E.V.O.L.

Letterlijk gewoon atmospherisch lawaai af en toe. Maar wel vet als dat het niet is.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Shadow of a doubt

Too experimental for my taste

meh

Pretty fine punk album

Not my favorite Sonic Youth album by far, but I can dig what they were trying to do. 3.5/5.

pretty good album.

With an industrial sound comprising of screeching guitars, angsty lyrics, and the low almost spoken like lyrics allows Sonic Youth to peer into your soul with what is commonly referred to as their Goth record. By sharing the vocalists amongst the band, it gives EVOL a way to break up the record and creates a nice juxtaposition. Best: Bubble Gum Worst: Death to Our Friends

Love Sonic Youth, don't love this album. Experimentation isn't what it used to be.

Upon first glance, I was surprised this was on the list. I certainly know some Sonic Youth, but this is not among the Sonic Youth with which I am familiar. I know their late 80s and early 90s stuff best, but Sonic Youth was a band I had to go back and discover years later because it was too under-the-radar indie for me at the time. Slightly wrong generation. But not to worry, on two accounts. First, there are 5 Sonic Youth albums on the list! And second, an amazing album well-deserving of the 1001 list. I know some Sonic Youth, but clearly not enough, and after listening to "E.V.O.L." I'll certainly be going on a little Sonic Youth bender. Likely their most famous song, "Bull in the Heather," off "Experimental Jet Set," doesn't even make the list. A fantastic band well ahead of their time. But while they have such talent and potential, "E.V.O.L." wanders off and gets lost in the abyss a bit too often. When it's focused its phenomenal, but it can't maintain those highs. It doesn't need to be focused all the time, but there were too many extended segments of bizarre background noise or weird feedback. The best parts of both the focused and unfocused stuff reminded me of Priests, a DC band that put out two terrific albums in the late 2010s. They must have been heavily influenced by Sonic Youth, but I had never been able to place it before.

This is a tough one to rate. It starts out strong with Tom Violence and Shadow Of A Doubt, where I really like the guitar sound. It gets experimental. The spoken word In The Kingdom #19 is a welcome departure. Green Light gets weird, not in a good way, not necessarily a horrible way either, but in a disorganized noise-for-the-sake-of-noise way. And it continues through the beginning of Secret Girl, which has a cool, low key, horror film vibe during the second half. Marilyn Moore brings more experimentation that I enjoy because they are playing around with various sounds a guitar can make by altering the way they play it. They are expressing the instruments capabilities. The cover of Bubblegum brings a fun conclusion to the album. The bass is a highlight. The experimental aspects of this album are mixed, some good some bad. That’s what experimentation is all about. In the end, this is an album worth listening to.

Tätä levyy SY:ltä en olekkaan aikaisemmin kuunnellut! Onhan tässä jo ikäänkuin se SY:lle tyypillinen soundi ehtinyt muodostua. Toimii ihan hyvin mutta eipä tällä nyt kuuhun vielä pääse. 3/5

Vieläkin oon vähän sitä mieltä että Sonic Youth on vähän tylsänpuoleista. 3/5.

It was alright. Definitely not the run of the mill basic punk rock. Lots of drony, dissonant guitars which I felt kept it interesting. The drums were actual pretty awesome as well. 6/10

A tricky album to get a hold off and whilst I enjoy Sonic Youth’s audio experimentation for the most part, I couldn’t find a way into this one - more impenetrable than the others, only brightened when Kim Gordon takes the lead.

On some level I feel I never got Sonic Youth. This is OK, but nothing spectacular.

3. Some good some bad. Just kinda sounded like a group of somewhat talented musicians album

It's sound and soundscapes for me. To my ear, sonic youth songs sound massive and expansive. Almost noise experimentation for noise experimentation's sake. I like it a lot, I think it takes the "wall of sound" in a grungy and even more experimentap direction (and they were ahead of grunge, so that deserves recognition). The guitars are being absolutely wrung dry for sounds! I think the album (and the band) certainly possesses artistic merit. I love the weirdness (in the kingdom #19 comes to mind for the barmy reverso noises), but it's definitely not for everyone.

It is a weird type of music. I can listen to it, but I will not be a fan of it. It was decent, 3/5

quite chaotic for my taste

It was both; more and less grungy than I thought.

Didn't give it as much attention as I probably should have. Sounded pretty noisy though

I still don’t get that echoey and at the same time flat sound from 80’s rock but hey, as long as it doesn’t have synths I’m on board.

I feel like I say this a lot about albums on the list, but just because I can appreciate the talent, vision, and uniqueness of a particular album doesn't mean that I really enjoy listening to it. I feel that way about a lot of Sonic Youth music. It's interesting, but not super enjoyable. 3 stars.

Meh

Pretty crazy but good I suppose

Nothing new to say about this band. I don’t get the hype, I find it overrated, I think the number of spots they’re given on this list is crazy.

El disc on Sonic Youth comencen a ser ells mateixos. Les melodies comencen a aparèixer, per suposat embrutades per tot el feedback de guitarra i la muralla de so i distorsió marca de la casa. Un grapat de bons temes, que donarien inici a l'etapa clàssica del grup

Suenan bien pero sin pena ni gloria

Sonic Youth neutral

I don't know why, but over the years, whenever I've heard the band name Sonic Youth, I've always pictured a bunch of friendly, happy kids performing at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. They are not that. These are dark and sullen kids. Turns out this was some of the worst road trip music I've ever played, but it definitely came up a point listening with headphones. I found it more cohesive, interesting, and listenable than Daydream Nation, but it's still not going in my library.

I still don't think that I am cool enough for Sonic Youth.

This is fine. I don't really like it much but I'm not angry at it. It's catchy here and there but I don't think I'd choose to listen again.

Having one Sonic Youth double album under my belt I wasn’t sure I was ready for another. I had a similar reaction to this as I did Daydream Nation. Some of the songs I kind of enjoyed. But I’m never really sure they’ll be ok to the end. There are interesting moments on this and I don’t mind hearing a bit of this now and then, but that’s about all the Sonic Youth I think I’ll be needing.

C’est tres ´sonoc’ j’aime mieux ca demenage et il y a du bon rock la dedans. 3.5

like jo sonic youth men detta va ikkje da besta eg har hørt

Fulgte ikkje så godt med, men trur da va verdt et gjenlytt

6/10. Not bad, not memorable on a first listen.

3/5. Not bad.

5/10 Best So g - Tom Violence

I hadn't heard this before and found it interesting hearing the band finding their sound, but it isn't an album I'll return to.

Like a bridge between Velvet Underground and grunge. Lots of spoken word.

I'm not a Sonic Youth fan. I listened to them a lot when I was younger, but after a while, they came to represent something I didn't like in rock music. They sounded like bored, disaffected rich kids. The noise in their noise rock wasn't visceral and energetic like that of contemporaries like Unsane or Big Black or Jesus Lizard. They didn't sound like the dirty underclass, they sounded like trustfund brats. Their music sounded like the soundtrack of waking up after three days of partying in a ritzy hotel with a nasty hangover and cigarette burns all over the carpet and wine stains on the drapes. But if I were to pick an era of Sonic Youth I did like, it would be early Sonic Youth. It was *more* urgent. It was *more* visceral. There were moments didn't sound blase. It still isn't my favorite... it's an artsy fartsy sort of noise rock that took the Velvet Underground's blueprint and amped up the emotional coldness without replicating the tunefulness that gave Velvet Underground a sense of balance so they actually felt like potentially likeable human beings. The biggest offender, though, is the production, There is a smothered, squashed sound to Sonic Youth's music while it would benefit from a lot more separation and dynamic range. If you're not going to commit to the heaviness of noise rock, don't compress it like you're making heavy music. The fuzziness of these recordings doesn't add anything to these songs and just feels like an artificial attempt to make the music sound warmer. I don't know, it's better than the buttheaded heaviness of Metallica, but as far as rock critic sacred cows go, I find less redeemable qualities than Radiohead, who I also find to be pretty overrated. I guess they're better than The Smiths, though. And Tom Violence slaps.

very dark, kinda ghotic album, didn't know sonic youth sounded like that. why would you be rude to nardwuar though you jerks

The opposite of "groovy". Cool. I enjoyed it more than "Goo", but it's still not driving me crazy. At certain points, unbelievably pretentious. Favorite tracks: "Tom Violence", "Death to Our Friends"

I get what they're doing here and I don't like it. Apart from Kim Gordon's tracks. But then that's Kim Gordon for ya - always Sonic Youth's underestimated MVP..

Weird one this because I wouldn't listen to it again, haven't added any tracks to the playlist... but it's very good

very rough around the edges (intentionally) kinda like a photo black midi with punk lyrics

its like goth rock/punk a bit alternative and musically interesting but doesnt really listen very well to me

Cacophonous, atmospheric and seductive in a way only Sonic Youth can really achieve. It's not as streamlined or as sonically rich as some of their later albums (Teenage Daydream, notably) but there is a raging energy to this that the grimier production complements

EVOL still has the rawness of early Sonic Youth records, but is a clear transition to a more alternative rock sound, leaving the noise rock and no wave sounds behind. Gondon's compositions, like "Shadow of a Doubt", are album highlights, just like every tracks with her vocals, like "Starpower", which sounds ominous and very post-punk in style. It shows a growing band, with still so much to create.

Much less noisy than the other Sonic Youth releases that I got on this list, so, much more enjoyable. I'll not become a fan of the band and I don't consider them so relevant to stay with more than one album on the 1001 list, however, this is a nice album and it's a good way to spend 37 minutes.

great rock album, interesting melodies but album seems kinda unequal

Rock alternativo oscuro. Me ha disgustado menos que el resto de los que he escuchado de SY. Ni fu ni fa.

Nice half-arsed noisy chaos

Another one that I wanted to like more than I did. I liked some of the heavier bass riffs and instrumentals, but overall didn't quite click with me.

Gillar det, lite artsy men inte för mkt, bra punkig känsla

Gillar ju Sonic Youth, men det här var lite monotont. Helt ok helhetsintryck, men saknar höjdpunkterna som finns på några av de andra plattorna (Kool Thing!!)

Un album d'une sombritude absolument démentielle de la part de nos amis du groupe Sonic Youth. Leurs deux premiers albums ayant été nettement surcotés de ma part, je leur retire cette fois-ci une étoile dans un souci de rééquilibrage.

6/10

not as good as their other stuff, still decent

3/5

Not for me apart from casual listening.

I am learning that I like the longer instrumental parts of Sonic youth songs and just do not care for the vocals at all. After a rocky start I settled into this record and ended up liking it a lot. I suspect it and the rest of their work grows on a fella.

Not my favorite Sonic Youth. Shadow of a Doubt a highlight.

Don't really get this album. It's not bad or anything but this kind of music doesn't do much for me.

Wouldn’t rush to listen to again

Liked this.

I think I liked Goo better, not a fan of this one, it felt pretty monochrome to me and I wasn't listening to the lyrics too close

Better than the other Sonic Youth album I listened to. Still not quite my thing.

quite dark, quite good. How many sonic youth albums are on this thing....

juventude sonica

Decent

it's alright. Kinda bleak.

Simpático. Puede ser que no haya estado del humor suficiente para poder apreciarlo. Shadow Of A Doubt fue lo que me quedó más grabado. Lo voy a volver a escuchar en otro momento.

Mag ich allein schon für den Gastauftritt bei den Gilmore Girls.

Ich weiß noch wie neugierig ich auf diese Band war, von der ich nur das T-Shirt kannte. Der geheimnisvolle Gesang und die noisig-schrabbeligen Klänge, dabei trotzdem so harmonisch und eingängig. Hör ich gerne mal allein über Kopfhörer. Neben Hits wie Starpower sind allerdings auch ein paar anstrengende Lieder dabei.

Still too intense.

.

its not bad

Dit moet ik toch echt op mijn gemak luisteren, want er gebeurt zoveel op deze plaat. Nooit echt goed verdiept in deze band, dus kan er nog niet veel over zeggen. Wat er van mee kreeg, klonk iig spannend.

Not their best like but decent

I think this is one of those bands that what you hear on the radio is probably enough.

false

They'll guard your watercooler real good

When I thought this was from 1996 I thought it was lame. When I realized it was *86* that changed my perspective. Still, I wasn’t doing the drugs these guys were doing, so it didn’t really jive with me

Don't know much Sonic Youth, but I enjoy the style. I'm not sure this is their finest work though, some of it doesn't do much for me. Love the lofi/feedback/dissonance parts of it, but overall there aren't any tracks on here that are ones I'd wanna go back to listen, except maybe "Shadow of a Doubt".

Dope instrumentals

Ok

not as good as goo, but not bad

God the 1980s were a weird decade for music. It's like everything was happening all at once, and for all the amazing things that were happening in the foreground, you also have bands like Sonic Youth. The first thing this reminded me of was Slanted and Enchanted by Pavement, which came out 6 years after this album. This album is more introspective and darker, though. I feel like there is something about Sonic Youth that never quite translates from their live shows to their albums, though. I feel like I should like these albums more, but it ultimately feels like there isn't anything for me to sink my teeth into. I think what I really need is an instrumental Sonic Youth album. I feel like that is where they really shine, and the vocals kind of distract from their instrumentals on a lot of songs. 3/5

sonic youth!!! but i like this less than i thought i would

I prefer the previous Sonic Youth albums to this one

How many Sonic Youth Albums belong on this list? It's not a bad jam but c'mon

4/10… noise rock / alternative rock / *1986

Oh look. Another sonic youth album. Bleh.

p554. 1986. 2 stars. Noisy and pretentious 80s Stateside alt-rock from the critics darlings. 5 of their albums on the list? FFS. Don't believe the hype.

ok

Started off well but then it felt like they forgot they were trying to record an album with songs on it. Occasionally, they'd remember about the songs, but then get distracted again. Really really can't wait to listen to the other *four* Sonic Youth albums on this list.

Much like my experience with Sebadoh, I had trouble getting into this album’s grating aesthetic. One of the more challenging releases of Pioneer Valley rock.

Some of these songs are literally just some bullshit guitar stuff

not totally my jam but still aight

ehhh

Good that you experiment, but for my ears playing out of tune on purpose doesn't make it better. I'll give you an extra point for originality anyhow. 5/10

Second Sonic Youth. It has been a really, really fucking long time since I listened to Daydream Nation. I pulled it 521 albums ago, to be precise. I'm genuinely surprised that I haven't rolled a Sonic Youth album sooner given that five of them are on this list. Anyways, I remember little from Daydream Nation. I thought the female vocals were tepid and the early alternative sound was unremarkable, though that's about it. It isn't looking good for the rest of their discography given that I'm pretty sure Daydream Nation was their most acclaimed release. Given that this album I'm about to listen to is their first release to be included on the list, my expectations for it are understandably lower, though I'll go in with an open mind nonetheless. Here goes. Very Velvet Underground, huh? I'm still not a Sonic Youther, sadly. I think I can very safely be pinned as a Sonic Geriatric. That's right, I'm old school (even though I almost exclusively favour music released after the time of this album). Anyways, I didn't gel with this music. M-slur disclaimer and all, but this music is very MILLENNIAL-coded thanks to its dudebro stoner vocals. The post punk-esque instrumentals are occasionally interesting thanks to their heavy, dense sound, neat effects and deliberate songwriting, though for the most part I thought they were a bit tepid, meandering and lost on me. Overall, this album was a bit of a bore, though I commend the concise runtime. Book time. This album cemented the band's lineup and was "...the first of the band's truly great, genre-defining works." The album was recorded in a small room, which lead the band to focus on melodic songwriting so that they could hear each other. The entry closes out by calling this album "...rock rebuilt and retold in a strange and thrilling new language." Wikipedia says this album was warmly received by critics and has been met with enduring acclaim, most notably for being a bit of a black sheep in their discography. Neil Young and the frontman of Pavement also like this album. It doesn't appear to have charted at all, however. I haven't really heard much of a case for why this album is influential, though I can believe it was ahead of the curve. Whether the remaining Sonic Youth albums earn their place remains to be seen (I think three list albums from these guys is about right), though for the time being I'm happy to let this one through. I cosign this inclusion.

Måste säga att jag föredrog den totalsågade grunge-indieskivan från igår. Det här va lite för mycket flipp för flippets skull. Finns några fina popdängor här också, men Sonic youth är inte riktigt ätmogna än. Det tar sig om en eller ett par skivor.

Dom gasar på med, hmm. Är det art rock? Indie? Känns iaf som igår fast lite sämre.

picks: shadow of a doubt, madonna, sean and me

An absolute chore

It's got a lot of experimental energy with the scattered frantic instrumentals which I'm sure they were going for. It doesn't make music that I want to listen to on repeat which is 80% of why I listen in the first place.

A little too gothic for my taste. I thought the way they processed the instruments was interesting, the distorted feel added a lot to the vibe of the album. Favorite Tracks: Starpower Death to Our Friends

Kjedelig?

All the songs sounds similar, album was overall meh to me. There are some Sonic Youth albums I like but I guess this wasn’t one of them

вродь со вкусом, но аппетита не вызывает. вместо "green light" предпочту электрический стул. "marilyn moore" приглашает на дозу полисорба. бл местами насток хуево что даж норм я уже не знаю. обложка ебавальна👍 пс. чем глубже в список "1001 альбом...", тем больше начинаешь любить роковую малышечку Бритни Спирс.

Ive been doing this for just about 2 months and I have gotten stuck with two Sonic Youth albums already. This one's title, Evol, is the opposite of “love,” and I deeply opposite of love Sonic Youth. As I've said before, Kim is the biggest issue here. At least here she is more whispery, which is preferable to the novocaine howl. Thurston just leans toward pretention and noise too often (see In The Kingdom #19). Kim, though… take “Secret Girl,” reciting weak poetry in vocal bursts that sound like she had to run down the street to get to the studio in time to gasp then out. That said, this isn't as bad as Sister. This feels more gothic, more 80s, more drawn from Joy Division… listen to those opening chords on Madonna, Sean, and Me, which feels like the rough draft of something ive actually enjoyed by someone else. That vibe starts on Tom Violence, and carries throughout. But the best bits of this album are of another piece altogether. Between about half of Green Light until Kim starts up in Secret Girl, there is cleansing discord, not too pointlessly painfully loud, but clearly a palate cleanser after the rest of this. That's what makes Madonna so relatively good… it sounds like something filled with potential going over the edge into simpleton yearnings. But that is the end of it. More 2* than Sister was, but that is nitpicking, because Sister is pretty bad.

It wasn't so bad I wanted to shut it off, but I really did not like this album. Just noise, didn't like how almost any of the lyrics sounded, the instruments were fine sometimes? Something about Sonic Youth just bothers me.

pretty bad honestly. nothing special, just some instrumentals and they don't sing much

Womon on covor = evol

I liked Sister more than I expected, but EVOL feels like Sonic Youth are trying to be more melodic but don't really have the tunes yet.

Another classic album that I am luke warm on. It's just alright, the music, the singing, also not much variety. I'm sure they inspired other bands and it was innovative and all that but it's just not my thing.

Bubble Gum

Wasn't into this. Looked back at my previous Sonic Youth reviews and I keep saying "it almost sounds like something I'd like." I felt that here too. I can't really explain why I don't like it and again I was going to say maybe I'm just in a bad mood, but that's exactly what I said in my last Sonic Youth review. Maybe it just isn't my thing. Fav song: Shadow of a Doubt Least fav: Secret Girl

It's so hard to rate an album when it's a style I just can't relate to. I try with Sonic Youth and I just can't.

Can’t wait for THREE more Sonic Youth albums. Can some of the fat from this list be cut?

It's a little bit less unlistenable than Dirty. 2/5

ehh

It sure has its moments, but doesn't manage to really interest me

Interesting but not *interesting*. Didn't really get much out of it apart from a few grunge head nodding moments.

I could never get into Sonic Youth, but I don’t think they’d care. After the first few songs, the album crumbles into noisy wah-wah for the last 20 minutes, like drunk college students banging around on instruments late on a Thursday night. The only difference is, the students didn’t record their efforts.

on my not need to listen list

Noise

Idk anymore

This one is exhausting to listen to.

Nothing without Kim Gordon. Juno was right.

A bit pretentious and droning, yet common enough to play in the background. Minor key alt rock noise.

Sonic Youth were definitely different for 1986. They weren’t classic rock, they weren’t exactly new wave, they definitely weren’t hair metal, and weren’t exactly punk either. They were a mix of different genres and influences that would eventually become grunge. But they weren’t quite that either. They were like a proto-grunge. You could hear what was coming, but there was also a kind of poppy-ness, along with some alternative and harder elements too. That all being said, it didn’t knock my socks off. It’s ok, but it’s not like the songwriting or musicianship is amazing or anything. As influential as it was, it was only mildly enjoyable.

Meh.

Är inte emot den här typen av oljud rent generellt, ibland fångar det en på något speciellt och inte alltid förklarligt sätt. Det hände dock inte den här gången.

I really try to like Sonic Youth so bad... Favorite track: Shadow of a Doubt

Mmmmm, me parece que solamente no es para mi. Medio medio

Not for me

Did not have chance to give this full listen, but agree with many of the comments, just not a great vibe for me.

Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5

2.5/5 — Good album, just not really my style. The guitar tones and melodies are pretty, but it leans heavily on long guitar sections and I prefer more lyrics. Glad I listened, but I probably wouldn’t search for it again

Isn’t really grabbing me…

Meh. It's just sloppy noise-rock. There are so many Sonic Youth albums on this list. I don't get what all the fuss is about. 2⭐️

I remember Sonic. Youth being the darlings of the music press back in the day. I even bought one of their albums. Never got them though. With the best will in the world their stuff does nothing for me. This one started strongly but then faded away rather quickly. 2..5

I don't get it. I love pavement, I like lots of grunge, I like avant garde pop, I like indie. I experienced the full weight of the 90s. I just cannot ever get with Sonic Youth. Where's the melodies and harmonies? What do people like about them?

Best Song: Death To Our Friends. It is not lost on my that my favourite song here is the instrumental one. Worst Song: In The Kingdom #19. The backing music was alright, but the attempted edgelord narrative was a totally uninteresting. Overall: It isn't awful, but it feels like music that is trying very hard to fill a particular aesthetic more than trying to be that enjoyable to listen to. And since I'm not really interested in that aesthetic, it is a miss for me.

More like De-E.V.O.L. Top tracks: "Starpower," "Tom Violence"

Man, this just ain't it for me. Fucking sad mad alt rock but just angsty and eye rolling. Like, turning this on is just the RDJ eye roll gif on repeat.

--Tom Violence...hmm --Shadow of a Doubt...never loved Kim Gordon's whisper-singing but there's a general lightness to this that I enjoy --Starpower...a little bored by this one --In the Kingdom #19...woof --Green Light...I'm already tired, Thurston --Death to Our Friends...definitely noise rock --Secret Girl...sure --Marilyn Moore...zombie walking to the end --Expressway to Yr. Skull...I have listened to and enjoyed Sonic Youth before. I am not enjoying this listen --Bubblegum...something a little poppier. of course it's a cover

Not extra my brand of rock music I enjoy. Felt all over the place.

This is not an album I would ever want to listen to again. It's just scraped into a 2, in that it's not as awfully obnoxious as some of the hip-hop and death metal shit they've got going around here, but altogether my ears thought it was pretty bad.

Meh. Rough and evolving. Not there yet. Sonic Youth has a harsh, experimental sound generally. Later albums, they managed to make it Click and pull off something that should not work. For this album... it still doesn't.

Sonic Youth at their rawest and most unpolished, and it does feel like it. The album is fine and feels like a place holder for where they would eventually go, but definitely not my favorite work by them. Death of Our Friends in particular feels like a precursor for their later work. I liked Shadow of a Doubt, but overall I was pretty dissapointed with this.

What was the point of this?

I like Sonic Youth. I enjoyed them a lot in the early 90's and still will put them on. I don't like this album. Never did. It's not bad, but because I found them when I did this album kinda falls flat for me. It lays out where they are going but because they hadn't got there yet it's a miss. That and some wanker once told me it's like if Sonic Youth and The Cure had a baby. So whenever I hear this album I think of that.

The first two (maybe three) tracks were listenable. The rest was just an identity crisis. I've never heard anybody try so hard to sound like The Cure. This album was the equivalent of drunkenly butt-dialing your ex.

2.5 This is my fourth or fifth Sonic Youth album and I definitely got them in “descending importance” order. This one is fine, I guess? A little more indie/post-punk, I think it’s their earliest album represented? Is this their debut? Idk I don’t care enough to check. I liked the Kim-sung songs the most.

Noise. Not for me

I can’t get into their stuff

Felt like pretentious shit.

Gritty rock static.

this was one of the harder listens from my experience, noise rock isn’t really my thing, so despite listening to this whole album, I really couldn’t get into it. I found myself often losing attention on the music, as I didn’t think it was doing anything particularly interesting, bar a few rare segments, like the piano on secret girl, or the last track bubblegum. other than that, this really didn’t excite or interest me. Perhaps it would if I was in a different headspace. Not looking forward to inevitably seeing more of this band.

Still not a Sonic Youth fan no matter how many of these albums are thrown at me. I don't understand how so many of them are on this list.

Ok 2/5

For whatever reason, I just can’t get into sonic youth I listen to about half the album then just stopped. It all sounds the same to me.

A lot of noise on this album, some of it is not in tune, and a lot of it I didn’t really enjoy.

I once paid money for this album based on a recommendation and definitely regretted it. They have a little good stuff but not this many albums worth

I feel like Sonic Youth should be right up my alley but something about them is very unpleasant to listen to

Started out OK, then I didn't like it.

Just a bunch of noise! Got through it but only just!

I had an ocular migraine while listening to this album - coincidence? I think not.

Idk if I will ever love this band

Boring droney bullshit. There's just not enough energy to it. I think this is my 4th album of theirs now, and I understand that they can be real hit and miss - or at least vary greatly between albums in terms of their approach. This one is a miss unfortunately.

Blech

Not very fun to listen to. 2.5

With each subsequent Sonic Youth album I get on here, the less I like them. Daydream Nation was awesome but everything else has been a let down. This album was particularly bad. At points I wondered if they weren't proficient at their instruments and just thought we'll make noises to cover it up. Bubblegum has one of the worste guitar solos ever recorded.

I didn't hate it, it's just not my type of music... I'm sure it's good? I kinda liked "Shadow of a Doubt" and parts of "Secret Girl" but nothing else really stood out? I was just a little bored and I am sorry

This one wasn't for me. The first half had me hopeful, but by the end I really just wanted it over so I could move on to something else that I would enjoy more.

I’ve listened to multiple Sonic Youth albums and not one has ever done it for me

This was an alright album, nothing too exciting and definitely didn't start well, but as the songs started being less popular (fewer listens), they actually started being more chill and more decent to listen to.

creepy reminded me of jess mariano 2.5

I didn't get anything out of this, it was basically noise to me.

Sehr laut + hektisch

In the movie Juno, Ellen Page’s character describes Sonic Youth as “just noise.” This is better than described, but just because it’s a good Sonic Youth album doesn’t mean it’s a good album. If it was ahead of its time, it doesn’t hold up; dumb songs are dumb songs regardless of the decade.

I really want to like Sonic Young and I guess I like the sound, but I just can't get into it.

It didn’t do anything for me. I liked Kim Gordon’s songs

I thought it was a relatively interesting listen, with some experimental tracks (such as the spoken lyrics of "In the Kingdom #19). But compared to some of the other albums of its time and others I have listened to its not particularly great.

Love spelled backwards.

Too discordant and just sloppy overall. This list is trying to get me to enjoy Sonic Youth and that just isn’t happening.

Still not a fan of this band

This just meanders around a bit. Great album cover but little of substance within it. Undoubtedly influential but to what end. The pixies did this kind of wayward melodramatic better.

Not doing it for me...loud...very much of its time !

I've heard so much fuss about this band and sadly, instead of hearing alternative genius, I heard noise.

4 - BAD

Well you know, it's not because it's noise that it needs to sound bland.

I don’t get the appeal. I also could have used something more chill and melodic today, but oh well.

Konsten att göra musik utan låtar. Behöver inte nödvändigtvis vara dåligt, men här hittar jag inte riktigt syfte och riktning. Inledande Tom violence och avslutande Bubblegum når godkänd nivå. Svag tvåa.

Jag hittar inte in i detta. Det är inte dåligt men här är inga låtar som sticker ut. Det är mest något som pågår. Funkar som bakgrundsmusik.

rock, etwas speziell, aber so wie von SY gewohnt.

Etwas viel Noise.

This was okay, some vaguely interesting sounds and themes which I’m sure the biggest gothic music fans will love. I found it to just lack a little cutting edge to make me want to keep listening. A tiny tiny bit too boring for me.

Predominância de um som ruidoso e áspero, num disco em que sobram experimentações e faltam melodias. Regular, mediano.

2 sterne

Not a huge fan. This harsh style isn't for me. Maybe I'm not angry enough inside for it .

Meh. This one is just not hitting. Sonic Youth is cool sometimes, but no so much on this project. Dark an industrial. Maybe im just not in the mood for this kind of music.

I did not really enjoy the listen, it's sloppy but it's also cool? I don't know I liked it more conceptually than I did in practice.

Would be great if I were sad or had poor taste

I kind of got the point after the last two Sonic Youth albums

I was surprised that I didn’t hate this. I also didn’t really like this.

Ehh - never was a fan. Good stuff, I guess

I was previously familiar with a couple Sonic Youth tracks, but none from this album. While I respect the music and appreciate the cohesive mood throughout the entire album, this is a little bit too dissonant for me, I didn't really care for it. I would not listen again.

I like this but there is no reason for there to be multiple Sonic Youth albums on here.

Decent when they decide to actually play music. Not as much when they just sorta make noise and talk over it

Not sure this one was necessary.

Meh, it's ok.

4.5/10

Was expecting something a bit more explosive. Idk wanted some good punk shit and really kinda got some more mellow melodies. 2.5 maybe a 3 hut goin down.

Not great

Pretty generic alternative rock/post-punk from the era. Nothing too exciting.

Meh..

In general, I feel like this is sort of just noise for the sake of noise. That being said, there are a few moments where I think they pull even that off. Sonic Youth is sonically interesting, and while I wasn't a huge fan of this album, I am interested to see where they go later in their career. Fucking awesome album cover tho. Fave songs: - Shadow of a Doubt - Starpower - Madonna, Sean, and Me - Bubblegum

Another Sonic Youth album. This one's very mediocre.

Inside this Sonic Youth album, there are two wolves 🐺 The good wolf comes out on songs like Starpower and Secret Girl, when the music dissolves into a melodic soundscape of exploration. You don’t know where you are anymore, but you like it. The bad wolf, predominant on E.V.O.L., sounds like the ritual slaughter of electric cattle.

Some good music in here, but the singer tanks it. Tom Violence really showcases this. Wonderful guitar work, but the singer is just offputting. In The Kingdom #19 was weird, it was just noise with someone talking lines over it. Bubble Gum was pretty interesting though. Best song: Bubble Gum

Brooding and boring. 2 stars.

That was a whole lot of droll

I always just get so bummed out when listening to Sonic Youth. This was disappointing too cause the first song was actually quite good, then all fell off a cliff. They sing like they are yelling in all lower case. At least they are consistent in suck. 4/4 on 2 stars for Sonic Youth so far

Been pretty hit or miss on Sonic Youth let's hope this one holds up. Drums are sick in this first song. Not digging the whispers in Shadow of a Doubt. Also not digging the spoken word in In the Kingdom #9. Starting to get real noisy in Green Light. Not the biggest of fans of this one.

Not my favorite. Seeing the other commenters, it looks like there are several more sonic youth albums on the list, so maybe I will connect with another one. Was ok in the beginning and near the end but really lost me in the middle. Kind of a lot, also peels back to nothing. Just not very my vibe.

No bangers at all, but that's not what I would expect from them. Having previously only heard odd songs and their album of 20th century 'art music' covers this pretty much met my expectations. There moments where I really enjoyed it and I think it might benefit from a more focused listening.

Don't know what to make of this album. I did listen again and it grew on me a little and maybe it will further listens. For now a 2 star.

I understand some people could like this album but i personally hate it it's just noise🙏😭

Wanted to like this, and there is a bit to like (great drums and guitars)- but most songs devolve into noise and there’s not much to attach to. Tom Violence is a good opener. Star power is cool too! Added: Tom Violence, Star Power

More of an exploration of noise and atmosphere rather than a collection of songs, though they do peek through the fug as the band realise that songs can have hooks and melody. This album is important from a "how did Sonic Youth develop" stand point but their better albums are already covered. Do we need this one on the list? Probably not. Best Tracks: Tom Violence; Star Power; Madonna, Sean and Me

I’ve tried a couple of times to listen to this band. I know they’re important or something. But I just found it a lot of noisy boredom. Definitely something you need to be in the mood for; not sure if I’m ever really in the mood for this. Sorry, youf.

Rock, 1986 -> 2

To use a Kelvinism these may be one of my most obvious Bands I should like but don't. I did own Goo back in the day but never got into it either. Just find too much discord and cacophony whenever things start getting interesting. Shadow of a Doubt was great but actively disliked much of the rest.

I think there are other more significant Sonic Youth albums on this list.

Shoegaze, or whatever they are considered, is just not for me.

Mainly irritating.

Quite and experimental rock album, not in my interest 2/5

Sonic Youth has never really done much for me, so I have to resist the urge for rating them lower than they probably deserve simply because we've never clicked for some reason. Still, much of this album seems self-consciously noisy and messy, an attempt to avoid seeming "too mainstream." I can't imagine ever wanting to listen to any of these songs again.

Sounds like unstructured Hole/Courtney Love

I really like song number 3 Starpower.

Not my taste

I really didnt vibe with this one

Again an ok album that might be of its time. Some innovation and interesting lyrics... And again, I'm conscious of one listen reviews. But can this justify being one of the greatest albums of all time?

Definitely influenced grunge...hurt my ears.

уныние

Distortion plus poetry. Not what I expected, which was more shredding guitars. There was some of that but not a lot of melodic songs. 2x

Someone seems to have listened to too much Jesus And Mary Chain

Her var det potensiale. Smalt innimellom, men ikke nok.

Spoken word, progressive style is not very musical

Slant Magazine wrote after release of this album: "one of [Sonic Youth's] strangest albums" and "a difficult album that's nonetheless one of the best latter-day invocations of no wave chaos." This says nothing to me and neither says this album

Sonic Youth is great for the most part, some of it is just too weird for my taste and feel like school art project.

I did not manage to get into it. Some songs I liked but overall not my vibe

Very experimental

Why is there more than one album from this mob? Sounds like the rest of their output. There is a thin intersection between this mob and Smashing Pumpkins. The very best Sonic Youth song is as good as the very worst Smashing Pumpkins.

I like Sonic Youth adjacent bands but I just can’t get into Sonic Youth. In fact, it sounds awful to me.

to experimental for me, i’m a mainstream boy

The good tracks on the album make you realise how bad the rest of it sounds. Shoegaze that's hard to listen in moments.

I really didn't care for this... Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it I dunno. It's another one of the unusual inclusions on this list. I guess I kinda liked Shadow of a Doubt.

Gear: Grado Hemp Artwork: 👄👧📸 Production: 🤔😐👍 Music: 😒🤷‍♂️📉 Rating: 🧋🧋/5

2,5

Started off quite promising then it all got a bit pointless! Another one of those bands I think musos like to say influenced them because they think it makes them seem cool or weird!

M'n vijfde keer Sonic Youth. Daar vinden we wat van natuurlijk, maargoed, parkeren die emotie. Dit album lijkt net wat anders te zijn dan ik had verwacht bij Sonic Youth. Een beetje Post-Punk-achtig, New Wave, jaren '80 popmuziek, een lesuurtje CKV en een vleugje The Cure erbij. De eerste twee nummers doen me niet zo veel, maar Starpower vind ik wel tof met die rommelende bas. Doet me een klein beetje denken aan IDLES. Zo ook die piano bij Secret Girl. Daardoor zit er weer iets in m'n hoofd te roepen dat ik het eigenlijk leuk vind, terwijl ik het alsnog als een matig album ervaar. En weer komt het album voor mij eigenlijk nooit echt lekker op gang, wat ik vaker heb gehad bij deze band. Regelmatig is het een hoop geluid, maar iets te weinig muziek. Een 2 of een 3. Ik heb eigenlijk geen zin om beleefdheidspunten uit te delen. Ik hou het op 2 sterren.

Depressing album, makes The Cure sound like a happy fun band.

Solid SY album. Not as catchy as their subsequent output. High 2s for me.

I STILL don’t like Sonic Youth

Yeah, a bit creepy for my tastes. But I can see the appeal to some.

Started off good and I was digging it. Then it just got progressively weirder as the album went on. It was like a damn nosedive, I don’t whether to be impressed or concerned by their “creative” process.

Apprecite the experimental aspects of this album, but otherwise not my cup of tea: 2.5 stars

Maybe i just don't really enjoy punk?

It was onlky OK. Not one I'd deliberately pick again.

It was fine

It’s slow n sludgy and not what I was expecting but now I’ll go listen to that one thurston Moore solo album that actually rips

*EVOL* finds the members of Sonic Youth bangin' and clangin' away on their respective instruments in an attempt to make some sort of manicured noise, but unfortunately the end product doesn't add up to much. Lead track "Tom Violence" starts to build up a head of steam but the loses focus by heading into a ditch for its middle third. Kim Gordon's subdued vocals on "Shadow of a Doubt" aim for an air of noir-ish mystery but instead sound affected. On "Starpower" her vocals are reminiscent of Nico's work with The Velvet Underground but flatter and less tuneful. The spoken-word "In the Kingdom #19" is also reminiscent of VU but comes across like undercooked beat poetry. "Green Light" has a steady pulse for a couple of verses and then pointlessly digresses into formless guitar noise. After a thumpin' and bumpin' first half that sounds like it was recorded in a warehouse, "Secret Girl" busts out a surprisingly pretty keyboard part and another overly-dramatic Gordon vocal. Not to be outdone, Thurston Moore takes a turn over-emoting in the subsequent track "Marilyn Moore". All is not lost though, because album closer "Expressway to Yr Skull" (aka "Madonna, Sean and Me") manages to sustain a full dose of rock 'n' roll energy for the majority of the song and actually earns its long atmospheric outro. It's also the sole moment on the record where the guitar excursions complement the song rather than capsizing it.

This was like listening to a band tune up for 45 minutes and then just... call it an album. I get that it’s experimental, but sometimes experimental just sounds like no one said no. There’s a fine line between pushing boundaries and just making a mess. I respect the influence, but respect doesn’t mean repeat listens. I can hear the threads that inspired bands I love, but damn, the source is rough. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Shadow Of A Doubt - Starpower

Not my taste

5/10. Just a bit too artsy for me. Clearly this is an album which heavily plays on dissonance, but this kind of stuff just doesn't really make me feel anything. Or it does, but they aren't emotions I want to feel and it's like they've been thrust upon me against my will. I will say that what this album does, I think it does pretty well, it's just not for me.

Poorly produced, noisy stoner rock. The only thing that really stood out was how much it sucked.

Experimental rock. Kinda weird. Not what I'd pick to listen to.

I liked a couple of these songs more than I expected to, but most of this album just sounds like dissonant noise to me. It’s just not my thing.

Hm, een rock album word ik natuurlijk niet meteen heel blij van, maar het is een wat duisterder rock album dan standaard. Ik was eerlijk gezegd een beetje bang voor een 13 in dozijn punkrock album, maar dit is veel meer een moody duister traag album. Nummers zoals Secret Girl en Shadow of a doubt zijn bijna geen nummers te noemen, dit is meer een soort filmsoundtrack? Heel vet en heel erg sfeerverhogend. Jammer dat een hoop van de nummers juist niet veel meer doen dan de standaard rock nummers dus dat mn aandacht niet elk nummer vol is. In het Wiki artikel staat dat dit de blauwdruk is voor hun latere werk, als dat zo is ben ik daar wel benieuwd naar, want dit voelt nu als een hele vette start, maar duidelijk nog niet af. Nu is dit album best wel een beetje meh. Ik vind Sonic Youth sowieso niet fantastisch, maar de duistere, sfeervolle nummers op dit album doen me toch vermoeden dat deze band niet alleen maar saai kan zijn! Nu zijn ze dat alleen helaas nog wel... FAVO: Shadow of a doubt, Secret Girl

Meh. Not my thing

Sonic Youth, it never gels with me. This is loose sand wrapped in a hipsters mitten.

Very influential because you can hear their sound in the 90s grunge scene but I could not find any tracks to grab onto from this album

Fattar inte storheten tyvärr. Tycker bara det är tråkigt. Tvåa.

Again, not trying to yuck people's yum, this is just my opinion on this genre - I just don't enjoy this type of angsty music.

Completely unknown band for me. the cover left me wondering if it was worth listening to. I got through it. It was tolerable.

Couldn’t connect with this at all, just not my bag

Early sonic youth is tough. They need a major label bad to get the rawness out. But the one thing they do happen to do well on this record is set a mood

Highlight: In The Kingdom #19 In a nutshell: noise-goth. In context of albums in the book, this lays the groundwork of noise rock. Right up there with Dinosaur Jr and Pixies. Pavement and Teenage Fanclub cite EVOL as an influence on their work, and it's noticeable. Kim Gordon allegedly called this “the goth album” of Sonic Youth’s discography. Accurate. It has it's moments, but it's not their best. Overall: 4/10

SY is just not my thing. But I'm thrilled they exist.

I see Sonic Youth I set volume low. Overexposed on the list.

Really enjoyed the opening track or two, but then got lost in the same mess I didn't really like from Goo. 2.5

2.5