Sonic Youth
albums
is not really the case, because put in more normal terms, that is what every band tries to do. A more accurate
assumption would be that the band discusses relationships with people, and relationships with the society in
which we live. Often, these things exist in chaos, and most people would avoid any serious subject matter, but
Sonic Youth do it with poetry and style, which is a very hard thing to do. Along with this, the music is really the
emphasis in the band, and they often use alternate tuning beyond normal comprehension. Yeah, if you took
apart everything they did you could brag about figuring all of the tunings out on guitar/bass/whatever, but I
digress again. Once they built up a fan-base in the mid-90's, they got more artistic freedom by opening up their
own record label (though I am not one of those guys who is going to get every little EP and know whom played
on what track when, sorry kids).
So what makes this my personal favorite band, and also one of the hardest to get into for a lot of music people?
Well, while most bands have their own "sound", Sonic Youth really have their own "universe", existing of a way
of combining accessible experimentation better than anyone ever has. Their records are the one thing I look for,
consistent; there is not a more consistent band around in rock music that I know of. When pop music is at its
worse, good artists have to arise to combat it, and in a way, SY could only have come out of the 1980's (a time
for horrible pop, kind of like the 2000's). Its been said the band is pretentious and maybe too artsy, but until the
release of the SY series EP's, I don't really see that, and yes that "noise-jam" side of the band that has seeped
through in the 2000's is not their best period. No band has been as good as long as this band has though,
about twenty five years into their career. Also, there has never been a band so influential to everything that has
come after it in music;you can hear echoes of their trademark sound in almost any substantial band from 1987-
present. That is the mark of true talent, and there is not more talent in a band then there is in Steve Shelly, Kim
Gordon, Thurston Moore, and Lee Ranaldo, the core of Sonic Youth throughout all of these years.
Band Members: Thurston Moore - Guitar, Vocals
(classic line-up) Lee Ranaldo - Guitar, Vocals
Kim Gordon - Bass, Vocals
Steve Shelly - Drums
Best Albums: Daydream Nation, Sister
Biggest Influences: The Stooges, The Velvet Underground, Can
1983
Confusion is Sex - 8/8
The first Sonic Youth album definitely ain't your average listen, but it is way better than its reputation seems to
be these days. The album is very bleak overall, but that doesn't distract from the greatness of its atmosphere.
That atmosphere is definitely dark; the band was rebelling against the joy of a nation, and wanted to show its
dark side off. These things are important to know about the album before listening, and the other main point to
know is that the album is consistent through and through! Four songs each from Kim Gordon and Thurston
Moore, where the former's are tribal and dark (much like the S.Y. EP was) and the latter's are rocking and
punky. The album has good flow, to open with sinister guitar pieces like "Bad Mood" and "Protect me You" (I
can't imagine a spookier song then this one!) was a great idea, and just when the sound turns to total
annihilation on "Shaking Hell", it gets to its most accessible with "Inhuman" and "The World Looks Red". The
band proves their skill at creating albums upfront with this song order, and showing some very subtle genius. A
lot of subtle things Sonic Youth do get confused with pretentiousness, and it really isn't fair, but I guess a band
this original would have to have people who are jealous. The album is not quite perfect, showing flaws with the
last half of "Confusion is Sex", the awkward transition of "Freezer Burn/I Wanna be Your Dog", and the misstep
of "Lee is Free" (the only bad song on here). But Confusion is Sex is only about thirty five minutes long, and
that makes for a very interesting listen, to say the least. I can't imagine the shock of hearing this record in 1983,
but hearing it many years later it has held up very well. Dark rock music at its best, and the introduction of
something completely different. - Trevor e.y.
1.bad mood- 4
2.protect me you- 4
3.freezer burn/i wanna be your dog- 3
4.shaking hell- 4
5.inhuman- 4
6.the world looks red- 4
7.confusion is next- 4
8.making the nature scene- 4
9.lee is free- 2
1985
Bad Moon Rising - 6/8
On their second album, the band adds a new drummer (Bob Bert) and expands their sound. In fact the "Intro" to
this album is an almost happy song, but with no words just the sound of the guitars clanging for about one
minute. It is rather misleading in a way because this album is almost as gloomy as its predecessor, BUT it is not
misleading in the way it shows the band in a transitional phase. That is key for this album, because you can tell
the band is changing, but it is hard to say for better or worse. Regardless of that worry (what kind of maniac
worries about things like that?? Some crazy person, that's for sure!!!!!!!), there are some great songs on here.
Thurston Moore makes a great stride in his lyrics in "Society is a Hole"; example sample: "my friends are girls
wrapped in boys" and "we are living in peaces, I wanna live in peace". Another great song is the sprawling eight
minute "I Love Her all the Time". Actually, the best way to look at this album is in its moments, as there are only
really seven full songs on here and only the two mentioned before I would consider calling "great". But hey, the
repetitious rant of "inside my head the dogs are bare and shoulda significant, I'm insane" in "I'm Insane" and the
duet of Moore and Lydia Lunch on "DEATH VALLEY SIXTY-NIIIIIIIIIINE!" make the album worth investigating for
the true fan of the band, though the latter song can grate a nerve or two at times. Bad Moon Rising is a pivotal
album for the band, showing Sonic Youth reaching in many directions at once, but maybe too many? It is easy
to dismiss this record as a mess, but if you do, you are missing out, because it's a good record despite the
insanity AND because of the insanity. - Trevor e.y.
1.intro- gf
2.brave men run- 3
3.society is a hole- 4
4.i love her all the time- 4
5.ghost bitch- 2
6.i'm insane- 3
7.justice is might- 2
8.death valley '69- 3
1986
Evol - 7/8
Evol takes the happy state from parts of the last album, and makes it into pop songs. Not for the masses mind
you, but noise pop like no one has really ever heard before. The influence of this record really can't be
overstated, though influence is not everything, and this album is in no way better than Confusion is Sex as it is
often stated these days. Before I rant too much on that though, let me say I do think this is a great album, and
yes, the evolution toward more traditional structure started here. Lets face it though, the band could not have
made another Bad Moon Rising and it be considered anything close to good, so this is a new "phase" of the
band I believe (that is just my over analysis though; a band this creative really just evolves constantly with no
planned phases). Anyways, most songs on here are in a more traditional noise pop vain, and it truly is a great
sprawling kind of music. "Starpower" would be a pop single in a different universe, and that part with the guitar
"solo" is unforgettable; "Bubblegum" is such a poppy song that it HAS to be a joke, but it is an intriguing though
mocking listen; "Tom Violence" is a perfect opener and defines the rest of the album with its dreamy lyrics, and
breakdown at the end. Many songs recall the Sonic Youth of old, and while "Shadow of a Doubt" succeeds in
sounding like "Protect me You" form Confusion is Sex, "Secret Girls" and "Marilyn Moore" fall on their faces and
come off as Bad Moon Rising rejects. The whole album can be summed up by "Expressway to Yr Skull", that
gets the mix of structure and guitar noise just right (though even that song is about two minutes too long). To
sum up: None of these songs are traditional by any means, though they are far more accessible and positive
then anything Sonic Youth has done so far, and really do point to a bright future (unlike the previous two
records). Upwards and onwards. - Trevor e.y.
1.tom violence- 4
2.shadow of a doubt- 4
3.starpower- 4
4.in kingdom # 19- 3
5.green light- 3
6.death to our friends- 4
7.secret girls- 2
8.Marilyn Moore- 2
9.expressway to yr skull- 4
10.bubble gum- 4
1987
Sister - 9/8
The fourth Sonic Youth record is not a step forward, but something else entirely. How did they go from Evol to
this, one of the greatest records ever made?!? It can't be explained, but it can be heard, in songs where the
sound shifts dramatically ("Catholic Block", "Pipeline/Killtime") that just exist in a state of natural bliss where
nothing can touch them ("Cotton Crown, "Beauty Lies in the Eye"). Sister is truly life changing, and anyone
listening to this would be amazed by the complexity of the songs. I cannot think of any other album that has so
many songs that make you want to crank it up over the bar on your stereo. "Stereo Sanctity" is the best example
of this, with its nonsense lyrics blending into its insane rev-up ending that gets you all excited for no other
reason than the song is so good. Lyric from that: "Hey hyperstatic information, come on let's hear you turn
around." "Hot Wire my Heart" is a blazing cover that gets an unknown punk band some credit (the band Crime),
and really I can't think of a more perfect closer to an intense album than "White Cross".
In a way, this is SY's most unified album, because on a lot of the songs, you can tell that they collaborated on
the vocals at least if not also the music, the beautiful "Cotton Crown" in particular. "Tuff Gnarl" is an example of
how a song is so normal, but also so weird, so it finds that happy medium of pop music mixed with total
nonsense that most people would avoid. While most songs on here rock the listener hard, a couple are also
relaxing to listen to, and the diversity and breaks in helping the album maintain its perfect (yes, perfect) pacing.
Why Sonic Youth is one of the best bands on the planet is because they are accessible while also experimental,
and this would really be the album that presents that side of them best in a nutshell. The song lengths and
shapes of tonal guitar weaving are kept to the structure of the "pop song" and that is what is so amazing. No
one has ever done this in the same way, the closest contemporaries prior would be Taking Tiger Mountain,
Shooting at the Moon, Ege Bamyasi, We're Only in it For the Money, Velvet Underground & Nico, and that is
about it. Like I always say, none of this would matter if the music was no good, but I cannot think of better
experimental, yet accessible music (besides one other SY album). I could talk through every song on here
honestly, but I will end by saying Sonic Youth pretty much begins their mission to change rock and roll into
something extraordinary on this record, and it is perfect. - Trevor e.y.
1.schizophrenia- 4
2.catholic block- 4
3.beauty lies in the eye- 4
4.stereo sanctity- 4*
5.pipeline/kill time- 4
6.tuff gnarl- 4
7.pacific coast highway- 3
8.hot wire my heart- 4
9.cotton crown- 4
10.white cross- 4
1988
Daydream Nation - 9/8
The ultimate album. The greatest musical thing ever made in my opinion; greatest rock record of all time. I've
never heard anything this great in my life, there is something great about each song. It flows perfectly, and it is
basically Sister but longer, more free, and more expressive (which doesn't mean it is necessarily better, that is
all opinion). “Teenage Riot” is an awesome opener: long, but not boring, with an intro to die for and a melody
that could win even the biggest anti Sonic Youth fan over. “Silver Rocket” is the first rocker of the album, and it
rocks at first then falls apart (on purpose) only to reconstruct again and end in a great way. “Total Trash” is
similar, and is Thurston Moore's supreme statement, with the coolest guitar riff imaginable and a breakdown
section in the middle that reinvents everything IN MUSIC that has come before. “The Sprawl” is the first Kim
Gordon song on here, and I have to say, she surprised me here. On this album, she proved she is truly capable
of some great work to all those neigh-sayers. That song is unbelievable, as are “’Cross the Breeze" and
"Kissability". “Eric’s Trip” is Lee Ranaldo’s first song on here, another great poetic rocker that nails his
songwriting style once and for all, though "Rain King" is even better.
Delicate moments (end of "The Sprawl", "Providence" which is the ballad of the album) keep the album solid all
the way though, and relax in order to rejuvenate. The closing "Trilogy" of songs is a summary of a person's
thoughts as they go though life, all confused and alienated; it is truly magnificent to hear. Last but not least,
Steve Shelly’s drumming keeps the band in line, and the band would not be near as good without his power. Not
to sound clichéd, but "art rock" mixes with "melodies" in ways never heard before on Daydream Nation,
changing music forever. Is it an easy listen then? You'd be surprised: beneath the roar of guitar noise are some
of the best melodies ever penned, and even though the album is seventy minutes long, it actually leaves you
wanting more once you've absorbed it. Absorb is the key word, but anyone calling this album self-indulgant
noise is just not opening their ears or their mind, which is what good music should be all about. If an album
should be brought to life, it is this one. If one record should be preserved in a box for all time, it's Daydream
Nation. I truly believe that with all my heart. - Trevor e.y.
1.teen age riot- 4
2.silver rocket- 4
3.the sprawl- 4
4.’cross the breeze- 4
5.eric’s trip- 4
6.total trash- 4*
7.hey joni- 4
8.providence- gf
9.candle- 4*
10.rain king- 4
11.kissability- 4
The Trilogy: - 4
12.the wonder
13.hyperstation
14.eliminator jr.
Goo - 8/8
Can a band follow the best album ever made? Sonic youth proved you can, and then some. Goo is a great
album, and even though it goes for a more conventional "sound", the music itself is way more difficult than
Sister or Daydream Nation. Those two records got the fusion just right (and no one in their right mind could
make records like that forever; no one is perfect). Most people criticize Goo for being too rock and too
“mainstream”, but my gosh, listen to the album before you talk! There isn’t one bad song one here, they are
all great once you let them sink in, and the band's sense of humor has never been more present. The Chuck
D cameo on “Kool Thing”, something about dating the Virgin Mary on "Mary Christ", and the hilarious "My
Friend Goo" take some repeated listens, but trust me, if you don't give up these songs sink in and are great. If
these songs were "traditional radio music" like they are often labeled, maybe I would listen to the radio. The
balance of humor vs. drama keeps the album afloat, as songs that tackle past tragedies ("Tunic"), old movie
stars ("Mildred Pierce", the lovely mess), and just plain poetry in motion ("Disappearer", "Mote") make up the
serious portion of the music.
Songs of this magnitude set an example for all of rock music, and in my opinion, this is the best guitar playing
found on any rock record (yes, better than Daydream Nation in that respect). Just listen to "Dirty Boots", "Mary
Christ", "Disapearer", and "Titanium Expose" and get the example of how complicated music should be played.
"Titanium Expose" in itself is one of the band's best songs, with its unbelievable structure (read more here).
There is some challenging stuff that might no appear great at first, like the earlier mentioned "Kool Thing",
"Mildred Pierce", and the most different of all, "Cinderella's Big score". I know what people say to themselves
here, because I said it too at one point. But Sonic Youth is a band that takes risks and their difficulties make
them great. If you can't get it and don't like the more difficult passages (oh, who doesn't love the four minutes
of static at the end of Ranaldo's "Mote"?), I assure you you will at least like something from Goo. This album
remains as the 3rd in the row of great Sonic Youth albums. If you are interested in Sonic Youth, Goo would be
a fine place to start, if not the definitive place. - Trevor e.y.
1.dirty boots- 4
2.tunic- 3
3.mary christ- 4
4.kool thing- 4
5.mote- 4
6.my friend goo- 4
7.disappearer- 4
8.mildred pierce- 4
9.cinderella’s big score- 3
10.scooter&jinx- gf
11.titanium expose- 4*
1992
Dirty - 8/8
Who would have thought that after all that Sonic Youth has accomplished, they would once again blow us all
away with one of the best hard rock albums ever? Well Dirty is just that. Hard rock fan? Get this album, you will
worship it. Goo was drifty, meditative, and more like Daydream Nation was, while this album is more like a 90's
version of Sister. Good order in picking the flow of songs, with "Theresa's Sound World", "Wish Fufillment",
and "Nic Fit" (with Ian McKaye from Fugazi doing what sounds like a Minor Threat parody) serving as kind of
breaking points between all of the furious riffs. Oh what are the rock songs? "Purr", "100%", "Sugar Kane",
"Youth Against Fascism", and "Chapel Hill"; Moore at his best, all ranking among his greatest compositions,
"pop" or other wise. Yes, the album has kind of "grunge" influenced sound, just like Goo had a kind of "80's
production" one, but that in no way effects the quality of the songs.
When talking about Dirty, you have to talk about Kim Gordon, because well, this is the woman at her most......
trying. Her songs "Shoot", "J.C.", and "Crome Brulee" all try the listeners patients at times, as she screams
and grates her voice like she is giving birth while singing. While these three songs are definitely the weakest
on here, and SHOULD have been removed, they are a bad example of Gordon's true talent. "Drunken
Butterfly", "Swimsuit Issue", "Orange Rolls, Angel Spit" and the moody "On the Strip" show off Gordon's
continuing growth as a writer and should not be overlooked just because some of her singing is "weird" and
"annoying". In reality, the would be no Sonic Youth without Gordon; she makes the band complete, and her
contributions are among some of the best songs ever written, so there! That said, this is Kim Gordon's album,
as she has seven songs compared to Morre's six and Ranaldo's one. More of an even portion among the
others and some song trimming would have made Dirty shorter and more to the point, which an album like this
should be. Oh well though, it is still a masterpiece of how to incorporate noise into the traditional pop
structure, and if you haven't head it, just know that it is truly in a league of its own. Whatever they were
thinking, Dirty stands today as the world’s most creative band’s hardest rocking album. One of my personal
favorites. - Trevor e.y.
1.100%- 4
2.swimsuit issue- 4
3.theresa’s sound world- 4
4.drunken butterfly- 4
5.shoot- 3
6.wish fulfillment- 4
7.sugar kane- 4
8.orange rolls, angel spit- 4
9.youth against fascism- 4
10.nic fit- gf
11.on the strip- 4
12.chapel hill- 4
13.jc- 3
14.purr- 4
15.crome brulee- 2
1994
Experimental Jet Set, Thrash and No Star - 7/8
This album marks Sy’s return to experimentalism, or at least trying new and completely different sounds! It still
has a leftover rock vibe from Dirty, but songs like “Starfield Road”, “Winner's Blues” (acoustic ballad that
opens the album) and “Androgynous Mind” are just plain odd and follow no real verse-chorus structure at all.
"Bull in the Heather" uses guitar harmonics as its chorus (I still have no idea how they play those that fast);
"Starfield Road" is a nosie-industrial-pop song; "Waist" has one of the best guitar solo's ever; "Screaming
Skull" is a great rant about underrated bands and random topics ("Superchunk-Society-Sunset Strip-
Screaming Skull-Society-Husker Du!"). Most of the great songs on here are very verse-chorus though,
waaaayyy more than Dirty or Goo, and in a way this is the bands least experimental album. Gordon ain't as
consistent on here as she was on the previous record, and most of her songs are confusing and not thought
through, taking away from the record instead of adding to it. Don’t get me wrong, I loooove Kim Gordon, but
she makes the album way too inconsistent here, though “Bull in the Heather” and “Doctor’s Orders” are some
of her best yet. The album also suffers from lack of a single Ranaldo penned song (or at least sung, who
knows who writes 'em when it is all said and done), and that is a shame. The sound of the band needs a
reinvention badly, because a lot of it is stale. I sound like I don't like the record, but yet I give it a 7/8 right?
Well, eleven of the songs are enjoyable to me, making it almost the equal of Dirty consistency wise, but the
experimentation is one of three things on here: 1) great and right on. 2) confusing, though at least they are
trying. 3) horrible, please god get it away!!!! The songs that don't work at all ("Skink", "Bone", "Tokyo Eye")
make you hate the album more than one probably should, given its consistency. So yeah, I could see a 6/8,
but I still love what I love, so its a low 7/8 in my book, surprisingly good for such a (here we go) transitional
album. - Trevor e.y.
1.winner’s blues- 4
2.bull in the heather- 4
3.starfield road- 4
4.skink- 1
5.screaming skull- 4
6.self-obsessed and sexxee- 3
7.bone- 2
8.androgynous mind- 4
9.quest for the cup- 3
10.waist- 4
11.doctor’s orders- 4
12.tokyo eye- 2
13.in the mind of the bourgeois reader- 4
14.sweet shrine- 3
1995
Washing Machine - 6/8
Washing Machine is defiantly Sonic Youth’s warmest album. Even with that, it is a bit unpredictable. The first
three songs on the album are one from each of the bands song writers, and they are some of the best they’ve
done. That is not all either, Ranaldo succeeds even better later in the record with the awesome rant of "Skip
Tracer", one of his best songs. Moore has the most accessible songs of course, with "Unwind" and "No Queen
Blues" being some of his more laid back, but still impacting, songs. Gordon astonishes with greatness on
"Becuz" and "Washing Machine", the latter having the great lyrics of "I looked up in the clouds, and I saw this
woman's face, and she threw a quarter down at me and said go put it in a washing machine." Oh, it's as good
as it sounds. The biggest weakness this album has, is a couple of failed experiments. “Little Trouble Girl” is
very dull, “Thumb” just comes across as filler, and "Panty Lines" is such an acquired taste, that most people
will NOT like it at all (even though it has somehow grown on me to the point where I can stand it, if I have to).
The good and the bad make for a very uneven album over all, but it is worth buying, if not just to hear “The
Diamond Sea”, hmm, a twenty minute song? It’s a bit risky, but they pull it off pretty well. If your in the mood
you can probably listen to it. That is the thing with this album though, the band reaches "phase 3" of their
career, the jam band side. It is easy to see with the laid back attitude, as well as the length of "Washing
Machine", "The Diamond Sea", "Junkie's Promise", and "Unwind" that the band is reaching a kind of length
oriented attitude, that is not like the band ALWAYS was before (save Bad Moon Rising and Daydream
Nation). This is how most people see Sonic Youth today, some kind of "jam band", and probably how they will
always be seen (to unenlightened ones). Washing Machine is not one of SY’s best as an album, but some of
the songs are so extraordinary, a hardcore fan would defiantly want this; it simultaneously creates a picture of
why they are so great and so misunderstood. - Trevor e.y.
1.becuz- 4
2.junkie’s promise- 4
3.saucer like- 4
4.washing machine- 4
5.unwind- 3
6.little trouble girl- 2
7.no queen blues- 4
8.panty lines- 2
9.thumb- 1
10.skip tracer- 4
11.the diamond sea- 3
1998
A Thousand Leaves - 7/8
Give the masters some credit for this, probably their most daring album to date. Half of the songs on this
album are over six and a half minutes, and they all have their own flavor to them. This is a very bold
statement, telling everyone that they are still the kings, and they can be on top twenty years after they first
formed. "Sunday" will suck you in. The noises on “Karen Koltrane” will kill a normal man. "Wild Flower Soul" is
the best example of the band expanding in a great way, with this nine minute masterwork. "Snare Girl" on the
other hand, bites. "Hoarfrost" is a nice state of peaceful bliss (that sounds kind of like a Slint outtake). "Contre
le Sexisme" and "Heather Angel" are impenetrable openers and closers, and I think serve more to scare
people away from this great record than anything; I would almost give it 8/8. The way they do peaceful kinds of
songs with such malice and contempt is a joy to behold, and that is only half of the songs. The other half take
you to another world, where guitars clang and rock by with that great "chug" that is so familiar in indie music
now. Kim Gordon does some of her best work on her songs here, especially "French Tickler". A Thousand
Leaves shows the band establishing their poetic side in a great way, with half of it being noisy, and half being
peaceful. It is hard to explain, just like it is hard to absorb, just like it is great to cherish, but it is truly one of
their best records. - Trevor e.y.
1.contre le sexisme- 3
2.Sunday- 4
3.female mechanic now on duty- 4
4.wild flower soul- 4
5.hoarfrost- 4
6.french tickler- 4
7.hits of sunshine- 3
8.karen koltrane- 4
9.the ineffable me- 3
10.snare girl- 2
11.heather angel- 4
Non Album Things
1982
Sonic Youth EP - 5/8
The first glimpse of the Sonic Youth to the world. The "no wave" scene of New York City was made in
response to the "new wave" one sweeping the country radio stations, and on the tail end of that scene came
Sonic Youth. The music sounds tribal, primitve, repetitive, and bleak; pretty much everything the band is
known for, eh? Early Sonic Youth definitely had its share of negative vibes to say the least, so the first jaunt
into the world of rock for the band was not accessible at all. Of course, the band could not have it any other
way. Thurston Moore says in the liner notes of this EP he "would not want to open the album with an E chord
or something, that would be too normal, so it opens with one loud snare hit." This opening song, "The
Burning Spear", builds up to something but almost ends too soon. The opposite can be said for the next
song, "I Dreamed I Dream", which is by far the best song on here. Sung by Kim Gordon in her unique vocal
style (with some random background vocals by a member of the band that doesn't sound familiar, temporary
drummer Richard Edson?), the song is a great, demented ballad that takes the listener on a ride like all good
SY songs do. "She is Not Alone" and "I Don't Want to Push it" lack something, and I can't really say what it is;
they are just kinda boring songs that use random tribal instruments instead of guitars to jerk the songs along.
The closer "The Good and the Bad" bring back the guitar clanging the band has made famous, but there is
some good and some bad about that song. It is too long, switches directions to many times, and overall points
toward a confusing future. Of course the band would not have it any other way, but the thing this EP
establishes on first listen, as if you bought it back in 1982, is that the band experiments and sometimes it
works. - Trevor e.y.
1.the burning spear- 3
2.i dreamed i dream- 4
3.she is not alone- 2
4.i don't want to push it- 2
5.the good and the bad- 3
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