Sonic Youth Albums Ranked From Worst to Best
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- Week two of our personal picks and this time it's Kramzer's turn. He turned to the audience for help deciding between The Replacements and Sonic Youth and Sonic Youth was the favorite choice.
This, of course was extremely upsetting to Joe, who considered Sonic Youth among his least favorite bands ever. Did listening to all 15 studio albums in one week help to change his mind? Stay tuned to find out.
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Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the band, while Steve Shelley (drums) followed a series of short-term drummers in 1985, rounding out the core line-up. Jim O'Rourke (bass, keyboards, guitar) was also a member of the band from 1999 to 2005.
Sonic Youth emerged from the experimental no wave art and music scene in New York before evolving into a more conventional rock band and becoming a prominent member of the American noise rock scene. Sonic Youth have been praised for having "redefined what rock guitar could do" using a wide variety of unorthodox guitar tunings and preparing guitars with objects like drum sticks and screwdrivers to alter the instruments' timbre. The band was a pivotal influence on the alternative and indie rock movements.
After gaining a large underground following and critical praise through releases with SST Records in the late 1980s, the band experienced mainstream success throughout the 1990s and 2000s after signing to major label DGC in 1990 and headlining the 1995 Lollapalooza festival. In 2011, following the separation and subsequent divorce of Gordon and Moore, the band played their final shows in Brazil. In the following years, the members expressed that the band was finished and would not reunite.
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Let us know what you think of our lists and leave your own rankings down in the comments. As always, thanks for watching!
Stock footage provided by Videvo, downloaded from www.videvo.net
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As a big fan of Sonic Youth, i definitely get not liking them. The simplest way i can put my perspective is that at their best, they sound like a weeping ghost. The noise is pleasurable for me, of course not at their most abrasive, but in that Sister to Washing Machine era they, imo, balance a sweet aching nostalgic tone and that punk driven, glass shattering wall of noise psychedelia perfectly. Ive seen some other comments go more poetic with it, which I'm resisting the urge to do, but it should go to say that is a big chunk of the main draw for SY fans and why we keep going back to them. They create such a dense and specific atmosphere that conjures up its own world in your head in such a rich and colorful, yet gloomy way in a way I dont think their contemporaries did as well, even if i like, say, Pavement a bit more. Their use of sound and ideas of subverting structure becomes more and more rewarding with each listen, and I have a strong itch for their glow often.
Well put.
this was beautifully said!
I like Sonic Youth. I like experimental music as well as other forms of music. It's about opening your ears.
For me, Sonic Youth is ALL about guitars that sound like blood and viscera running down your walls. Songs that soothe then defile. Sex and violence intertwining to the point where listening starts to resemble ecstatic sadomasochism. They're the guardians of the space between roaring thunder and trickling rain. Hands scratching at heaven and feet stuck deep in the ground reaching all the way to hell.
I agree, their swirling guitar epics are what make them great. In terms of memorable melodies they are below average.
suspiria 💜
Great response and profile pic - love suspiria
That’s why Confusion is Sex is their best album and why Daydream Nation is overrated as fuck (yes, I’m completely serious). It’s just generic 80s alternative/indie/college rock with more melody than anything else, and I hate that. Fuck that. I don’t want any melody from Sonic Youth, just noise.
@@curly_wyn I like their noise but always felt they held back on the melodies at the right time so when the really catchy parts come in they’re very impactful, they come and go and don’t take up too much space.
Joe was greatly misinformed when he went into this week thinking he was going to be reminiscing about playing Sonic the Hedgehog as a child.
Sonic Youth? I thought you guys said Sonic Twooooo-th - Joe
I remember seeing Sonic-Youth albums in stores as young. I think the reason I remember that is because of Sonic the Hedgehog!
It’s to sonic youths credit that people can’t agree on their discography.
Yeah. It also makes you wonder if such rankings have value other than being just more opinions.
@@TheJoshuamooneyit also makes you wonder if maybe music is just to be enjoyed and some things may not be for everybody
Give Swans a spin. They should drive you over the edge
Yesh.....OXYGEEENNNNNN.....
YES!
Filth 🤪
When I listened to To Be Kind for the first time recently I felt like I was in the middle of a ritual. Behemoth of an album
As a big Sonic Youth fan this was interesting to see. I rate Sister far higher than you all did as it is one of my favorites. Also was a bit shocked by the ranking of Bad Moon Rising and Confusion is Sex but thinking critically I probably shouldn't be as they are certainly not for everyone. I just really like those albums. Love to see Kim Gordon and Lee Renaldo get some shout outs too!
I'm pretty new to the channel but just want to say I really enjoy these lists even for the artists that I am not into.
I agree, those shoutouts were great to hear. I was a little surprised Sister was ranked on the low end--I thought there was a chance it might knock on the door of the top 5 with the strength of the songs on side 1. I guess it was still too experimental and not accessible enough yet.
Bad Moon Rising changed my life; yet at the same time I understand why somebody trying to get into it NOW wouldn't think much of it.
I wonder if its a generation thing. I was in the SY message boards around 2000-2003 or so, and the general consensus was that sister was the record to own. IMO Dirty is the one. I had to digest sister more, and it wasn't satisfying until I was a bit older. Dirty was great from the moment I heard it, and it's aged for me amazingly well.
Sister right at the top for me though I've listened to Dirty more than any other SY album. The former has my favorite vibe from the band but the accessibility of the latter is undeniable.
Fun video! A Thousand Leaves has been my favourite for years. As someone who was obsessed with the band for years, I got really lost in that album because of its experimentation. It really sounded like they were throwing in every conceivable sound in their arsenal, and sneaking in some beautiful melodies behind all the angst and weirdness. It's a mindfucky album but one I adore. Probably in my top 5 albums ever.
Ok , now maybe we can get Joe to do a captain Beefheart listography!
HELL YES!!! Big thumbs up for the Captain Beefheart suggestion.
Right on! I love the Captain.
Please, no.
I fell into Sonic Youth majorly a few years ago, mostly circling around the classic era. They are the ultimate “love-em-or-hate-em” band. That said, these days, I am incredibly fond of Murray Street and Sonic Nurse; probably my favourites now. I love the chilled atmosphere and the lovely clean production. There’s just something about the space in the recordings that I really crave. I can’t quite put my finger on it.
Really love Listography by the way. The videos make me miss debating music and artists with my friends irl but have also helped me to reconnect with music I have loved for years and opened the doors to new stuff. After the Zeppelin video I instantly went back and re-listened to their entire discography after years away and I had an absolute blast!
Keep it up :)
Joe, you’re obviously not a fan and that’s fine. But I (someone more in Kramzer’s camp about SY) can appreciate that you hung in there and listened to everything and then were able to at least articulate fairly well why you didn’t like most of it. Can’t ask for more than that.
I very much appreciate that. It was not easy. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic Maybe someday I’ll be in a situation where I have to listen to and review all of Imagine Dragons’ albums. I will remember your example.
I'll second this--Joe made a coherent case as to why he doesn't care for their music, and he did the work. That's all you can ask.
One of my favourite bands! Sad to see Bad Moon Rising so low, such an ominous sound, very underrated!
1. Daydream Nation
2. Dirty
3. Sister
4. Goo
5. A Thousand Leaves
6. Murray Street
7. EVOL
8. Bad Moon Rising
9. Washing Machine
10. Experimental Jetset, Trash & No Star
11. Confusion Is Sex
12. Sonic Nurse
13. Rather Ripped
14. NYC Ghosts & Flowers
15. Sonic-Youth
16. The Eternal
17.The Whitey Album
As Joe gets to his top 5 or so, Kramzer smiles like a proud father
Happy to see Joe come through this ordeal with at least one SY album he could get behind -- well done sir. I played the shit out of Goo on my cassette Walkman, back in the day. I'd heard that the video for "Disappearer" was partly shot in my hometown (Oakville, Ontario), just checked now and got transported...
Ranking of SY albums I owned physical copies of:
1. Sister -- like I say, an all-time top 5 album for me, but I have more of a taste for no-wave and noise than you lads. (This includes Glenn Branca, the NYC composer for electric guitar with whom Lee Renaldo played in the 80s, which definitely informs their sound, and Swans. Branca's 1981 album "The Ascension" is [chef's kiss], imho.) My 2008 album list is going to be topped by one album that very clearly was influenced by this album in particular, and features another album that mixes noise and hooks in a similar fashion. The sonics on this album take me on a journey -- the trifecta of "Pipeline / Kill Time", "Tuff Gnarl" and "Pacific Coast Highway" in particular, (showcasing Lee, Thurston and Kim respectively -- agree: Lee's tracks seldom disappoint, he has a real Beat poetry in his lyrics. Also, the band wouldn't be half of itself without Kim's presence and perspective -- she continues to make invigorating, noisy sounds, both solo and in her Body/Head with Bill Nace). Picked this up on vinyl.
2. Goo -- everything you say. Cool af. Snagged the deluxe vinyl box of this for cheap.
3. EVOL -- Of a piece with Sister, obvs, but not all cylinders firing yet. "Expressway to Yr Skull" (aka "Sean, Madonna & Me") is a fave -- another catchy, almost-pop tune that crescendos into a guitar maelstrom and then goes out on a few minutes of sublime ambience. SY were a gateway band for sure, introducing me to weirder / avant influences (like Kim Fowley, John Zorn, Sonny Sharrock) and championing other young up-and-comers, i.e., Nirvana...
4. Dirty -- Expectations were sky-high after Goo, and "100%" is yet another stupendous lead-off track, but the album couldn't *not* disappoint slightly -- still pretty strong overall, but some leaden tracks scattered about mar the album's continuity...
5. Experimental Jet Set, Trash & No Star -- I quite like this one -- a pleasing mix of energetic outside-pop, some noisy forays and an interesting hush on some tracks ("Winner's Blues" has a real winsomeness to it, and "Doctor's Orders" wields a quiet menace)...
6. Daydream Nation -- I'd heard the critical consensus on this one for a few years before taking a chance on the CD, and was also a little underwhelmed on my first few listens -- it's overlong, and a little samey-sounding in its production, but "Teenage Riot" is stupendous, as is "Hey Joni" and the ending trilogy... Probably a 3.5 star album for me.
I listened to Rather Ripped for the first time on a long car ride recently, and was quite taken with it -- I saw SY on this tour without having heard the album, other than the highly-appealing "Incinerate" (clearly SY at their most accessible). I think it could climb a ways through my SY album ranking over time...
Apologies to all for the novel -- Sonic Youth was huge for me in my formative years, and foundational in both shaping and broadening my musical tastes.
As always, thoroughly enjoy the channel -- looking forward to your Replacements, King Crimson, Yes and Tom Waits lists...
Somebody give Joe a copy of Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music.....waitaminute- LOU REED ALBUM RANKING.....
Trivia: I almost bought the original album art for NYC Ghosts & Flowers but was unable to afford it, by William S. Burroughs when the gallery show came through San Francisco.
how much was it going For?
@@elyaqui5324 / $150 back in the day and I was a starving artist/musician then.
1 Daydream nation
2 Washing Machine
3 Dirty
4 Sister
5 Murray Street
6 Evol
7 Goo
8 A Thousand Leaves
9 Sonic Nurse
10 The Eternal
11 Bad Moon Rising
12 NYC Ghosts and Flowers
13 Sonic Youth
14 Experimental Jet Set
15 Rather Ripped
16 Confusion is Sex
Joe doesn't "understand".....SMACK IT....Time for a Einsturzende Neubaten album ranking!
It was ME who said A Thousand Leaves is their best album. It has some of their most experimental, meandering tracks but also easily the most beautiful stuff they ever did with Wildflower Soul, Hoarfrost, Karen Koltrane, and Snare Girl. I’m so baffled by the indifference and/or disdain this album receives. So much more interesting than Murray St.
I was anticipating this listography more than any other and I almost had a panic attack when Jason put Sister so low. Then Joe did...Then Kramzer did. I'm truly shook by these rankings. I'll be alright though.
Bad Moon Rising>>>Billy Joel
15. NYC Ghosts
14. Confusion is Sex
13. The Eternal
12. Rather Ripped
11. Bad Moon Rising
10. Murray St.
9. Goo
8. Washing Machine
7. Evol
6. Experimental Jet Set
5. Dirty
4. Sonic Nurse
3. A Thousand Leaves
2. Sister
1. Daydream Nation
I sorta drifted away from them in the late 80's; that was the album that brought me back (on recommendation of an old friend). It's one of their best.
A Thousand leaves my favorite too
Goo at number 9? 😳 its my number two only for "disappearer".
For real! I thought for sure they'd have Sister and Evol in the top 5 at least. Thats crazy... these guys apparently don't quite understand what Sonic youth was. Its clear by these rankings lol
I've only heard their "classic period" (Evol through Dirty). They are definitely one of those bands that I think I should like more, but... I was quite surprised that you all had Evol and Sister so low - those are two that their fans and the critics seem to love. "Starpower" is my favorite track across those two albums, definitely a nod toward the more accessible stuff they would do a few albums later. I will definitely give those five albums another listen, and perhaps someday sample that late period resurgence that you all seemed to like so much. Thanks, Joe - your commentaries on the bottom albums on the list were one of the most entertaining bits I've ever heard on this (great) channel.
To me, SY are an Art rock band. Surrealism and poetry is their bag. When they "grew up" though in the late 90s on,, they molded their tunes into a more accessible track.
I love Sonic Youth and Billy Joel. Give yourselves some time, young men
Daydream Nation is an absolute masterpiece.
Hard to say what my favorite album is; however, Diamond Sea is definitely my favorite song from them.
Sister has some of my all time favorite front and back cover artwork. Plus, it it’s easily my favorite Sonic Youth record.
Remember that scene in the movie Big when John Heard’s character is complaining about Tom Hanks character after the big presentation meeting, “I don’t get it, I don’t get it”
Jason - "I don't really listen to noise rock" - I don't know, Dinosaur Jr. gets pretty noisy at times, don't they?
True, but it’s never just about the noise with them. -Jason
Well done for making it through a difficult set of albums. There’s nothing easy about wading through SY’s entire catalogue. Extra kudos to Joe for which it must have been a somewhat painful experience. Thanks one and all! Sonic Youth always spark debate and are at the very least rarely dull but it is understandable why even those with adventurous taste can’t get into this band. However, I am firmly of the belief they are one of the greatest and most innovative bands of my lifetime. Artists who push so hard against the norms will understandably divide opinion. This is probably the video I was most excited to see.
I stopped watching the video at the halfway point as I wanted to put some thoughts down before finishing it. I could not predict any of your top 3 at this point. There’s a small chance Goo or Dirty might be everyone’s number 1 but Jason is always at the very least unpredictable. I see from the early part of the video Jason likes a latter era so it could be Sonic Nurse, Rather Ripped or The Eternal.
I am a long-time fan of Sonic Youth and was lucky enough to see them in concert soon after the release of Dirty. SY In a live setting, and at their very best, were extraordinary and the guitar interplay between Lee and Thurston was something to behold. They are one band of only a few that took my breath away when seeing/hearing them live. I would have liked to see them live during the short-lived O’Rourke period. I really love Murray Street and Sonic Nurse.
I imagine many critics are, as said by Joe, just trying to be cool when rating their records so high. I also think some are perhaps more engaged with 20th century classical music and free jazz/imrov (the European variety more than American). Sonic Youth is much less of a shock to them and easier to digest. 20th century music at the cutting edge embraced extreme forms of dissonance and atonality which can be very challenging, and I’ve seen described as unlistenable. Sonic Youth embraced these ideas throughout their career. For the most part they were much less successful with the SYR records. Approaching this band expecting neat song forms and traditional rock and roll will inevitably end in disappointment. Their mission was to subvert norms in a similar way as Stravinsky, Morton Feldman, John Cage, Ornette, Thelonious, Cecil Taylor, John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, The Velvet Underground, The Fall, Pere Ubu, and many others had before them.
Sonic Youth weren't always successful, but they pushed rock music in interesting directions and failed experiments go with the territory. SY were true trailblazers and emerging at time when guitar-based rock music was in serious need of shakeup - Pixies and Dinosaur Jr were very much a part of this too pre-grunge. It's no surprise to me that Moore cited Joni Mitchell and her unique guitar tunings as a major influence. She also broke down many barriers and norms, not only musically, but for women in music generally. She was as cutting edge and ground-breaking as anyone in my collection, even if employing a more subtle approach.
SY can undoubtedly infuriate and be more than a little self-important at times but I have the deepest respect for what they achieved artistically with reasonable consistency over many years. At the time I got into SY, grunge was if not supreme on the ascendancy - I don't have any of the big grunge records in my collection anymore, though liking much of them at the time don't care to hear any again. However, SY still sound fresh, exiting, and timeless. I know I'll still be listening well into the future.
I like EVOL and Sister through Daydream Nation and Goo. I think EVOL and Sister are two of their greatest records. Both 4.5-5 Star albums for me. Tom Violence and Expressway would easily make my top ten song list. I consider these two records early masterpieces and a band confident in the direction they're headed. One aspect that I like is their relative brevity compared to Daydream Nation which, though great, is too long so a hard slog at times. Not many diehard fans or critics would rate EVOL and Sister above Daydream Nation, but I do and will reach for them more often.
I like Goo a lot but not so much a fan of Dirty. I see Dirty as the beginning of a drop off in quality and consistency. Although Dirty has some excellent songs (Theresa's Sound-World), is a bit of a mess, has many dud songs and is poorly sequenced (their Out of Time perhaps?). The sequencing of A Thousand Leaves is a problem too and although I like the album quite a lot it is overlong, and we see the more irritating side of Kim's vocal delivery. Despite my criticisms I think A Thousand Leaves is very underrated but takes a few listens to fully appreciate. I would need to be in the right mood to sit through the whole thing.
The weak albums for me are dotted around the catalogue but in more recent years I return to the great three album run of Murray Street, Sonic Nurse and Rather Ripped. It was impressive they could come back to such consistency after the cringeworthy NYC Ghosts and Flowers. Murray Street for me is next to perfect. I rank Washing Machine quite high and consider Diamond Sea one of their greatest achievements. Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star is one of my least favourites and even prefer Bad Moon Rising over it for its weirdness. However, like all their records there are some decent songs on EJSTNS or at least interesting ideas scattered around. The Eternal never did a lot for me. A below average SY album but a far from disgraceful way to exit.
Goo was my first SY album, and despite much anti major label backlash from fans, is a very good record with some of Kim Gordon's best songs - Tunic (Song for Karen) especially - Kool Thing is fantastic too. There are a couple of duds here and there, but Dirty Boots, Tunic, Mote and Titanium Expose are all top tier SY songs. Goo is their most confident and assured sounding album. I could understand this being anyone’s number 1.
1) EVOL (1986)
2) Sister (1987)
3) Daydream Nation (1988)
4) Murray Street (2002)
5) Sonic Nurse (2004)
6) Rather Ripped (2006)
7) Washing Machine (1995)
8) Goo (1990)
9) A Thousand Leaves (1998)
10) Dirty (1992)
11) The Eternal (2009)
12) Bad Moon Rising (1985)
13) Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star (1994)
14) NYC Ghosts & Flowers (2000)
15) Confusion Is Sex (1983)
Very difficult to rank them. I could rank the top 10 in a completely different order and still be ok with it. Look forward to watching the rest of the video, Cheers!
Sorry for picking Goo. But for someone like myself, it’s pretty much a no brainer. - Joe
All good Joe. Goo is great! Nearly at the end of the video now. I was very happy to see EVOL in your top 5. You are right! There's something about the way it sounds that's very appealing. Like you say - the reverb perhaps. Much agreed re: Ranaldo too! Also, Kram is right Murray Street is a masterpiece and the best of their latter records. Could be my number one and would be if I listened to it today.
@@TastesLikeMusic Back in the day, I heard Goo and thought it was awful. I have a newfound appreciation for it now though.
You are 100% right, Evol and Sister are their best albums. They're scary good
1. Daydream Nation
2. Evol
3. Sister
15+ . Everything else
1) Daydream Nation
2) Sister
3) Evol
4) Dirty
5) Goo
6) Murray Street
7) Sonic Nurse
8) Bad Moon Rising
9) Rather Ripped
10) Washing Machine
11) Confusion is Sex
12) The Eternal
13) A Thousand Leaves
14) Experimental Jet Set..
15) NYC Ghosts & Flowers
Placing albums like Sonic Nurse and Murray Street ahead of EVOL and Sister would drive the Sonic Youth fans I grew up with nuts. They would look at you like you had three heads! But that's what makes talking about music so interesting, everyone's got their own take.
Over the years, Murray Street keeps rising for me...at this point, I probably listen to it/enjoy it more than either EVOL or Sister. Younger me would be outraged!
Murray Street is better than EVOL imo but not better than Sister. Haven’t listened to Sonic Nurse is a while but I never really loved it, I probably prefer Rather Ripped.
I am one of those sonic youth Fans that looks at them like they had three heads.😂
1. Daydream Nation
2.Goo
3.Sister
4.Evol
5.Dirty
6.A Thousand Leaves
7.Murray St
8.Washing Machine
9.The Eternal
10.Rather Ripped
11.Sonic Nurse
12.Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
13.Bad Moon Rising
14.NYC Ghosts & Flowers
15.Confusion is Sex
So, in my opinion, they were at their peak from 86 to 92, releasing 5 amazing albums. Not a great fan of their first efforts, but apart from that beginning and a couple of weak albums in the second half, their career is very solid
This was really interesting to listen to as a long time Sonic Youth fan. Definitely going to check out more episodes after stumbling onto this.
Sorry. - Joe
You definitely can see that jason and joe "just dont get" (Joe) or "just dont really get" (jason) sonic youth. Its not only about taste. Both have good taste in music. But If you dont feel what a band is about you dont feel it. When you dont get goosebumps at the beginning of "schizophrenia" , this band is not really for you. Happens to everyone.
Definitely interesting to see how people who aren't into Sonic Youth's mojo can evaluate and make an effort to find something positive about the band. For me, it's one of the most crucial bands in my music background and I can say the "Daydream Nation" is my favorite thanks to that. Before Sonic Youth, I haven't really thought that a band could sound like that: ferociously abrasive balanced with intriguing, enthralling emotions.
Before Sonic Youth I didn’t realize that bands could sound awful and still be popular. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic Hahahahahahahaha...
What a labor intensive project this must have been! For Joe, at least! I never explored beyond 'Daydream Nation' and 'Goo' because I found them compelling, but not compelling enough. There's just so much music out there, and so little time. I appreciate SY bringing Chuck D into the studio for 'Kool Thing'. Unlike the R.E.M./KRS-One colab on 'Radio Song', I felt like this one worked.
An understatement! This collaboration was totally badass, while the R.E.M. one was awkward, forced, and LAME.
I know you've heard this from me before, but I would have gotten a big kick out of seeing your album star ratings at the end of the video.
I'm a big fan of Sonic Youth, but for YOU guys to do a listography...SHOCKING
They’re an acquired taste for sure, but once you crack them they become an addiction.
I remember seeing the video for Sunday on MTV and liking it, I checked out A Thousand Leaves and stopped there, a few years later I tried getting into them again with Goo, which I liked instantly, I then bought Screaming Fields of Sonic Youth and quickly learned I’d avoid their 80s output, but a few months later I found myself becoming obsessed with the 80s material and Evol is now my favourite album, in fact, Evol, Sister and Daydream Nation became a trilogy for me, I even love Bad Moon Rising for its droning autumnal Halloween vibes, Sonic Nurse is another great album, I just love them and I understand a lot of people just don’t get them, which is fine, but when it clicks, and you realise, it’s magic. The sound of their guitars is just hypnotic to me.
Yeah I like music not noise, so this band will always be a no for me. - Joe
I'll give it a go:
15 NYC Ghosts and Flowers
14 Bad Moon Rising
13 Confusion is Sex
12 The Eternal
11 Rather Ripped
10 Experimental Jet Set
9 Dirty
8 Evol
7 Sister
6 Murray Street
5 Sonic Nurse
4 Washing Machine
3 A Thousand Leaves
2 Goo
1 Daydream Nation
Really hard to rank 1-5 as they all 5 star albums in my opinion. The best SY albums are really, really good while the worst ones are basically unlistenable.
Bad Moon Rising and Confusion is Sex are two of their best albums.
Speaking of J Mascis, I believe Teen Age Riot is about J Mascis running for president.
In 1991 I saw Social Distortion and Sonic Youth (touring Goo at the time) open for Neil Young/Crazy Horse in an arena in Atlanta. The hippies there to see Neil hated Sonic Youth and booed them mercilessly, while a few hundred of youngsters showed our appreciation. They were great and that entire show was easily one of the loudest I’ve attended.
Saw the same tour. Didn't like Sonic Youth much but read that Neil really wanted them, so, had to respect that. Pretty cool line-up looking back.
My Ranking:
1. Dirty (9/10)
2. Washing Machine (8,5/10)
3. Goo (8,5/10)
4. Daydream Nation (8/10)
5. Sister (7,5/10)
6. Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star (7,5/10)
7. EVOL (7/10)
8. A Thousand Leaves (6,5/10)
9. Sonic Nurse (6,5/10)
10. Bad Moon Rising (6/10)
11. The Eternal (6/10)
12. Rather Ripped (6/10)
13. Murray Street (6/10)
14. Confusion Is Sex (5/10)
15. NYC Ghosts & Flowers (3/10)
Good post about a very polarizing band. Looking forward to your ranking of my all-time favorite band, The Replacements!!
EVOL, daydream nation and sister are their top 3 for me
One thing I will say about the first couple albums especially - They would be great background noise for a haunted house (like the March of Dimes haunted house where kids pay to go into a house and get scared) or trick or treaters. I don't see much else use for them. But they get credit for being so darkly atmospheric.
The diamond sea rules. Joe would love the full extended 25 minute version
Bravo, fellas! Great watch. Astute and interesting comments throughout. I don't have a full SY list because, although I really like them, I only own Bad Moon Rising, Sister, and Daydream Nation. Heard many of the other albums, but not familiar enough with them to rank them, whereas Sister especially, but also Daydream Nation, were once in high rotation. I still remember when my copy of Sister arrived in the mail--ordered direct from the SST label because that's how you had to roll in rural America back then if you wanted to listen to this kind of experimental, independent label music (and I mean ordered direct as in, I sent a paper check, in the mail, with my paper order form, and received a photocopied SST catalog along with my CD in return).
I had no real idea what to expect, and when that opening drum beat, with its really sparse, almost claustrophobic sound, then that slightly dissonant but oddly melodic guitar riff took up the lead, I remember being surprised. This was not like anything I had heard up to that point in my life. I loved that song and Catholic Block immediately and still prefer Schizophrenia as a lead track to Teenage Riot. Can't say I loved the rest of the album right away, but I definitely grew to love it. So I guess I was the choir they were playing to, Joe, though I didn't know it at the time. They probably opened my mind up to a lot of other difficult music, mostly jazz, like Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane, and the Lounge Lizards, but also bands like Wire, Can, Tortoise or Stereolab. It's great stuff, but not for everyone. But hey, if you think music with mainstream popularity is made for everyone, you are wrong. Even mainstream music is directed towards an audience, with some folks on the outside looking in.
I was really looking forward to this one. Thanks so much. So interesting to hear what everyone had to say.
Gotta say, everyone but Krams is sleeping on Murray Street. It's brilliant.
Legend has it that Brian Eno coined the phrase "No Wave". He curated and produced a great LP of avant-garde NYC bands in 1978 called "No New York". It's an aquired taste, and I like a lot of Sonic Youth a fair amount, but all of these records all at once was rough...
1. Daydream Nation
2. Goo
3. Dirty
4. Sister
5. Evol
6. Sonic Nurse
7. The Whitey Album (Ciccone Youth)
8. Murray Street
9. The Eternal
10. A Thousand Leaves
11. Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
12. Bad Moon Rising
13. Rather Ripped
14. NYC Ghosts and Flowers
15. Confusion Is Sex
16. Washing Machine
It’s funny coming back to this video and looking at the negative comments. It’s crazy there’s still guys who think they’re cool for being hardcore Sonic Youth fans. In retrospect a lot of this abrasive 80’s and 90’s alt stuff is just really self conscious juvenile musicians desperately trying to appear interesting and ahead of the curve. However I do like them and especially their sound pallet. The texture of their guitars and what not, but they influenced better song writers who took their foundation and built actual fully fleshed out emotionally affecting songs around it.
I love sonic youth. I have for decades. Joe, you are right. NYC Ghosts and Flowers is the absolute worst.
1. Daydream Nation
2. Sister
3. Evol
4. Goo
5. A Thousand Leaves
6. Dirty
7. Confusion is Sex
8. Washing Machine
9. Bad Moon Rising
10. Sonic Nurse
11. Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
12. Rather Ripped
13. Murray Street
14. NYC Ghosts and Flowers
15. The Eternal
1:05:00 "Kool Thing almost sounds like a Soudgarden song" ?????
16. The Eternal
15. Rather Ripped
14. Sonic Nurse
13. Murray Street
12. Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
11. Dirty
10. Goo
9. Washing Machine
8. A Thousand Leaves
7. NYC Ghosts & Flowers
6. Sonic Youth
5. Confusion is Sex
4. Daydream Nation
3. Sister
2. Bad Moon Rising
1. EVOL
love sonic youth, sister, sonic nurse, evol are my top records. love when they hurt my ears. love kim gordons weirdness. not so much a fan of their 00's indie rock but sonic nurse hits something specific and i like it a lot.
When I think of confusion is sex, I think of Joe
Honestly you guys could do Beefheart…..
I think it just takes the right entry point for a band like this. The noise/unlistenability is all a relative thing anyway. Compared to their influences and peers like Glenn Branca, Mars, Teenage Jesus, DNA, early Swans etc, Sonic Youth are cuddly care bears. It's all about the sound, tone and aggression or whatever for me with bands like that. I don't go to them for an easy-listening ride but I enjoyed the increased combination of melody and atonality as they went along anyway. More strings to their bow.
Saying that there is a very 'sour' element to SY so I can imagine them being a difficult sell. It still causes my circuits to misfire when I see Sister and Evol ranked so low!
I think they deserve all their plaudits and
Daydream Nation is definitely one of those SIGNIFICANT American Rock Albums, in a lineage with The Velvet Underground & Nico and Marquee Moon.
I still prefer Minutemen and Husker Du personally though...
Probably come back and write an essay tomorrow when I finish the video, but just some early input here. Kudos for being a trooper, Joe. It's not an easy task for someone with your taste. Diamond Sea is probably top 3 most iconic track for them and really encapsulates everything their career had been to that point, which is probably why you didn't like it lol. These Sister placements are sacrilege.
Also, I'm not necessarily going to bat for NYC Ghosts & Flowers because it is still a weaker effort, but it was made this way because their trailer with all their gear had gotten stolen. They had to use a lot of the old gear from their early days and be a bit more minimal. That's why it sounds like that.
I would still put NYC above Confusion, Bad Moon and Experimental.
Yes, it’s their most experimental work since those first few releases, but it is so much more focused and better recorded then those. Free City Rhymes has a beautiful atmosphere and really interesting guitar syncopation. And multiple songs build to some of the best noise crescendos Sonic Youth have ever recorded.
@@EWall1498 I put it above S/T (if we count it), Eternal, and EJST&NS. It's at the same level as Confusion for me, but I've got BMR up a few more. Free City Rhymes and the title track are two of my favorite songs. It's an unfairly maligned record (thnx p4k!)
Sonic Youth ruLes.🧑🎨♾️🎸
This is 1 Band That I actually Owned Every single album.
I was so in Love with Evil, day dream nation, dirty Sonic Nurse then on my 16th birthday Rather Ripped came out and that is One of the most Beautiful Albums I've ever Heard in my Life. beginning to End
I think they’re probably the worst band of all-time. But I’m glad that you enjoy them. - Joe
A huge Dave Matthews fan will never like Sonic Youth. There is zero overlap on the Venn diagram. Joe is on the Dave side. I get that...also, sucks to be him. I’ll take screwdrivers on guitars and feedback over chimes and Kenny G sax and stupid-goofy affected rabba-dabba vocals every day of the week.
Huge? I don’t think you can be considered a huge DMB fan if you’ve never gone to a show. In any case, yes, I will take the far superior instrumental prowess of Dave and the boys over whatever Sonic Youth was doing. - Joe
I'm a Sonic Youth fan, but I agree there are a lot of "what were they thinking?"/headscratcher moments in the discog and their critical rep has always exceeded their actual output. For these reasons I think this was an eminently fair, comprehensive list. It clarified some points I've been unsure of and encouraged me to go back and listen to things again.
I'm definitely on board with the sentiment that, overall, SY were overrated by critics. But their best couple albums are not overrated. I think Daydream & Goo will stand the test of time.
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 Overrated by critics for sure. I am very happy about the treatment they received here in the Listography where people really point out what they liked and disliked about the band and I can understand all the different points of view. I do not feel like an idiot because I do not get their "genius" into my ears but am allowed to like them for what I find worth in their catalogue.
@@roxannewalsh True and that's how discussions on music should be. There's this kind of strange idea out there that being a fan of a band means you must like everything they put out and that's simply not the case most of the time.
You can't really rate Sonic Youth albums if you aren't at least somewhat of a fan. Either you are in or your out. I enjoy this channel but checked out on this episode for obvious reasons. Ha.
Love how Joe hates pitchfork stuff. So much so it's why I'm coming back to this vid. Please don't worry about comments and keep being yourself. Three, that's the magic number
Joe.... Sonic Youth sux, YES !!
I didn't really like SY until I saw them live, all 3 times they were exciting, loud, visceral and mesmerizing. I still don't listen to their albums much though.
It would be really cool if you guys could do a video on bands that are/were overhyped or bands that were predicted to save rock n´roll but never really ended up going anywhere. Great videos by the way!
My appreciation of Sonic Youth is very much contained in the 86-92 window between EVOL and Dirty. I think you guys kinda nailed it, but I would argue for a little more appreciation of EVOL and Sister. They mined something great for a while. The stuff prior was too formless and pretentious. The stuff after was that devolution you guys spoke about. Although the last couple records were decent. But there's very much a "good sonic youth window" And whilst I really love the stuff in that window - DN is a near masterpiece - I don't care much at all for the stuff out of it. Tbh I've never even been able to get through stuff like A Thousand Leaves or NYC without getting bored and turning it off
Joe awesome job staying in there man, but I would be like this with Bruce and billy joel
Looking forward to watching this later. For me, one of the hardest bands to rank once you get past the top 3.
favourite: Evol
Best: Daydream Nation
Underrated: A Thousand Leaves/Sonic Nurse
I don't really know much about this band or their music. I got to listen to their most popular song on spotify at the moment and was greatly disappointed. Is this one of these bands where you either love them or hate them?
Oh yes. I don’t think there’s much room in the middle. I can see why people would hate them. I certainly would not call myself a fan, though Goo (the album) is pretty good, even for a hater like me. - Joe
congrats to Joe for really getting out of his comfort zone and finding some good stuff in the SY catalogue! I actually saw them at LA's famous Whiskey A-Go-Go just after Goo was released (omg don't take that sentence out of context!). they were an excellent live band-something I think they rarely captured in the studio. nearly 10 yrs later, I moved to NYC and got to see them individually doing a lot of free jazz improv gigs. I actually met Thurston and Lee; both were pleasant and down to earth. I could've met Kim if only I wasn't so irrationally intimidated by her. the 2nd time I saw them (together) live was a special show in Brooklyn where they played Daydream Nation in its entirety (a rare thing for them because every song is a different alternate tuning, so after every song a roadie ran up and gave Moore and Ranaldo a new, specially tuned guitar). my fav is actually Experimental Jet Set, followed by Goo, then Daydream Nation. I would've loved to hear what all 3 of you thought of The Whitey Album, although since it was released under the name Ciccone Youth it makes sense that you skipped it. but it's the one where they covered songs by Madonna and Robert Palmer, and Mike Watt (of Minutemen fame) joins them.
Did he really though?
Have any Sonic Youth vocals ever been in key?
They do some nice harmonies on their later albums. surprisingly. Wish they did it more. - Joe
heh heh heh
One star
15. NYC Ghosts & Flowers
Two stars
14. Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
Three and a half stars
13. "Rather Ripped"
12. The Eternal
11. A Thousand Leaves
10. Confusion is Sex
Four stars
9. Murray Street
8. Dirty
7. Washing Machine
6. Sister
5. EVOL
4. Bad Moon Rising
Four and a half stars
3. Sonic Nurse
Five stars
2. Daydream Nation
1. Goo
Trivia: Including reissues, Sonic Youth is one of only two bands to have received both a 10 and 0 from Pitchfork. They received a 10 for the reissue of Daydream Nation and a 0 for NYC Ghosts & Flowers. The Flaming Lips got a contemporary 10 and 0 for The Soft Bulletin and Zaireeka respectively.
I’m glad you have NYC at 1 star. - Joe
1.Murray Street
(I think I like it so much because of Jim O’Rourke's input)
2.Evol
(I've listened to it much back in the late nineties. It's nice to see it high on Joe's list)
3.Daydream Nation
(probably it's the last SY record that I come back to from time to time)
4.Goo
5.Sonic Nurse
6.Dirty
7.Sister
8.Rather Ripped
9.The Eternal
10.A Thousand Leaves
11.NYC Ghosts & Flowers
12.Washing Machine
13.Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
14.Bad Moon Rising
15.Confusion is Sex
1 Daydream nation
2. Sister
3. Evol
4. Goo
5. Bad moon rising
6. Confusion is sex / kill yr idols
7. Dirty
8. Washing machine
9. The Eternal
10. Sonic nurse
11. Murray Street
12. A thousand leaves
13. Rather Ripped
14. Experimental jet set trash and no star
15. NYC ghost and flowers
It's my favorite band. I love their experimentalism and dissonance, what they are doing with guitars and song structure.
I prefer their first phase, the experimental no wace phase. I also like their second phase, the grunge pop phase. I don't like their last phase, the adult phase, or the "red" phase (all their albums turned red). I'm not sure if A thousand Leaves and Murray Street should be part of that, they were really good.
One of my main inspirations. I think my list goes a little something like this:
1. A Thousand Leaves
2. Confusion Is Sex
3.The Whitey Album
4. Bad Moon Rising
5. Washing Machine
6. Daydream Nation
7. EVOL
8. Sister
9. Murray Street
10. NYC Ghosts & Flowers
11. Goo
12. Dirty
13. Experimental Jetset, Trash & No Star
14. Sonic Nurse
15. Rather Ripped
16. The Eternal
Confusion is Sex is so underrated.
Wait a second, I was sure you guys had ranked Ween albums, but it looks like you haven’t? Oh my.
Man I’ve been ribbing Joe for making picks like muse and my chemical romance. But Joe I’ll give you insane props for your efforts here. I really respect that you listened to everything and did find some enjoyment. I still feel like you might say something like “sonic youth isn’t a personality” but I’m genuinely impressed at your candour here.
I’ve found that usually I have a bigger problem with a fan base than a band. I like (in some capacity) almost everything. Even some Sonic Youth!! - Joe
“They never had a gold album.” And Beethoven never got his picture on a bubblegum card. I stopped listening right there.
Beethoven has like 10,000 gold albums.
If they every tried ranking the discography of The Fall Joe would have a stroke. Please rank The Mighty Fall.
I've thought the same thing. But how would they even be able to decide what's a proper album? So many of their releases are collections of singles, b-sides, reissues, etc.
@@burmajones803 Good point. It's a mess. Even their "proper albums" have different versions. For example, for years I thought The Wonderful and Frightening World of The Fall was a double album until I learned that an EP was integrated into the original album for the CD version. Also, some of their best stuff are singles. Difficult to rank. Would be fun to see the guys give it a try anyway.
I need to tackle a Fall listography album ranking one day. I like some of their stuff but I am completely overwhelmed by their catalogue.
Joe has made pretty good observations about SY, and in the end it is always what the listener make out of it - most of what he said was right up to the point. The Fall is easier to access in my mind because it is more or less one man instead of 3 main actors there and thus the albums are more consistent. I would rather anticipate that none of the Listographers would like the Fall, they were not even American - even being from Manchester they were as far from anything associated with that origin than you could ever be.
PS - Fall were on my 2007 list (again) - for me their highest ranking albums are at 4 stars vs. 4,5 for SY but on the other hand they never made as horrible bad albums as SY could. Although no Fall album is like the other there is always a minimum of quality that was not always present with SY.
@@roxannewalsh The Fall are way cool. And I've never heard them sound "out of tune" the way Sonic Youth often is.
I’m kinda shocked at the mostly hate towards Evol and especially Washing Machine, glad Kramer stuck up for it. It’s a really vibe-y record to be sure, and I get it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I just love what it does. I’m glad y’all made the video though! I’ve always felt SY doesn’t quite get the attention they deserve, always happy to hear someone discuss them.
5. 1000 Leaves
4. Washing Machine
3. Goo
2. Experimental Jet Set Trash & No Star
1. Rather Ripped
Cool lists. I totally get why some would never get into Sonic Youth, but their influence on alternative rock and grunge can not be denied. I can't really choose between Daydream Nation, Goo and Dirty for my #1. Would be very cool to see an album ranking for Built To Spill 👍 I agree with Kramzer, that if Joe gives Goo 4 stars, there is a good chance he will like BTS, as they are more melodic yet still maintain the "alternative rock" approach.
I actually liked NYC Ghosts & Flowers. It's an odd but interesting listen. Still hard to top Daydream though.
Yes they tried something different and surprisingly after reading bad reviews I was surprised at how good it is!
Sonic Youth were one of my most loved Bands in the beginning of the nineties and even saw them live a few times. Goo and Dirty were definitely very well known among Indie Fans. I lost a little bit track of them after Washing Machine, coming back at them with "A thousand years" and "Sonic Nurse", but I really appreciate their early stuff of the late 80ies. Daydream Nation, EVOL an Sister were always my favourite Sonic Youth Records, interestingly I like Thurston Moores "By The Fire" very much.
An artist's "classic period" is called that for a reason- because that's when they were at their best. Sonic Youth's late-career albums have some decent stuff on them but ultimately they come across as boring in comparison. The best analogy I can think of would be like hearing Frank Zappa sing straight "Top 40" rock/pop fare. It might be mildly interesting but it would never go down as the reason history should remember Frank Zappa.
I’m with Joe and Jason on putting Goo at the #1 spot and giving it a solid 4 stars. In Sonic Youth’s case, more accessible and faster for them is the best for me, and I can really appreciate the sadness of “Tunic” in particular. Daydream Nation is probably a close #2 on my list - maybe just trim some of the songs a bit and it could be #1. I didn’t relisten to the entire discography recently (I felt kind of indifferent to a lot of their catalog and it didn’t really stick well in my mind overall, so ranking them is tough at the moment) but Rather Ripped and EVOL might be top 5 albums for me as well. NYC Ghosts & Flowers is the one I’d definitely put last. “Boys go to Jupiter to get much stupider! Girls go to Mars to be rock stars!” Lol whatever, Kim Gordon. 😜
I’m also glad none of you had Sister high on your lists. It’s an okay album but one that I think is super overrated by critics and fans and was never really able to connect with it.
I love Sonic Youth but I totally understand why someone wouldn’t like also. Not really the type of band you push on someone.
As a fan, I skip a lot of tracks. I don’t really love albums of theirs as much I love many of their songs though out their Career.
Yes Joe! He finally succumbs to the great Goo. I love this band so enjoyed your musings guys. In agreement with your points on Kim Gordon - always found her vocal style a lot more interesting than Thurston's.
Daydream Nation all the way for me at no.1 - I'd have Sister and EVOL a lot higher though. And Confusion is Sex bottom?! Maybe in the minority but would also put a lot higher, always liked Kim's ghostly vocals on Protect Me You.
Omissions of particular note are the following self-releases: Anagrama*****, Goodbye 20th century****, Simon Werner a disparu***1/2 (soundtrack), Slaapkamers met slagroom**1/2, Koncertas Stan Brakhage prisiminimui****1/2. SY didn't just subvert musical norms -- it subverted the music business model itself when in 1997 it started self--releasing a sizable chunk of its best material on SYR. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_Youth_discography#Sonic_Youth_Recordings_(SYR)_series
Sorry, but 'Confusion Is Sex' is a favourite album of mine. Played it all the time back in college.
People must of been worried about you
Best. Band. Ever.
Probably the worst band of all-time. - Joe
Non Sonic Youth Fans judge Sonic Youth. Interesting but sad.
Yeah I almost died listening to this BS. - Joe
One could say it's Total Trash@@TastesLikeMusic
Sister and Evol rank waaay higher for me, but generally agree with you about the snoozy late 90s-2000s period and the very early albums
I can only rank the albums I own, unfamiliar with their later stuff (Washing Machine lost me), never went back to their first 2 albums:
7. Washing Machine - seems aimless to me, a bit boring.
6. Evol - love expressway to yr skull, the rest is ok.
5. Experimental, Jet Set, Trash and No Star - some great tracks but inconsistent. I was a bit disappointed after Goo and Dirty, but I still like it.
4. Daydream Nation - great album but not my fave, maybe too long, too much Sonic Youth but at it's best, eg Teenage Riot it's awesome.
3. Sister - Love Schizophrenia, my favourite Sonic Youth track. This is a noisy and dissonant album but with great songwriting.
2. Dirty - loved this album at release. Listened to this a lot. This is nostalgia for me, saw them tour for this album as well.
1. Goo - Maybe not the best but definitely the coolest album of 1990.
I've never been a fan of Sonic Youth or that whole "no wave" movement, but I do like a couple of their songs and have always had respect for Kim Gordon -- I was looking forward to hearing Joe's take. I tried to listen to their albums in preparation for the episode but ended up skipping through most. I could only get all the way through Goo, Sister, and Murray Street. Sister was alright but I probably won't listen to it again. Goo and Murray Street I actually liked and, strange as it may be, the latter was my favorite and if I find it out in the wild, I'll add it to my vinyl collection. It just seems like it would sound really good on the turntable. Great job, especially to Joe for being mostly a good sport. Looking forward to tomorrow's lists.
After listening an entire week to almost exclusively Billy Joel, a week of Sonic Youth was one hell of a ride. Before this, I already was familiar with Sonic Youth. I knew ‘Daydream Nation‘, ‚‘Goo‘, ‘Sonic Nurse’ and several songs.
It took a very long time to get through all the albums and one album almost broke me. I had to recover my ears after that particular one. Overall I think Sonic Youth is a decent band with some great albums worth listening to, one amazing album but also a significant amount of forgettable to horrible albums.
Terrible Albums (0 Stars):
15. Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
(Couldn't think of a more fitting album title. “This album makes me question humanity.” This was what I wrote in my notes immediately after listening to this album for the first time. It almost broke me lol. ‘Quest for the Cup’ is probably their worst song. The rest is the same stuff over and over again. The album is as versatile as the animal diversity on the moon. The playing is under their capabilities and Gordon’s vocals are horrible on this one. This has to be their worst record. The first time I put an album to zero stars on a listography. I keep that historical moment in mind.)
Bad Albums (1 Star):
14. A thousand leaves
(Way too long. At one listen I almost fell asleep. ‘Sunday’ is a good tune but apart from that, there are only some pieces of songs I like. Very boring album.)
13. Confusion is Sex
(This is not good. ‘Protect Me You’ and ‘Lee is Free’ create some interesting atmosphere but besides that, there’s just noise without depth. Not my cup of tea.)
12. Bad Moon Rising
(That is one scary sounding record. Overall, it’s a bit better than the debut but still not of my liking. ‘Brave Men Run…’ is a decent song though.)
11. NYC Ghosts & Flowers
(This is probably their most unconventional record. I don’t think it is their worst album, but it severely lacks good song ideas. I like me some experimental tracks, but an entire album is a bit too much for me. Some interesting stuff on here though like ‘Lightnin’.)
Not So Good Albums (2 Stars):
10. Murray Street
(They’re getting back to form on this one. The longs songs are pretty boring though. ‘Radical adults…’ on the other hand is a cool song, as well as ‘Plastic Sun’.)
9. EVOL
(A step up from ‘Bad Moon Rising’. Some good songs on here like ‘Tom Violence’ and the beautiful ‘Secret Girl’. The rest is alright but doesn’t appeal to me that much. They did not play out their full potential yet.)
8. Sister
(No standout tracks on this one but a steady evolution into a good direction going on.)
7. Dirty
(‘100%‘ is a good song but after that it’s not that good. Kim Gordon sounds strange on this album, it will get worse on the following albums though.)
6. Washing Machine
(A big step up from ‘’’’Experimental Trash and Zero-Stars’’’’.'Becuz' and 'No Queen Blues' are great songs. Gordon’s vocals are getting better. The songwriting is alright and has at least some direction. The only thing that bugs me is that abomination of a 20min song, called 'The Diamond Sea'. There was absolutely no need for that. This song makes up more than a quarter of the whole album and it is pretty boring after ten minutes.)
Good Albums (3 Stars):
5. The Eternal
(Their last album kind of feels like a revisit of their different approaches they took from ‘Daydream Nation’ on too ‘Rather Ripped’. There are also some great songs on here like 'Anti-Orgasm' but some not-so-good also. Decent album at the end. Not the worst way to end it.)
4. Daydream Nation
(The first two songs are very strong. Possibly the most ‘Sonic Youth’ sounding songs. The songs after that are alright; I was never overly excited about this album but I acknowledge its importance for Indie Rock.)
Really Good Albums (4 Stars):
3. Goo
(This album contains all good aspects from Daydream Nation and throws in some more colour. Goo goo good album with a lot of strong songs).
2. Sonic Nurse
(Sonic Youth peak late in their career. This and ‘Rather Ripped’ are their best albums to me. The songwriting is great. ‘I love you Golden Blue’ is really beautiful. The long songs are all good here as well as the short song ‘Unmade Bed’. )
Amazing Albums (5 Stars):
1. Rather Ripped
(This was the biggest surprise in their discography. I never thought I could call a Sonic Youth record beautiful, but this one really is. Lots of great tracks on here. One better than the other. There’s still SY-typical noise stuff going on, but it is more sparsely and better placed than anywhere else. This is the perfect Sonic Youth record. Probably going into my favorite 50 albums of all time. I have a lot to say about this album, but I will end it here. For AOTY 2006 this will take 2nd place behind that Muse record.)
I needed more time for this discography than one week, especially the mid-to-late 90's stuff was dragging.
I rarely give out 5 stars. I did here. Like with Billy Joel they have one stand-out album. Interesting.
No standout tracks on Sister? You should listen to "Schizophrenia" again. Dirty has a few other really good songs besides "100%" (like "Sugar Kane" and "Chapel Hill") but overall I agree it's a step down from what had immediately preceded it.
Good list though, I always enjoy your take.
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 Listened to that again. Moores Vocals are great but I don't know about the rest. It's not bad, but not very convincing to me. I also agree that there are some moments on Dirty that are not terrible (like 'Sugar Kane') but it is not a very consistent album. That song 'Nic Fit' is horrible for example. Thank god it's only a minute long.
Not a noise rock fan?
@@bobbymcfee2974 Not necessarily, but not a hater either.
Yeah, i kinda prefer Goo to Daydream Nation. It could be because i got Goo first.
Your rankings really weird. In some cases of ears little given to difficult music. But good for tastes the colors.
My ranking is moving, like everyone else's, but the first two are immovable:
1.- Daydream Nation
2.- Evol
3.- Murray Street
4.- Goo
5.- Dirty
6.- Sister
7.- Sonic Nurse
8.- Washing Machine
9.- A thousand leaves
10.- NYC Ghost and flowers (underrated and misunderstood in its day)
11.- Rather Ripped
12.- The Eternal
13.- Bad Moon Rising
14.- Experimental Jet Set
15.- Confusion is sex
I’m honestly surprised that Kramzer didn’t give Confusion is Sex five stars. He loves noise, and he usually tends to choose a band’s noisiest and most inaccessible album as their best. Also, fun fact for Joe!: The reason NYC Ghosts and Flowers is the way that it is, stripped back, drone-y, lo-fi, harsh, is because in December 1999, Sonic Youth’s gear was stolen. So, they had to improvise! lol
Yeah, I thought if I stole all their stuff they wouldn’t be able to subject the world to their music anymore. But they just kept going. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic Hahaha! Oh Joe, you diabolical devil, you!