What Sonic Youth album should be my first?
 

Hey Everyone,

I just now joined this forum because I need some help: I'm needing some new music to listen to. I've been familiar with Sonic Youth's material since I was a teenager (late eighties/early nineties), but I have never actually bought a Sonic Youth album. I'm now ready to take that step. Any suggestions as to which one would be good to start with?

What kind of music do you tend to listen to?

Goo or Sister

Daydream nation, it'll be just like your teenage years.

Sister or Goo.

The self-titled EP/mini-album, then Confusion is Sex, then Bad Moon Rising, etc, etc, etc.

*Don't be a pussy, do it chronological. Plus, the early albums DESTROY.

Goo worked very well as a first album me a few months ago

Goo, Dirty and the more recent Rather Ripped are probably the three most commercially accessible albums.

start with sonic youth ep reissue like someone above said. you know you must get all the albums eventually so start at the beginning and go chronologically. get a new one each month...

I started with Goo. Rather Ripped is probably a good starter. Sister is probably my favorite SY album though.

I've only learned to appreciate the early albums much much later. I started with Goo and Dirty (in '92 or so), then slowly got the others in no particular order. In fact I only actually own Bad Moon Rising and Confusion Is Sex today ;)

Like neptuneg says, it depends on your general music taste. I'll recommend either Sister or Day Dream Nation, as I guess thety are their trademartk albums. But I'll probably recommend another one if you ask me tomorrow

Just buy one - buy two or three even, it doesnt matter. I you really shouldn't be asking me or anyone because everybody gives different answer. I finally managed to turn one of my friends onto SY - and though I'd always mention how fucking amazing Sister and EVOL were now and then when we'd talk music I'd suggested studd like Rather Ripped and Goo or whatever - easier stuff to ease him in. Those albums didn't do it for him, though then he did listen to Sister around my house the other day sharing a bottle jagermeister (I am so damn cool) and now he's a fan... So yeah it's very much one of these cases that you can lead a horse to water. You've got to find it for yourself.

i'd say get the early stuff, either confusion, the ep, BMR or EVOL.
or maybe buy a couple, to show a kind of evolution. i might go for:
sonic youth ep, bad moon rising, daydream nation, goo, a thousand leaves and SYR 3.

i started with confusion is sex, then went to sister, then daydream, then experimental, then bad moon rising, then a thousand leaves, then self-titled, then dirty, and then i stopped listening to them for a while because dirty was fucking terrible... then i went back and listened to the rest.

start with sister.

You should begin with Daydream Nation, I think it's the better album to begin

Daydream Nation .

I just recently got into Sonic Youth (like maybe 3-4 months ago) and this is the order I've gone in so far: Daydream Nation, Sister/Goo/Dirty (all at once because I loved DDN so much), Sonic Nurse, The Whitey Album, EVOL. I was into and loving DDN and Goo right away, but the rest all had to grow on me. Especially Sister and EVOL. I definately wouldn't call Dirty "terrible", out of the albums I've bought it's probably my second favourite after Daydream and fairly accessable too.

So DDN, Goo, and Dirty are good choices. Sonic Nurse is accessable too but it was hard for me to get into at first because it's quite a bit more "produced" sounding than their older stuff. EVOL and Sister are great, but you might not love them right away. The Whitey Album was a side project, so don't put it high on your priority list. It's entertaining, but their best work is as Sonic Youth.

start from the beginning:

Sonic Youth ep.

go chronologically, it's the only way. enjoy the journey AS THEY DID.

have you decided which one yet?