Reviews (page 6 of 7)
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
They are fortunate this isn't a 1. The songs weren't wildly offensive so that's the only reason why. I just can't enjoy any band that is trying to be artsy and that's exactly what Sonic Youth is, a band trying to be artsy but not too hard. They aren't Public Image Ltd. bad, but it's still not really enjoyable. There's a reason there's standard tuning on a guitar. It's cause it sounds good. You don't need a bunch of wonky tunings, just chill out. It's not selling out if your music sounds good. Usually its a good thing, and something people strive for, to make you music sound good, not actively make it obnoxious.
Not a 1 star but not good at all. Boring and plodding. Yawwwwwn
Oh so trendy oh so boring
first time heard 1.5 round up to 2
Sonic Youth’s Evol has its moments, but they’re buried under a heap of noise and art-school pretension. I get why Kurt Cobain liked them — they were edgy, weird, and doing something different — but different doesn’t always mean good. There are a few catchy songs here that break through the fuzz, but the rest just sort of meanders aimlessly. It’s like they’re trying really hard to be avant-garde but forgot to bring the hooks. Not the worst thing I’ve ever heard, but nowhere near the hype.
They may have influenced my favorite bands, but that is no reason for this list to force me to endure 5 miserable albums from them. Cocaine, another bad idea, was also influential the 80s as well. You're not going to make me experience that bad idea as well, are you? Here is a tip. If Robert Christagu and Pitchfork agree on something, you know it must be pretentious bullshit.
Incredibly boring with almost toneless singing. Some interesting ideas bring this up to a 2-star album.
One day, a group of slam poets turned on a white noise maker picked up some instruments, recorded for forty minutes and released the album. and it is about as good as you would think
Shit as
Nothing to draw from this, nothing to say about it either. NEXT!!!!
Thought this was EVOL by Future at first and got excited. Turned out to be a bunch of noise with no heart.
I just don’t get the appeal of Sonic Youth. It becomes a lot of droning distorted noise to me. I can, however, see how this may have been appealing to the youth of the time. And I can also hear the influence that they had on bands to come. But overall I don’t enjoy it and wouldn’t revisit.
I know it is well regarded but I never got into it.
Not my style.
I must be thoroughly uncool, because I don’t get these guys at all and I have no desire to. Best song: Shadow of a Doubt
meh
2.8
Irrelevant.
Didn't really do much for me. Not particularly memorable. Nowhere near as good as Sister. Disappointing.
Bit warbly
I don't get it. Guess I'm a square.
Harsh, kinda punky, rock
Prior to this project, I had heard a few Sonic Youth songs, and enjoyed them quite a bit. So I just always assumed I was a prime candidate to be a Sonic Youth fan. Well, after a couple Sonic Youth albums on this project, I think I was just simply wrong about that. With Sonic Youth, I constantly find myself on the fence. I want to like aspects of their alternative, punky vocals and instrumentals. But they always have a tendency to take it a bit too far into the noise rock territory for me, to the point where it just sounds like a bunch of, well, noise. In terms of just being all noise and little substance, this album is among the worst offenders from Sonic Youth thus far. And honestly, do we really need this much Sonic Youth on this project?
I normally try to get through an album. This one is bad. I think this is the third Sonic Youth album so far, and it’s probably the worst.
Never understood the appeal of Sonic Youth.
# 378 : I don't love it, I don't hate it. It's just sloppy noise-rock. This is my second Sonic Youth albums on this list. I don't get what all the fuss is about. Sometimes this list feels like things are included just because they were really popular at the time, but does anyone actually still listen to this album?
Rejected
Another disappointing album
Some of the music was interesting, couldn’t really get behind the vocals though. Didn’t really capture my attention for the most part but there were some interesting bits. Madonna, Sean and Me did not need to be a 7 minute song either, but it would be a great night out.
E.V.O.L - Excessive, Vapid and 'Orribly Loud. What I thought would be a run of the mill heavy metal album turned into something far worse, as I was suddenly roundhouse kicked into a soundtrack from an overly complicated 90s slasher movie. Heavy metal is still quite an apt description for what I can only describe as 'fingers in the plug socket' style music, because 90% of it made me feel like I was being hunted by Leatherface and his heavy, metal chainsaw. The album was akin to what was initially, quite a novel ghost train ride. I sat there and pretended it hadn't give me the willies (I'd had enough of them listening to little Richard's album yesterday). My bravery soon turned to boredom, screams turned to yawns, and the bird I'd taken on the ride to try and cop a cheeky feel of in the dark, steadily got uglier.. as the ghost train went on, and on, and on. Occasionally something would pop out that piqued my interest, but I was otherwise trapped on the janky, dated masturbatathon that was this shite fairground 'attraction'.. forever edging itself towards hell. Someone tell the miserable gypo running the show I want to get off. 2 stars, only because I listened to a lot of it whilst driving and it was fun to pretend I was the one chasing people down country lanes in the middle of the night.
I really wanted to like this sonic youth album. I like some of their other stuff, but I never listened to this album. Sometimes I just don’t get Sonic Youth and this is one of those cases I think.
Future 1 Sonic Youth 0 (2.5/5)
I was planning on being impressed but very little came
This was....listenable.
Probably what Velvet Underground would have sounds like if they had been an 80’s band. A nice and interesting vibe is going on here, but the musicianship and vocals are weak. Anyhow, as with VU, I get the feeling that this is not what it is about anyway. Rather it is a kind of we don’t care if we are not that technically skilled, we come out with something more important than that, as an art thing. I am divided… but overall it does not really appeal to me. Probably because I do not really get the lyrics either.
Even if I ignore the speaking and distortion, the songs are decent at best.
Not bad sound wise, just unorganized as an album.
This seemed like an appropriate album to listen to the day before Halloween. That was the best part for me.
Never understood why so many people and critics liked this band. Not much in the way of melodies and the noise stuff isn’t that interesting. If they didn’t have a female in the group would they have been as popular?
My second sonic youth album. This one is sitting a little better with me, but still not really my thing. I understand how much they were pushing rock music to its limits and trying to break the tropes of rock music, but i just really dont enjoy the dissonant sound and depressing tone. While technically skilled, the music just isnt for me
I liked the other SY album a lot more this seemed a little less organized and grungy
Why are they on here so much? I really don’t get it. I’ve tried on every album that has popped up and I can’t get past a 2 rating. I don't get the hype.
2.4 - not for me this
The instrumentals are fine for the most part, but the vocals are boring and sound uninterested. I’ve heard of this band, but have never listened to them before. After this, I have to say… I’m not a fan. Favorite track: Shadow of a Doubt
This was so depressing
Eghhhhhh
Some songs remind me of Hole without the energy, some songs don't make sense to me at all.
A few ok tracks but overall it just did nothing for me.
Some standouts.
I didn't mind Tom Violence, Shadow of a Doubt or Secret Girl. The rest had too much of a performance piece vibe for me. The sounds weren't all bad, I just felt like they should be along with an art installation or a performance. On their own they felt unfinished. Some were totally lost on me, like Into the Kingdom, and didn't really fit into the whole album.
This was pretty creative, but also kind of weird. Goes a little too much into the experimental world for me. There wasn't anything I felt I could really grab onto, and some of it was just too noisy.
Am I old because I think this is noise?
Just not feeling this…
Weinig aan als je het mij vraagt.
Very dull and draining. I had this record on while I was working and it just didn't stand out. Couple cool tracks, but overall it didn't have anything that stood out. Before I realized it, the algorithm took over after the record was over and played something immediately more grasping ("Celebrity Skin" by Hole). Not impressed by this one, but it's not deserving of 1 star.
“My name is bubblegum!” I listened all the way through, it was a bit painful but doable
A little bit too indie, a little bit too much "garage"
Given Pitchfork have 3 of their albums in their top 100 of the 80s, including Daydream Nation at 1 and this at 31, it's fair to say I probably don't appreciate Sonic Youth as much as I could. I found Evol quite a hard listen.. a little Cure like in places and with plenty of the guitar experimentation that SY are known for. Really lacks pop structures though so maybe an acquired taste?
..
Bad
Lots of sections of ambient noise that fail to act as an interesting counterpoint to the lyric-driven sections, which are also quite dull. Not much to write home about on this one. Listened to: walking on LVRT. Favorite track: Bubblegum
I didn't listen to much Sonic Youth in my youth, and not this album, so I don't have that nostalgic feeling that I think would help me appreciate this more.
I think I would be cooler if I liked more Sonic Youth. But sometimes albums like this make it hard to be cool.
I loved the album "Dirty" but find this so much less appealing.
Noisy, grungy, punky, velvet undergroundy. None of the songs on this album stuck with me, save for the super graphic one about the car accident.
Just loud noises for the sake of being loud
Dull
Very goth with lots of bells. A well put together album, but no need to explore further at this point. (2,4*s)
I think you have to be in the right mood (or a teenager) for this one because I am not getting it at all. Maybe it was avant-garde in the late 80's but it just sounds like a bunch of discordant, gritty noise now. It has the elements to be good like really leaning into the edginess or surreal sound but it just falls short on all accounts. Female vocalist is annoying, nothing stood out, it's bad without a "Shadow of a Doubt."
I was tempted to give this one 1 star, but I gave it a second listen and bumped it to a 2. It’s not as unpleasant as I initially thought it was, but it’s not particularly interesting or exciting either.
Too ominous for me. Madonna, Sean, and me was somewhat enjoyable
An ok album
It’s not noisy No Wave and it’s not Daydream Nation. It’s the beginnings of something but not the peak.
Slow album. Never really made me interested. Surprising cause I have like some of their other work. 2.5/5 Won’t listen again
EVOLution of boredom and mediocre music. Wasn't entirely terrible, but definitely it was a wasted time.
Unfortunately boring and dull. Uninterested vocals, little message in the lyrics, and not much to listen to otherwise. While I can appreciate angsty teen rock, this album isn't it. Shadow of a Doubt was cool but that was about it.
meh
Noise
I really want to like these guys but somehow they snuck a handful of albums on this list and I truthfully don't get their music. Instrumentals aren't particularly great, nevermind the singing. Just trying to find one catchy song but still nothing. This reminds me of angry teenagers making music. 3/10.
e.v.o.l sonic youth 1986 1. tom violence: 5/10 2. shadow of a doubt: 4/10 3. starpower: 6/10 4. in the kingdow #19: 2/10 5. green light: 5/10 6. death to our friends: 5/10 7. secret girl: 3/10 8. marilyn moore: 2/10 9. madonna, sean and me: 7/10 10. bubble gum: 6/10 overall rating: 4,5/10
Masso
Thoughts before listening: Everything about Sonic Youth says I should love them, but outside of a handful of songs, I just don't. Its too atonal and weird for me maybe. Every album has a couple of interesting songs mixed in with a bunch of over distorted, tuneless noise rock non-songs. I'm not sure if I've listened to Evol before, but I'd expect more of the same. Review: So I think Sonic Youth is just going to be the band that I respect a whole lot more than I enjoy. At least not until later in their career when they started adding some melody to the mix with albums like Daydream Nation. I guess I'm just not as cool as I pretend. The best tracks here are the instrumental \"Death to Our Friends\" and \"Madonna, Sean, and Me\". Everything else is just so dark and droney and not for me. 2-stars cause I just can't give a respectable band like Sonic Youth 1-star.
It's funny how Sonic Youth gets stripped from one the best Grunge bands. As they were pioneering that genre. Their songs are far from accessible at times and I think this record suffers from it. Some cool ideas going on. The secret song in Nirvana's Nevermind album called Endless Nameless has a lot of sounds thwt I hear in this record. A lot of noise. A lot of chaos. A lot of angst. This record just wasn't that fun to listen to overall.
didn't like this one, too noisy, depressive... nah
I’m gonna need someone to sell me on this one. I couldn’t find an entry point into this album. It’s all minor chords, violent imagery and off-key instruments with echoing reverb. There’s a high level of craft and musicianship too but I just don’t see when or why I’d listen to this. I’ve liked some Sonic Youth in the past but I’m often appreciating them at a distance. And this one felt further away from me enjoying it than others.
I'm a passive Sonic Youth enjoyer- I can hear their music and generally have a good time listening, and I do recognize that they are a super influential band, but this record just kind of came and went. It almost felt like the genre Post-Rock, which I absolutely adore, but I think it fell flat because I was expecting a sound that is more like "Goo" or "Rather Ripped", both albums that I'm more familiar with and I more think of when I think of Sonic Youth. This one just kind of droned on and felt kind of depressing. That's OK, and the album isn't bad per se but I'm not sure if it should be on the list.
Tror fan det är fjärde plattan med Sonic Youth jag får. Kanske skulle världen se bättre ut om Sonic Youth inte fanns.
Pretty dull. Not my thing anyway.
I do not like this band.
Goths making sounds. Its atmospheric atleast
Fuck sonic youth
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 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.
I don't really have much to say about this album. Sounds like sonic youth.
Meh, kinda shoe-gazey
Too thrashy. Needs more tunes.
not for me
Really? Four Sonic Youth albums? I think they made their major statements in the first. Enough already.
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.
Not my taste. That's pretty much it. There is a definite value in here. Just not for me.
2.4 they definitely developed their style a lot since this faves: tom violence
heard a lil peep sample from fuck fame but i wasnt super entertained
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.
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.
Fun 80’s tunes
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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
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
Don't get it
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
It's just sloppy noise-rock.
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.
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.
ew, punk degenerates.
Icons but not my thing
Ugh. Can’t imagine why this album made the list.
Očaj, nije my cup of tea Jedva sam ga do kraja poslusala
nista mi se nije bas istaklo, niti iman zelju opet poslusat
Imala neke nade na prvoj pjesmi cak ali SMORILO me nisam ni poslušala sve
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.
Hmm niks voor mij, niet slecht maar wel 2 sterren waardig vind het een beetje saai Would not buy
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.
This album has a great sound, but not great songs. This is refined over subsequent albums
Af en toe toegankelijk. Vooral door het ritme. Af en toe creatieve pop. Maar veel te vaak slechte zang en vage geluiden.
Very much not my style of music, abrasive instrumentals and lyrics didn’t grab me
I’m too old for this shit.
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
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.
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
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
Dissonant and uncomfortable
Like the pixies? But bad. Not into this one.
Last song was cool but probably because I wanted it to be over.
I just don’t get it and I didn’t when I first came out either
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.
Evol by sonic youth is like a dull mesmerising drone that does not linger around long enough to become catchy. Would not recommend myself.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
Nice stuff good quality definitely a five for someone else just not my type of music
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.
It would have been nice if either vocalist knew how to sing.
Decent. All of the songs started to mesh around halfway through, some songs were not for the faint of hearing.
Rock alternativo.
Niin hirveää shit ass en ymmärrä ei mene lehti laatikkoon
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.
Overkill having this many albums by them.
Totally unnecessary given that this is the 5th, yes you read that right, the 5th Sonic Youth album, yet doesn't provide anything that the other 4 albums wouldn't have already
BL: Sonic Youth have been on my to-listen list for some time so let’s see if they live up to my expectation AL: I thought this was pretty meh. I liked the more spoken word style tracks but generally speaking sonically it was quite bland I thought. Maybe on a relisten I’d like it a bit more but I’m not really sold on it FT: “star power”, “in the kingdom #19”, 2/5
Will never listen to this again. No melody just noise. Have no idea if people just use this as goth ASMR but genuinely baffled by all of the high reviews. Rating: 1.8
Quite amazing that this band has now 5 albums on this list. Hopefully it’s the last. Their music may be great to some people but overall it’s not appealing to me. The curator of this list however must love this band. I would like to know what makes them so worthy of 5 albums. This album was okay. Somewhere in the mix of their others but nothing I’d revisit. 4.3/10
Emo.
Found this quite monotonous. Lots of the songs lacked grunt, and overall it just felt droll. Not moody or biting enough to warrant the low energy. Admittedly I haven't listened to a whole lot of Sonic Youth, but have enjoyed the albums I've listened to, and have loved Kim Gordon's solo stuff, so I was disappointed by this. Fav Track: Shadow of a doubt 2.5
I enjoyed this album although it's not my favorite, there are many good songs.
Un aburrimiento. Se salva porque es de los Sonic Youth y tal, pero no debería estar en esta lista.
A little too tonal and spoken word for me to really take any enjoyment out of it. I can appreciate what went into it but I don’t get anything out of it 2/5
HL: "Tom Violence", "Shadow of a Doubt", "Expressway to Yr. Skull" My reasoning for wanting to like this was that the 90s Sonic Youth albums were kind of misses for me but EVOL's follow-up Sister was pretty enjoyable. ...It's another miss for me, despite some standouts that bookend the album, and despite the foreboding goth atmosphere (“Shadow of a Doubt” is both of those things). I couldn't shake the mental image of a 50-something's TEDTalk entitled "Why *You* Need to Hear the Albums *I* Got Stoned To At NYU" "Daydream Nation" is the one Sonic Youth on this list I haven't heard, and based on the fact that it's a Sonic Youth double album, I'm not exactly waiting with bated breath to hear it
I have wanted to like Sonic Youth for such a long time. I even saw them back in the '90s. They don't tickle my earballs no matter how many times I let them in.
meh, kind of odd. I've heard of the band, but haven't actually heard them before.
I found this tedious. Definitely not my style.
Sonic Youth are starting to learn to write songs, rather than just making a helluva noise. Now, don't get me wrong; I enjoy a helluva noise as much as the next man, possibly more. But, seriously, how many Sonic Youth albums do you need? There are five (five!) on this list, and I would argue that they don't really hit their straps until Daydream Nation. This 1001 albums project really likes an album where a band is starting to develop into the changes that would make them great, rather than just sticking to the albums that really are the band at their peak. I was kinda interested in this record, and I didn't hate it, but found it really inessential. The only song that really leapt out of the speakers at me was Bubblegum , which is a cover. There are some arresting soundscapes on here, but their songcraft has a long way to go. Wake me up when it is time to review Daydream or Goo.
I really wanted to like this because I love Goo, but the abstract noises just weren’t doing it for me
Pretty sure there’s a better Sonic Youth album to be on this list.
I think they're basically boring and their music aged not well
Okay album. After a while it just felt like one massive droning noise. There were a couple of highlights but the monotonous repetition got to me after a while FAVORITE SONGS: - Shadow of a Doubt - In the Kingdom #19 2.5/5
I don't think I understood what they were going for.
Orket ikke, merket i de tidlige låtene at jeg ikke var i modus
The fifth Sonic Youth album so far and the second in five days. The good news is, I'm now done with them. This is the darkest of the five. Otherwise it's more of the same and I don't have loads to say about it. They may be an 'important' band, but apart from 'Goo' I haven't remotely enjoyed any of Sonic Youth's albums and I doubt I'll ever listen to them again. Rating: 1.5/5 Playlist track: Secret Girl Date listened: 25/01/23
Quite liked the darkness of it but it all kind of merged together
First track was alright, didn’t enjoy much of the rest.
Not a bad listening experience, at all, bit like many other albums, it did little to hook me.
No
Как может понравится альбом с такой обложкой? Ничего прикольного и запоминающегося (говно)
2/5. Feels like a mix of punk and experimental which doesn’t sit quite right.
I remember Sonic Youth being a favourite of John Peel and I didn't quite get it at the time. Now I've sat back and listened to this album I still don't get it. It's a sort of mixture of music and throwing stuff together rather lazily. I look back at a lot of the music like this and think that they were just messing with us.
Прослушано! Альбом откровенно не зашел, как то обыденно и скучно.
Not great
So. There ought to be a rule here. 1 artist = 1 album. All rules are honoured in the breach, of course, so there will be room for exceptions. The point is that with such an injunction, this 40 minute dirge wouldn't have had a look in. Not even as a second album (Daydream Nation and A Thousand Leaves both wipe the floor with this. And that's without even thinking too hard about the SY back catalogue.)
I just didn’t enjoy this album. It wasn’t bad, and I thought I was going to like it based on its description, but it may have been too experimental in places
Wat ruigere indierock. Beetje chaotisch, weinig structuur, veel rare elementen zoals gepraat of piepjes/scheurende gitaargeluiden. Iets te alternatief. 2*
I am shocked that I don’t hate all of this. I hate some of it. I don’t like the deliberate discordance—that’s not music to me, it’s grating. I don’t like a lot of experimentation in general (hence why my love for Radiohead drifted) but I REALLY don’t like it when someone hits ‘record’ while they fuck around on their guitar to see what happens if I pluck this or turn up that knobby. That’s lazy. On the occasion they had structure to their songs, ie they followed a time signature with actual downbeats and discernible rhythm, I liked their sound. All in all, I like Kate’s review of the album more than the album itself.
Nope