SONIC DEATH SIDE 1
 
THIS IS LONG OUT OF DATE - I SUGGEST READING THIS "SONIC DEATH" ARTICLE FOR THE MOST CURRENT INFO

NOTE: this was modified from a message originally posted by myself to alt.music.sonic-youth, in an attempt to get people to dig out their copies of SONIC DEATH and constructively listen... which is why it reads like more of a review than a list of facts, at times...!

SEVERAL UPDATES BASED ON THE 2006 'SONIC YOUTH' EP REISSUE APPEAR...

FULL SIDE LENGTH: 38:32

00:00 - 05:05

With the 2006 release of the self-titled reissue (and more specifically, its live bonus tracks), we can confirm the sources for several tracks on 'SONIC DEATH', including the first 2 pieces. The first five minutes are taken from the 09/18/81 performance of 'Loud and Soft', an early version of 'The Good and the Bad' w/ a different arrangement and Lee's spoken word vocals. Preserved below are my original comments.

Side one fades in with an extended version of the section in "The Good and the Bad" that sounds reminiscent of "I Dreamed I Dream". I like this instrumental very much, and the percussive melodies of the guitars on this version are really appealing. Interesting to note that Lee does some type of spoken word overtop, which is absent on the EP version. "shadows... morning sun... blades of grass..." "dark night... sunlight... twilight..." The only known performances of "The Good and The Bad" are in 1983, but it was surely played in 1981 and 1982 as well, so this recording could be from any of those years. Since the track fades in, we can't know how it began, but the song does appear to end here, which would mean it was being performed with a different arrangement than on the first EP. Total length: 5:05

05:05 - 07:16

This is also taken from 09/18/81, and is in fact an early version of "She Is Not Alone". Original comments below.

This is a completely unfamiliar piece, vaguely reminiscent of their cover of DNA's "Blonde Redhead" in rhythm, but otherwise unknown. It begins with guitars detuning, then the drums kick in. Read up on "Destroyer" -- this track does feature guitar strings tuned to slack. However, Thurston curiously sings "She is Not Alone" once at the end. In "Confusion is Next" it's mentioned that She Is Not Alone existed in an earlier form when it was first written, including Lee running a power drill thru a wah pedal (which he'd later do on the EP version of Burning Spear). Given Thurston's vocal, and the melodical nods to the finished version of "She is Not Alone", perhaps this is more likely (if this is the case, this recording is from mid 1981, at one of the band's earliest shows). And speaking of the finished version... Total length: 2:11

07:16 - 10:33

She is Not Alone, the real version. Like the previous track, it cuts out immediately after Thurston sings the title once. While the previous song is certainly one of the band's earliest recordings, this could date anywhere from 1981 - 1983. Total length: 3:17

10:33 - 12:25

This track is another unknown, sounding something like a chaotic polka. Opening with what's either very precise picking or an echo pedal, one guitar just blares forth staccato sirens of sound. Accelerated drums kick in, and a deep throttling bassline provides the rhythm for the piece. This sounds more like the material performed by the early Sonic Youth line-up at the Noisefest '81, actually. Total length: 1:52

12:25 - 17:02

Another rendition of "The Good and the Bad". It's just as good as the first one, though infinitely more violent. It's still not the complete song, but we get to hear Thurston's spacious bass slides on this take, leading us into the song's rhythmic breakdown. Lee again provides his voice, though it's extremely buried. He appears to be doing more fluent spoken word as if reading from something, rather than just listing things off as in the previous version. The song breaks off into Thurston's bass slide section as on the EP, instead of just ending during the percussive part like the first version on this side did. It's faded before the groovy bass jam part. Total length: 4:37

17:02 - 19:15

Next is an amusing version of "The World Looks Red", chipmunk style. With the tape sped up, the song is the first (and one of the few) to appear on Sonic Death in full. There's even some high-pitched applause at the end. Total length: 2:13

19:16 - 20:25

This is also from 09/18/81, the breakdown in 'The Burning Spear'. Of course!

In a segment lasting from 19:16 til 20:25, 1 minute and 9 seconds, there's a strange riff that repeats incessantly, with a screwdriver humming away while the bass and drums play off each other in a riff reminiscent but not quite identical to "Confusion is Next". There's another guitar there though, and Confusion only has one, so it's difficult to say exactly what this is. "Repetitive, but intriguing!" Total length: 1:09

20:26 - 23:46

Following something that may or may not be related to it, is Confusion is Next. Beginning with a strange artificial locked groove of sorts, they do play the entire song (one of the few complete songs on this lo-fi compilation). Lee even gets some screams in at the end. This could be from 1982 or 1983. Total length: 3:20

23:47 - 25:16

This portion is an evolutionary glance at "Inhuman": Lee strumming his zither pre-song (I think) followed by Thurston's introduction, a snippet of the blazing riff, and the monster coda with Thurston screaming his lungs out demonically. Total length: 1:29

25:16 - 26:16

Next is a short one minute sample of what I imagine is Thurston slowly playing the riff to "I Wanna Be Your Dog" while Lee tunes in the background. Somebody shouts "We're coming!". I like this segment a lot, it's very surreal sounding. Towards the end a European radio (?) presenter begins speaking (it's hard to say exactly what this is -- the band a spent a fair amount of time in Europe in 1983). If somebody could translate this for me, I'd appreciate it. Probably from the same show (or soundcheck?) as "Inhuman". Total length: 1:00

TRANSLATIONS COURTESY OF JB. THANKS!

in the first side, just after the 20:26 – 23:46 “confusion is next” , a french radio presenter says low : “...c youth, concert en direct” translate: (...c youth, live concert)

In 25:16 – 26:16 portion, after the slow riff of “I wanna be yr dog”, the same french radio presenter says: “ voilà le concert en direct est presque terminé...quelques..quelques détails encore à vous donner: demain soir Sonic Youth sera donc au centre de loisirs ( sounds like grantakoné, phonetically ), avec en première partie ( phonetically it sounds like marylin manson )”

translate :

“so the concert live transmission is almost ended ...some..some details to give you: SY will be in concert tomorrow night at the “centre de loisirs”(leisure house?) grantakomé (phonetically, cos it’s hard to hear exactly) with, on first part (a name of group sounds like marylin manson-i think it isnt him!).

the 30:21 – 33:39 part begins with the same radio presenter : “...ex, the sonic youth, toujours Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Rananldo et Bob Bert......la deuxième partie du concert en direct de sonic youth...”

translate :

« …ex, the SY, always KG,TM,LR and Bob Bert…the second part of the live concert transmission of SY… » then starts “Burning Spear”.

PRESUMABLY FROM UNKNOWN FRENCH 1983 RADIO BROADCAST.

26:17 - 27:35

This is basically the sound of what is either Lee's zither or him picking strings behind a screwdriver, accentuated by big thunderous chords and pick scraping. Total length: 1:18

27:36 - 29:28

After this, is what sounds to me like the end of She's in a Bad Mood, really extrapolated, with odd chime noises and really eerie flute style hums. If only the full performance had been included... You can hear Thurston (?) say something to someone around 28:52 ("all you have to do is turn up our amp ??"). It really doesn't sound like there's much of a crowd, this and the few tracks preceding it may have been from a soundcheck source (or just an empty house, or a good board tape). Total length: 1:52

29:29 - 30:20

From 29:29 until 30:20, we're treated to a snippet of Shaking Hell, 51 seconds of shrieking hail. This would be from '82 or '83. Total length: 0:51

30:21 - 33:39

The next part begins with a foreign introduction of the band (w/ Bob Bert, definitely from one of the 1983 European tours), followed by an energetic and -- better yet -- full version of Burning Spear. The breakdown features extra vocals by Thurston, some of which can be discerned as: "i feel your soul ... and i can't wait to meet my fate with the burning spear and the baby's breath becuz the cross on my back is sonic death" Total length: 3:18

33:40 - 38:31

The end of the first track is a long brooding passage that is probably based around "I Wanna Be Yr Dog", only far noisier -- nearly five minutes with no vocals or any direct path. Crowd cheers, though! There seems to be more than one guitar on this, which is unusual for "Dog", though. Sounds like it closed the show, in any case. Total length: 4:51

COMPLETE SONG ALERT!

The following songs appear in full on this side of "Sonic Death":

"The World Looks Red" -- 17:02 - 19:15 (sped up)
"Confusion is Next" -- 20:26 - 23:46
"Burning Spear" -- 30:21 - 33:39