| State of Confusion | |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | the Kinks |
| Cover: | KinksStateofConfusion.jpg |
| Alt: | joey |
| Released: | 24 May 1983 (US), 10 June 1983 (UK) |
| Recorded: | September 1982 – March 1983 |
| Studio: | Konk Studios, London |
| Length: | 41:20 (LP) 51:21 (cassette) |
| Label: | Arista |
| Producer: | Ray Davies |
| Prev Title: | Give the People What They Want |
| Prev Year: | 1981 |
| Next Title: | Word of Mouth |
| Next Year: | 1984 |
State of Confusion is the twentieth studio album by the English rock group the Kinks, released in 1983. The record features the single "Come Dancing", which hit #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was one of the band's biggest hit singles in the United States, equaling the 1965 peak of "Tired of Waiting for You". The album itself was a major success, peaking at #12 on the Billboard album charts. The album was certified gold in Canada by August 1983.[1] It was the last Kinks album on which drummer Mick Avory appeared as a full member of the band.[2]
While there have been at least 7 reissues of this album on CD in various countries (all with 4 bonus cuts), none of them have issued the extended "Come Dancing" 12-inch mix on CD (which contains an extended horn ending), which to this day is only available on vinyl. In addition, the extended 12-inch version of "Noise" has never been released on CD and is only available on vinyl. The UK 12-inch version of "Bernadette" has differences, including extra lyrics by Ray in the middle section.
The album was recorded between September 1982 and March 1983 at Konk Studios, London, and was produced by Ray Davies. It was recorded during another period of turmoil for the band, as Ray recalled:
"Long Distance" and "Noise" were only released on cassette versions of the album. In 1984, "Long Distance" was released as one of the two B-sides on the "Do It Again" single in Germany (the other being "Guilty"). The song then appeared on both the LP and CD editions of the 1986 compilation album Come Dancing with The Kinks as the 13th track on the LP version and the 11th track on the CD version. Since then, it has made an appearance on the compilation album Picture Book and the box set, The Arista Years.
State of Confusion saw acclaim from American critics. Rolling Stone commented, "Nobody but the Kinks could have made such a record in 1983, and no band deserves more to be at the very top, which is where this LP ought to place them".
The track "Long Distance", which only appeared on the cassette version of the album, has generally received positive reviews from critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic retrospectively praised the track as "wistful pop", and went on to call it a "terrific obscurity". Rolling Stone critic Parke Puterbaugh hailed the song as "astonishingly Dylanesque", and went on to say that "there's no excuse for omitting ['Long Distance' from the LP version of ''State of Confusion'']".
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