by Sonic Youth
Released June 26, 1990 via DGC Records
Reviewed June 25, 2020
Top tracks (based on community voting)
Kool Thing (47%), Dirty Boots (43%), Disappearer (23%)
Materializing around the time that grunge and other forms of alternative rock broke through the mainstream, Sonic Youth’s sixth studio album solidified their greatness amongst both indie heads and mainstream listeners. Arguably the band’s most accessible work, Goo expanded upon their noisy, avant-garde sound by incorporating more topical songwriting. Focusing on female empowerment and pop culture critiques, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore deliver defiant commentary over instrumentals that sound simultaneously primitive and artistically groundbreaking. – Dominick (10/10)
Sonic Youth was consistently shattering expectations people had of them and the genres of music they found themselves in. Not only were they able to be avant-garde and experimental, but they were able to show the masses that this music had staying power and could reach a wide audience. Goo showed the world that noise rock had a place on the radio, in the masses, and in pop culture history. While it showed that alternative could be mainstream, it continued to prove their musical genius by sticking to their guns while fleshing out a new side to their sound that made them more accessible. It’s a walking contradiction, but one that holds weight even until today. – Jared (10/10)
Sonic Youth's first major label record (released on DGC Records) and commercial breakthrough, Goo, bridges the gap between their early material—sprawling, atonal and dissonant—and the coming of their somewhat more accessible, conventional 90's output. That's not to say that Goo is a complete departure from the tumultuous aspects of Sonic Youth, as there are plenty of left turns throughout the record's runtime, but there is an air of ‘hitting the big-time’ about it as a more polished approach is adopted. This record can be seen as a blueprint for underground acts taking that step into ‘the business'. The ultimate Kool. – Peter (8/10)
Dominick: 10/10 | Jared: 10/10 | Cam: 9.8/10
Hadley: 9/10 | Alan: 8.5/10 | Peter: 8/10
