Reviews (page 5 of 9)
Interesting to hear the progression from EVOL. A little more traditional song structure and rocks a little harder. I still have no idea what they’re singing about but I’d definitely come back to this one. 3.5
Always loved that one!
I respect this more than I like it. Maybe with further listens I could eventually like it.
Kool thing awesome! Album did drag on a bit though
I never know what to say about this sort of album - it really should be my sort of thing, but it kinda leaves me cold.
I don't know if this caught me on a particularly good day, but i ended up enjoying this a lot more than the other Sonic Youth albums so far. It definitely feels more musical and less noise- centric, while still definitely sounding 100% like Sonic Youth. I will probably end up coming back to this at some point, so colour me intrigued.
I’ve thought some youth songs are pretty good but this was really discordant and bad
Some of it I really liked, some of it not so much. The dissonance is pretty cool, but it does come across as pretty unpolished. I know that’s what they were going for, and in some spots it worked well, but not always.
Pretty solid album. Mid 3s for me. So much more polish.
Rating: 6.5/10 The highlights are amazing and masterfully blend their trade noise rock sound with amazing riffs and songwriting. A lot of is noisy just to be noisy and the album suffers for it, this band has a great sense of melody but only uses it for a handful of songs.
It’s decent, just don’t think Sonic Youth is for me
I’m disappointed. My first dip in to sonic youth and I kinda hated it. Noisy screeches with occasional reminders that it’s a song. I thought sonic youth was gonna be up my ally but this was too hard for my taste. Maybe I’m just hungry
Actually my first time listening to a full Sonic Youth album. These guys are you my somewhere!
Sonic Youth are something special
Not really for me but pretty good nonetheless
Need more listens, but liked what I heard so far
Album everyone expects me to love because I love 90s alt rock but, no.
I'm desensitized to Sonic Youth after three albums. At the same time, Goo isn't the usual noise rock I have come to associate with Sonic Youth. I mean, they definitely incorporated some discordant notes that border on noise rock, but mostly this album comes across as alternative and punk. The songs are silly and fun, like "My Friend Goo," and I do admire a band that doesn't take themselves too seriously. Music is supposed to be fun, and there's something enjoyable and playful about Goo.
Yet ANOTHER Sonic Youth album, and yet another crotchety entry in my "did we really need this many albums from this band?" rant. I liked this Sonic Youth album about as much as their others on this album (that is to say, a 2 or 3). My complaints about their music in the past has been around the level of noise rock they implement. I can at least say this album generally felt more alternative and less noise, and I liked that (excluding the VERY noisy "Scooter and Jinx").
There is a part in Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant where he has the audience sing the chorus and when they finish he says "that was horrible" and that's my thought about Goo by Sonic Youth, but in Arlo Guthrie's voice.
Overall: 8/10 This was the only Sonic Youth album I listened to for a very long time because I wasn't even sure if I really enjoyed it. I've grown to have the opinion that it's great! The guitar work is so interesting on every Sonic Youth album. I love that they just don't care about doing anything within the accepted structural confines of music. I also love how effortlessly cool Kim's vocals are. I'm not so in love with Thurston's vocals on this album but he's fine. I still haven't heard every Sonic Youth album but to me, this one is probably the best to start with for anyone wanting to get into the band. The music is accesible while still retaining the weird noise rock of their earlier days. Fav Song: My Friend Goo Least Fav Song: Tunic (Song for Karen)
Yeah
No standouts but a solid listen throughout
Definitely a 90's feel. Meh
not bad, not bad at all
The drone tracks are fine, but it's the other tracks that make me think Sonic Youth is a great rock band. (I feel the same way about Boris.) Favorite track: Tunic (Song for Karen)
Ugh. I mean I guess, you know?
Another Sonic Youth album! Another one I got for my birthday all though years ago too! I have happy thoughts and memories of this one. This album is less wall of sound like their later stuff. It's more of an straightforward alternative album. They still experiment with music but it's far less jarring for a lot of people. I could play this tape in the car and people were far more willing to listen to it. Great album. Kool Thing is a standout for a lot of folks, myself included. Well worth a listen.
An opera gal’s listening journey through Goo: Dirty Boots: Good opening to the album. Feels like a bait and switch, though. Clearly, I’m in danger here. Tunic: Oh, come on… EdgyTM. Ugh. Guitars that sound like angry bees. Mary-Christ: :( for the instrumental breaks, but I don’t hate hate this. Kool Thing: Iconic feminist song, but…I don’t think so. Mote: Ugh – nails on a chalkboard. NOOOOO! I have never more viscerally wanted to throw my computer against a wall to make something stop. My Friend Goo: Eyeroll. Disappear: This one’s slightly more tonal, so it’s not totally hateful. Mildred Pierce: Neverending and it was only 2 minutes long. Cinderella’s Big Score: Why? Scooter and Jinx: WHY?!?!?! Make it stop! Titanium Expose: Okay, this can stay. Maybe. Except for the end bit. Like a cheese grater to the face, so are the 50 minutes of this album.
Rounding up from 2.5 stars… the extra half star is because they influenced so many of my favourite bands. File this one under: “I wish I loved this.” Major respect to Sonic Youth for cranking up the distortion and pioneering noise rock. Their fingerprints are all over my favourite bands, from My Bloody Valentine to Yo La Tengo to Radiohead to post-Britpop Blur. I just don’t particularly connect to SY’s iteration of this sound. It kind of all blends together into a blur for me. Kool Thing rules though.
I really want to like Sonic Youth. I get how important they are. I know that many bands I love have cited them as an influence. And I've tried many times to get into them... but their music just never clicks with me. Unfortunately, today was no exception. I've tried to pinpoint the problem and here's what I've come up with: 1) the vocals are mixed too low in a shoegaze-y sort of way... but it doesn't work for them 2) his voice isn't distinct or interesting... its kind of just there (her voice is way better) 3) the songs are a bit too long... when they have a good or bad idea, they repeat it to death... really drag it out (that cinderella track was a slog) 4) the melodies are lacking... the hooks aren't hooky enough Really, the biggest problem of all is that so many bands that came after sonic youth did their sound better. They took the parts i like (the distortion, the vibes, the instrumentals, the abrassiveness etc) and incorporated them into better songs. Kurt Cobain is the biggest winner of this approach. Bleach specifically reaks of Goo worship... but I like Bleach better. Nirvana is basically just Sonic Youth meets the Pixies filtered through the John Lennon songbook. And i'm greatful that Sonic Youth existed at that time to influence Nirvana and many other great bands... i just don't love their music. If i could, i'd score this record a 2.5. But i'll round it up to a 3 because it inspired so man great grunge, punk and alternative bands that i love. Highlights: Mary-christ - good energy Kool thing - great track... except for that bridge Mote - nice and warm if you ignore the 5 minute noise jam section My friend goo - good silly fun Disapearer - catchy chorus Mildred pierce - i love a good oldfashion gutteral scream Titanium - great catchy sour riff
*Sigh*...This did very little for me. Someone told me recently to listen to the lyrics less, which was easy to do with this album. Unfortunately the surrounding din did little to make this an enjoyable experience. A whole point more than Sex Pistols feels generous, but hey it's Friday.
It’s tough to remain objective when you know a record from this challenge basically front to back. My heart wants to give this one a 5, because it was the soundtrack to a very formative time in my life — but I’ll settle on a 4. Dirty Boots, Tunic, Mary-Christ and Kool Thing is an incredible 4-track run to start a record that shows basically all “sides” of SY at that time. Tunic and Mary-Christ are definitely “old” SY-vibes, and Dirty Boots and Kool Thing were the newer, Geffen-records-signed vibes. That doesn’t discount how sick those two songs are — they’re just… different. But just when you thought the old, noisy, experimental, thrashy and abrasive SY is gone, they hit you with the back half including Mote, Mildred Pierce, Cinderella’s Big Score, etc — as if to say “we’re still here”. I’m of two minds when picking my favourite track from the record. Younger me wants to say Kool Thing, and older me wants to say Disappearer (or maybe Titanium Expose). Regardless, listening to this record brings me back to a better time (and it’s always a joy to spin). Also — happy belated birthday to Kim Gordon.
After the first few bars I thought "Hmm, that guitar sound is a bit Hawkwindy. This could be ok". How wrong can you be? From that point onwards it just went steadily downhill to become little more than a conglomeration of noise by the end of the album. 1 because there is no Zero.
Great album. Energy, distorted guitars and angst. What more could you want?
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.
Album starts perfectly with DIRTY BOOTS and jumps into a cascade of perfectly reckless sound with TUNIC and MARY-CHRIST. Glad to have finally listened to this entire album to give context to KOOL THING and TITANIUM EXPOSE, which I feel are legendary.
A lot of this album is in the "noise" category
Can’t deny it’s good but sonic youth never hits for me like I expect it to
Not a fan of the sonic youths. Quite boring
Didn't do it for me.
I like the first song
Never really liked Sonic Youth but it clicked for me on this album. I’m in.
Seemed like the cool kids liked Sonic Youth when I was in middle school so I listened to them then and remember thinking that being cool sucks and I was right.
#571. This album is pretty great overall, ut there's a few toward the end that kinda drag it down from a 5 star rating. 4/5: fantastic
"Goo" is the sixth full-length studio album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Alternative rock and noise rock are the Wiki-listed genres. Check. The album "expands on their trademark alternating guitar arrangements and layered sound of their previous album "Daydream Nation" with more topical songwriting." The bandmembers were Thurston Moore (vocals, guitar), Lee Renaldo (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (vocals, bass) and Steve Shelley (drums, percussion). It was their major label debut on Geffen' Records subsidiary DGC and was considered both a critical and commercial success reaching #96 in the US and #32 in the UK. The album opens with "Dirty Boots" and right away we're treated to a creepy guitar riff, layered guitars and bass and shakers and drums. As with a number of these songs, the group gets a groove going and then the song explodes with feedback and distortion. Thurston Moore on lead vocals singing, I think, about a rock n' roll dude who wears dirty boots. A long guitar drone starts "Tunic (Song for Karen)." An underlying melodic guitar. Kim Gordon takes over lead vocals on a song about Karen Carpenter and her anorexia disorder and in general about self-esteem and body images. Kim singing in a dreamy way that really makes this song rather chilling. You'll notice, I kind of gravitate toward the Kim songs and that continues with "Kool Thing." A classic guitar riff and hypnotic beat. Kim Gordon sexually-charged talk-singing vocals. Tremendous drumming by Steve Shelley. The song is about an interview Kim conducted with LL Cool J and his inattention towards punk music and his misogynistic views. A memorable appearance by Chuck D. Moore takes over the bass and gives it a fuzzy tone in "My Friend Goo." It's urgent, danceable and silly. Kim singing about her punk musician friend Goo who treats everyone like shit. There are a couple personal songs and one is "Cinderella's Big Score" where Kim sings about her brother who would rather have a dollar than a hug. Ringing and distorted guitars. Melodic bass. The album ends with "Titanium Exposé." Feedback, an off-kilter guitar melody and grinding, screeching guitars. I guess an appropriate way to mimic the sound of titanium as it's used to describe a cold and hard relationship. This album does a really good job of balancing a number of very good rock-based song melodies with their noise-based guitar feedback, distortion weirdness. Great layered guitar melodies. The drumming is fantastic. And you really start to see Kim Gordon as their best lead vocalist. I would say for a person unknown to Sonic Youth's music, this is a good place to start and for those familiar with Sonic Youth, it's still sounds great.
Love it. So raw, influenced every alt rock band that came after
I’m really got into this album. I liked it.
Not my favorite but Sonic Youth rules!
Haven’t ever fully listened to this album all the way through. Can’t believe they have been around since ‘81! Enjoyable listen though feel I need a bit more time with it.
Well, they’re certainly sonic, I’ll give them that. Youth is a bit of a stretch though when they were mostly in their mid to late thirties. I think at that point, they really should have considered renaming the band, maybe to Sonic Tricenarians or something. I genuinely can’t imagine why anyone would like this kind of music. I get that music journalists had to pretend to in order to appear current, and that angsty teens wanting to appear edgy and cool lied to themselves about how good it was, but who actually listens to this and thinks “ooh a lovely bit of nails on chalkboard, what a delight for my earholes”?
Not for me. Didn’t completely hate it though
Better than I expected
I think this is my favorite Sonic Youth album. I'm not really sure why this one works for me while other albums like "Dirty" don't as much. Idk. Favorite track: Dirty Boots
This was a surprise. This album really kicks ass. I passed on this band back in the 80's because they weren't metal. Better later than never to dig into their catalog.
So much raw energy and fuzz. Mildred Pierce is a bit of a dirge, but Tunic is a stunner.
More like 3.25. A lot of good here. Didn’t quite connect fully with me. The title track and Tunic were my faves.
Screeds of guitar noise which didn’t quite resonate. A single listen probably has not done it justice I think I need to listen again but it didn’t capture me though I feel there is more to it.
It's a sticky kind of substance
GREAT
I really liked this album. The frenetic energy was infectious, but the quiet moments were so impactful as well.
I like it - but too disjointed for me to love it.
Best Sonic Youth I've listened to. But here's the thing... I don't give a shit how confrontational a vibe you want to exude, I'm never going to listen to an album with periodic banshee screaming because that's annoying.
I really dig Sonic Youth but here’s the thing, this album is not as good as many of the others. Sure, I would take it if I was stranded on a desert island. But that doesn’t make it great.
Pretty accessible for Sonic Youth.
On paper I should be annoyed by all of this. Similar albums I have been. But there was something about the music that drew me in so much that I could usually ignore the bullshit vocalizations. 3/5
no me gustó mucho lamentablemente pero gran tapa 😃
Me gusto más que el anterior. La piba es excelente, todo lo que canta y relata funciona a un nivel superior. Muy buen cierre. De todas formas estoy muy alejado de agregar estas cosas a mis listas. Nota: 2.9
5 stars. Really liked this album. Great band.
A bit uneven, but some amazing guitar work. Sounds very ahead of its time.
Innovative for its time. A somewhat chaotic opus.
3.5
Sounds good
So trendy
It was fine. Every few years I decided to give Sonic Youth a shot, and I always find them underwhelming.
Sonic Youth, the Pixies ... both bands that I'm just not cool enough to get. Or maybe the whole point is that there isn't anything to get, other than a bunch of art-rock turds insisting how influential and important both are, even though they never really escaped opening act status for bigger bands in their era.
It's a hard one to rate. I really wanted to like this more but it's so noisy without doing much. Still liked it but not as much as I wanted to.
Raw and electric. Loud songs, heavy detail in lyrics and fun to listen to at any time of the day. Inspiring early 90s punk and mix of the semi-grunge sounds and themes of the time.
After getting Sonic Youth's transitional Sister months ago on my journey, I got Goo as my next record from them, which might be more up my alley. I remember playing "Kool Thing" on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and getting the companion soundtrack to that video game with the track on it. I've grown to enjoy it over time, and along the way, I heard the opening single, "Dirty Boots", on the radio and liked that song as well. As for the rest of the album, Goo was pretty good. While the band continued experimenting with their noise rock and the layered production style from Daydream Nation, they embraced more catchy songwriting. I've already mentioned the above singles, but alongside them, songs like "Disappearer", "My Friend Goo", and "Titanium Exposé" had these atonal guitar hooks paired with the tight rhythm section that I dug. Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon continue to share their vocal dynamics and irony-drenched lyricism in this eminating coolness, especially from Kim as she chose to be more challenging on the perception of women's role in American society. Between the exploration of Karen Carpenter's struggles with anorexia nervosa on "Tunic (Song for Karen)" and the iconography of the scene girl in "My Friend Goo", there's a genuine feminine angst permeating this album. Hell, I got a kick out of the full-blown visceral roar of "Mildred Pierce" at the end of its short three-chord passage. That said, there are some quirky moments on the record. There was a missed opportunity to continue playing into the guitar riff of "Kool Thing" at the end of "Mary-Christ" instead of prematurely fading out. The ending drone of "Mote" went on longer than needed. Also, they tried capturing lightning in a bottle twice on this record by sandwiching "Cinderella's Big Score" between "Mildred Pierce" and yet another drone with "Scooter and Jinx". It's hard to tell how many of these issues were from the band's continued experimentation or frustrations during recording sessions and label expectations. More often than not, Sonic Youth hit their stride on Goo, embracing catchier songcraft in tandem with their noisy experimentation.
exactlyyyyyyyy
Just not a fan of this style I guess. It's not bad, it's just not good either. 2/5
It was ok. Sounded like most other early punk albums.
3/5
Spent the 80s trying to listen to Sonic Youth, to be honest cause thought it was cool and didn’t really like them much, to point can’t remember much at all. Had given up by time they “went and sold out” to the majors for this record and who would have thought they went and actually had learned to structure their noise into songs. It still however, at the end of 1st listen left very little impression, still art house styling rather than any real substance for me. 3 Star
I do think that Sonic Youth is for the young rebels
I enjoyed it more than other sonic youth stuff, but still ok.
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
Gooier than the last one
Dirty Boots Kool Thing Κομματάρες
this was great, i’ll definitely have to hear more of these guys
manche songs anstrengend sonst cool
Before I listen I ponder the big questions of life: Will I skip the first song? 1 star or 2? The first song was good, melodic even. Then they got into that shtick where a decent song ends in extended feedback. By the end we're back to unlistenable. 2 stars because it was ok to begin with.
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!
Uneven noise rock, more good than bad
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.
It's pretty great
As a Gen X I’m required to give Sonic Youth a four star minimum rating. And I do have some of these songs in my library just not all of them…
This is a typical Sonic Youth album for me. I can tell there's some talent within the layered guitars to make appealing music... but then 90% of the time a song gets ruined by awful vocals, screaming, or one of the guitarist just deciding to untune the guitar and fuck around. So idk, maybe art rock or whatever bullshit they want to call it just doesn't appeal to me. Also they bullied Nardwuar that one time, so I have some disdain any time their music comes up.
In terms of preference from me this is probably a 3. I liked some songs, skipped some others. However it's a 4 because i think the sonic youth distortion sound is instrumental in their genre and this album brought it more into the mainstream
Great, but it has some filler that makes it only 4 star. Favorite song: Cinderella's Big Score.
Echt verrassend geweldig
Love the cover!
I never could get the hang of Sonic Youth.
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!
Fine. Some good songs, but overall passed me by.
It started off pretty good and then devolved…
Not the best early 90s rock I’ve ever heard
It is interesting but not necessarily enjoyable. Mote is decent.
1/10, 10%
I think this album had a super rad sound (rad being absolutely the right word), but didn't connect with anything but the first couple, really got lost after. That being said, still rad.
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
I was never cool enough to fully embrace Sonic Youth. I still like putting on "Daydream Nation" to hear Teenage Riot and Silver Rocket... like Television spat out a crack baby and got lucky it inherited the more melodic genes. [pardon the terrible analogy]. But that album (from 1988) was more groundbreaking, ambitious and challenging than "Goo", and I hope it turns up on this list somewhere down the line. When they go off the deep end into their "applied noise" for too long, it's usually a turn off for me, I'm not in a deep enough hole of depression or a blissed-out enough state to be engulfed by it. I'm just like, "put your dicks away and get back to the song [or end the song]". "Mote" is like that on this album. It's awesome but could have ended 2 or 3 minutes earlier for my tastes. But I'm an impatient dork. "Goo" is bad-ass though, overall. "Dirty Boots", "Disappearer" and "Mary Christ" are the ones I've gone back to through the years... but I kind of forgot about "Titanium Expose" which is a great album-ender. I'm not kool enough for "Kool Thing". Daydream Nation and Goo both came out before Nirvana's "Nevermind", and the Nirvana Legacy site has a nice little article about how important Sonic Youth was to Nirvana pre-Nevermind. You had to hand it to Geffen, a "major label", for sticking with these non-hit makers for many albums, and to Sonic Youth for having a major label deal and making a record like this without regard for what "people might like". They did exactly what THEY wanted to do. And it is absolutely NOT for everyone. [as I saw from reading through some of the comments here. I remind you: review the record, not the band's fans that you don't like.]
I don't know if it's my problem, but I can't connect with Sonic Youth's albums. Seriously. I can't enjoy the content, even though I always try to give it a chance. With "Goo" I think it was even worse: I couldn't even finish the album. I don't think the albums are bad... maybe they're just not my style and I'm okay with that.
Good, but a bit too moody.
It’s the album I think of when my baby tries to talk! I dunno, maybe I don’t get Sonic youth… I like the guitar parts but the vocals turn me off.
Vaikka onkin vähän noisea, niin ihan miellyttävää silti. Kool Thing oli se GH3 biisi. Parhaat: Dirty Boots, Kool Thing, Disappearer
so great !
Only knew "Kool Thing" going into this album, and that track is indeed "kool", acting as somewhat of a feminist anthem. The other Kim Gordon-led songs were enjoyable as well, but the rest of the album doesn't quite stack up. Guitar "noise" is par for the course for Sonic Youth and that's never really been my thing, just always felt like filler to me.
Wildly inconsistent but overall a better offering than Sister
Noisy but not in a way I found nice. Like slam poetry.
I don't know why I always think that it's going to be hip hop !! Anyway, it's ok rock music, the rhythms are fine and the voice as well. It feels like they all sound the same and make it quite boring
Don’t remember much about this one, but paging through it showed how cool some of the sounds were.
I enjoyed this one- I liked the vibe and the fusion of rock, pop punk, and electronica. It definitely had a tone in mind and was successful in its execution. Overall- 3.5/5
1990. NY. Alternative rock, noise rock
Love this album. I've had it on CD for at least 25 years, maybe 30.
08/02/25 I wasn't a fan of the album, it was quite boring.
Better than most Sonic Youth albums but still that raw / dirty feel ... So ok if you're into that.
I never got into Sonic Youth, but I loved this
No!
Maybe I'm just not feeling very punky today. I'd always heard good things about Sonic Youth but this wasn't really for me. Kool Thing brought me back to my parents basement in 2007ish playing Guitar Hero 3.
I really love this band, but this is the album where the noise goes off the rails just a bit too often. That's a critique that only knocks it down from perfect to good for me though. Favorite track: Mote
I liked this album very much.
be nearly perfect if you took out kool thing…
It’s easy to forget just how fun this band can be. Enjoyed this quite a bit.
This is by no means bad. And at the time I probably would have loved it. It just doesn't do enough for me to get above a 3. But I mean that 3 as a compliment.
3
p652. 1990. 1 star. Noisy generic Stateside proto grunge that goes on far too long. This would be a far better album if they lost the excessive guitar wankage at the end of most of the tracks.
4.8 probs v good tho
Mesmerizing fuzz Loaded with sticky guitars Is weird off beat art
Favourite song - Tunic (song for karen)
I’ll never forgive Sonic Youth for the way they treated Nardwuar. It feels wrong giving them the fraction of a fraction of a cent they’ll earn by streaming this album, but journalistic integrity can’t take a break for incredibly correct morals. This is a super mid indie rock album that’s desperately trying to sound edgy and cool while still towing the company line of their first mainstream recording contract. I don’t care for it, nor do I care to be reminded that it exists. The pandering towards the grunge scene is clearly evident, and it’s very clearly inorganic and disingenuous. Wish I could give this album 0 stars because of its lack of any redeeming qualities.
Ehhhhhh. I get what this album is going for and I kinda appreciate it, but I just don't *enjoy* it very much. It's very cynical and aloof in a way that I find tiresome. Musically, this would've been much more interesting if it were released 15-20 years earlier, but for 1990... I dunno. Not every album needs to push the envelope to be good, but this album actively returns to sender. It's just too cool for me, I guess. eye roll/10
Is it a cool album? Yes. Did it change my life? Nah.
It’s pretty good. I have absolutely nothing else to say about it.
Goo by Sonic Youth comes later in their catalog and doesn't say much more than their previous albums, in all fairness - I am a SY fan but question what makes this album a 'must listen' 3/5
Enjoyed this. Liked the overall sound and especially the tracks with Kim Gordon's vocals.
Been a while since I've listened to this. And quite enjoyed it and has aged quite well. Can see how this has been influential. 4 stars from me.
Not quite
I appreciate what I put in my head here. While I've never listened to Sonic Youth, they are clearly an influential, appreciated, inventive, frequently gloriously dissonant band who, here at least, venture from controlled cacophony through spoken word art noise, melodic punk and power pop. It's just consistently my cup of tea. I'm glad I listened though.
Alright project. Gets a bit messy, especially in the second half of the album but a decent time, especially during a strong start. 6/10
Like sonic youth. Not this album
OMG FERME TA GRANDE BOUCHE NAUSÉABONDE AVEC TON «PUNK» «ROCK» INSIGNIFIANT! PIS PENSEZ PAS QUE J'AI OUBLIÉ CE QUE VOUS AVEZ FAIT À NARDWUAR EN '91 MA BANDE DE GIDOUILLARDS ADIPEUX QUI BANDE MOU
It’s ok
Angsty, pretentious, would listen again.
Alright
Better than the Sister album, but still not my favorite type of music. The guitar and instrumentals are good but I don't care for the vocals.
Rlly enjoyed this, I think I might've liked sister a bit more. IM OBSESSED W/ THE ALBUM COVER R U KIDDING ME. also really like the woman's voice/presence in general.
6/10 - I liked a lot of the music parts of the songs but the taking and screaming did not work for me. Definitely better than the other one
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
Vette shit dit is waarom ik dit album a day ding doe, deze ga ik zeker vaker luisteren
I seem to have gotten what are arguably the three greatest Sonic Youth albums in descending quality order. So I had Daydream Nation first, then Dirty second, and now Goo third. Although it's by far the most commercial/ weakest of the three, it's still an easy five star album. Funnily enough, I was listening to this album just a week ago, but I relistened anyway, just to keep to the programme. I always feel like there's a little bit of The Fall mixed in here somehow, also a bit of The Pixies maybe? The Karen Carpenter song alone is enough to carry the entire album, but there's no need for that, as it is full of quality tracks from start to finish.
Probablement l'album de Sonic Youth qui m'a le moins plu à date. J'ai l'impression qu'il y avait moins de focus que les autres. Il semblait plus éparpillé. 5/10
Pretty, pretty goo. Maybe the sonic youth album I've liked the most minus the track with screeching noise
I wanted to like them more, but I couldn't. Noise rock isn't my thing it seems - the songs have no directions and lack melodies, it's just quite an annoying and pretentious album. The production work is good, though, it doesn't sound dated at all. 2 stars.
I didnt really care for this album as a whole. Nothing bad about it I just didn't vibe with it.
Bueno
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
Nah, not for me. Grunge punk rock?
It's definitely more noise than I like but there are some high moments.
Not bad.
Excellent album! 10/5 stars!
i like one song on this and i can’t remember what it is
Pre-listening thoughts: Sonic youth is another one of those bands that I feel like I should know about but idk anything about them 😭 Post/during listening thoughts: this is one of the most interesting listens I have come across on this list. And you may be thinking “why? It’s just like 90s rock with lots of speaking and dissonance” but this was IN 1990. This was a pioneer of the sound of 90s alt rock. While the actual sound they created may not be my favorite it’s really interesting to see how this sort of topical alt rock was able to break through to the mainstream. The songs are danceable but also simultaneously noisy and not what I would call catchy or earworms due to just the sheer amount of talking and dissonance. I cannot decide if I like this or not. Like it’s caught my attention and broadened my horizons but it’s definitely also really pretentious (do we need 4 mins of just guitar screeching?) Now that we can edit ratings I am gonna give this 3 stars, revisit it at some point, and get back to ya. 5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: ??? Fav tracks: Dirty Boots, Kool Thing, Disappearer Least fav tracks: end of Mote, Mildred Pierce, Cinderella’s Big Score, Scooter and Jinx
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.
I had to spin this one twice just to figure out where I landed on it. First time through, I honestly thought this was some gritty late 70s or early 80s punk album. The raw energy, the feedback, the vocals... none of it screamed 1990 to me. Turns out it's Goo by Sonic Youth, and yeah, it surprised me. The first nine tracks are actually really solid. There’s this weird, fuzzy, chaotic charm that grows on you the more you let it play. It’s loud, messy, and a little disjointed, but in a way that makes sense once you’re in the right headspace for it. Not what I expected at all, and that’s part of why I ended up liking it. Favorite song: Mote Least favorite song: Titanium Expose
Some solid glam rock, unfortunately it's tainted by an aura of pretentiousness.
Meh, not a fan. The guitar went on for way too long on some tracks. Wannabe punk that didn't hit. 2 for me.
Sonic youth
Listened Before? N This is good stuff. I've slept on these guys for a long time - not really for any good reason. I see why they've got such a solid underground following. I really loved this album. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Dirty Boots, Kool Thing
Have on vinyl. Noise rock gets criticised a lot (probably fairly) but I think this is a pretty accessible album with solid tracks. Stands out from other popular 90s albums
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.
Blech 2/5
Took me a couple of listens to get into this. Nothing stood out too much but the overall sound was good.cant work out if I actually like it or not so for that reason a middle of the road score
Forerunners to grunge and the 99s alternative scene. Not sure there are any standout tracks but the whole album flows beautifully. Not a technical term, but it has great fuzz! Will definitely listen again. Top track: disappearer
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.
Never appreciated at the time but appreciate it's koolness and fuzz nowadays. I remember the cool kids at school plastering this all over their bags ... tossers. Word up.
Just a lot of noise. Annoying noise.
Raw as fuck. The lyrics match the anger from the distorted, deafening guitars, and the combination makes for a nice album to commit violent acts to.
If the vocals/talking wasn't so cringe inducing i would have rated it higher. It really got the feeling of rebelling teen band where no one really is a great singer but the guitar quality is decent. Kool thing is the only song i recognized and it's a Okey track so that's kool.
Too much random unnecessary noises. Making songs longer than need be. I like a few songs but I wouldn't choose to listen to this. If a song came in the radio I wouldn't turn it. I'd put a song or two on a playlist but as a whole, no thank you.
It's interesting that Nirvana influenced this. Perhaps this influenced Nevermind??? There's so much noise here that's so good. Kool Thing is such a standout track. Liked Songs Added: Dirty Boots Kool Thing
se mantiene, cae bajo en la parte noise
Fuck yeah. Sign me up
Skill
Very nice!
7.5/10. This album has a very interesting vibe. Some parts of the album are really satisfying, while others feel overwhelmingly noisy. I find Sonic Youth's music to be fairly hit-or-miss. This is more of a hit than a miss for me, personally. :)
Enjoyed this will listen again
the majority of this album was fine songs and the rest was just bad noise
Pretty good. It's been good getting introduced to them.
Dang! Another great SY album. I enjoyed this a lot. Recognised some songs, but didn't know plenty and it was good fun. Would listen again.
I would say I like Sonic Youth from afar. I like what they did, I feel like I understand why they were good culturally. I loved Kim Gordon's book and they are always mentioned in many music books I read. However, I just don't really like listening to them, it's too experimental for me and I don't always like it descending in just sound. Thing is, on paper they are right up my street and when I describe what I don't like about them I am describing what I like about other bands. Who knows, just never gelled for me.
Not bad; edgy but well done & good representation of this genre.
That was pretty awesome. The first track had me worried but the rest was great!
Some really interesting, creative jams. The music is brilliant and noisy. I need to revisit (and probably several times), but “Disappearer” really grabbed my attention.
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.
Really enjoyed it
Good for what it is. My younger punk self would probs appreciate.
Started well, became a bit too much in the second half :/
Minus one star for the last 4 minutes of "Mote" torturing my ears :(
Dog awful
I liked this album much more than the other Sonic Youth album this list dropped on me a little while back (Dirty). It’s not fantastic, but has enough merit that I’ve considered giving Dirty another listen. Overall, There are a couple good tracks, but I don’t know I’ll be going back to it any time soon.
The first half of the album is much more accessible. I know Sonic Youth loved to make noise, and that really comes across throughout the album but especially in the second half. I liked several songs on the first half but really thought a lot of the back half wasn't worth listening to.
Can’t relate
# Playlist track - Dirty Boots # Notes - I've been to a Sonic Youth concert before. SWU Festival. I has kind of hyped to see them, as I have learned of how cool and disruptive and interesting they were. Long story short, it was one of the worst I have ever seen. - I was pleasantly surprised when the opening track, "Dirty Boots" didn't sound like the shitty, pretentious never ending guitar scratching I heard years before. - My joy was to be short lived, tho. As the album goes on, pretty much every track delves into a formulaic noise that just doesn't cut it for me. It's cool when you see it once or twice, but the album never moves away from it and ends up a bit boring and predictable. - I was glad when it ended.
ok. whatever
sonic youth can keep their goo. i don't want it. this album is far better than evol from this list but still, just pretentious "art" as a facade for poor songwriting. there are a few tracks that i enjoyed segments of, but everything here just has that art-students-trying-to-be-cool self-indulgence to it. its biggest saving grace is kool thing, which took me years to come around on, but is a blast to play on drums (in Rock Band, at least). otherwise, meh favorites: dirty boots, tunic (song for karen), kool thing, my friend goo, titanium expose
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.
sonic youth are almost unbearable but this record is as close to bearable as they get
The general sound is pretty good, although that's really all this album has going for it since every song kinda melts together into a lump of goo. The lyrics are yap, but aren't the focal point of the songs so it doesn't bother me too much. "Mildred Pierce" is atrocious, although it is the only bad song. The album does fall off after it, although I still enjoyed the last 4 songs. The part of "Dirty Boots" where they say "Dirty Boots" a lot is the most notable track.
I liked the general sound of this album. The last 4 tracks were particularly bad. 'Mildred Pierce' is literal trash. Most of the songs have a prolonged annoying section. I think I like this genre, but this album is not it. Lyrics are major yap. Almost gave it a 3/5 for the sound of it, but after those last 4 tracks it's gotta be a 2/5
Def prefer “Daydream Nation”. Some standouts, but not very consistent
Eh
Highly respected, but not sure I would go back to this on a regular basis. If I was a few years older, I think this would have been a core album.
Not my thing but at least better than the last Sonic Youth album I listened to (Daydream Nation).
A mid three. I think it’s not as good as some of Sonic Youth’s other albums as it’s a very mixed bag. Some of the songs are pretty damn good, while others are just noisy and disappointing. Evens out to an alright listen.
Some great songs some artsy for the sake of artsy songs
Outside of the portions of songs that were just noise, I enjoyed this and liked their energy. 3.25/5
This one is better than I remember. Not my favorite, but pretty focused.
Goo-d
It's not as good as their next album Dirty, but here it is recognizable where their path will lead them. There is still too much noise and screaming, but the first few tracks are especially much more to my taste than the previous albums.
Ehhhh... okay.
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".
Pretty good, love this sound.
partly nice, partly not so good
Let EVERYBODY know.
This is ridiculously hard to rate - sometimes I love their sound, except when I'm just not bothered. Less overblown than Daydream Nation but doesn't have Teen Age Riot. More highs than lows though. It's pretty rad, as they say in 1990.
It was alright, but not really me
This is like a punk album, but the band isn't angry at anything.
Very same-y after a couple tracks
I had this album for a while, and then got rid of it. I did not understand it at the time, and it just... sat there in my CDs. Listening to it with fresher (but older) ears, I appreciated it a LOT more. Yes, it was sludgy, but that's what Sonic Youth does well. They're not playing laser-like, clean guitar runs. It's a wall of sound, and they it do it very well. I think I understand the sound and the idea more, but maybe MAYBE I need to listen to it again. Top songs: "Tunic (Song For Karen," "Mildred Pierce," "Titanium Expose" Top
Definitely the best album from Sonic Youth I've listened to. The opening four-song sequence is freakin awesome. Dirty Boots and Kool Thing switch seamlessly from humming guitar chords and bass lines to high-tempo head banging beats. Tunic (Song for Karen) is such a cool song; it has the despairing sound of Joy Division with better instrumentals and deep, emotional lyrics penned by Kim Gordon. And once I realized the Karen is Carpenter, wow - what a powerful way to give voice to the issues she (and others) struggled with in song. Mary-Christ is not quite as good as the other three, but it's got a fun pounding beat nonetheless with of course some great guitar work. Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo mostly avoid the self-indulgent noise experimentation on this album and just bring pulsing riffs. A few songs on the second half go over that line - Mildred Pierce, Scooter and Jinx - but mostly I just marvelled at the instrumentation. Gordon kicks serious ass on this album - her songs have wicked beats and even when the lyrics get away from her a little (My Friend Goo and Cinderella's Big Score), her sardonic delivery is still awesome. This album is a solid 4 and maybe even a 4.5 or 5. They really nailed it on this one.
another band that have been on the maybe pile for 30+ years - maybe one day. extra star for future embarrassment saving
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.
My friend Dave and I frequently discuss the albums in the project. About this one he said: "I don’t like those guys at all. Sometimes you dismiss music that I like as 'just noise'. But they really are just noise."
Pretentious art school wankers meet Y2K high school rock. Not terrible just a typical album of the era.
I've always found that Sonic Youth's talents lie primarily in their ability to combine these raw, twisted, industrial, yet consistently interesting sound pieces to form these transportive abstract soundscapes - at least that's what I liked about them on previous albums, my favorite being EVOL. Here, everything seems deliberately ironed out which makes for a more visceral and cohesive experience - to the point where you get a banging straight-forward alternative cut with 'Kool Thing' - a song that oozes swagger. I'd say the same applies to the following 'Mote', which may be the catchiest tune here, barring, of course, that wall of distortion and noise that encompasses the track in its final minutes. More than anything, this is just such a finely curated noise-rock experience, I can't express how much I appreciate Sonic Youth's knack for evenly balancing noise and melody - it's always been what made them so special. I'd say 'Cinderella's Big Score' is the perfect example of this - especially in the segment where Kim comes in and her reverb vocals backdrop this melodic bassline and fast-picked distorted guitar section - it's borderline suffocating, but the way the guitar sounds ring and pierce through the mix is nothing short of heavenly. The Gordon-fronted 'Tunic (Song For Karen)' has a euphoric flurry of guitar melodies driving the verses. I love Kim's talk delivery here as she details the struggles and eventual passing of Karen Carpenter at the hands of anorexia. The melodic tendencies of this album also carry over to the consistently melodic hooks and vocal passages that, regardless of how buzzingly noisy the instrumental is, maintain a level of accessibility and ear-worminess - 'Titanium Expose' being the best example of this. This balance between noise and beauty is something very few musicians can pull off, with many tending towards one direction, often at the expense of the other. But many of Sonic Youth's albums strike this balance - giving you so many different "sounds" to chew on. It's something I've always appreciated about them and it's always made their music very easy to enjoy for me.
I feel like the only reason Sonic Youth got popular was because smug Gen Xers who bitched about “the mainstream” and “selling out” could feel good about themselves by listening to this garbage. After getting two Sonic Youth albums within a week of each other, I feel confident in saying that they’re one of, if not the, most overrated bands in history.
Great 90s alt rock
Sonic Youth’s masterwork, featuring a band cranked up on all cylinders. I especially enjoyed the multiple songs from a female perspective.
One of the greatest albums made by literally anyone. In my humble opinion.
Like I said for Dinosaur Jr - I can listen to an enjoy Sonic Youth, but it never fully gels. This is pretty good tho, particularly Kool Thing.
A lot to like. “Mildred Pierce” almost knocked me out of my chair!
This wasn't my gateway into Sonic Youth but it did solidify my fandom of Sonic Youth
Bangers
Guitar is really interesting but the vocals don’t catch me.
Dirty Boots 3.6 Tunic (Song for Karen) 3.4 Mary-Christ 3 Kool Thing 4 Mote 3.3 My Friend Goo 3.4 Disappearer 3.2 Mildred Pierce 3 Cinderella's Big Score 3.1 Scooter + Jinx 2 Titanium Expose 3.1 Score: 3.190909091
Good listen, but nothing standing out.
I wish someone loved me as much as sonic youth loves speaking normally in the middle of songs. It’s certainly not bad but I need my music to be just a little catchier than this - nothing really grabbed me.
The godfather of indie rock. Some really good guitar mixed with strange, experimental rock. Hard to really get into this for me.
A cool alternative/punk album that sounds like it influenced Nirvana. These are simple songs with good dynamic variation, and having multiple lead singers is always fun for me. I don't know if I'd ever choose to listen again but this was well put together and it was cool to hear some punk songs of greater than 4 minute length which is unusual.
Noise as an art form - the more you throw yourself into the chaos the more you get out. Also underneath it all an amazing punk album. So achingly cool you feel uncool just listening to it but after cooler because you have
Fun guitar riff in the first track 2.5
LL Cool K = Lee Loves Kool Kim
Mediocre, but not bad album. Sound's okay, instrumentation is great but could do more, I'd give it a 6/10.
This is not good. There’s no other way to put it. Terrible. I’m Gen X and we had much better music than this. 1
If you exchange the G for a P you would have a more accurate album title. 1 star or F-.
I find it boring
Perfect. Fantastic follow-up to the also perfect Daydream Nation.
Mostly noise and not a fan of the vocals. Probably 2 stars.
Classic Alt-rock, Grunge, Noise
no wave noise. stranger than paradise
2/10. Disappointing. I expected a lot from this album because I was listening to Kool Thing even before I knew about this album and Sonic Youth. But there is nothing surprising about any of the songs on the album, neither in terms of lyricism nor in terms of music.
Sonic Youth make some great music... and then, they get too noisy in some of their songs. The song will be going great, and then (I exaggerate a little, but not tons), there will be one minute of reverb. So as good as the music is, I found myself on the fence between 3 and 4 stars. At their best, they're really good though, so I'll round up. 4 stars.
Oh sick, the second Sonic Youth album in three days? Niiiiiice. This one was WORSE than 'Dirty.' I could, for the most part, stand what was going on on 'Dirty,' but this album I could not. The woman lead singer still sucks ass. This is music made for 90s teens who love smoking cigarettes in the bathroom and love calling people "posers." The songs with the guy singer were ight.
Not much there to keep my interest. Again, to do some interesting stuff with guitars. That's the only redeeming quality.
I think I would've liked sonic youth if I was a teenager in the 90s
This was better than I expected but still kind of hit and miss. It started off strong and went downhill from there. I don’t care for the Kim Gordon “vocals” all the much. I really liked Dirty Boots. Mildred Pierce was about 2 minutes too long.
3+ Stars (9/15)
This was interesting and kept my attention the majority of the time. Some catchy riffs and progressive style especially for the time, but I didn’t have a true standout. I may revisit at some point to make sure I’m not missing anything. 3.5/5
This album really shows Sonic Youth coming into their own. It received regular rotation by me while I was DJ’ing on our college radio station. And seeing videos for songs like Dirty Boots on MTV’s 120 Minutes sure does take me back. The first 2/3 of the album is really good and then there’s some stuff on the backend that speaks more to earlier “experimental” SY stylings. Still, not enough to down rate for me due to some nice nostalgia.
Our third album from Sonic Youth, and def my fave. This album makes you want to dust off the electric guitar, plug it in, and make some noise.
I enjoyed it. Just a few too many low points (screaming and nonsense guitar) and not enough high points for me to bump this up higher.
I try and I try with Sonic Youth, but I just can't get there. I actually think the first three or four tracks are quite solid. It def devolves from there IMO. I'm giving a 3* because of those tracks. 3.25/5
I missed out on lots of enjoying Sonic Youth when I was more youthy.
This was honestly pretty cool and really interesting, a bit too out there to enjoy as background music, I think it’s a sit down and listen kind of album with good lyrics and commentary. Maybe I’ll have to come back
Maybe I just like listening to abrasive noises 😭. This was really cool to listen to and I love the album cover. Favourite song: Mildred pierce
Kim Gordon's vocals are at their peak performance here, in my opinion, and it makes all of her tracks here stars of their own show. Thurston Moore's songs are mostly good too, and insteumentally the album is also great, balancing the artsy noise rock with something a bit more mainstream. I think sometimes they just dive back into old habits a little too hard, and it can really botch some, what would otherwise be, great tracks, such as Mote. Still, one of the band's best and a great place to start when looking to get into the more out there side of the late 80s/early 90s rock scene.
I understand how ironic it is to say I appreciate Sonic Youth more now that I’m older.
It was okay.
Not a fan. The noise in noise-rock is too noisy for me.
This album is every ounce of rock I've listened to since the 90s. I love the entire thing. They have this natural quality of indifference that is cool, but if someone acted like this today it'd be seen as manufactured and try-hard. Maybe Sonic Youth is the indifference template or something
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 is definitely pretentious, but I guess I am too since I like it. I haven’t heard a Sonic Youth album I haven’t liked yet.
Not the best sonic youth but what amazing noise this is.
doesn’t beat daydream nation but is pretty goo.d