of the elements I love. It’s too early in the genre's development for me to appreciate fully. It leans too much towards punk, and I’m not really a true fan of that side of music. You know what? Upon a second listen, it’s growing on me. It’s far from being an album I love, but it’s quite entertaining. I’m going to say this is a high 3; I’m actually going to be generous and promote it to a 4. A high 3 or a low 4. Someone else said in the reviews that it’s around a 3.8 or 3.9, and I think that’s perfectly stated. A 3.8 is where I’d place it. I think Entertainment Weekly giving it a B is a perfect rating, honestly. Favorite songs: "Kool Thing," "Titanium Expose," "Disappear" Least favorite song: "Mildred Pierce" Album Cover: Iconic; I’d get it as a poster. Deserving of being on this list? Actually, yes. While it's not an incredible album by my standards, it influenced the alternative scene; you cannot deny it. Compared to other albums on this list, this thing actually has a legacy and a wiki page longer than two paragraphs. Also, speaking of Wikipedia, being on this list isn’t this album's greatest feat noted there, which can't be said about all the albums on here. For this, too.
holy first song 🔥🔥🔥 I was sold from the first song but second song is so good too 'Mary-christ' has such a good riff or wtv its called IDK ITS SO COOL NONETHELESS yea I could keep writing but it's banger after banger
i like it its kinda cool
An excellent piece of Sonic Youth's catalog. Their first release on a major label (Geffen), causing some to discredit Goo as Sonic Youth's "Sell Out" record. I suppose it has a touch more shine to it but it's still fuzzy as fuck, it wasn't like they were making music your Mom all of a sudden was going to be tossing on but maybe your Mom is super rad, I don't know. It's not my favourite of their work but it's a top 5 release of theirs for sure and has everything I'm looking for in a Sonic Youth album. Tunic (Song for Karen) stands out as my favourite, there's really no fat on this album. Kool Thing with support from Chuck D has always been a popular track, it's always fun to re-visit. Also, this album cover is top-tier. Great album 4 stars
❤️❤️❤️
Second album proposé après 'Daydream Nation' que j'avais beaucoup apprécié (noté 4/5). Ce nouvel album est tout aussi original, rugueux, dissonant (parfois), non standard (souvent) que le précédent. Cette capacité à surprendre m'attire toujours autant ! C'est particulièrement vrai sur les morceaux les plus longs ou j'apprécie beaucoup les passages instrumentaux, en particulier : - 'Dirty boots' - 'Tunic' - 'Disappearer' - 'Cinderella's Big Score' D'autres morceaux sont un peu plus faibles (-1), comme 'Mote' ou 'Scooter+Jink', mais globalement la découverte est très bonne ! Il rejoindra lui aussi ma collection. =>4/5
étonnement bon 3.5/5
not my favourite sonic youth it’s a little samey which makes it feel long but still decent stuff
Hay canciones de este album que me hacen decir AGUANTE EL RUIDO y hay otras que se me quedan medio cortas, y el minuto y medio de instrumental que tienen al final me parece innecesario y hace el album un poco pesado. Encima es monotono, no es instrumental que aporte nada. Overall bastante bueno igual, siento que es una vibe en la que no es tan facil meterse de cabeza 8/10
I found this to be a pretty fun rock album that leans close to punk at times. I'd definitely listen to it again and would be interested to hear more of their work.
Pretty good. Hadn't heard much of them before despite knowing the name Sonic Youth very well. Album was decent, had kind of a Pixies vibe to their sound, just didn't enjoy every song on here and it went back and forth on how I felt about it.
Difficult for me to rate. Some of it was good, some was meh, and some was noisy wanking.
Really a great album that ticks off a lot of the boxes I love. Very pre- or early-grunge vibe here. Some of the songs veer into just noise territory, but others are melodic. I'll definitely go back to this. Love the album cover, right there in the era. 5/5
I was all over the map on this one, wanting to rate it as low as a 1.5 and as a high as a 4 at different points. I settle on a 2.5 rounded up because of how genre defining they are but not really a band I'm ever in the mood to listen to for a full album.
Agree with everything Chuck wrote. Some cool moments, accessible riffs, some typically noisy/abrasive stuff, but man I cannot stand Kim Gordon's singing voice/affect. Sounds like a petulant teenager, which I guess is the point? I loved this when I was 17...they were the first to perfect a sound and aesthetic that I now find played out and replicable. Its cool in its day...Idk. 3
Too much noise for me ;)
Llamativo, arriesgado, intenta cosas nuevas y lo consigue. No es para mi
I like the use of noise up to an extent, like in 'Tunic' where I think it contributes to the vibe, but at certain points j think it just gets obnoxious, like the end of ‘Mote’. All the songs sort of blended together after a while for me. I respect the significance of the album and its influence, but it just feels sort of same-y - reeks of Gen X ‘acting detached to look cool’-ness.
Ahh Goo. It has taken me so long to appreciate you. But now that I do, I can’t imagine a world without you. This has become a 5 star album for me. Over decades, from disliking it strongly the first time I heard it to now, feeling joy and exhilaration upon listening to it. Amazing how that can happen. Such was the case with Kendrick Lamar. It didn’t take as long for me to appreciate Kendrick, but it took years. Boolean rating: YES- hopefully I have a good number of listens left before I die.
Good stuff but not great stuff
**An ok album
I’m not listening to enough Sonic Youth. Because every time I hear one of their albums I’m like this is great, why don’t I listen to this… also Kool Thing is such a great song. This band rules and so does this Raymond Pettibone cover art. Frankly it’s hard being this cool.
“Kool Thing” is another one of those great Sonic Youth tracks you’ve heard on college radio that makes you think you’re gonna like them. Then you listen to the album…It’s not a good sign when you’re checking to see how much longer a 2 minute 20 second song is going to last. Whole lotta noise here posing, self-importantly, as art. 1.5 stars
They should have stayed underground.
One song was especially screamy, yuck. Most of the songs were ok punk rock.
its a classic that inspired so many good bands like nirvana. BUT the album itself is not that good, it just has 2 good songs, one being kool thing and Dirty Boots. im going with 3 stars out of 5, just for the historical value that this record has
A solid album from a solid band that loses over time. It's definitely not material for an album I needed to listen to and a part of me is glad that it is over. Especially the singing talents of all the three singers leaves a lot to be desired.
Meh
This is really artsy indie rock, and it's also pretty enjoyable to listen to as well. I don't think that it's anything special, musically. The best parts of the music are the guitars. They have some really nice melodic material. But again, it never really feels like anything special. And the singing/speaking is not of high quality, and not in a way that elevates the underground indie vibes. I do think that the content of the music is pretty solid, though. There's a lot of female empowerment and pushing back against "the man". Musically? it's a good album, not really great though. Culturally? Contextually? Those things do push it into greatness. I honestly might listen to it a second time to try and really find some of my favorite songs from the album, because I missed song titles while doing my first listen through. (What's below is just from my first listen) Favorite Song(s): Kool Thing
Not my thing.
Just not really a fan
I knew Kool Thing (a classic, though not as impressive now as when I first heard it), but was never motivated to listen the whole album. It seems fine, particularly for its time - a bit noisy, a bit punky, a bit arty, a bit grungy. It's certainly got catchy bits, yay. (I note Wikipedia comments that this was significantly more accessible than their previous stuff - I like the accessibility, I'm not put off listening to earlier albums maybe some day :-) Some of these songs are fine as background music, but maybe not riveting if given full attention. (Some of the 'noise' seems to be "making a point" rather than making music? Experimentation not so hard to do given studio time? Maybe they did it early-ish.) Anyway I think this album is Good, 7/10.
A strong album. In the end, it was a bit too much for me. I need to listen to it again. 4/5
I will never feel as cool as I did the first time I heard this.
Not feeling it - seems like the identity of this music is undetermined. Am I punk? Am I pop? Am I rock? Do I have a soul?
The sound of 1990s disaffected youth. Spirals towards the end, and Mildred Pierce is too much noise.
meesterwerkje van voor tot achter
How could you get more cool than this? Generations of disaffected teens will spend decades trying to care less than these guys. Could have done with a few less minutes of whining guitar outros but very fun album.
Probably the best out of the three Sonic Youth records I heard so far, but I still have the same problem, it lacks focus to me. Some of it is interesting, some of it is not, and though I get the appeal I just can get fully behind it as an album. Doesn't mean that some songs aren't great
Overall Rating - 2.05/5 (4.10/10). Early 90s alt-noise rock. Not my jam.
Another one that perhaps needs the right mood. I loved Dirty Boots as the beginning track, but the grunge that follows is something fifteen year old me might have appreciated more. I hold Mildred Pierce responsible for ruining my morning. You know what’s crazy? On one of the songs I thought wow I do really like this, only to realise the album had ended and Spotify had started playing Incinerate from another album. Has my music taste mellowed out into preferring more melodicness? Perhaps. Sorry if I’ve lost my edge.
4/21 Not bad
Mix bag
Straight up gooin it
There’s… something here. But I don’t know why someone would want to listen to this.
Unsure if the album wore on me as it went or if it's very front loaded. It was never annoying per se, but the first few tracks actually had me thinking that this would be the album to turn post-punk/shoegaze/noise rock around for me! Nevertheless, there are some good riffs overall and I did enjoy Kim's vocals a lot whenever she came up. Standouts: Tunic (Song for Karen) • Kool Thing • Titanium Expose
Great album that introduced me to that clean post punk, noisy sound. I feel like it loses its legs a little on the back half, but show me a better Sonic Youth album.
Some of this is great. When Sonic Yourh decides to make music and sing songs they are amazing. However, it just doesn’t take any talent or skill to produce guitar feedback and wail and there is just way too much of that.
It needs neither more nor less.
Meh
Love this album. Love Kim Gordon.
Couldn't make it through. Cool sound, but pretty harsh. Maybe if I was in a different mood, I would like it, but it was stressing me out lol
I didn't find this interesting in the slightest but on the whole I wasn't deeply offended by it The main thing that got my attention was how shite the Goo song was. Oof
Yeah this thing was chill. Not exactly for me but I can't find anything wrong with it so why not. Favorite track was Dirty Boots or Kool Thing.
This is noise. 1 star.
Hell yeah. I just love that guitars and everything. I've knew that this album existed for along time but never listened to it and I am glad that I finally did.
Not my jam
Not bad. Something about it just doesn’t hit for me though
uninspiring & not highly listenable... I wanted better from sonic youth
4/5
This website administers me so much shitty music from the USA, that I am ecstatic when some of the good stuff from that miserable nation finally pops up. Sonic Youth are one of the few truly great American bands (not sure I even need the fingers of two hands to count them...) so, fuck yeah, it's a 5!
Another one of those 80s/90s bands I’ve heard of and never really explored. Some good guitars and that distorted sound early on. Feels 90s modern yet throwback garage punk rock like. It’s really interesting and feels unique, but also can see how a lot of this distortion heavy guitar influenced 90s alt rock and grunge. It all feels like a punk band creating their own sound. The heavy feedback and distortion is a bit too much for my liking at times, but it is all part of a clearly defined sound that so many bands lack. That being said, it’s not all for me. It seems to tire out in the last few songs soo. Liked the beginning a little more. It’s somewhere between a 2 and a 3.
Sonic Youth is one of those bands that I feel like I should know better - I really don't know how to situate this album within their overall discography, but it honestly wasn't quite as noisy or experimental as I had built up in my head to expect. Kool Thing is really the only song I knew (and is great) but there are some other gems here. The guitar work is great. The sort of disaffected cool of Kim Gordon's vocals. It overall just sits at a spot between indie rock/post punk/alternative/even grunge and I like it.
Highlights: Mary-Christ, Kool Thing, Cinderella's Big Score. In a nutshell: hey, cool things. Went in only knowing Kool Thing. Not bad. Not bad... Good to hear Kim doing more vocal tracks. Steve Shelley on the drums is unbelievable. More noise rock than expected. I like it. Overall: 6/10
The doyens of noise. Love every minute of it. Well except for when Goo says PU, but every brilliant album needs an oddball moment. I get how if this was constantly playing in every dorm room when you were in school you might get sick of it after a while. But for me Sonic Youth is still the cool older cousins of my musical besties, and no one is ever cooler than that. Unapologetic fanboy.
"I stole my sister's boyfriend..." is much funnier if you were unaware that the singer was a woman
Not very catchy for a one-time listen and even for me a tad too much distortion...
Had never heard them before, enjoyed it
Arranca con todo, ilusionante. Pero se queda ahí. Es un onda Joy Division más post punk.
I was a little young to appreciate this at the time but it sounds great and clearly helped paved the way for a larger alt/grunge sound to follow through the 90s. Great listen!
One of my favorite bands. I love this album. It’s not my favorite or their best, but still love. 5/5
I dont know what to think. They constantly sound to bored to sing but have this aggressive music under it. Not my style
I dig it. A bit too Avant Garde but fun.
# Album Name: Goo # Artist: SOnic Youth # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: I still dont get the hype with SY. Couple of decent tracks but nothing to shout home about. # Top Tunes: Kool thing / Dirty boots # Would I listen to it again? Yes, ill give it another try.
4.2
I didn’t like this at all. Not one song did I stop and be like “oh maybe this is alright”. Easy pass for me.
You can feel the artistic creativity and talent oozing out of every note in this record. However, I feel like once it gets going and you realize what it's all about. You kind of realize that it's not about anything. This band is turned in some four and five star efforts.I just don't think this matches up.
Not good.
I tried hard to like Sonic Youth as a teenager. Too hard.
i didnt really like it that much but it was cool for the most part
Highlights: Dirty Boots, Kool Thing 2.4
not my thing
Gritty and fun alt-rock album. Loved every (almost) every second of it- I found it a little too noisy at some points. Loved the vocals on Tunic and similar songs. Will add into my rotation. Favorite Song: Tunic (Song for Karen)
This is the kind of music I’m looking for from this list but I did find the vocals were a bit all over the place.