E.V.O.L.

I don't know i find it kind of boring

grit & dirt & noise & pops & weirdness could i write poetry to this? y

I absolutely love Sonic Youth, but I don't think that "E.V.O.L." is even in their top-five best albums.

3.5

I do not like this band.

It's not Dirty, but it'll do.

Every time I hear an album by Sonic Youth, I find it contains at least two or three aspects to it that are really cool. And, amidst the sturm und drang, there's a band that really rocks. They've got some sick guitar tones! Sonic Youth have been one of my favourite 'finds' on this app, and EVOL burnishes their credentials further.

Good stuff

Never got on with SY. This one was decent in parts, pointless in others

3.5/5

The playing is interesting and it creates an intriguing dark mood. But I am having a pretty good day, so not quite my taste.

Melhor efeito da lista, a oportunidade de escutar discos relevantes para mim que desconhecia. 40 minutos do rock barulhando com emoção.

Violence är jättebra. Låt nr 2 också. Lite jobbiga gitarrer på In The Kingdom men på det stora hela så är det bra. Death To Our Friends är toppenbra. Madonna, Sean and Me också. Jag är nöjd.

En del oljud. Men ändå behagligt faktiskt. Lite förvånad. Trodde det skulle vara sämre. Skönt sound i första låten. Sång, lite meh. Men rycks ändå med. Andra låten helt ok. Tredje låten. Sisådär. Fjärde låten är ju bara jobbig. Femte. Sisådär Sjätte. Nja. Sjunde. Meh. Åtta. Nja. Nionde börjar svinnajs. Skönt sound. Gillar driver i sista låten tex. Trummorna och gitarren. Sången är sisådär Lyssnade faktiskt på lite mer SY.

Börjar riktigt bra tycker jag, gillar både Tom violence och Shadow of a doubt. Kul också med den alternerande sången (tjejen är bäst). Nästkommande Starpower tycker jag är okej men lite svagare, vilket känns märkligt då det är den enda singeln. Därefter kommer ett alldeles för långt och ganska jobbigt skit (för det är ju inte en låt), det hade man kunnat klara sig utan. Green light är åt det svagare hållet, följd av Death to our friends som är rätt bra och har ett härligt driv, men inte riktigt står på egna ben som endast instrumentell. Gillar andra halvan av Secret girl och tycker Marilyn Moore var rätt cool i sin stökighet. Madonna etc börjar lite oväntat rätt konventionellt rockigt och riktigt bra, för att därefter stökas till på ett lite mindre bra sätt. Den hade gärna kunnat få fortgå som en började. Sista låten är helt okej utan att sticka ut. Sammanfattningsvis kul lyssning och annorlunda sound som innehöll några guldkorn. Svag fyra på totalen.

Raw, distorted, slightly atonal. And yet here it is, getting 3 stars from me. Because despite its theoretical unlistenability, it's actually pretty good. The instrumental track, Death To Our Friends, is perhaps the strongest track here, lacking the disinterested and off-putting singing that pulls some of the other songs down. The music in this particular track is dark and foreboding, and overall a great ambient track. Many of the other songs intrigued me because of their spoken vocals, which seem to capture a proto-emo feel. I definitely enjoyed these more than the sung vocals (which were, frankly, bad). At the end of the day, music that sounds good is going to rank higher than music that doesn't, and bored, out-of-tune singing doesn't sound good to me. The drumming and vague rock influence was a standout. Seriously - the percussion in In The Kingdom #19 is great. I also like the instrumentation in Shadow Of A Doubt, combining piano, drums, and acoustic/electric that are just filtered enough to blur the line between human and alien. We also hear rising and falling tension in this song, which is always a win. I don't like the singing, but the backing more than makes up for it. Madonna Sean And Me is similar; a great track overall. Bubble Gum sticks out like a sore thumb at the end of the album, having more of an early 70s sound than an 80s one. Sounds like early Queen prog mixed with Velvet Underground (+ Nico) vocals. Weird, but pretty catchy. 3/5 Key tracks: In The Kingdom #19, Death To Our Friends, Madonna Sean And Me

Goths making sounds. Its atmospheric atleast

3.5

Fuck sonic youth

I appreciate the sound but not very listenable for me.

Really cool album, interesting listening to this after the more modern post-rock bands such as GY!BE - can really see where they draw some influence from.

It felt more modern (early 90s) than I'd expect from a 1986 album, so I got to give them credit for that. Sadly this style is mostly wasted on me.

Tough listen. Really not my genre and some really unenjoyable sounds all around. I know Sonic Youth is a very well regarded band if you're into punk, but it's simply not for me. At least the album was short. 3/10 (1.5/5)

Alright

I respect Sonic Youth more than I enjoy their music.

Ok, arguably these guys didn’t necessarily do anything that The Velvets hadn’t already done. However, nobody quite took the intersection of art & noise quite to the place they did, and never with such dizzying effect. I don’t think this one is as complete as Sister or Daydream Nation, but it’s a lovely record of a band beginning to coalesce.

I want to like Sonic Youth so bad - but they just make it so goddamned difficult. Overall this wasn’t terrible and was short. Still not something I would return to.

7/10

STANDOUTS: n/a OVERALL: 1/5

There is probably one album too many by the Sonics on here, but this is one of their finer Blast First albums. Not so much a collection of songs as two sides of organised noise, some stretches more tuneful, others more noisy. My vinyl copy has the last track which goes on for infinity as it has a locked groove. Their secret weapon every listen reveals more is Kim Gordon's uber-cool vocals. 3.5.

It grows on you, nice soundscapes throughout.

Unremarkable, uninteresting and unnecessary.

This is mostly just random noise and it gave me anxiety.

Interesting and engaging. This album sounds quite contemporary and the range of guitar sounds is intriguing. This album anticipates so much alternative music and more mainstream moves in rock and roll. 1986. I don’t remember anything remotely sounding like this back then.

I have listened to a lot of Sonic Youth in my life, but not this one. This is a band that is also a movement. They have been a pretty important figure in my journey towards weirder and noisier in music during my teenage years. I can't say this is my cup of tea now, but I still give respect to their sincerity and drive. As always, here we find them searching, looking for something that is eluding them. This is the work of a bunch of punk kids trying to find their way and make art that is true to their experience, and translate that quest in sound. As far as tension and release goes, they still play on that edge, bringing a very primitive take on it. And sometimes we get a reminder that this is still Rock'n'Roll, as the ghost of mystery train checks in. This is also the 80s in the concrete Jungle. This is growing up in reaganomics, and the city is in ruins and all your friends are poor and artists. You play on second hand guitars and broken microphones. This is messy, loud, threatening. At times it feels like chaos is taking over. That we are witnessing some kind of sonic dissolution. Everything then is hanging by the thread of Steve Shelley's drums. Then there are moments of quiet menace, usually carried by Kim Gordon. This is not beautiful, nor is it trying to be. They are after something else than beauty. I am not quite sure what that something else is, so I guess that is why so many still listen after all these years. I gotta admit I did tune out at some point. But I still have a lot of respect for them as artists and gratitude for how they opened my ears to difference in music.

OK stuff.

I don't really have much to say about this album. Sounds like sonic youth.

Noise rock from the mid 1980s, with quite a lot of melodic tunes, though nothing is really very memorable or outstanding on this album. All in all good, but wouldn't want to listen to it again soon.

Meh, kinda shoe-gazey

Good stuff

This feels like that classic third album moment where a band either fades away, or purifies their sound into something great than the sum of their influences (ie Damn The Torpedoes, OK Computer, arguably what happened more recently with Blue Rev). EVOL is up there with Sonic Youth's very best work. It's where the signal emerged through the noise.

Middle of the road for me

Can’t really tolerate it

A nurtured, tamed noise Droning voice screeching guitars Odd, uniquely primal

Too thrashy. Needs more tunes.

not for me

Another Sonic Youth album. I think one would have been ample, but we are up to 3!

Really? Four Sonic Youth albums? I think they made their major statements in the first. Enough already.

I liked the songs that Sonic Youth did more than the soundscapes. They were more focused and concise. Things like "Madonna and Sean and Me" are just going to sound like a ramble. The spoken word piece "In The Kingdom #19" actually worked really well for me. Top songs "Bubblegum," "In The Kingdom #19," "Tom Violence"

Same as always with Sonic Youth - complex, unique, interesting - except this time without any real good songs. It felt like an off-kilter goth record without enough melody to the doom and gloom. Far too many overly abrasive or droning songs like In the Kingdom #19, Secret Girl, and Marilyn Monroe and not enough songs like and Shadow of a Doubt, Starpower, and Bubblegum. I guess Tom Violence wasn't okay too. I've given them a bump in the past but I feel like I need to take off a point on this one.

The early stuff doesn’t hit me as hard but it’s a def 3.5 star album. Giving 3. A few standouts.

Time for another artist that I've heard stuff about but never really listened to! Sonic Youth is a pretty influential band that doesn't really get talked about a ton. This was one of their first albums to hit it big, with it being the first album with their "standard" line-up. I'm not entirely sure what to think about it. It's a fairly avant-garde album, which is something that has been pretty hit-or-miss for me. Some of the more avant-garde or artsy albums I've gotten are pretty good, while others are some of my least favorites of all time. Fortunately, this album leans much closer to the former. If there's any album I've listened to that I've thought "I hope this grows on me," it's this one. There's things to like here. The whole feel is very mysterious and dark. It's noisy, but not in an annoying way. This results in a unique sound that takes a while to click with you. It still hasn't fully clicked with me, but I have a feeling that it will eventually. The writing is interesting, with it taking influences from some unexpected places. I like that there are multiple vocalists with such different vocal styles. Overall, I like this album, but I feel like other Sonic Youth albums may end up being more my style. Still, I respect this album and may (KEYWORD: MAY) even bump up the rating if I revisit it in the future. High 3/5.

ну это кайф

Какая-то мешанина эмо/пост панка, а не нойз рок. Музыка для думскорлинга какая-то Алкоальбом: идешь домой со школки, пьешь ягуар и челка заезжает тебе в глаз

Not my taste. That's pretty much it. There is a definite value in here. Just not for me.

this just really didn't do anything for me, i'm sorry!

i guess if i had been a teenager growing up in 1986 this might've been the sort of thing i'd listen to, but it's not doing much for me as an adult in 2024. i know a few sonic youth songs and they're definitely an acquired taste. these tracks feel haphazard and everything's all over the place. certainly more interesting than some of the real blase "required listening" on this list but overall just kind of strange and baffling without a real point. favorites: tom violence, shadow of a doubt, starpower, bubblegum

2.4 they definitely developed their style a lot since this faves: tom violence

Very erie punk/alternative rock.

I know people love sonic youth, but they sound much the same to me... Like monotone.

I LOVEEVOL!

Made me put on Pixies.

heard a lil peep sample from fuck fame but i wasnt super entertained

I liked this better than the other SY album! That’s good I think.

Probably a 3.5; enjoyable but nothing stellar. Good listen.

Certainly not my favourite Sonic Youth album.

I liked this better than the other Sonic Yourh Album. Not totally my style, but I liked the emptiness.

This reminds me of the My Bloody Valentine album I got a while back. Not a ringing endorsement. I didn't have to aggressively power through any tracks, but I was kind of wishing it was over so I could move on to the next one the whole way through.

Surprising good

Aside from Daydream Nation, I think this is my favorite sonic youth album on this list so far. It was a perfect balance of their no wave experimental stuff and their more mainstream later stuff that really worked for me. The first two tracks were my favorite and while the second half of the album wasn't quite as interesting, it was still fun.

This album really showcases Sonic Youth’s shift from a noise based band to a more melodic one. The noise elements are still very much there, but amidst the experimental music, melodies and more structured elements arise giving the album a sense of cohesion and identity and lay the foundation for their best work to come. I personally really enjoy the more avant garde aspects and enjoyed hearing their evolution.

4.0

favourite song: in the kingdom #19 oh these guys are cool cool

Dark and depressing

Quite good start - but become more and more „crazy“

Bastante inmersivo, post punk.

I think, on the whole, I enjoyed this more than I didn't. There were some parts that were difficult, others where it clicked. It feels like an album that would improve upon repeated listens.

Better than the last Sonic Youth album on this list.

Loved it!

very meh

I didn’t despise it like their album “GOO” but still not a fan. They still can’t sing, but it doesn’t really matter since their melodies are terrible anyway. Some interesting mood pieces but mostly noise. I did kind of like “Shadow of a Doubt” however; maybe because she doesn’t really sing in that one…just whispers.

This music just isn't for me. It's from a time and a scene I was never part of and can't vibe with. The weird part is that it had a huge influence on the angsty music I do like. I can absolutely hear the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in this music. I head Dinosaur Jr. But I just can't get into it. And despite all this, I haven't stopped listening, so maybe there's something in this for me.

😱

Friend of mine in high school was very into them. I always found them to be dissonant, noisy, atonal, and high on their own supply......I still do John....I still do....

Best songs here are Starpower and Expressway to Yr Skull (aka Madonna, Sean and Me). The whole album is good though. Giving it a 4, because there are SY albums I like more, but it's a pretty strong 4.

It was a pleasant enough noise to noodle through. A band who know what they’re doing, and what they’re about. That’s about the sum of my notes. Solid, but not leaving much of a mark on my consciousness.

A little more avant garde than I would typically enjoy on an afternoon but some of the drum lines and piano really stand out.

Es gibt Musik und Musik, und diese Musik, nicht mein Geschmack.

Fun 80’s tunes

Detta är ju rätt så bra. Märks att det har influerat Nirvana med flera. Lite konstiga ljud ibland, men i grunden bra. 3 / 5

• Omslaget ser ut som jag tänker mig Sonic Youth: konstigt och lite kaotiskt • Första tanke: så många av de band man tycker om har Sonic Youth som inspiration, men varje gång jag lyssnat på dem har jag inte tyckt om det så mycket, men detta var rätt normalt nu i början: De kanske blir skummare med åren • Det blev konstigt tillslut ändå Betyg: Jag har inte förmågan att tycka om de flesta låtar hur jag än vill => 2/5 => vad va ja tänkte ge för betyg. Lyssnade om några låtar morgonen efter, vet inte om jag valde exakt alla normala låtar med det va bättre denna gång. Musikmässigt är det bra, men har svårt när sången blir lite för avantgarde => 3/5

Good stuff

Nah mate. Not for me.

It feels like there was serious potential to make good music but they decided not to.

Didn’t really care for this.

Strange tunings and members all hiding behind one another so nobody really has to stand out. Innovation has to be more than just new or different…it has to work. Nothing works here in my opinion.

Never was a fan of noise rock. I see the complexity and the heavy use of dissonant tunings as part of their experimental avant-garde approach to their music, while somehow trying to be more mainstream, if that makes any sense. Overall dark, I wouldn't label this as goth. Still not my thing.

I just don't like Sonic Youth. I don't understand what the critics see in them. It's just noisy, lazy rock.

3-7-2024 I like the instrumentation. The vocals are pleasant sounding but the lyrics are...worth a listen. Kinda dark. Not terrible but not really for me (maybe if I listened more than once but..)

Completely unaware of Sonic Youth in my uncool younger days. Thought this was a pretty interesting listen, but it's pretty noisy. Centainly had wide ranging influences on all sorts of alt and grunge. Can see why folks reference it. Unexpected bangers: Green Light, Marilyn Moore, Starpower

Hmmmm

Different sound of rock, not punk, not industrial, not heavy metal, country or disco. In fact, I don't know what I just listened too.

I've always had the same gripe with Sonic Youth - I think create great music, but have terrible, boring vocals.

Messy, nonsensical, just not good.

Sheesh. “My violence is a dream / a ‘real dream’ / a skinny arm / a crush on living sin”. … what the f is that supposed to mean? I get it, you’re goth, you hate the world. Blah blah blah. I looked at some of the critic’s comments on Wikipedia and I see comments like: “one of [Sonic Youth's] strangest albums", "a difficult album” and “no wave chaos." And "bring[s] form to the formless, tune to the tuneless, and … melody and composition on their trademark dissonance.” Yeah. I can see all those descriptions here, but none of them appeal to me. I don’t suppose it sucks, but I can’t dig it either. But the further along I went, the less I liked it. Started at 3, worked down to 2 2/5

Album 338 of 1001 Sonic Youth - E.V.O.L. Rating : 2 / 5 I'm sure this scratches somebody's itch

I like but too long.

On dirait que les albums que j'aime le plus de Sonic Youth sont ceux qui sont généralement moins populaire. À date c'est clairement celui j'ai le plus aimé. J'adore son côté très post-punk gothique, limite expérimental par moment. Un album qui a vraiment un bon flux d'une chanson à l'autre avec une très belle production. Quelques pièces qui étaient un peu plus effacées mais généralement un album solide. 8.5/10

One of best US guitar bands in history, new album for me and I loved every song of it. In the Kingdom #16 could have been recorded by early Velvet Underground. Green lights: beautiful guitar play and atmosphere. Secret Girl: the freaky piano and manical speaking, Can go on, this is my type of music.

Dos canciones he aguantado.

Evil? Evolution? Either could be used to describe the dissonant sound of this album that finds Sonic Youth applying their no wave roots to a form that will develop into their own unique sound of rock. Cacophonous, but masters of their craft Sonic Youth never lose control or slip into the random. It’s organized, thoughtful chaos and noisiness. Very creative rock, with a unique guitar duo aiming for texture as much as riffs. A simple, driving, almost primal sounding rhythm section supports the guitar assault. Songs involved periods of quieter ambiance and crescendoing power. Album closer, “Expressway to Yr Skull” is SY at the top of their form and one of the best songs across their career.

This one was painful to listen to.

Очень понравилось, буду переслушивать. Добротный пост-панк для того, чтобы печально сидеть и смотреть в пустоту. Пока что лучшее, что советовал мне сайт.

i like a lot of sonic youth’s stuff but i don’t enjoy this album very much unfortunately.

Not a huge fan of this. The shoegazey, spacey rock just doesn’t land

idk

Solid album. Pretty emo and nothing stands out too much to me. But enjoyable nevertheless. 3.5/5

Punk origins and what I imagine was a pretty unique sound at the time

Was not a fan. It was very airy grunge. Dissonance all around with for me very few redeeming qualities.

Yawn fest

Really dreary and borning album, not my cup of tea at all. But I guessed depressed expunks would be into it

Looking forward to listenting to Goo but this is the second Sonic Youth album i have listened to on the list ( Daydream Nation was the first one) but one thing i can say: they are consistent if nothing else. Solid record, great sound.

Not bad at all. Like the music. Would listen to again.

Noisy rock. Gave me nothing!

Call me gramps, but this is a little too ‘tuneless noise’ for my tastes. In its favour I’d say that it does sound very ‘modern’ in its sensibilities for 1986, so maybe it helped pioneer alt-rock as we know it, or something? Also, Shadow of a Doubt is a gem. The creepy/dreamy atmosphere the band builds really works on that track. 2.5 stars

Interesting album, just mind blowing guitars and arrangements. A total psychedelic departure. I thought I was going to turn it off at first, ended up even adding a couple things to my favorites. Cool to listen to blow the dust off the hackneyed brain and feel total freedom.

Don't get it

Could only get through a the first four songs - just couldn’t get with it

This was meh lots of screaming. Not my kind of music

I thought this was going to be better for some reason. There were definitely some interesting and good moments, but most of it was just hard to listen to. 2/5

They always amaze me both in terms of talent and when they were doing this - a decade ahead of the rest of music

I would have given this two stars, but I'll bump it up one because of the influence it had on so many of the albums I listened to as a teenager. Try as I might, I need some semblence of melody in my music and some of the folks who took this and ran with it really perfected the noisy guitar sound with a slight tinge of pop sensibility. (I know that's verboten in some circles, but to my ear its much more pleasant)

Fine but forgettable

It's just sloppy noise-rock.

Can't complain about SY

Some of it was good…then got bad.

In the typical Sonic Youth fashion, this one starts strong but just can’t sustain melodic interest before most of the album falls into homogenous noise. Usually I’m on board with the resulting jams, but this one fixates too hard on its darker thematics and just kind of sinks into murk halfway through.

Like many Sonic Youth albums, this one led me in with some grungy catchy songs with a noisy edge. I think this one strikes a better balance between the messy noise and the poppier tracks. The production also feels a little bit more open than something like daydream nation which feels really narrow.

First half was pretty good - surprisingly sparse and post-punk when I was expecting something more noisy. As the album went on it got more and more oblique musically and less enjoyable.

Reminds me of Joy Division

ew, punk degenerates.

Not listened to much before but this was good

Kind of a dark, abstract sound. Some reviews peg Sonic Youth as masters of experimental noise rock, and that is probably the best way to explain them in simplest terms. Hard to believe this album is from 1986. In that context, this album was most likely swimming upstream in the current of hair/glam rock dominant at the time. E.V.O.L. seems like music that your friend's cool older brother/sister who was in college would have listened to. Sonic Youth should get more credit than it seems they do for pioneering work in the grunge/alternative genre. Definitely different and for that, this album gets 4 stars.

Icons but not my thing

Ugh. Can’t imagine why this album made the list.

For ‘86, this is pretty great. It’s impressive that they found their sound at a time when few artists were doing anything like this. It’s real college radio, zine culture and mix tape music. Kim Gordon is ridiculously cool. Shadow of a Doubt is great. No one learned from Throbbing Gristle better than Sonic Youth. This is how you make noise rock into music. It wanders, but never strays. It’s never too noisy or too much. Everything is where it’s supposed to be. There’s plenty of room for experimentation and flourishes for live shows. Very clearly influential. This inspired a thousand garage bands. Lots of innovation, very unique, very authentic and thoughtful. Much better than I expected. Definitely deserves a place on this list.

This started very promising, but fell off. Missed the drums in the slow and meandering second half.

is fine ig

Očaj, nije my cup of tea Jedva sam ga do kraja poslusala

(pre)teska alternativa, 3/5. Ima dvije tri pjesme dobre.

nista mi se nije bas istaklo, niti iman zelju opet poslusat

nis posebno mi nije bio

Imala neke nade na prvoj pjesmi cak ali SMORILO me nisam ni poslušala sve

Hard alt rock from the 80s. What's not to like?

I can appreciate what Sonic Youth was doing here, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to this again.

This is just not my thing. Nothing really stood out while listening, nothing made me perk up and pay more attention. It just was blah. Makes me wonder how this was so highly rated back in the day.

In a previous Sonic Youth review, I claimed to not be a fan. But this is now my third SY album and I am loving their diversity in sound!

Sonic Youth has been my biggest discovery since starting this project. Sure I knew of them beforehand, and listened to a few songs BUT I'm loving their discography. This album is much better than I expected. Btw... I've listen to Kim and Thurston's audiobooks recently. If you are interested in the late 70's NYC music scene, definitely check out Thurston's book.

Hmm niks voor mij, niet slecht maar wel 2 sterren waardig vind het een beetje saai Would not buy

Rewinding to the 80s for sure.

A dense poertry session with punk rock on the background. I feel it may be hard to listen to people not used to have punk or any kind of rock in their to-go playlists

Sonic Youth sounds like all of the middle school garage bands that started among those of us who thought we could be rock stars at 12. The difference is that we eventually realized we weren't talented enough.

3rd Sonic Youth album in this list and it’s still not for me. I just don’t appreciate the lack of any interesting rhythms. 2/5.

Eerste drie nummers waren erg goed, echter daarna beetje mood switch door de ruis. Verder wel solid

This album has a great sound, but not great songs. This is refined over subsequent albums

I should know this album better than I do, given my age, but I guess it's a just a few years too early for me. Shadow of a Doubt is an amazing yet utterly creepy song and I don't know how I feel about that. I like this album better than the other Sonic Youth album I reviewed (Daydream Nation), but overall I'm just not that into Sonic Youth.

I really like Sonic Youth, but Evol is not my favorite album. Still a solid one!

Another classic SY album. I always liked this one a lot. Shadow of A Doubt is amazing. The firecrackers thrown at Lee on Into The Kingdom makes me chuckle every time. It's just such a good album.

I have no idea what this is doing here. Completely unimaginative and bland. All dissonance and no direction.

Nog meer gekras en gezwabber. Heeft hier destijds iemand van genoten? Je moet toch wel levensmoe lijmsnuivend in een lek kraakpand zitten om hier iets mee te kunnen lijkt me.

Af en toe toegankelijk. Vooral door het ritme. Af en toe creatieve pop. Maar veel te vaak slechte zang en vage geluiden.

Lekker plaatje van Sonic Youth. Ik ben meer bekend met de wat latere albums, maar dit is blijkbaar het eerste waarop hun herkenbare sound naar voren komt. Helemaal prima.

Very much not my style of music, abrasive instrumentals and lyrics didn’t grab me

Oh, no!

A really good album but not in their top 3. I dont know if Im hallucinating or not but I can hear a little bit of joy division influence on this one. Really noisy and well made record

Good album. It verges on experimentation, but sometimes the instrumentals drag on for too long. 4.0/5 Favorite: “Bubblegum” Least Fav: “Death to Our Friends”

I’m too old for this shit.

Pretty good

This has been my issue ever since the 90's when my friends all liked Sonic Youth and I did not. I just can't get into them and I'm probably the problem. It's not bad music, I just do not connect to it. I could go with one Sonic Youth album on this list and I've already heard the other. I preferred this one, honestly. Sonic Youth is influential and they are one of the few bands of the grunge era I could not get into. Such is life.

Overall this was an alright album. I absolutely loved Sonic Youth's "Goo" album, that was presented to me earlier, but this was not as good. I only liked a couple of the songs. I would still recommend this album if you are fan. Favorite Song(s): "Tom Violence", "Shadow of a Doubt", "Starpower", "Bubblegum"

This is the 5th Sonic Youth album. This is unnecessary. The album was not good. Parts were ok. Overall just a waste of time. No need to listen and certainly did not need to be on this list.

I don't know exactly where my deep aversion to Sonic Youth came from; maybe it was playing "Kool Thing" on Guitar Hero when I was too young to Get It and hating the song, maybe it was a reflexive dislike of Kim Gordon's voice (I'm sorry), maybe it was years of being inundated with people insisting that Sonic Youth is the greatest band to come from New York, the apex of cool, heirs apparent to The Velvet Underground, whatever. Here we are. The guitar work, the production and atmosphere--this thing *is* pretty cool. The drums sound great. The songs are tight. The album is polished but not fussy. If I was in somebody's basement or a dim club hearing this stuff live, I think I'd go nuts. There are still the moments of pretentiousness that I'd expected (see: "In the Kingdom #19", "Secret Voice"), but I wouldn't call this a pretentious record. It's good rock music. But I still don't really like Kim Gordon's voice. Highlights: Tom Violence, Star Power, Death to Our Friends, Madonna, Sean, and Me

This album just reads to me like a lesser Sister. That isn't to say this is a bad album, but I feel like the sense of dread they are trying to portray here doesn't come off as anti-establishment-y as one would hope, and instead can feel aimless. However, when this album does decide to rock out, it rocks out pretty hard! I love the guitar here, which is the case with all Sonic Youth projects, and the more often whispery voices are a cool change of pace compared to the louder sounds on some of their bigger releases. I see this as an interesting step in the band's catalogue, as well as a necessary one, but you can do better Sonic Youth-wise. You can do much worse in the music-as-a-whole department, though.

3,5

I was listening to Sonic Youth in the early 90's (Goo/Dirty), yet I never explored much further. I kinda got over them and didn't really look back. This was interesting. The band sounds amazing, better than what I remember. The songs aren't really getting to me though. At least if I was going to listen to Sonic Youth in the future, if probably pick this album.

Amelodischer Postpunk.

J'étais en train de lutter contre le sommeil (il était 15h) (j'avais mes règles) et ça m'a overstimulé c'était pas le mood du moment

Je connaissais pas du tout, très nice. Je pense réécouter.

J'ai bien aimé dans l'ensemble, mais les solo c'est pas mon truc.

ugh, where to start? sonic youth are so deeply fake, there’s nothing real happening here

Moody and atmospheric, while simultaneously being antagonistic and jagged. Part goth, part experimental, part no wave. It's like listening to an album that just isn't quite sure what it wants to be.

7/10

I really like the fuzzy goth shoegazer like tracks on this a lot. So much 90's came from this band. Really good album but doesn't have the highs of say Daydream Nation.

I really like this record. The sound is roughed in and to polish it would have ruined it because it supports the Moore/Gordon vocals perfectly.

I've been enjoying the Sonic Youth records more then I was expecting.

I don't like this as much as their best records, but it's a solid one. I like Sonic Youth.

For the whole time I was listening, I was praying my headphones don’t disconnect in the office so everyone didn’t think I ate babies for breakfast

This album came at a good time, because lately I have been dark dissonant alternative rock. This band is an acquired taste. I probably wouldn't have like this a couple years ago, and there's some of the stuff in this genre I still don't like (I still don't think I like Jesus and the Mary Chain). Sometimes bands in this genre go overboard with the fuzzy screechy noise, but this album wasn't like that. Torn between 4 and 5.

This is awesome, I like this a lot. Sonic Youth is one of those bands that I've heard a lot about and never really listened to much, so I'm excited to get a bit deeper into their work. From my light reading it seems like this album is considered to be a transition point for them where they rounded out the lineup going forward and solidified their sound a bit. It also just sounds very different from a lot of the other '80s stuff from the time and I'm into it. The sound on here is just really great. There's a bit of the avant garde-y noise in the back on a lot of the songs, and it invokes this somewhat dark and uncomfortable feeling. But like in a way that totally works and makes for an awesome sound. The ping-pong-y sounds and whispers on "Shadow of a Doubt" are just perfect. I like the split male/female vocals as well, and really like the songs that Kim Gordon sings. Awesome album, a real bright spot on a turkey-less Thanksgiving. Favorite song: Shadow Of A Doubt Other: Tom Violence, Starpower, Death To Our Friends, Secret Girl, Marilyn Moore, Madonna Sean And Me 11/23/23

Awesome. New to me, I've listened to other sonic youth stuff but this album has evaded me.

Ok

Great noise

Yeah I just don't like Sonic Youth.

Je pense qu'on a compris le truc maintenant

idk it kinda misses for me, it sounds like the mid 90s but it's missing something that would complete the sound. the last solo on bubblegum is pretty sick

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

shadow of a doubt starpower in the kingdom #19 secret girl bubble gum

Satisfyingly grungy and lo fi. Almost sounds ahead of its time.

3.5/5

well, i have like one or two sonic youth songs across all my playlists but i’ve never listened to an album all together or a bunch of their music, and i’ll be honest, i’ve listened now and probably won’t listen to that album ever again apart from ‘star power’ i love that song a lot. it’s a good album for the genre i guess, but just background annoyance for me; though i love their vibe.

Qlright

Dissonant and uncomfortable

Like the pixies? But bad. Not into this one.

The sound of a mediocre band playing music far away

Last song was cool but probably because I wanted it to be over.

Such a garbage band

I just don’t get it and I didn’t when I first came out either

It's short, but it sure ain't sweet. As a person who enjoys Sonic Youth and has enjoyed them well before starting this album generator project, I like listening to this album. Tom Violence is a favourite and standout track for me. But is this album the best reflection or representation of Sonic Youth as artists and musicians? No. It's still hard to imagine that this came out in 1986 though, damn. They really were innovators leagues ahead of their time. I'll always tip my cap to the outcast misunderstood weirdoes who buck the norms and find their own ways to be themselves against the grain of societal expectations. Well done, chums. I'm glad you exist and I'm grateful for the tremendous influence you've had on modern music.

This album felt awfully disjointed. At best, it was adequate.

Not my vibe at all.

Ass 2

some good highlights and other okay songs

I dont understand why people bitch and moan when they get a weird album from a website that is meant to give you weird albums, like holy shit stop crying about it and go listen to Creed or some shit. anyway 2/5 this kinda sucks.

No-wave meets punk meets goth-rock, EVOL is Sonic Youth leaning into melody and pushing toward the mainstream, for what that means for a band like Sonic Youth. Not exactly my cup of tea: especially not a fan of either of the singers’ voices. Just seems underdone, and/or just off-key. I guess I can see why people love them, but I find the whole project too much and without any hint of fun or enjoyment, just drudgery.

In line with the other 3 Sonic Youth albums for me. Just pretty uninspiring for me.

Not my usual taste. Listenable if unremarkable, 2/3* ?

Was OK. Nothing more.

I thought I had gotten all the Sonic Youth albums on the list already, but I guess not! Coincidentally, the generator gave them all to me in reverse chronological order. I mentioned last time that I've liked SY more with each earlier album, and that was the case here as well. I guess what I'm learning is that I should explore the rest of their early discography. I'm planning to keep this on my phone and listen to it again.

To go from an experimental Velvet Underground album to this seems intentional. I'm taking it personally. The algorithm is a little too on the nose. As if I needed help underscoring the idea this album sprang from the ashes of White Light / White Heat. In my mind, this is where it really starts for Sonic Youth. The beginning of them perfecting their sound starts here. This band was never going to be confused with bubble gum pop, but they clearly lightened things up a bit after this album. That said, there's a lot of this I don't particularly care for. Maybe I just don't need my goth to sound so gothy.

This was interesting, and would perhaps require a re-listen to get a better grasp on it. I like the atmosphere and wish I had listened to it in a quieter environment so I could better immerse myself in the album. My favourite song was Shadow of a Doubt.

A very enjoyable 3

So Many Cool and Interesting Sounds. This felt ahead of its time while not simply being noise. Of course, if I didn't have 2023 sensibilities, maybe this is just noise.

Standard Sonic Youth

Before starting this project, I was not very familiar with sonic youth, but after listening to their albums, I have become a bit of a fan. My favourite album is sister, which I think is their masterpiece. I have also explored their 90s albums like goo and dirty, but I never listened to their earlier works like EVOL. So I was curious to hear how they sounded before they became more popular and polished. EVOL is a dark and twisted album that blends noise and pop in a unique way. It sounds like the soundtrack to a nightmare, full of distorted guitars, eerie vocals, and creepy lyrics. The album is inspired by various aspects of American culture, such as Marilyn Monroe, Charles Manson, The Great Gatsby, and Alfred Hitchcock. It also shows the influence of the West Coast punk scene, where sonic youth recorded the album with SST Records. Some of the songs that stand out for me are “Tom Violence”, which opens the album with a menacing riff and a catchy chorus; “Expressway to Yr Skull”, which is a 7-minute epic that builds up to a chaotic climax; and “Shadow of a Doubt”, which is a haunting ballad that features Kim Gordon whispering over a sparse melody. I also like the instrumental tracks “In the Kingdom #19” and “Marilyn Moore”, which add some variety and texture to the album. EVOL is not as flawless or consistent as sister or daydream nation, but it is still a great album that deserves to be heard. It shows sonic youth experimenting with their sound and style, and creating something original and influential. It is one of the best albums of the 80s, and one of the 1001 albums to listen to before you die. I give it 4 stars out of 5.

4/5

Pretty solid old noise rock. Not much else to say

Evol by sonic youth is like a dull mesmerising drone that does not linger around long enough to become catchy. Would not recommend myself.

Sounds cool

This album is pretty much perfect for me. The noisy style works so well here, and there is enough of their no wave roots in this to elevate the experience. They made some amazing records after this, but none of them really live up to this album for me.

Tässä on efektejä, jotka saavat aikaan jopa fyysisen reaktion (sellainen huippaus, esim. In the kingdom #19:ssa), mikä on oikeastaan siistiä. Mutta muuten: liikaa kolinaa ja raahaavuutta.

Ollakseen niin kekseliäs bändi soittaa ihmeen orjallisesti samaa ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-dronea. Noisemmat kohdat ovat sanoinkuvaamattoman tylsiä.

Idk tbh

Growing up in a small Midwestern city in the 80s and having no interest in the local radio station, I bought a lot of music through the mail. I would read the classified ads in any music magazine I could get my hands on, and send away for music catalogs. The catalogs were just huge newspapers full of titles, with little in the way of explanation and maybe a picture here and there. This was my first experience with EVOL. I picked it out of a mail order catalog based on a picture of that cover, and a general sense that this was something I really needed to hear. I don't remember if I had ever actually heard Sonic Youth at the time, and I don't know what I expected exactly. But this album really delivered. I think EVOL gets unfairly overshadowed by a lot of Sonic Youth's later, more ambitious works. But front to back, EVOL is possibly the most cohesive album the band ever made. It's a gritty, tense, unsettling collection of songs, the soundtrack of nightmares. Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo (and Mike Watt!) use guitars like a painter uses a brush. Guitars that squeal like tires on the highway, they twitter like birds, they roar like emergency sirens, they chime like church bells in hell. The band uses feedback, distortion and quiet like instruments all on their own. Add to that the propulsive rhythm section of Kim Gordon and Steve Shelley and the haunting vocals of Moore and Gordon, and you have a sound that gets under your skin and stays there. It's dark and unnerving, but with surprise moments of loveliness. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Starpower; Shadow of a Doubt; Tom Violence; Expressway to Yr. Skull/Madonna, Sean and Me; Green Light; Marilyn Moore; Secret Girl; Bubblegum; Death to Our Friends; In the Kingdom #19

Maybe not an essential Sonic Youth album, but still very good.

Albumas neprailgo. Nesakyčiau kad geriausias jų albumas, bet vietomis tikrai pajaučiau ką norėta iš šios muzikos išspausti. 3.5/5.

4+/5

Noisey art punk. Great stuff. Need to spend more time with the band, always.

Sonic Youth is one of those bands that I truly missed the boat on. Hyper aware of them and their imprint on music forever but not really all that familiar with their music. Consequently I don't feel a ton when I listen to it. This album is fine, it's like all other Sonic Youth albums, just kind of whatever for me. Maybe some day I'll do a true deep dive in to Sonic Youth, but I figure if I was ever going to do that I would have done it by now.

I've already had to do two Sonic Youth albums. Just a bit yawn basically. Bit Velvet Underground, an bit noise, less than the sum of its parts.

7/10

blah - nothin to hear here.

2/5. While I don’t mind the idea of Sonic Youth’s droning similar to post-rock, I just can’t fully dive into it. The lack of measured verses/chorus, makes it hard for me to relate and enjoy.

Good angsty shoe gaze

First Homer Simpson wrecks my pig, then Cypress Hill steals my orchestra, and now Sonic Youth's in my Spotify! Amazing.

Another winner here from Sonic Youth. I hear Saucer Full of Secrets Floyd throughout and couldn't have enjoyed it more. This list has brought this band to light for me.

So I really enjoyed half this album. The other half was not my favorite but...I am glad to have listened to it.

Not sure why this one is on this list. We have heard some sonic youth before but this one has many skips for me.

Woof, went to double check that we had another Sonic Youth album on this list and this one's actually number four. Not a good sign. I gave each of the three prior albums 3 stars, very middle of the road rock. This one's not even quite that good. It's not bad, but very forgettable rock. I think I've heard enough now to say I don't really get the appeal. Do we really need all of these from them? Favorite tracks: Secret Girl, In the Kingdom #19. Album art: Some crazy lady who looks like she's trying (?) to shit herself. The colorful and squiggly font and drawing on top of the picture is nice though, adds some much needed life to this weird picture. 2.5/5

Don’t get them or how this makes any list

I um... hummmm... ehhh... well... Track 2, Shadow of a Doubt, is almost palatable. Maybe this album is of historical value as a carin (or as carrion?) marking the way to the scenic trails of industrial and post-rock. No. No, this album is not for me. No.

This was a real mixed bag for me, as most noise-rock albums are. I kinda liked a few tracks at the beginning, but hated the few before "Bubblegum" and I didn't really like the vocals, so I guess this ends up as a 2 even though some of it worked for me.

I'm wondering if this is one of the greatest albums of all time simply because it was released in 1986, which would seem to me to make it a seminal forerunner of alternative rock, which is kind of impressive. I can imagine rising Gen Xers embracing the rebelliousness of their sound as a way of flipping the bird to their Byrds loving Boomer parents. But as music I want to listen to more, not really.

For whatever reason Sonic Youth just doesn't connect with me.

Within Sonic Youth's discography, EVOL and Sister were described to me as companion albums: two sides of the same coin. EVOL is the more challenging of the two, as it carries on the no wave and experimental roots of the band. EVOL sees Sonic Youth sharpen their noise rock songwriting without getting too "scary". Well-paced tracklist, standout songs, and overall cohesive tone means you've got a bonafide classic on your hands. More, please!

Ties monesko levy tältä tusinabändiltä tässä listauksessa. En voi ymmärtää hypeä... Kertakäyttökamaa eikä edes laadukasta.

Tää oli jo tutumpaa Sonic Youthia eli liian erikoista/taiteellista omaan makuun.

An incohesive album from an overrated band whose main achievement was being there at the right time.

It’s alright but they have other albums that I like better.

Same as all the other Sonic Youth records except falls towards the lower end of the scale. Stop putting their entire back catalogue on the list.

I didn't enjoy the last Sonic Youth album we had, and this one was less good than that. It's really depressing, but not interesting, it's grungey without the energy. 2/5.

Listened to it several times now, barely remember it, sorry...

Reminds me of high school. Not the good parts.

Didn't think much of this album, not much to it

Gorgeous, scuzzy music

Nice stuff good quality definitely a five for someone else just not my type of music

Rock sucio y guitarrero con buenas melodías. Riff vigorosos

Some stuff on here I really liked

Never got the Sonic Youth hype, now I get it!

I like Sonic Youth, but this is even darker than I'm used to from them. Very raw, gothic stuff. It might be the earliest material I've heard of theirs, and it's neat to see where they got their start. They sound as though they've always been cool, but they do get even cooler.

I was fairly ambivalent about the other Sonic Youth album I heard (Sister), but this? I would inject this directly into my veins. Too dramatic? Perhaps. My statement still stands.

Not a fan

Looking at this album through the lens of an angsty 80's teenager who was desperate for something relatable in a sea of hair metal and glossy pop, I can get behind what SY was trying to do. Looking at it as a 32 year old in 2023, boy is this tiring. There's nothing exciting to me about this record. I do like the band, and really get on board with some of their later 90's/2000's stuff, but this one is just a drawn out noise/goth record with some depressing production.

An inflection point for a band on the verge of greatness, a too-cool-for-school drink of water that leaves you quenched yet still Thurston for Moore.

Kinda boring, but an interesting turning point towards "Daydream Nation" nonetheless.

Ah love to see it this one doesn't appear very often in online music nerd type areas though it is far from being the most underrated album out there. This record, in terms of post punk/ noise rock has one of the most distinguished yet simple sounds and moods of any album in its category. Took a long time to like this one but a bit of a favorite now

Not bad. I dig their vibe on this album. I haven't been much of a fan of their others, but this one was pretty good.

It would have been nice if either vocalist knew how to sing.

vraiment pas mal

Adding Steve Shelley to the crew, Sonic Youth made their transition into more melodic sensibility territory while not abandoning the atonal post-punk aesthetic while the guitar sound became more "alternative" than ever. Sonic Youth's legendary status was ready to be leveraged from then on. Fav Track: Marilyn Moore

Some of my favorite stuff by Sonic Youth. Very post-punk adjacent; dissonant not unlike Swell Map’s “Jane from Occupied Europe,” but a bit less noisy.

Decent. All of the songs started to mesh around halfway through, some songs were not for the faint of hearing.

4. I like!

Rock alternativo.

Niin hirveää shit ass en ymmärrä ei mene lehti laatikkoon

First few cuts are much better than the balance, but this is gritty tough urban art rock at its finest, but certainly not at its noisiest or most discordant.

Cool stuff! - 4 stars

This is like listening to a manic Street Preachers tribute act but they've forgotten how to play their instruments. One good song.

очень мрачно

Kind of interesting but not my cup of tea.

I've tried to like Sonic Youth several times, but it's like listening to Jazz impersonating Rock.