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Daydream Nation

Daydream nation improves once again. After SST helped launch Sonic Youth forward, much gratitude from fans, THANK YOU!, Sonic Youth disconnected with SST and signed with Enigma/Capital/EMI. Ok fine, whatever, this album follows suit to EVOL and Sister, with a comitted blend of semi-pop song structure and it's unique to form experimentalism. If you like Sonic Youth, this is a must have in your collection. -- "Congrats"!

Tonight is my first exposure to any Sonic Youth album.

My interest in wanting to discover this band first came six years ago when playing an old Playstation game called Silent Hill (released in 1999). Supposedly there's some references to this band in that game.

Now, while I was going to school in the late 90's, I don't recall anyone mentioning this band at all. I suppose maybe this was due to the band not being popular enough back then, and therefore didn't catch on and simply couldn't be cited as a major influence to the alternative rock and the hardcoe punk genre.

Perhaps just living in a small town all my life made Sonic Youth unknown among everyone I went to school with.

Either way, it's nice this band is getting some recognition these days. I'm personally not a huge fan of their songwriting, but influence is influence, and this is simply something that *cannot* be denied.

Anyway, after further exploring other bands on the internet, I discovered a few message boards with people I trust (trust enough for music recommendations I mean- hey, this *is* the internet after all).

For years however, I ignored the determination of these posters. They tried extremely *hard* to get me to check out Sonic Youth, and I just kept putting it off time and time again. I guess I figured I like the Pixies, and there's no way Sonic Youth can live up to that bands standards of songwriting... and my gut feeling turned out to be true (for the most part).

This album is definitely different from other late 80's albums, I'll give it credit for that (a TON of credit actually). I don't like the songwriting like I mention above, but at least this album stands apart from the pack. Except for maybe the Pixies, I can't think of another band that sounded anything like this back in the late 80's.

"Teen Age Riot" is definitely weird. Maybe I just can't get into it, but it feels like the vocals are quite repetitive. "Silver Rocket" sounds like an attempt to recapture the glory days of the Stooges, but misses the mark completely as far as raw energy is concerned. It's too smooth and, to be honest, it DOES sound commercial (even though technically it's not).

I can't say I've ever heard vocals lines like the ones featured on "The Sprawl". They repeat a lot, but they *work* so I enjoy them. "Cross the Breeze" has some really good guitar playing, and maybe this is just a coincidence but certain parts of the guitar work remind me of the old German experimental rock band Can.

"Eric's Trip" is quite strange and possibly a song that might grow on me more one day, "Total Trash" has a decent melody, "Hey Joni" actually DOES sound like something from the late 80's (such as the Smiths perhaps, but not a WHOLE lot), "Providence" is just flat out strange (in an appealing way) and "Candle" is pretty good.

I have a hard time describing these songs because the album isn't really THAT diverse. It would take me several more listens to separate each one of them.

I will say this though- while the songwriting doesn't blow me away, I can see this album growing on me in the future. If it does, the rating will go up to a 4 out of 5.

Sonic Youth doesn't leave me speechless like so many of the creative and diverse bands before them, but they hold their own and dish out some quality songs from time to time, and their influence is without a doubt the major reason they should be remembered. -- it's decent

If you're one to follow along with the music critics and read those painfully subjective "Best Albums of all Time" lists, chances are you have seen "Daydream Nation" listed pretty high on some of them. Sonic Youth have always been a critics' darling, and at times it's difficult to understand why. If you listen to Sonic Youth prior to "Daydream Nation", you'll find a complex, almost confusing catalogue of songs crafted around what is essentially noise - feedback and distortion are featured quite prominantly in a number of SY's songs, and although there is no denying the originality and uniqueness of this approach to songwriting, it is certaintly an acquired taste.

"Daydream Nation" still features these destortion-laden tracks, but they no longer feel as formless or frustratingly complex as they once did. On the contrary, SY managed to merge this once chaotic sound seemlessly together with both structure and melody, and the results are nothing short of staggering. It is obvious from the very beginning of "Teen Age Riot" that you are in for quite an experience. The fast-paced, energetic guitar riff and snare rim clicks that follow Kim Gordon's dreamy vocal introduction is, for me, one of the single most amazing musical moments I've ever experienced, and it always manages to bring a smile to my face. Although "Teen Age Riot" is, without a doubt, the greatest song off this album (it's just the greatest song period), the remaining 13 tracks are still worthy of your undivided attention. "Silver Rocket" is a fantastic high-energy number that shows you that this album has no intention of slowing down. "The Sprawl" features some amazing guitar work from Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, and "Cross the Breeze" is a testament to the dynamic nature of the album itself, beginning with a beautiful, slow-paced guitar riff just before transitioning seemlessly into a fast-paced punk rock track.

Another thing that makes this album great is the fact that every member is at the top of their game. Thurston Moore, as usual, delivers the best tracks available on the album - Teen Age Riot, Silver Rocket, Total Trash, but the other members definitely hold their own. Lee Ranaldo is a force to be reckoned with, and he is better represented here than on any other SY album - tracks like "Rain King", "Hey Joni", and, one of the highlights of the album, "Eric's Trip", demonstrate his enormous skill as a songwriter. Even Kim Gordon shines on tracks such as "Kissability" and "Cross the Breeze". And of course, one of the greatest elements of SY is the tremendous skill of Steve Shelley, who's high-energy and innovative drumming provides the fuel that pushes these tracks along.

As is obvious, I have nothing but praise for this album. Not only is this Sonic Youth's most accessible work, but it is, without a doubt, their greatest accomplishment. That being said, I say this as a huge fan of indie and alternative rock. This album is NOT for everybody (the exception being "Teen Age Riot" - every person on the planet should hear that song), and I would use caution before purchasing it. If you are a fan of indie or post-punk, then by all means get Daydream Nation. I would even recommend it to those who are simply curious and want to expand their musical borders - Daydream Nation and Sonic Youth opened up a whole new world of music for me, and despite the many wonderful artists and albums I have discovered since my first listen of Daydream, I still find myself returning to it again and again. The fact is this is simply one of the greatest albums ever made, and as long as people continue to listen to music with guitars, this album will always have a place. -- Daydream Nation - Noise Perfected

After listening to this album a bunch of times over the years, I've come to the conclusion that Sonic Youth is a grossly over-rated band. I downloaded a couple of their others recently (Sister & Dirty) and they seemed about the same to me. I'd probably enjoy them more if it weren't for the exaggerated credit that they have been given--they are described as "groundbreaking", when they are in actuality a typical art rock band treading on familiar territory. Their droning riffs sound similar to Joy Division and other bands of the early eighties; their much-ballyhooed guitar effects are not very different from the feedback and distortion that other musicians had messed around with for 20 years; their vocals and lyrics are their weakest points--they sound like spoiled brats trying desperately to sound subversive. In spite of all this, they are kind of fun to listen to and they do play together well, with a distinctively fat sound--but I wish people would be a bit more judicious with their praise.
-- Okay, but not deserving of the hype