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Sonic Youth- "Confusion is Sex/Kill Yr. Idols"
released 1983.
Sonic Youth, at this time, were:
Kim Gordon- vocals, bass
Thurston Moore- vocals, guitar
Lee Ranaldo- vocals, guitar
Jim Sclavunos- drums
Bob Burt- drums
Track Listing:
"(She's in a) Bad Mood"
"Protect Me You"
"Freezer Burn/I Wanna Be Your Dog"
"Shaking Hell"
"Inhuman"
"The World Looks Red"
"Confusion Is Next"
"Making The Nature Scene"
"Lee Is Free"
"Kill Yr Idols"
"Brother James"
"Early American"
"Shaking Hell" (Live)
before becoming alt-rock icons, before marriages and children, the Youth were a struggling young noise loving art-rock group from New York with empty pockets.
their first LP (depending on whether or not you consider the self titled EP the first BRUISE PRISTINE :p) , which was joined at the end by an EP of theirs ("Kill Yr Idols") to become one full album, is a hard find, and to the casual listener, a difficult listen. but when one learns to appreciate it, this record is a gem.
----"(She's in a) Bad Mood"
this track starts out with cold, chilling sounding distorted guitar that sounds as if it were over-tuned to the point of near-breakage. then driving bass jumps in, along with howling, swirling distorted noises courtesy of the guitars.
Lee sings on this track, and uses his signature calm, mellow, deep voice to contrast the chaos in the background. 3/5
----"Protect Me You"
a song sung by Kim. this song is very low tempo, and has some cool chiming guitar noises to start the track off. this song really makes you picture a black-and-white scene of a creepy playground with little children of the corn everywhere. good song, but a little repetitive. 3.5/5
----"Freezer Burn/I Wanna be Yr Dog"
a cover of an old Iggy and the Stooges song. it begins with ambient sounds ("Freezer Burn") and suddenly in a hiss of hellish feedback, it jumps into the upbeat "I Wanna be Yr Dog" sung by Kim. it almost sounds like a live recording, but i thinkit was recorded in maybe a garage or bedroom. good track. 5/5
----"Shaking Hell"
very good song. starts out immediately with machine-like guitars that almost sound like an engine of a tank. then everything drops out but a jangling guitar and a pounding drum. then Kim begins singing. the lyrics are really cool:
take off your dress, i'll shake off your flesh, i'll shake off your flesh, I'LL SHAKE OFF YOUR FLESH!"
very good song. 5/5
----"Inhuman"
it begins with shrieking sounds and a dancing bassline than sounds like buzzing bees. then the bass begins driving the song and the guitar begins the main riff. then Thurston jumps in with distorted vocals. great song, very chaotic and it uses imagery very good with the sounds and noises. 5/5
----"The World Looks Red"
my favorite on this CD. i love it. it begins with thumping bass, and a shiny, spacey sounding guitar riff that sounds like a keyboard. i believe it's one of Lee's Jazzblasters:
http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/eq/gtr78c.jpg
with the pickup under the bridge, so he can get that strange strummy sound. this song is sung by Thurston, and is very upbeat and outlandish. i love it. a must listen. 5/5
----"Confusion is Next"
a very psychedelic, dizzy sounding song. and did Thurston just say "Sonic Tooth"? it picks up though, with the drums and all, and gets better. not a highlight of the album, but in no way a bad song. 3/5
----"Making the Nature Scene"
great song. almost as good as "The World Looks Red". a cool tribal drum line, and a groovey, yet creepy guitar riff. Kim's singing on this is very cool. very very good song. second best song on the album. 5/5
----"Lee is Free"
a noise soundscape track, it sounds as though it's a bunch of guitars being tuned up and down over and over. well done for a noise track though. unlike "Scooter and Jinx" off Goo, this noise-scape sounds like it has more of a purpose, like you could actually dub it over a scene of zombies rising out of their graves or something. 3/5
----"Kill Yr Idols"
a very punky song. i love the crazy weird guitar work in this. my only complaint is Thurston's voice, it sounds too fake, like he's forcing it. but it's nothing to get worked up about. this song is great. 4/5
----"Brother James"
some cool, robotic guitar work in this. it sounds like a swarm of mechanical bees. Kim's shouted singing is very cool in this song. she definitelty breaks the stereotype of powdered up, soft voiced female singers with her work on this CD. with her loud gritty voice, twisted subject matter, etc. very good song. 5/5
----"Early American"
this song is meh. it begins with bending noises and rolling drums and keeps that up for a while. then it all drops away and then it leaves Kim singing over some crackly guitar sounds. it would be a better song if it didn't stretch out so much on nothing. but its still an ok song, and doesnt hurt the album. 3/5
----"Shaking Hell" (Live)
very cool. i love this. it almost sounds industrial. i think there are other instruments incorporated into this, such as violins and the like. it sounds like a more industrial version of the original. i love it. 5/5
so there we go. if you are an SY fan, and you spot this at the record store, BUY IT. it is an extremely good find. keep in mind though, this album is not for everyone. this is an album for the open minded listener, interested in hearing something completely strange and new. i'll give 2 ratings.
for the casual listener: 1.5/5
for the open mind: 4.5
| other reviews of this album |
altron2095 (4.5)
A period of maximal violence conveyed through song. Open-tuned guitars and lumbering rhythms embody ...
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[QUOTE=Iai]looozer had this dibbed! :eek:
Good review though. Plus, that guitar is sex.
I like the vaguely elitist rating system.  [/QUOTE]
well looozer's too slow :angry:.
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[QUOTE=Iai]He has a big avatar though. :p
Off-topic - how come you haven't been online so much recently?[/QUOTE]
recent computer suckage due to spyware.
and now that we've put up a pop-up blocker to block whatever gave us the spyware, AIM is considered a pop-up too, so i cant go on AIM.
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Actually Confusion Is Sex, was SY's second LP. They released a self-titled album in '82. As for the record itself I do have to agree that it is a gem, I can't find anything wrong with this album, but even with that said it is still second best to Bad Moon Rising. Which IMO was SY at their best.
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[QUOTE=bruise_pristine]Actually Confusion Is Sex, was SY's second LP. They released a self-titled album in '82. As for the record itself I do have to agree that it is a gem, I can't find anything wrong with this album, but even with that said it is still second best to Bad Moon Rising. Which IMO was SY at their best.[/QUOTE]
well, the self titled was more of an EP.
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[QUOTE=sr800bkBassist]well, the self titled was more of an EP.[/QUOTE]
Some may consider it as one, but Sonic Youth have always said Sonic Youth was their first album.
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fine, fixed .
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Sr800bkBassist the most accommodating member on mx.
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[QUOTE=Iai]I hear ya.
AIM IS spyware though. It installs WildTangent and Viewpoint Media Player with itself - both notorious spyware programs.
/stops spamming review[/QUOTE]
what exactly do those do?
:confused:
oh, and looozer. just to be fair, you can take the Murray Street review if you want. but if you don't, i will very soon .
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[QUOTE=bruise_pristine]Sr800bkBassist the most accommodating member on mx.[/QUOTE]
And the blackest.
Great review, by the way. I now want this album.
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Haha, I didn't call dibs on anything. I was just saying what I would be reviewing if I felt like getting around to it. And apparently my reviews do not fit the format. I don't care to give things a 4/5 rating, because that's rather limiting in my opinion.
Go ahead and do Murray Street. Nobody likes my reviews anyway, or at least nobody responds to them... well barely anybody. Rolling Stone sure doesn't agree with what I consider to be good albums, but then again, what do they know?
Anyway, this is an excellent album. The first time I picked it up, I thought "what the **** is this?!" I skipped to the next track, and the next track, and the next track before listening to the familiar "Kill Yr Idols." The thing is, this album is NOT catchy at all. Some songs draw you in using melodies and riffs that are in a particular key and somewhat regular. Confusion is Sex uses atonality, variation, and. If you think present era, 90s, or later 80s Sonic Youth is experimental, you will be wowed. This sounds like a completely different band. This is something that takes some getting used to. You also have to be in the right mood to listen to it. It has a dark, brooding mood to it, which borders on psychotic at times. I would recommend this to everyone to buy, but I don't think this a record that just anyone could appreciate. It takes a certain type of person to like this record. You know who you are, I don't. Give it a whirl if you are intrigued by new sounds (even though these sounds are 21 years old, and not as unique within more specific contexts than music as a whole).
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[QUOTE=looozer]Haha, I didn't call dibs on anything. I was just saying what I would be reviewing if I felt like getting around to it. And apparently my reviews do not fit the format. I don't care to give things a 4/5 rating, because that's rather limiting in my opinion.
Go ahead and do Murray Street. Nobody likes my reviews anyway, or at least nobody responds to them... well barely anybody. Rolling Stone sure doesn't agree with what I consider to be good albums, but then again, what do they know?
Anyway, this is an excellent album. The first time I picked it up, I thought "what the **** is this?!" I skipped to the next track, and the next track, and the next track before listening to the familiar "Kill Yr Idols." The thing is, this album is NOT catchy at all. Some songs draw you in using melodies and riffs that are in a particular key and somewhat regular. Confusion is Sex uses atonality, variation, and. If you think present era, 90s, or later 80s Sonic Youth is experimental, you will be wowed. This sounds like a completely different band. This is something that takes some getting used to. You also have to be in the right mood to listen to it. It has a dark, brooding mood to it, which borders on psychotic at times. I would recommend this to everyone to buy, but I don't think this a record that just anyone could appreciate. It takes a certain type of person to like this record. You know who you are, I don't. Give it a whirl if you are intrigued by new sounds (even though these sounds are 21 years old, and not as unique within more specific contexts than music as a whole).[/QUOTE]
aight, i think i'll start on Murray Street tomorrow. and hey, your Goo review kicked arse.
and to the second paragraph, totally agreed.
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This is by far the best SY album, and probably always will be. Fantastic record, one of my favorites.
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[QUOTE=SubtleDagger]This is by far the best SY album, and probably always will be. Fantastic record, one of my favorites.[/QUOTE]
hahahaha, actually, it was you that gave me the idea to do this one, after seeing your posts in other SY reviews, i decided to review this one.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I've decided to reveiw this album because of the weirdly experimental vibe to it which i love.
At first i cringed as i listened to it:
I was tired, and i wasnt a big enough fan of Sonic Youth.
But after some advice, i listened to it again, again and again. I then loved it. To the creepy (She's in a bad mood) to the more upbeat Kill Yr idols.
Sonic Youth are (At this point in time):
Thurston Moore - Guitar and Vocals
Lee Ranaldo - Guitar and vocals
Kim Gordon - Bass and vocals
Jim Sclavunos - Drums
Bob Bert - Drums on I wanna be your dog and Making the Nature scene.
This album is in two parts, the Confusion is sex LP and the Kill yr. Idols EP.
Confusion is sex
1. (Shes in a) Bad Mood
2. Protect me you
3. Freezer Burn/I wanna be your dog
4. Shaking Hell
5. Inhuman
6. The world looks red
7. Confusion is next
8. Making the nature scene
9. Lee is Free.
Kill Yr. Idols
1. Kill Yr. Idols
2. Brother James
3. Early American
4. Shaking Hell (Live)
Ill start with confusion is sex:
1. (Shes in a) Bad mood
One of my faveourites, a very creepy song, like most other songs here. It starts with some clanging then a good build up. Lyrics are repetive but it doesnt matter to well because of the way the song is pulled off. A good opener for an eerie album.
4/5
2. Protect me you
Another creepy song that starts with the same repetive dinging. Not too much else but Kims dark vocals, that sound almost like a sing song. Probably not as good as Bad Mood but its still dark, which keeps the albums reputation.
3/5
3. Freezer Burn/I wanna be your dog
The experimental gloomy start is rather different from the other part of the song. It starts out gloomy then at 1:39 (Or something) goes into the cover of the stooges song. It was recorded live and would probably sound better at a studio. Still good, but i think the Freezer Burn part is better.
3/5
4. Shaking Hell
Another one of my faveourites here. It starts out very upbeat, continuing well from the previous track. Then it drops into another dark, depressing song. The "Ill take of your dress, ill shake of your flesh" part i like the most.
4/5
5. Inhuman
Another good track i like. Starts off with noise, a bassline then a voice (Thurston with a voice transformer??" singing. Catchy but the "Complete inhuman part" goes a bit off beat, which in the end adds to the experimental edge.
4.5/5
6. The world looks red
Probably my faveourite here, with a good bassline to start off. My favourite part is the "Da dadadada da dadada" part. Its hard to explain but really catchy. Repetive lyrics but ultimately really good.
5/5
7. Confusion is next
Another of my faveourites. Really experimental feel to it as Thurston (Or lee, hard to tell) almost wines the lyrics. The end part really speeds up with the same lyrics and the main line here seems to be "Sonic tooth". Don't ask.
3.5/5
8. Making the Nature Scene
My second favourite song on the Confusion is sex part. It goes a lot like the world looks red, just slower. Theres actually a message here. I think its about puberty, otherwise i got the wrong message :p . A really enjoyable song which strays from the dark vibe. Good bass and slamming drums.
5/5
9. Lee is Free
And here we go back into the eerie part of the album. I think some sounds are made by wine glasses being tapped and running fingers along them. No lyrics here but i really enjoy the gloomyness of it all.
4/5
Kill Yr. Idols
1. Kill Yr. Idols
Another good opener to the Kill Yr. Idols EP (Included on every version of confusion i think). Catchy riff and upbeat. Much like Confusion is next, there is another sonic term used here: "Sonic Death". I like the loose drumming style, the snare drum sounds good here.
5/5
2. Brother james
Not at all a let down of the first song here. Still catchy but a little darker. Kim sings on this one and its a really decent rocker. Goes a bit more towards the eerie vibe of the whole album.
4/5
3. Early American
Back to the more experimental feel of confusion is sex. Mostly instrumental, but still has Kim on vocals in parts. Its a longer song than most but i dont listen to it too much.
3/5
4. Shaking Hell (Live)
I actually prefer the studio version, mainly because of the sound quality here. The start riff changes a little here and Kims voice strains a bit more. The problem:
The drums still go into the "Ill take off your dress, ill shake off your flesh". Still enjoyable, but i cant help feeling it was a bit of a filler.
3/5
Ovarall, on the first listen, you will most likely dislike this album. But i recommend you listen to everybit of every song. Get to know each song well and i garuntee you will enjoy this album and other Sonic Youth albums a lot more. Ovarall i give the Whole two albums:
2/5 on first listen
4/5 After listening to it more :thumb:
If there are any problems or you have already reveiwed this albums, please notify me.
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sr800bk actually, but the effect is much the same.
Threads merged, sorry.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I knew someone did it before me! Sorry dude. Good reveiw, mines very similar to yours even though i havent read it until now. You must of posted the reveiw a day or something before i did. What rating would you give each song, just for comparison?
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[QUOTE=Shadowed Reflection]I knew someone did it before me! Sorry dude. Good reveiw, mines very similar to yours even though i havent read it until now. You must of posted the reveiw a day or something before i did. What rating would you give each song, just for comparison?[/QUOTE]
your review was good too.
i think i'll add song ratings to mine, yeah.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Thanks. Most of our ratings were similar. Shaking hell is one of my favourite songs but i think it could of done without the start part. Should of started with freezer burn instead of be your dog. But thats my opinion, and, according to looozer, it sucks.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Wow it's been a while since I did that review.
What a shit review I did.
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There should be like, a good review for this.
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