Listening to every Sonic Youth album in chronological order, pt. 1
THE ITINERARY:
- Confusion Is Sex (1983)
- Bad Moon Rising (1985)
Confusion Is Sex (1983)
Certainly Sonic Youth in a less song-y mode. The first two tracks are plodding and dirge-y. It's all very, very creepy and hypnotic. "Protect Me You" sounds a lot like "We Will Fall" from The Stooges' first album. "The World Looks Red" has a sort Gang of Four/Medium Medium vibe. "Lee Is Free" is a total wildcard on this album but also super amazing.
Rating: 4/5
Favorite track: Confusion is Next
Bad Moon Rising (1985)
Much more listenable than Confusion is Sex. By now, it seems like Sonic Youth's songs have become marginally more song-like, but they're still very repetitive (in a good way) and the vocals are still more spoken than sung. I just wish there was more to a lot of these songs than weird guitar, sparse percussion and drawled/spoken lyrics about who-knows-what-but-probably-something-spooky. "Death Valley '69" seems like it could be their first attempt at a song with a somewhat more conventional structure.
Rating: 3/5
Favorite track: Death Valley '69 (W/ Lydia Lunch)