Sonic Youth: Confusion is Sex/Kill Yr Idols EP

Release Year: 1983

Tracks:

1. (She's 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

10. Kill Yr Idols

11. Brother James

12. Early American

13. Shaking Hell (Live)

Lineup:
Thurston Moore
Lee Ranaldo
Kim Gordon
Jim Sclavunos

Bob Bert (only tracks 3 and 8)

General Commentary:
This album really dives head first into the crazy. The cover art, the album and song titles, the lyrics, and the bizarre compositions all make this a really fucked up album. Of all their work, this is the one that is the most disturbing. You'd have to be a little bit off your rocker to tolerate most of this.

That being said, it plays as a really nice mood piece. It's not a record that I revisit frequently, but I enjoy it every time I do listen. As with their next couple albums, it is nice to fall asleep to on low volume. There's a lot going on atmospherically here as well. The songs play out like horror movie scenes and are truly creepy. There are moments of pure and epic genius on this record--it's just a little too much to be taken in large doses.

This album succeeds where it fails. It's perfectly fucked up with an unrelenting vision, but too fucked up to be listened to without really changing the mood of the listener.

The addition of the Kill Yr Idols EP to the cd version made this much stronger. The original without it would have been severely lacking without those hard hitting numbers.

Top Five Moments:
1. The opening cacophony of "Inhuman". Moments later Thurston rap/singing "ah ha ah ha ah ha."
2. Kim's vocal delivery on "Brother James".
3. The bass line (played by Thurston) on "Making the Nature Scene".
4. The opening to "Shaking Hell".
5. The melody on "The World is Red"--it sounds like a real song!

Personal Connection:
I don't recall buying this record. I'd assume I bought it soon after Sister and Evol, as I worked backwards one by one through their catalog (with the exception of their first album). This album took me quite a while to get into--actually I never really got super close to it. There are moments that, listening to it now, I remember feeling very disturbed hearing, but it seems long gone.

I do remember blasting "Brother James" several times in college. That song is a great one to piss off the neighbors. It remains one of my favorites.

And there was a concert--somewhere in Ohio, I think, and Wolf Eyes was playing their last show with Sonic Youth. I knew "Inhuman" would be played with the freaks from Wolf Eyes that night at the end of the show. Sonic Youth had done it with a couple other bands a couple other times on that tour. Jim had played accordion--it was a real freak show. Unfortunately, Wolf Eyes had a van break down and couldn't make it to the show, so no "Inhuman". It still remains probably the song I most want to hear live that possibly could be played live.

Overall Grade: (5.7) I feel like this album should get a higher rating once in a while. I really have to be in a mood to listen to it. At those times, it's one of their best, but the moments are few and far between. This album does shed light on what would be to come on the next release--this is far crazier and weirder (horror movie style) than Evol, but Evol has a transcendent magic this one didn't quite reach. It feels immature next to their later stuff.

Track By Track:

1. (She's in a) Bad Mood (5)

This song is one of their weaker album openers. I can't say exactly why it doesn't do it for me, but I've never drawn close to this song.

I like the opening build up--it draws you in and has a lot going on. The lyrics are really flat when they come in, though. Thurston's poetry here seems rather teenage--though the song could have been spooky and freaky, it feels like it's trying too hard.

Live, I'm sure this song would totally destroy.

2. Protect Me You (6)

This song wins simply for sounding like a horror movie feels. Definitely the creepiest song on the album--Kim delivers the vocals perfectly. The bass line keeps the song together--structurally, it's rather simple, but the pacing and build up are magnificent.

"I'm fourteen. There's nothing to do." It doesn't read like much, but with Kim's vocals, it sounds epic.

All the same, I don't listen to this song much. I should, but it doesn't have the effect that it should have.

3. Freezer Burn/I Wanna Be Your Dog (4)

This is a tough one to review. "Freezer Burn" is a droning, wavering, minimalist tremor. There's not much to it. It's cool and freaky, but more dissonant noise than song. "I Wanna Be Your Dog" is a hard hitting Stooges cover. I love Sonic Youth's cover of this song (done better in other recordings)--Kim improves upon Iggy's howl and somehow makes it her own.

The best part of the song is the leap from "Freezer Burn" to "Dog". I jump every time. I guess that's the point.

4. Shaking Hell (6)

This song has some of the most disturbing lyrics of any Sonic Youth release. The whole song feels like childhood trauma relived--very troubling imagery.

"She's finally discovered she's a 'you told her so'".

There is probably a time in every girl's life when she realizes she is looked at as a sex object to men. The most disturbing aspect of it would probably be to notice that grown men are looking as well as peers. This song seems to recall that feeling.

5. Inhuman (9)

This is my favorite song on the album--it shows off what Sonic Youth do best. It's weird, the rhythm is asymmetrical, the guitars full of scronk, and the lyrics totally deranged.

"My body is a past time

My mind is a simple joy

I learned my lesson

The hardest way

But you don't know me

But you don't know me

A complete inhuman"

The word "inhuman" has been important to me because of this song and Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer. I almost got it tattooed on my arm when I was living in France. Thank god I didn't.

I see this song as a denouncement of the human existence--much like the one Henry Miller made. Alongside the race of humans lives another--the inhuman ones. This song defines Sonic Youth's early career as they found moderate success through their unabashed confidence to create their unadulterated musical visions.

6. The World Looks Red (6)

I used to really like this song simply because it had a logical structure and melody. This is the Sonic Youth that would appear later--a more sensible and structured version.

I could imagine a non-fan getting into this song. I'm sure it plays well live. There's nothing too spectacular about it aside from it's peculiar logic (as compared to the rest of the album).

7. Confusion is Next (2)

This song has always really bugged me. Thurston's vocal delivery sounds rather down syndromey. The lyrics are terrible, and I hate that "Sonic Tooth" is the chorus. The tempo shift mid song is unnecessary.

I'm not sure what they were going for here, but this one is a dud. This is one of my least favorite Sonic Youth songs.

8. Making the Nature Scene (7)

Kim said at a concert that this song is about the prostitutes she used to walk by in New York. I was thrilled when I heard this as it put some pieces in place lyrically.

The song is quite simple--Kim belts out the lyrics in a slightly ridiculous fashion, but it totally works. The noise segment in the middle is great also.

I've seen this one a few times in concert--it's always a high point. I love Kim's dance moves and the look on Thurston's face as he plays the bass. I even saw him break a string once--tough to do on a bass.

"Unity is not taught in school" has been a long time favorite lyric.

9. Lee is Free (4)

This song is ok for what it is--a sort of noisy sound collage. Many interesting things happening, but it's not really my taste. Lee apparently recorded this on his own in his home. As with much of the album, it works solely as a mood piece. An odd way to end the album proper, though.

10. Kill Yr Idols (7)

"Kill Yr Idols" hits real fucking hard. There's a dig on Robert Christgau the rock journalist. Some weak rhymes, but the unrelenting drive of the song forgives all sins.

I'd have to imagine that this song was really easy for them to write and play. Though there's not much to it--the sheer intensity makes it slightly epic.

"Kill Yr Idols" became a semi-popular t-shirt phrase after Axl Rose began wearing it in the early nineties.

11. Brother James (9)

This is one of the most abrasive songs I've ever heard. The opening build up is perfectly crafted and leaves me with a feeling like I'm getting punched harder and harder in the gut but won't quite go down. Kim's vocals are the best she's ever done. I wish she'd have this approach more often rather than the whisper/sing or speak/sing she does on the next couple albums.

I'd have to guess that this song is about her brother--she's brought him up in later songs as well. He also appeared on a popular flier they used around this time. This is a grandiose pissed off romp, and whoever is on the receiving end of it sounds like a real bastard.

"Take my hand you might as well/We're going straight to hell"--my favorite lyrical moment probably on the whole album.

12. Early American (3)

This is another slow drifter--more structured than "Lee is Free", but rather meandering. As much as I'd like to be the Sonic Youth fan that appreciates their oddball tracks as much if not more than their structured stuff, I just can't do it.

Kim sounds like Nico on this one--this happens once in a while. As with many tracks on this album, I'd appreciate them a great deal at certain moments, but they just don't come up very often.

The last minute of this song is quite well done.

13. Shaking Hell (Live) (6)

A great live version of this song. They resurrected it not too long ago--I saw them do it at the Double Door on the Rather Ripped tour.