Goo

This album fucking rips

This is the one where they sold out right?

I don't know why I love this album. I've listened to similar ones and I've hated them but this one just hit that sweet spot somehow 9/10

I’ll admit it: I’m biased. I love Sonic Youth, and 𝘎𝘰𝘰 is one of those albums that makes that bias feel entirely justified. It captures the moment when the band stepped onto a bigger stage — a major label, MTV visibility, mainstream attention — yet somehow became even more themselves in the process. 𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰 (𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻) is the emotional anchor here, a haunting meditation on Karen Carpenter’s life delivered through Kim Gordon’s stark, empathetic voice. It might be the saddest, most quietly devastating song they ever recorded. 𝗞𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, on the other hand, is pure attitude: a sly feminist critique, sharpened by Chuck D’s perfectly timed interjections. Even today it feels bold rather than gimmicky — a rock song talking 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 hip-hop, not trying to imitate it. But the deeper cuts are what make 𝘎𝘰𝘰 feel like a complete world. 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀 opens the album with drifting chime and sudden lift-off, ending in a joyous haze of distortion. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆-𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 yanks the tempo upward with manic, jangling energy. Lee Ranaldo’s 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗲 is one of his finest contributions — a warm, melancholic song that dissolves into a long, drifting noise passage, the kind of structured chaos that only Sonic Youth can pull off. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗿 floats in suspended melancholy, as if the guitars are hesitating between collapse and lift-off. And 𝗖𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮’𝘀 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 quietly holds the mid-album together — a tense, coiled melody constantly straining against the gravitational pull of the band’s detuned guitars. It’s not flashy, but it’s essential, a reminder of how much of Sonic Youth’s power lives in those subtle, shifting foundations. What I love most is the balance: 𝘎𝘰𝘰 is more accessible than their 80s work, but the edges remain sharp. The guitars still bend unpredictably, the rhythms still lurch and glide, and the melodies still feel like they’re being discovered rather than performed. It’s the sound of a band evolving without compromise. For me, 𝘎𝘰𝘰 is one of Sonic Youth’s defining moments — confident, strange, emotional, and endlessly replayable.

Made me feel cooler just by listening to it. A Karen Carpenter tribute!!!!!!!!!

"Hey. Been tryin' to meet you, mm-hm" says Black Francis a year before the release of Goo on the Pixies Doolittle — another album that hails its listeners directly and turns the band more toward its audience than previous records. —— My friend Goo has a real tattoo She always knows just what to do She looks through her hair like she doesn't care What she does best is stand and stare She can play the drums set too And the boys say, "hey Goo what's new?" My friend Goo just says, "Hey you" My friend Goo just says, "Hey you" —— "Hey" he said with a quick nod up of the head — nothing too severe, nothing wholly committed but an acknowledgement that we're both in this space together. —— Here we go to another candle I know All the girls there playin' on a jelly roll Time to take a ride, time to take it in a midnight eye And if you want to go, get on below Pinking out the day, dreaming out the crazy way Finger on the love, it's all above Everywhere it's six-sex-six by luck A satellite wish will make it just enough You'll be making out with a witch in a coffee truck Time to rock the road and tell the story of the jelly rollin' Dirty boots are on, hi di ho Pinking out the black, dreaming in a crack Satan got her tongue, now it's undone I got some dirty boots, yeah dirty boots I got some dirty boots, baby Dirty boots Hey! —— "Hey" such a 90s word in my mind but a word that continues to travel through time, it's a "now" word as much as a "then" word. —— Dreaming, dreaming of a girl like me Hey, what are you waiting for? Feeding, feeding me? I feel like I'm disappearing, getting smaller every day But I look in the mirror, and I'm bigger in every way She said, "You aren't never going anywhere" You aren't never going anywhere I ain't never going anywhere I ain't never going anywhere I'm in Heaven now, I can see you, Richard Goodbye, Hollywood, goodbye, Downey, hello, Janis Hello, Dennis, Elvis, and all my brand new friends I'm so glad you're all here with me until the very end —— "Hey"—are we about to make a case for "hey" as the totem word or Rosetta Stone for Goo? Maybe. I haven't run a full statistical analysis of the song lyrics on Goo, but I feel like you could make the case that the word "hey" is a central operator, a hidden key, or some other interpretive leyline or textual teleportation device taking you through the different tracks. This is just a feeling after spending many years inside this record. It's like I'm trying to find what unlocks the rest of the text in the first place, because this is a record that opens itself up in ways prior Sonic Youth albums don't and because for all the notable ways the guitar, drums, and bass paint a picture the lyrics on a Sonic Youth album are incredibly important to the mood and matter of their records. Goo is no exception to this. It is an important and notable quality of this record at that time in their career. Goo is SY saying "Hey" to so many new potential fans. This album—that word—it's the connective tissue between the band's experimental roots and what is to come. They signed to Geffen; they're inviting us in. It's a word both cool AF and welcoming. It's the record's shibboleth or password that opens the door for new fans while winking at the old ones coming through as well. And here's the thing. The trick of the light we all knew was coming: I'm writing about me. This was my first Sonic Youth purchase. And it was all these things, but first and foremost it was a call. And I responded, I listened to this album incessantly. I had a poster of the album cover on my bedroom walls. I saw them every opportunity I could. And while Goo may not have been my first dive into the avant-garde or dangerously cool music, what an entry point into their catalogue it makes. Only later do those earlier records, now among my favorites (e.g., Daydream Nation, Sister, and Bad Moon Rising), those private transmissions from the No Wave underground, make their way into my ears and surpass the 90s run (especially Goo, Dirty, and Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star) in my appreciation. So, while Goo might not be Sonic Youth at their peak, it was my entry point and "Hey," sometimes that counts for more than rankings.

The first two songs were so good I was so excited but then the guy started singing and I was less excited Wait nvm Mildred pierce brought me back this is fire easy 5

I didn't steal my sister's boyfriend, but one Saturday she was feeling under the weather (but hoped that she would feel well enough in a few hours to keep the date) but when her date came to pick her up, she was still not feeling well. BIG SAD! Her handsome date was disappointed because he already had tix to see some band so long story short- I said, "I'll go with you!" and her date (soon to be MY date) smiled and said, "I would like that." I bet you would I thought. BIG YAY! I asked my sis if it was OK and she said, "Someday might as well have fun" so I asked if I could ger her anything and when she said, "Oh, no thank you" we took off. BIG HAPPY! We killed a whole pizza and headed for the show.

Part of me thinks that this shouldn’t be that good but I really enjoyed it and that’s what matters

This. Canon for several genres at once. Punk/ post-punk/ surf rock, socially relevant, important. None of what I am saying is a joke. Anyone interested in any of the above genres cannot go wrong with Sonic Youth. Raw, gritty, but clear and professional. FOR the genres they entail, Sonic Youth is essential listening. Yes. Please.

I saw this cover show up and let out a huge groan. I really have not liked anything I've heard from Sonic Youth on this list so far. I figured Goo would be another drab and uninteresting post-punk/alt-rock album. I was totally wrong From the start, Goo is such an interesting move into noise rock (dare I say there are some grunge sensibilities here too?) that varies the track list from song to song. Each song either stands on it's own laurels, or is a great transition moment. The only thing I'd change from Dirty Boots through Mildred Pierce is to make a seamless transition between Mary-Christ and Kool Thing, but maybe there was a technical reason for that or something. There are cool post-rock and metal elements throughout as well. Cinderella is a bit of a boring track, and Titanium is a bit weak at the start but picks it up at the end. All around I am shocked I loved this so much but it's well deserved. 4.5/5 -> 5/5

Probably Sonic Youth’s most accessible record and that’s not a bad thing at all.

Goo goo

Glad I finally heard this after all these decades... does exactly what it does very well.

What was I doing with my life in 1990 that was more important than listening to this record? I only got this album a couple of years ago (along with Daydream Nation) because I was wondering why I didn't have any Sonic Youth records, since it seemed from what I'd heard so far that I would like them. And that was the right decision - I love bands with this kind of searing noise and beat. The Karen Carpenter song is heartbreaking, with equivalent intensity in the music. And "Mildred Pierce"? I wish this song would go on all day. This whole record is filled with cacophony and growling noise, which makes me happy - just the kind of thing I like to listen to when I'm the mood for noise, which seems to be most of the time these days. Love this, 5/5

Love this album. Wish I was into Sonic Youth when I was younger. Many bangers on this one. How this album starts is just fantastic!

My final Sonic Youth album on the list, and perhaps my favorite. Looking back I'd have probably given a few others of theirs a 5 as well. This feels like Sonic Youth at their best, great songs and noise without some of the endless sprawl of Daydream Nation. This strikes the right balance everywhere, album length is a perfect drive's worth as well.

What a seminal alt rock record; loud, high energy, dissonant and distorted art noise rock with some great commentary. A great album for fans of the 90's alternative grunge rock era, Sonic Youth were leading the way

Easy 5. Classic.

Her har vi et av sjangeren noise rock sine mest anerkjente band; nok et band jeg har hørt ytterst lite på. Dette er et råkult album. Digger elementene fra post-punk og alt-rock som skinner gjennom i flere låter. Ikke en eneste dårlig sang å finne (hvis man ser forbi Scooter and Jinx, som er ett minutt med motorlyder). Etter første lytt, er dette en soleklar femmer. Top 3: Mote, Dirty Boots, Disappearer

This is the greatest record of all time full fucking STOP! Normally would say no notes but I got them. Before I get into this album this was my first experience with Sonic Youth. I heard/saw the video for Kool Thing on 120 Minutes at a friends house I was so very intrigued by what the song was about. I did not know at the time that it was a fucking art rock dis-track for LL Cool J. I was very young at the time but I knew one thing, this fucking band rocked. I kept listening to them and this album so much that I don't really need to listen to it to talk about it. It's the greatest Sonic Youth Album you've heard hands down. When I started making adult money and could spend that adult money on adult things I bought a sealed version of the Mobile Fidelity release. 200 Grams of Virgin Black Vinyl with the greatest albums of the greatest art noise band no fucking brainer. I've got number 209 and love this album. Even though this is their first major label album it is stunning. This is very clearly the direction their music was heading as they became less noise and more rock but still keeping it in there. My favorite songs on here are all the ones with Kim Gordon. She is a national treasure and should be protected. I love how they never gave up the noise totally with the end of side B being just great. An infinite amount of stars for this album.

One of my favorite albums from one of my favorite bands. Sonic Youth reinvented post punk, always experimental in the best possible way. Noisy guitars all the way down.

Я слушал этот альбом наверное сотни раз - это один из величайших альбомов в истории музыки. Тот импакт, который оказали Sonic Youth на всю современную музыку, невозможно измерить, это буквально один из столпов вообще всей альтернативы 90-00х. И этот альбом - это квинтессенция творчества SY в самом его классическом виде, грязный, эмоциональный, экспериментальный. Это надо в школах проходить.

I love how on this album Sonic Youth moved closer to the edges of mainstream alternative without compromising their identity. It’s much more direct and song focused compared to their output from the 80s. This album really captures that tension between accessibility and abrasion, because you get some genuinely strong hooks, but they’re buried under sheets of noise and distortion.

Another album from my childhood. I still think sounds as cool as the first time I heard it. Kim & Co manage to tow a line between edgy and goofy. Not my favourite album (Dirty might take that award) but real close. 5

Forgot how great this album is.

My crush on Kim Gordon is eternal.

Amazing album

My friend Goo knows a thing or two. She knows that rock music radio had gone stale in the mid-80s. She knows that if you tune your guitars differently, you can invent a new sound. She knows that if you have a strong female singer that takes no shit from the male-dominated biz, you can start to change attitudes. She knows that you won't get heard without big record label money. She knows you have to have killer tunes. Such an important band. This was their breakthrough album. Sonic Youth for the win.

Not my favourite Sonic Youth album but it's up there

I drive too fast to this

So good

Don't know why I thought they sounded so different. New fave

Sonic Youth and I have an odd, admirable history together. My first introduction to them was from an episode of The Simpsons that also featured The Smashing Pumpkins, Cypress Hill and Peter Frampton. The alternative 90s; what a time to be alive! SY did the Simpsons theme for the end credits of that episode and I was blown away by the sounds they were able to get out of their equipment. It sounded edgy and "kool" and it had attitude, real attitude, man! But for some reason in the years after when I tried to get into their music, only a couple things hit for me. Daydream Nation, which I will further discuss when I get to it, took me a long time to crack. I feel like this album was the same for me. A few songs hit, and the rest, I didn't get it. All it was for a very long time was Tunic (Kim Gordon's ethereal, dark tribute to Karen Carpenter) and Kool Thing (the big hit). Then again, I was a young high school kid and my musical tolerance wasn't completely built up to take on elaborate noise-rock compositions. Today, I have sensed a massive change at age 19. Sonic Youth was a band that had this sort of sonic genius. To a typical fly, some of these sounds they go for can be quite unbearable and hard to sit through. To me, it's art when I hear the outro of Mote. They use dissonance to their advantage to make their music sound rustier and more urgent. It's the Branca trademark taken to the airwaves. While I don't find it as compelling as Daydream Nation, Goo is the statement they needed to make at this point in time. It was their major label debut, and to widen their audience, they had to keep up their same tricks but freshen them up for the kids. I feel that they succeeded though I would have Lee sing more. He's my favorite vocalist of the three that do sing. I'm not completely sold on everything this band has done (All I really have is some of EVOL/Sister, big fan of Washing Machine, Murray St (?)) but I appreciate what they were for music when they were around (8/10, 5/5 on this scale).

gooood

Wonderfull, a great álbum to listen in the car

One of my all time favourite records! An absolute classic, with arguably the most iconic album cover of all time. I never know how you describe Sonic Youth, but I think this record is probably a good gateway into their avant garde / noise / punky ways. Strangely for me it was the song ‘Tunic’ that made me pay attention to this when I first heard it. Probably the least scuzzy song on here. But even now when I hear it I tend to stop what I’m doing and listen to it. It’s just so strange, like a ghost singing it back. Which I’m guessing is the intention, but they really nail it. The rest of the album is class too, and I doubt there’s a better opener than Dirty Boots. The lyrics and background to Kool Thing are ace too. That was one of the pivotal songs for me that helped me sway to the left in life. Great record, ridiculously good band.

I’ve been listening to this since it came out. It’s a perfect record and I love it.

Broadly excellent

good album cover, good album, good songs Will I listen to again: 100%

Sonic Youth my beloved

this scratches my brain just right for the adhd

This is just one of the coolest albums ever honestly. Unlike any other noise rock album, because it's just so fricking groovy. Like how are the rhythms consistently so amazing? Just makes me wanna move my body so much. Even Tunic, which is a heartbreakingly sad song is somehow kinda dance-able. And the guitars on this are just *mwah*. The riffs are so amazingly sinister and are just composed so well with the other elements of the songs, it's pretty incredible. The way the bass and main guitar slowly drift away from each other and eventually explode on the first song is just one of the coolest things ever. And the outro to that song is so ethereal. Tunic is just an emotional powerhouse, crazy intense with completely haunting choruses. The crazy chord progressions and evolving rhythms of Disappearer is just so incredibly fascinating and masterful. The constantly intensifying progression of Mote combined with that noisy, drone-y outro makes it feel like the musical equivalent of going to sleep after a long day of everything pissing you off, and the closing track is probably their most cathartic song in its own weird way. I also love how despite only being from 1990, some songs capture the 90s essence so well - be that Kool Thing, the really funny My Friend Goo which is kind of a silly portrayal of 90s teens or Mary-Christ which is about dating a punker priest. This album is just a masterclass of song structuring and arrangements, backed up by incredible songwriting and just a ton of swagger and cool guy attitude.

The second Sonic Youth album i’ve gotten which has blown me away, it’s quite similar to dirty as it’s got some grungey influences to it but it mainly focusses on the noisy alt-rock sound with amazing guitars, it’s also not as raw because of this which I think is most notable in the more quieter drum sound and the blend of rough distorted guitars with the more cleaner sounding ones, it’s simply great noise with a good message behind it all done amazingly well. The fact this comes right before dirty as well is incredible, although I slightly prefer dirty. Favourites: all (Tunic maybe mot as it was very much based on talking but it had such a great instrumental behind it). Overall, 9/10.

Enjoyed this - lovely slab of noise rock. A fan of guitar interplay and oodles of fuzz. Marvellous

A longtime favorite of mine

I’m a huge fan! The guitar sound is epic. The drums rapid fire is wildly tight and precise. Then add in their vocals, lyrics. It takes me back in time. It’s a place.

An absolute classic for me! Daydream Nation was my first SY album, and I couldn't be more thrilled when this album came out, more catchy, consistent and more room for Kim Gordon's songs was what made this album even better! 5/5

There’s a real sense of driving urgency in this record. It feels like it should soundtrack a dystopian racing film. SY still hold onto their weirdo sonic experimentation, but (very) importantly, they leave space to rock. This is peak Sonic Youth.

<3

I enjoyed it a lot and would listen again, a lot better than other guitar music of the era

Might've only been released in 1990, but this just feels like something one of the groups in Seattle were cooking up. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 4.5 that I think I will just *barely* bump up to a 5, though I’d prefer to leave it there. Lot more on the “sonic” side of Sonic Youth for this album, and while a lot of it has now blended together in my brain after 49 minutes of a *lot* of overdriven guitar, percussion, and layered buildups & chords, it’s the sort of album where being present in the moment for each track enhances it much more than just listening to it for 49 minutes flat. These tracks are designed to work with their soundscapes as a storytelling tool, meaning if you do zone out, tracks won’t be quite as effective. Yes, lyrics & vocals have an obvious presence here (and I’d be remiss to not point out that Kim Gordon’s tracks are the strongest ones on the album, especially “Kool Thing”), but for the most part, I think the strength of this album comes from how unique it feels for 1990. This doesn’t feel like a slight leftover from the metal of the 80s, nor does it feel like it fits into the same “grunge” box ala Nirvana or Pearl Jam. It feels like a hybrid of late-70s post-punk with the sort of late 90s pop-punk that would emerge after grunge’s peak period, with just a bit of shoegaze thrown in. It’s a weird hybrid, and one that feels a little incompatible at points on the album, but when it clicks, it REALLY clicks, and I think it clicks enough here to justify a bump up to a 5. I will say this though: I think the album has a bit of a dropoff after “Disappearer”, and that’s not just because I got jumpscared by “Mildred Pierce”. I think the focused nature of the first 7 tracks of the album get lost somewhere in the final 4, and that’s why I’m really hesitant to actually bump this up to a 5. There’s nothing wrong with any of the last 4 tracks, but they’re either too long for what they are, or they just circle the bases a lot instrumentally, and when the first 7 tracks are already long enough to begin with, a fatigue can definitely set in that just pulls the album experience down. This is not a “fast” 49 minutes, not by a long shot, but I think it’s a rewarding one if you let yourself get immersed. If you can’t find yourself fully immersed into this sort of thing, it will feel so much longer. That immersion break happened for me around the last 4 tracks, but I can’t really tell if that’s just from the tracks actually getting less focused, general soundscape fatigue, or just listening to this at a sort of bad time. Regardless, I think it does earn the bump up to a 5, but just barely. I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt because of the strength of the first 7 tracks here, and honestly, it can be extended out to the first 9. Yes, some tracks are obviously too long, and this whole thing could’ve been trimmed around the edges quite a bit, but I don’t think it ruins it as badly as it could have. At the absolute worst, I still think this is a 4 minimum, and a much tighter album than “Dirty” was, in terms of finding a sound and really committing to it. They explore that sound out to its edges, but it’s much more of a consistent soundscape to my ears. It’s a more abrasive sound at times, but that abrasion is used as a strength more often than not. When it’s good, it’s very good, and even at its “worst”, it’s still sonically compelling to some degree that keeps this from ever hitting a point that’s truly ever bad. Hence, the bump up to a 5.

as stated before

Really enjoyed this. Super ready for a deep dive!

Un álbum que debe ser de escucha obligatoria para todo aquel que desee profundizar en la historia de la música.

Goo will be my fourth Sonic Youth album to review, and also my second and last of their albums that I was already familiar with before starting this project. I bought Goo after listening to and being blown away by Daydream Nation. I chose Goo, because it was also in the first edition of the 1001 Albums book, and I knew “Kool Thing” from one of the Guitar Hero games (say what you want about Rock Band and Guitar Hero, but those games introduced me to some great music). I remember not being terribly blown away by Goo when I first listened to it (probably because it didn’t have its own “Teenage Riot” on it), but I’m happy for the chance to reexamine it, now that it’s been over 15 years since my first listen. Here’s hoping that Sonic Youth will go a perfect four-for-four on five-star albums with me! Sonic Youth is one of those bands that I say that I like, but then I wonder if I really do like them, or if I just think that I should like them, and therefore I’ve tricked my brain into thinking that I like their music. Well, for the fourth time with one of their albums, as soon as Goo started up, I mumbled ‘oh hell yeah’ to myself when those opening guitar notes of “Dirty Boots” started playing. I think I can safely say that I like these guys and that I’m not trying to gaslight myself. Yeah, Goo doesn’t have a sweeping epic like “Teenage Riot,” nor is it as melodious as Sister, but it's still an incredible album, full of wonderfully layered guitars, tight percussion, and some really great songwriting. Goo’s sound was constantly varied, but stayed cohesive, due to how the songs were structured and how the guitar playing was arranged. The only negative thing that I have to say about this album is that “My Friend Goo” is incredibly weird, and not in a way that I found good or interesting. However, after that brief 200 seconds, the album picked right back up in quality. The mixture of vocals from Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore kept things interesting too, because each of them really brings something different to the table in terms of their songwriting and vocal abilities. Lee Ronaldo’s vocals on “Mote” were really good too. The first four songs on Goo were my favorite part, but “Disappearer,” “Mildred Pierce,” and “Cinderella’s Big Score” were all great too. “Kool Thing” stands out as one of the best songs on the album, with Gordon’s droning vocals matching the guitar tones perfectly. The drum fills were fantastic too, and who’s that voice I hear? Is that my favorite rapper, Chuck D? Why, it most certainly is! Fantastic. “Cinderella’s Big Score” showcases how great Sonic Youth are at writing guitar parts that change and evolve over the course of a song. Every little twist and turn in the sound of that song is perfect. “Tunic” is probably my favorite song on the album though. The lyrics and vocals are excellent, and I love the mood and atmosphere that this song has. There are so many little guitar hooks buried within this song, and they all sound great. Goo is yet another fantastic effort from Sonic Youth. I hadn’t listened to this album in a really long time, but going through this list has really made me fall in love with Sonic Youth again.

GOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Proof that you can go mainstream without sacrificing your voice. Not only is this the most accessible Sonic Youth has ever been, but it’s also the tightest. The result is strong songs that punch you in the face, and some of their best material to date. From the indie hit “Kool Thing” to the brief title-ish track “My Friend Goo” to the emotional “Tunic” to the bombastic “Dirty Boots,” there’s so much here to adore on first listen, which isn’t normally the case with Sonic Youth. But while there’s some more traditional song structure found here compared to past efforts, there’s still a lot of room for noise and strangeness, especially on Side B, with the screams of “Mildred Pierce,” the noisy minute of “Scooter + Jinx,” and “Titanium Exposé”’s deconstructed approach to what it means to be a mainstream noise band. Of course, the 7-minute epic “Mote” is the best example of the balance Goo excels at showcasing, providing Ranaldo with his only lead vocal track– for the best, imo– with a strange-yet-catchy radio prospect in the front, and an expansive feedback session in the back. I think this minimization of the noise/no wave shtick is to Goo’s benefit; you still have it if you want it, just in smaller doses than say on Daydream Nation. That limited presence makes it more exciting when it does show up. For my money, this is hands down Sonic Youth’s best album. It combines everything the band has perfected, boils those elements down to the simplest cell, and packaged them together like a van turned Tetris puzzle.

Iconic album from one of the greats. No filler, it’s my favorite of theirs front to back. And such cool cover art to boot. To boot ☝🏼

Sonic Youth makes yet another legendary album. Their discography is somehow jam packed with classics, you'd think the last record they had released (in this case, Daydream Nation) would be their obvious magnum opus, but they keep one upping themselves. So consistantly solid. The guitar tone and playing is out of this world. "Kool Thing" is just so.... COOL! Amazing album

Essential listen.

5/5

Comme un rêve punk qui pourrait toujours verser dans le cauchemar

listened to this like last week great record. not my first sonic youth maybe the second i don’t remember but kool thing really got me into their music more. that and disconnection notice but that’s a dif album

Iconico

This is the third installment in what is quite possibly the greatest 3 album run of all time. It's absolutely jam packed with amazing riffs, unbeatable energy, and even some more heartfelt moments including an ode to Karen Carpenter. The versatility of this album is truly on another level, as well as the fantastic writing and production, that just matched the bands style and vision absolutely perfectly.

Always loved that one!

I loved Sonic Youth when I first heard the album 'Sister' and was hooked. I saw them at Brixton Academy in 1990 when they toured this album and they were immense. I remember reading that the band toured and recorded with around 30 guitars tuned in a certain way. My mum hated them as she could hear those special tunings better than I could, so I tended not to play S.Y. when she was around. If you don't like energy, chaos, noise and detuned guitars, then this probably isn't for you.

I’m really got into this album. I liked it.

GREAT

5 stars. Really liked this album. Great band.

sonic youth has some Best Band In History energy. im woefully under-familiar with their music, or even the general career trajectory, but i can feel a few of the evolved threads from daydream nation. slightly sharper, harder, usually more Concise, more alt rocky, probably a more difficult record to fall asleep to lol. but almost excruciatingly beautiful all the same...more in focus and more Attainable in a way than DN's dreamy storm effect. and thats not to say it lacks for more stretched out and abstract moments either, id say Mote is the obvious highlight of the whole record for me. rn im not sure any band has better split the difference between Viscerally Enjoyable In Every Individual Moment and Creates An Effect So Much Bigger Than Itself In Totality. id prob fall down the full rabbit hole soon if i was any good at "listening to music"

Probably my favourite sonic youth album. I love the guitar tones on here and the songwriting especially on Tunic is really good on this album. I don't think it's a perfect album but it's pretty close 9/10 Favourite: Mote Least Favourite: My Friend Goo

Dirty Boots Kool Thing Κομματάρες

this was great, i’ll definitely have to hear more of these guys

I somehow remembered having heard and not really enjoying this but played it anyway and boy was I wrong, that's the good stuff right there!

A very rare 5 star alternative album for me.

Punk and art school meet up to create sound that cannot be matched. Dissonance with a raised middle finger.

Echt verrassend geweldig

Never gave these guys a chance but I do like what I know of them. Fuck yeah man this album rocked! the last song has great energy! 5 stars

This album is firmly in my wheelhouse. My uncle bought me this album for housesitting in my teens (a weekend of sipping green liqueur and smoking menthols I found in his freezer). A straightforward rock record with all of the oddities and feedback that would later be center of their sound. Perfect listen!

Sonic has to be one of the most inportant bands in rock history and yet people dont know them. Post-punk, pre-grunge they were that link in the chain that gave birth to grunge. Thurston moore is simply a top 20 all time guitarist as an innivator and experimental guitar player. The bands sound is still fresh and they sounded and still sound like no other. They are a band thet didnt release bad songs in their limited indie releases all real all good rock and roll. Oh and I love kim gordon

so great !

1990. NY. Alternative rock, noise rock

It’s easy to forget just how fun this band can be. Enjoyed this quite a bit.

4.8 probs v good tho

Mesmerizing fuzz Loaded with sticky guitars Is weird off beat art

I'm a big Sonic Youth fan. This album is one of their best. I feel like they're definitely divisive, and can see how some might find this grating and hard to listen to. In my opinion though, these guys were able to perfectly merge elements of punk, alt rock, and indie to make music that to me is super engaging and unique. Yeah, a couple of the tracks are just noise and aren't even really listenable as songs, and I'm not going to pretend that it's some super deep art form that some people just don't get - at the end of that day those tracks suck - but the rest is so strong. A few all time favorite songs of mine are on this album. Also the cover is great

Un disco fundamental para entender la música a partir de los años 90 en adelante. Su influencia es inimaginable: desde Nirvana hasta cualquier banda independiente de medio pelo. Supone el paso a un gran sello, en este caso un semidesconocido Geffen. Previamente habían firmado por una multinacional bandas como REM y sobre todo Hüsker Dü o The Replacements. Ellos (como REM) ejemplificaron lo que se debe hacer y sobre todo cómo se ha de hacer. El álbum no tiene un pero, desde la espectacular portada de Raymond Pettibon, hasta el último surco. Ruido-pop-psicodelia-distorsión-magia... el resto son imitaciones. Solo por Tunic, Titanium expose o Kool Thing (con con Chuck D de Public Enemy... otros que están a la altura), ya se jusitifica. También participa de modo más importante pero menos evidente J. Mascis... Dirty es más fácil de escuchar, Daydream nation mejor considerado, Sister mi favorito... pero Goo es el disco clave. 10/10

Excellent album! 10/5 stars!

This might be my favorite sonic youth record. I think this one has the best production out of the "top" records (Sister and Daydream Nation), the fuzzy guitars and bass sound sooooo goood. I have to say this is kind of exactly my music taste so I can't go objective here, this is a 5 star album. Maybe not the strongest on the list, but I'd absolutely love to listen to this any day.

Essencial para perceber e especialmente para apreciar a evolução do som alternativo dos anos 90. As nuances das guitarras e os padrões rítmicos se destacam, a sonoridade abrasiva se envolve com melodias mais evidentes. "Tunic (Song for Karen)": maravilhosa, o primor em ter sutileza e profundidade.

Quality

I never much cared for the Youth back in the day, but I’ve come to appreciate them more over time. The albums I have heard are always a mixed bag, I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this one, and what a corker it is. ‘Tunic’ is a great example of the lo-fi guitar and laid back Kim Gordon vocals. ‘Titanium Explodes’ just a fantastic riff shredding and feedback number only they can do like this. It’s kind of interesting that these guys and Pixies were being innovative and heavy without being metal or grunge. Like it or not, this album does really define a sun-genre and influenced a truck load of bands after it. Not sure if it should be a 5*, but it really got me today, so 5* it is.

Fuck yeah. Sign me up

Very nice!

I'm gonna be totally biased here. Had a little fanboy crush on Sonic Youth in my young days. They were cool as fuck. This album rocked and was in high rotation. Showcased lot of their depth I think. Poppy, cool stuff. Loud noisy stuff. Kool AF. Great hooks and riffs. "Are you gonna liberate us girls from male, white, corporate oppression" Oh this squealing sounding guitars. One minute sounding like sirens, then engines, urgent and frantic, then blissfully picking out mellow notes for some sweet relief. Highlights are Kool Thing, Dirty Boots, Tunic (song for Karen). But I'm gushing. I have the album cover on a T-shirt. Five fucking cool stars as of you didn't guess.

This album is everything that I love. Fast and aggressive sounds, a bit messy, a bit noisy. Love the guitar, love the vocal, love the effect and the arrangement. Love everything. 5/5.

Pretty GOOd. It's like a rock album but its alternative, meaning the the artists are probably like those cool kids in high school who are kind of nihilistic and depressed, too cool to be "cool".

Absurdly cool. I love Sonic Youth. It’s autumn and I’m ready to spend a season listening to grungy, scuzzy guitars.

This is an album I’ve loved since my teenage years. I don’t think a Sonic Youth would exist in the modern world of streaming and algorithms.

One of the greatest albums made by literally anyone. In my humble opinion.

LL Cool K = Lee Loves Kool Kim

Perfect. Fantastic follow-up to the also perfect Daydream Nation.

Haven't listened to this one in a while, looking forward to it. I always preferred Dirty overall, and found the second half of this one to be lacking. Dirty Boots is a top tier opening track though. Tunic and Kool Thing are fantastic too. One of the best album covers of all time as well. Actually having listened to this through again, it's on par with Dirty. The 2nd half is just more experimental and noisy. Love Disappearer and Mote as well.

Sonic Youth are great, this album is great.

I forgive them for being mean to Nardwuar. This is damn good. I’m shocked it’s not labeled as shoegaze.

Great Album, Sonic Youth best artist of all time

Sister and Daydream Nation make up the stage of Sonic Youth's greatness. EVOL was the staircase leading up; Goo was the staircase leading back down. . . And it's still 5-star great.

wonderful combo of shoegaze and punk. Just enough chaos

I kept this back as an ear cleanser. With its much copied cover art, it's one of SY's classic.

Love this album.

Hey another SY album. I thought I was done with them (I actually thought that I had this one before, must've been a non-generator listen) so I was very happy to get this one. I like this one a lot. I'm not sure exactly where I'd rank it among their discography but it's probably top 5 or close to it.

One of the best ever!

goo...i need her

Post punk greatness. Some OG metal influence in there as well

Super good album. A teir

clássico absoluto. sonic youth se permitindo uma sonoridade mais pop, sem perder em nada o peso do rock alternativo. maior que qualquer album do grunge

Awesome. Good to hear that again

Absolute classic of New York No Wave.

So good! Some of the feedback at the end of some of the tracks maybe dragged on a bit too long. But I didn't find it detracted from the overall album.

Not bad

Kooler than kool

Staple record

Exquisite. 5

How is this album 30 years old? Hard to believe this was recorded closer to Sargent Pepper’s than today. Incredible anti-pop with crystal clear production despite all the guitar fuzz. Brilliant.

I love Sonic Youth. Favorite song on here is Tunic, but the whole album is very much my thing

Hell yeah! That's funny to have The Black Crowes and Sonic Youth almost in a row with two albums released the same year. One is boring and replaying over and over ideas that were already 20 years old, the other one is abrasive, creative, full of ideas, sometimes not exactly knowing where it is going but at least trying to go somewhere and not treading water. For the record, I listen to lots of stuff that were inspired by Sonic Youth, and even though I'm not overly familiar with their work, it feels like home because the way they make cry their instruments, full of noise and dissonance, is very familiar to me.

Part of it was the perfect context I listened to this album in, buy man. The perfect mix of driving rock guitar, lyrics and vocals. Everyone on for this part-psychadelic rock freak out. Badass.

Poppy yet still scuzzy

Perfect album from artistic geniuses during a time when this kind of music wasn’t profitable to corporate publishers. No other notes.

This is one of the best albums by Sonic Youth. I like Daydrem Nation more but this is still so good! Anyone who gives it below 4 stars must be out of his mind.

Seeing and anticipating the wave that would soon define the 1990s, Sonic Youth tried their hand at accessibility and, for the large part, they passed with flying colors. Goo gets its stamp of approval largely due to the seismic one-two punch of Dirty Boots and the devastating Tunic (Song for Karen), peaking with the hip-hop inspired Kool Thing and rounding out the ride with equal world beaters such as Disappearer, Mote, Cinderella's Big Score and Titanium Expose. All in all, this flush of new car smell and shiny exterior seems to fit Sonic Youth quite well and it serves them right to be at the forefront of what's to come. Too bad it's just for one album.

I had this album cover's poster on my wall as a teenager. Way before I knew who Raymond Pettibon was and had gone backwards to discover earlier SST bands like Black Flag, Minutemen and Husker Du, Sonic Youth was my epitome of cool and this album was the most accessible of the bunch. All these years later, it still holds up.

J Mascis is on this album

this album is great

Fantastic album

As cool, pleasurable and timeless as a Hal Hartley film. I first remember the song Kool Thing from 'the dance scene' in "Simple Men". So wonderfully spot on, and it does it for me every time. Look it up, it will put a smile on your face, even if you didn't find the album pressed every button. It might be unfair to give an album 5 stars for some favourite songs but here goes.

this is everything and i listened the hell out of it as a young jimi. noise riffs songs that album cover could i write poetry to this: y and i have

Incredible Album start to finish

Wow! I have never heard of this band until it was presented to me by this list. I love the heavy, distorted sound that is present throughout this alternative rock album. I loved almost every track and I highly recommend this album! Definitely will replay! Favorite Song(s): "Dirty Boots", "Mildred Pierce", "Kool Thing", "Mote", "Disappearer"

Might be one of the coolest (koolest?) albums of all time, the album cover only helps with that. Sonic Youth is everything that rock music should be, loud and exciting, unafraid to be experimental and weird, and most importantly, fun as hell. Kool Thing, Tunic, Dirty Boots, Mote, Disappearer, Titanium Expose...how could this not be a 5 with songs like that filling it up? I would have them on rock music's Mount Rushmore alongside The Stooges and Velvet Underground, no question.

I love when music sounds like I'm being violently stabbed in a back alley. I don't even consider myself to be a Sonic Youth fan, but this is my fourth album by them and the lowest score I've given to any of them was a 4/5. So uh.. yeah. They're really pretentious and I will never forgive them for what they did to my guy Nardwuar, but they sure know how to cook up some tunes.

Sonic Youth's mix of no-wave, post-punk, noise-rock and bubblegum pop was one of the best things that has ever come out of the otherwise tasteless and overproduced music released during the eighties (generally speaking). And Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo's guitar work melding harsh dissonance with sudden transcendent melodic surges has been influential for decades to come. Contrary to what deniers would have you believe, Moore and Ranaldo's off-kilter tuning and idiosyncratic interplay never stemmed from an art-for-art-sake empty posturing. It was aimed at creating the best songs they could be written in the overall genre they had elected to play. This is probably why Sonic Youth left such an immense imprint, and how they popularized a vocabulary that is still vastly used throughout many strands of "rock music" played today. You can't beat that sort of legacy--itself drawing on older seminal NYC acts such as The Velvet Underground, The New York Dolls, Richard Hell And The Voivoids or Television. Anyone refusing to give Sonic Youth this status doesn't know their music history, period. That doesn't necessarily mean you should enjoy their music at all cost. But you got to take it into account, at least. *Goo* was released after their breakthrough album *Daydream Nation* (not my absolute favorite record of theirs--that would be *Sister*--yet a seminal one in its own right). It was the LP that saw Sonic Youth jumping from the independent label SST to the major label Geffen (influencing none other than Nirvana to make the same jump from Sub Pop to Geffen). At first glance, it seems that this jump had softened some of the band's rough edges--with more hazy, almost shoegazy soundscapes resulting from that transition into the mainstream. Yet make no mistake: artistically speaking, the band had not "sold out". They had only refined their aesthetics here, just enough to make it palatable for a new generation of kids hungry for "alternative" adventures, but never losing the plot they had started writing ten years before. Highlights abound in *Goo*: "Dirty Boots" and "Tunic" are enticing motorik cuts giving a great start to the album, for instance--drummer Steve Shelley's drive is infectious in both of them, Thurston Moore's vocal performance on the first is equally menacing and seductive, and Kim Gordon's singspeak on the second brings a hypnotic and iconic flavor to the proceedings. Those two songs are fuzzy and welcoming for sure, yet they fully retain the essence of the band Sonic Youth had become during their last three full-length releases: an art-rock powerhouse subverting pop songwriting to turn it into something greater. See also the effortless cool of "Kool Thing", the tongue-in-cheek frenzy of the title-track where Gordon winks at teenage girl-groups, the existential malaise of Ranaldo's "Disappearer"--ending in a frightening cyberpunk drone maelstrom--or the near-hardcore-punk mayhem of closer "Titanium Exposé". With *Goo*, Sonic Youth stepped in the second phase of their career, finally reaping what they sowed for so long before. The nineties were ready for them. But truth be told, it was only because they had paved the way for said nineties, being already part of a small bunch of acts (Dinosaur Jr., Pixies, Hüsker Dü, Mission Of Burma...) that had basically *created* that next decade all by themselves. That's how important this band was, and still is today for music at large. And this more than ten years after Moore and Gordon parted ways... By the way, here are the Sonic Youth albums I would select my own version of the "1001 Albums You Need To Listen To Before You Die", along with the grades I would give them if I had to establish a list of "essential" LPs: EVOL (1986): 4.6/5 rounded up to 5 Sister (1987): 5/5 Daydream Nation (1988): 4.6 rounded up to 5 Goo (1990): 4.5 rounded up to 5 Dirty (1992): 4.7 rounded up to 5 Washing Machine (1994): 4.8 rounded up to 5 After all, when in the original book, you got five or six albums by Elvis Costello (half of which were clearly underwhelming affairs), I can't see why I wouldn't please myself for my own ideal book. Costello is obviously a talented musician and songwriter. But no one in his right mind can say he anticipated the future through his music. Not even the writers of the original 1001 Albums book. Number of albums left to review: 392 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 273 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 144 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 193

4/5

Wow this band is great, I’m gonna go look up their interviews

Solid. Let's do it again 🤠

5-

Wait. What's happening? A Sonic Youth album I actually like? And really really like, at that? This is good.

After listening to the last Sonic Youth album (Dirty), I got a better inkling of the attraction. But I certainly didn’t need the other three albums which I enjoyed to a much lesser degree. Now it seems the musical gods see fit to push the limit and grant me yet another Sonic Youth album to listen to. I can’t say that I felt happy about that… I was relieved to discover Dirty Boots was an excellent song opening the album. Tunic (Song for Karen) was really interesting - I’m digging the talky vocals that would recur throughout this album. I was surprised at themes and really enjoyed both the sound. And - WTF? - songs for Karen Carpenter and Mildred Pierce?! How fun to be dreading the play button and then 50 minutes later immediately press play again to restart the album. I feel fortunate to have this is come up near the end of the Sonic Youth albums. Goo definitely left my opinion of this band on a very high note! Terrific!

god. the power of kool thing. the gift that is my mothers music to me. hot girls named kim in punk bands. this record is a reminder that with finding music when you know you know, so if you’re asking yourself “how do you know?”, then that’s your answer, the answer is no.

Legendary album. From the cover to the fuzz about it, Goo is one of the most influential pieces of alternative rock from this era. Honestly, I believe that if Nevermind had never existed, this album would had taken a piece of its fame. The track list is impeccable. The voices, sublime (Kim is at her best here). The guitar tone is raw, engaging, and very well produced. Outstanding!

5/5

The best bits are the feedback parts. Beautifully noisy. Love this album.

Not sure I'd like this, but I kind of really did

Really enjoyed this one. Intelligent, carefully crafted sound disguised behind a rough production exterior. Will return to this. Highlight was Disappearer.

Probably their most accessible album. Packed with great songs, jams, guitars and the kitchen sink.

Великолепно .Классика гранжа

mildred pierce and titanium expose goated frfr

This is my favorite Sonic Youth album sometimes. They have like four or five 5* albums for me, and... This is one of them. So many good songs here, no bad songs... An all time favorite for sure, safely in my top 50 of all time. Maybe top 20. It's an incredible album front to back IMHO. I can listen to it three times in a row and not be bored. I particularly love Mote, noise section and all. This is definitely an album you need to be able to like some noise for, but... The riffs on every instrument just kick ass. Sonic Youth showed me how noise and discordance in music can be meaningful and artistic. This album was key to my current understanding of music as a whole. Yup, easy 5/5, can't wait for more Sonic Youth on this list.

Fabulous album. I love the sound of Kim's voice on this one. Lots of memories.

This album is Goo(d).

Kim Gordon’s vocals are sweet. Her spoken word style on Tunic (Song for Laren) are reminiscent of Ruth Radelet of Chromatics. Awesome band sidebar alert: Chromatics are in my top 10. Check them out. I already conveyed how they kick major ass in my Cocteau Twins Treasure review and how Kill For Love is a great album to start with in my Portishead Dummy side bar. Well, I’ll amplify that by telling you Night Drive and Cherry are great albums too. Thurston Moore’s vocals work for me too. Disappearer is a good example. I was surprised to hear that Mildred Pierce is such a turnoff for others. I think music has a great groove for the first 1:40. The last 30 seconds do take a bit of a weird turn. I find the last 2 minutes of Mote to be more annoying than that because it’s just noise for an extended time that could easily be cut. I like Mote too, and I’m pointing out that there are less appealing parts of the album to me. So I don’t understand the fingernails dragging across the chalk board that others hear. This album is great. Never thought I would love it this much. My nit pick are the pockets of feedback, distorted screams, and superfluous noise sprinkled throughout. I could do without them, but they are kind of part of the package. The noise for the sake of noise bits remind me of The Melvins. Ah…King Buzzo’s hair is immaculate. Anyway one time I saw The Melvins they opened their second set with at least 15 minutes of noise seemingly intended to tell the audience fuck you. It’s like, I could do without it, but then again it’s part of their identity. A 4.5 that gets rounded up.

One of my all time favourite albums. A couple of tracks aren’t amazing, but some of the others are - Disappearer being one. Love it!

Before Nirvana made it big and finished the job, Sonic Youth had caught the eye of majors and started the death of the glam rock era. The release of Goo made them one of the coolest bands around at that time and it still hold up really well to this day. It may not be as brave as Daydream Nation, but their gentle dip into accessibility definitely helped building the 90's musical landscape.

I love this album. I might download more of it (right now I think I just have Dirty Boots and Kool Thing). Clearly this is a type of sound I prefer compared to yesterday’s Rod Stewart album.

Definitely not Sonic Youth’s best, but I love it just the same. They’re a band I can never fault…

Yup, this is my type of music. Especially like Disappearer. It might have the best album art so far.

All the rad Sonic Youth vibes but with actual songs now!

listened to this on LSD before it was released (advanced cassette copy sent to W***)

Actually great alt:punk

One of my favourite albums of all time. I could bottle what it was like to be 17 this would be the essence

PREFS : Dirty Boots, Tunic (Song for Karen), Mary-Christ, Kool Thing, My Friend Goo, Disappearer, Cinderella's Big Score, Titanium Exposé MOINS PREF : Scooter + Jinx

I listened to almost nothing but sonic youth for a couple of years in my twenties - their albums are hardwired. Takes me back

This is one of Sonic Youth's most accessible albums, but that doesn't mean that it is an easy listen. Still, if you want to enter the world of this legendary but strange band, this is definitely a must listen.

I only got into Sonic Youth quite recently, and I couldn't quite get through Goo because of its more artsy, angular bits. But now I love those bits as well. "Tunic" has got to be one of the saddest songs ever.

Another that I listened to a bunch in college. This was more of a workout album (incline bike, along with the 2006 Dylan album. It was a weird time for me). If I was older than 3 in 1990, this probably would have been what I listened to every day. I still need to do the real deep dive on Sonic Youth (from what I remember, and hopefully will be reminded more of during this list, is that Goo was my favorite, Daydream Nation and Dirty are pretty great too, and Rather Ripped was the current one that I listened to a lot), and I think I'm far enough away from their breakup to not feel too bad that I only saw them live once (at Lollapalooza!, but in 2006). Kool Thing goes so hard, I'm glad millions of people got to hear it in a Guitar Hero game. I don't think I've listened to Mote or other Leo Renaldo stuff since I found out he was a Deadhead and I became more of one too, and realizing the noise jam here could have been on side 4 of Live/Dead. Probably a 4.5 on the AllMusic rating scale, but I know if I was a teen when this came out and listened to it a million times over and over, it would be a 5, so it gets a 5 here.

8/4 sonic shred

I listen this album almost all week since I discovered Sonic youth :)

Textbook definition of 'cool'. An absolute classic.

I really enjoy Sonic Youth and this one takes up where Daydream Nation left off. I think this one is a little more accessible, for both good and bad. But I really liked it.

I needed to hear this when i did, thanks i feel so much better

It's great. Tunic is my favorite Sonic Youth song. I may be biased.

This album got a lot of play from me in the early 90's. Brings back lots of memories.

I totally listened to Goo in high school at some point, but I only clearly remember “Kool Thing” (what a classic). “Dirty Boots” really sets the scene — especially if conceptualizing Goo as a concept album — saturated in teenage rebellion, adrenaline, shock value, and a keen eye on the world surrounding. The guitar in the second half is quite nice, and the song ends much calmer than it began. “Tunic” - here’s Kim. This song touches on Hollywood and fame, with Kim telling her mom that she made it in the music industry. “Mary-Christ” - of the three so far, this one is a pretty straight punk song. Still great! Ah “Kool Thing” - the effect that they put on the main guitar riff makes it sound like it’s echoing off the walls of a cave. The dialogue between Chuck D and Kim in the middle is a dreamlike absurdity, wherein a teenage girl asks the rebellious object of her affections how he will liberate her and all girls from male white corporate oppression. Love it. “Mote” - probably the song I remember the least out of all of them. Probably the most melodic out of what I’ve heard thus far (concerning the vocal lines), and then it erupts into a kind of experimental noisy atmosphere. “My Friend Goo” is a riot grrrl punk ditty. Reminds me of Bratmobile, though they might have been a little later. “Disappearer” - one of the less memorable ones, but has interesting lyrics. “Mildred Pearce” - similar vein as Mary Christ and My Friend Goo — riot grrrl/Pixies situation with Frank Black-esque screaming. “Cinderella’s Big Score” - experimental guitar soundscapes still going strong plus a funny title. This is what I think of when I think Sonic Youth! There’s two songs left.

all I can say is, so good.

A classic.

For me, this album will be forever matched with that Hal Hartley movie ..Simple Men from 30 years ago. Since then I have forgotten all about that movie except for the out-of-nowhere dance scene on Kool Thing. The album nicely fits in the 5-star album sequence: Evol - Sister - Daydream Nation - Goo - Dirty - it might not be so universally strong as the other four but easily 5 stars of course.

Classic/10

Great album. Ice Cube is woefully underused, but apart from that. All good!

Always love when I come across an album that has so obviously influenced a heap of my own favourite bands.

Guitar make loud noise. Me like.

Réinventer le rock est, à chaque décennie, de plus en plus difficile. Sonic Youth a prouvé sa capacité de le faire ainsi que son génie avec cet album. Mon seul regret est de ne pas l'avoir acheté en vinyle quand je l'ai vu à bon prix dernièrement. Imbécile!

Really good album

pqp

Good music shouldn't always just be sweet sounding. It should shock you at times too. "Mildred Pierce" and "Scooter and Jinx" did just that. This was awesome!

Love this album

Sería un poco repetitivo seguir hablando de Sonic Youth ya para su tercer disco en esta lista. Siguen cuadrando mucho con mis gustos. Este es el que siempre se me ha hecho su mejor disco; mucho más melódico con canciones más estructuradas y más accesible que los otros trabajos que realizaron. No se pierde el lado experimental pero se acercan un poco más a la gente. A pesar de todo lo que me gusta el grupo sigo pensando que tres discos fue demasiado. Probablemente solo este y Daydream Nation eran suficientes, o incluso si solo hubiera estado este disco presente podría haber sido más que suficiente. Mucho de mi agrado, ya hable bastante de Sonic Youth, un poco sobrerrepresentado en la lista.

Another deserved 5* for the Youth. Probably there most accessible album and it just never sounds dated! I love it!!

Love me some noisy rock :))

Noisy as he’ll I won’t them

I really enjoyed it. They get some wild sounds on their instruments.

Great, right up my alley.

Sauvage!

Weird, Experimental, Noise Music. Grunge before grunge.

Easily my favorite SY album. Maybe not their best, but still classic.

Incredible. Way way ahead of its time.

very cool i enjoyed 4.5

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

A classic from my formative years!!

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.

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.

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!

Surprisingly catchy and not as much incomprehensible noise as I'd imaged by the reputation.

Dizzy up the kids.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Will I write a coherent review? Fah no. Did I like the album? Yeah, of course.

Love Sonic Youth. This one isn’t quite Daydream Nation, but it’s still amazing.

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.

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

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’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.

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

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.

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.

Straight up gooin it

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.

Love this album. Love Kim Gordon.

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.

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!

4.2

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)

Goo d

my interactions with the members of sonic youth are as follows: thurston moore: none lee ronaldo: saw at hillside with the medicine singers and some israeli. he is married to Leah Singer who is a visual artist from Toronto so they're kind of randomly at art events sometimes and ive never spoken to them Kim Gordon: I sent her an email 2 months ago about her visual art for an exhibition I'm putting together and she never got back to me. I even emailed her gallery and they never replied. Steve Shelley: never heard of him. interestingly and its a longer story the whole reason i was able to work on michael snow's archive and become close to him before his death is rooted from a sonic youth concert in the 90s where CCMC was the opener in Toronto... shout out my bud john oswald who just put out an official plunderphonics remix album called Diamond Seas this year... madness

Not their absolute best but still a belter. Kim Gordon and Chuck D, what else would you need

Sonic Youth remains a challenging listen but this one is quite accessible.

Heard it before. Now this is the only Sonic Youth album that should be on the list. I know maybe it's not the best representation of their sound since it's almost too "listenable" but it's my favourite from them, I don't care 4/5

First half was definitely much stronger than the second, but overall a fun listen.

Really enjoyed this, they blend dreamy atmospheric sounds with gritty and noisy parts so seamless. It's experimental enough and still very listenable. It's not consistent enough to get a 5. Best song: Tunic (Song For Karen) / Disappearer Worst song: Scooter And Jinx Cover check: Pulp crime estetique

Ish pretty good!

Love the sound on this one. I've seen a few Sonic Youth albums in Orange Records before, but wasn't really super familiar with their stuff. I might consider grabbing one next time I'm in.

I definitely warmed up to this. My listening was separated roughly in half, the first this morning and the latter in the evening, which probably isn’t the best way to experience this album but I found the second half to be much more enjoyable and interesting than the first. ‘Tunic’ is remarkably mature in its premise. ‘My Friend Goo’ made me laugh out loud (well, more like laugh in my head, the Americans were in the kitchen so I couldn’t actually laugh out loud for fear of giving the impression that I’m even more of a loony than they undoubtedly already think I am) Not the generic indie band I had unfairly denounced they were aged 13! I have a feeling I will like earlier Sonic Youth more though :)

Pretty GOOd.

Sonic Youth is squarely in my wheelhouse.

an interesting mix of really cool guitar tone and individual line writing with sometimes excessively repetitive arrangements that are only partially restrained from falling into the monotonous wastes of indie rock. both the vocalists and the lyrics leave something to be desired.

Last time I went back to this it did not move me at all. This time, mostly as background music (!), I kind of loved it.

Sonic Youth wrote songs? News to me. Half of this is great.

Pillar of Indy guitar rock with a little punk edge. Grungy before grunge. What a solid record from a great time in Indy music. Could do without My Friend Goo, but otherwise great from top to bottom.

Solid alt rock album. Would says it’s quite weird but they make it work. Liked the two singers- each seemed to come with a different style of song. Very enjoyable listen.

I love me some Sonic Youth, but I can't quite bring myself to give this a 5. It's just not as great as Daydream Nation or Sister, and despite some awesome moments, something has always felt a little off about it to me - it just doesn't quite fit together properly somehow. Still a cool record though - just not quite their high point.

Love this, side 1 in particular

Enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. An excellent jumping-off point for a band I'd previously struggled to enjoy.

This was a Kool Thing.

v. kool. As much as I love daydream nation/it has more of their iconic songs (teenage riot, the sprawl, silver rocket) this has a much better album feel for me

Very cool. Enjoyed it. Standout songs: Dirty Boots Tunic Disapearer

Heard of sonic youth before but never listened. I love the different vocalists they have and i especially love a female lead singer in a band. The music was also good, im a fan of indie rock, post punk but dont listen to it as much as i would like. Overall 8/10.

Yeah, ok I see what they are doing. Enjoyable, enough control to not just be noise for noise sake.

i didn't love all of the tracks on this album, but i really loved a lot of them! each track more or less really stands out, nothing generic about the sound of this album at all

May listen to these guys more. Very enjoyable, might bump up the score if the second listen hits harder.

Another fine release from Sonic Youth. The first four songs on "Goo" were fantastic. I didn't mind the rest either. I love how Sonic Youth managed to get Chuck D from Public Enemy on "Kool Thing" Sonic Youth prove that noise rock is amazing. 4 stars for "Goo".

Kim Gordon is cool. Sparked convo with my mom about music.

Solid

Thoughts before listening: I feel like this is one of the SY albums I actually enjoy, although there are some weird tracks on this one. In general though it has some of their more approachable songs. Review: Yeah I used to own this back in the day, but just never loved it. I should be a huge Sonic Youth fan, but they just only really hit for me on some songs. Typically that's going to be upbeat songs with some punk propulsion and a good melody. Songs like "Dirty Boots", "Tunic", "Kool Thing" (although the Chuck D part is ...uh...interesting?), and "Disappearer" fall in this category and are going on my playlist. I can appreciate the noise experiments and avant garde aspects of the other songs, but it's just not my favorite to listen to. Still though I'll give this 4-stars.

I guess when I remarked that Einstürzende Neubauten's Kollaps had some interesting ideas hidden amongst way too much chaotic noise, this list would give me an album that flipped that imbalance on it's head. Absolutely amazing album. Besides the occassional and intentional breaks into harsher noise, which don't overstay their welcome, I cant really find any big weak link in this album's track list excluding Scooter/Jinx (which is just one of the already mentioned noisy feedback guitar breaks that bridges two other songs). All 3 of the main singer/songwriters provide great material. 9/10.

peak dive bar ambiance

8.5/10 I really liked how the album uses noise without ever feeling overwhelming, and the songwriting is amazing. I had a really good time listening to it.

An iconic record. A really interesting stop between the 80s and 90s. Noise meets pop, meets punk, meets are rock…and they all have sex.

I had to live with this album a little bit, as I felt it could hit 5/5. There's a lot of it that I really like, but there are a couple points where it falls short. I'm not so keen on "Cinderella's Big Score", but I really like "Tunic (Song for Karen)" and "My Friend Goo" (even though it reminds me of the annoying improv song couple from TikTok). It's hard to tell whether this album will grow on me or wear thin, but it's off to a good start. 4/5 seems appropriate.

Expected something noisy and what I usually dislike. But was surprised

Dirty Boots Tunic (Song for Karen) Kool Thing

Another band I've never properly listened to. I was aware of them, and had definitely heard some of their work, but they'd never really stuck for me. I think after listening to this album and doing a bit of reading that might have been because I only really heard their early stuff. This one's a nice little rock album that feels like it fits perfectly in the space between 80s rock and 90s alt-rock. There are some decent tracks on here, and it kept me listening from start to finish, which is a good sign. I'll definitely be having a listen to some of their later stuff after this, and I think I'm going to give this one a straight four.

Goo-d, not quite great. Rarely underrated

I knew Kool Thing but not the rest. Good stuff.

Ok, after 3 very similar sounding (still good, but for me on one listen kinda indistinguishable) sonic youth albums this one shows some growth - more toward the diamond sea melodicism and wierd kim gordonisms than, noisy guitar and thurston monotony.

My first exposure to Sonic Youth. Very cool album

Algo como punk progresivo, me gusta.

Goo is good. This is pretty much the 1 album I know by them before this project, so I am excited to hear the rest

Premier album qui m’a vraiment plu

I'm on my 3rd or 4th listen in the last ~couple weeks and this keeps growing on me. I'd never previously listened to Sonic Youth much--I think just not pop-y enough to have easily/immediately grabbed me. But these songs are interesting, often disonantly melodic in a way I like the more I listen to it. Glad to be getting to know their music better.

I enjoyed it more than Daydream Nation, it felt more polished and consistent.

I may ~may~ like this more than Daydream Nation. A bit more song structure and melody here. The songs that bring Kim to the front are great. Sure, it fades a bit on the back side, but Tunic, Kool Thing, My Friend Goo are so good. Plus there's the whole "does a band get extra points for just being really influential" and Sonic Youth scores those in spades for Goo and Daydream Nation.

#yeah

Iconic Rating: 7.5/10 Favourite: kool thing

Combines a bit more pop sensibility than usual with the glorious guitar noise mosaic we have come to know and love. Tunic is just a gut punch.

I’m a little surprised that, as someone who lived in western Massachusetts for much of my life, I never listened to a Sonic Youth album before (I was content with my Pixies and Taj Mahal). But this album delivers, and from what I’ve read, probably serves as a good introduction to the band (a rarity for this list). Inspired guitar work, a nice mix of rock vocalizing and talk-singing, and a few guest features give the album a cinematic feel. It manages to avoid the pitfalls of many 90’s alt albums on here, I think because rather than just wallowing in distortion and sad boy moans for 50 minutes, there is a level of brevity and a degree of nostalgia (or at least awareness) of traditional pop songwriting. A bit like a bubblegum record put through a blender. But in a good way!