Suicide - The First Album

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Anyone have this one? What do you think?

― Frankie Teardrop, Saturday, 19 June 2004 19:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I was there in 1974 at the first Suicide practices in a loft in New York City.
I was working on the organ sounds with much patience.

― JaXoN (JasonD), Saturday, 19 June 2004 20:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I was there in 1968 at the first Can shows, in Cologne.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Saturday, 19 June 2004 20:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I was there in 1877 when Edison perfected the phonograph.

― jaymc (jaymc), Saturday, 19 June 2004 20:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I was there when I bought and was subsequently extremely disappointed by the Suicide album.

― Josh Anomaly (josh_anomaly), Saturday, 19 June 2004 20:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I was there in 12000bc when strongo hulkington banged a stick against a rock. I said, don't do it like that, you'll never make a goatskin.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Saturday, 19 June 2004 20:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I was there last night when ur bird had my nob in her mouth. I said 'don't do it like that, you'll never make me come in your mouth and little dribble down ur chin'.

― scg, Saturday, 19 June 2004 20:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh yeah? well I was there in a garden and a talking snake made my girlfriend eat an apple and our imaginary friend got mad at us and made us leave.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Saturday, 19 June 2004 20:28 (twenty-two years ago)

"I was there when I bought and was subsequently extremely disappointed by the Suicide album."

Why is that?

― Frankie Teardrop, Saturday, 19 June 2004 20:30 (twenty-two years ago)

i was there in 2005 when the next person who said 'i was there when...' was soundly beaten around the head.

― stirmonster, Saturday, 19 June 2004 20:49 (twenty-two years ago)

it wont take a year

― astroblaster (astroblaster), Saturday, 19 June 2004 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

i was there in 2004 when i proved myself right

― astroblaster (astroblaster), Saturday, 19 June 2004 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

i was there in 1980 when i emerged from my mother's vagina

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Saturday, 19 June 2004 21:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I should hope.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 19 June 2004 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I was there when I wrote this post.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 19 June 2004 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Goddamn poseur.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 19 June 2004 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I was there when I struck this pose.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Saturday, 19 June 2004 22:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I was here BEFORE you wrote that post, you poseur! mwawawawawwhahahaahahahahahah

― Indie Fuxor (AaronHz), Saturday, 19 June 2004 22:43 (twenty-two years ago)

But I wrote my post about before you wrote your post just now.

So THERE!!!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 19 June 2004 22:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I was going to post that post before you posted it, but I realised it would never work.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Saturday, 19 June 2004 22:59 (twenty-two years ago)

first suicide album - classic

this thread - dud

my post - NNGnngngdggngndG

― sherm, Saturday, 19 June 2004 23:05 (twenty-two years ago)

well, I invented the internet.

― Al Gore (AaronHz), Saturday, 19 June 2004 23:15 (twenty-two years ago)

WE'RE ALL FRANKIES

― are 'friends' electricsound? (electricsound), Saturday, 19 June 2004 23:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I wish there was a live DVD of some of the old shows where Alan Vega would go crazy and break shit and terrify the audience.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Saturday, 19 June 2004 23:26 (twenty-two years ago)

g.g. alan vega

― are 'friends' electricsound? (electricsound), Saturday, 19 June 2004 23:28 (twenty-two years ago)

from what I've heard GG was worse.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Saturday, 19 June 2004 23:30 (twenty-two years ago)

"we're all lying in hell, eeeaaayyaaaagghgh!"

anyone heard the rollins band cover of 'ghost rider'? awful, just awful.

― sherm, Saturday, 19 June 2004 23:46 (twenty-two years ago)

― Disco Nihilist (mjt), Sunday, 20 June 2004 00:45 (twenty-two years ago)

"We're all Frankies ..... .. adskfl;ajs. .... we're all lying in hell .... asdhoawheiheh"

Greatest line evah.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 20 June 2004 02:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic, if only because 'Cheree' is the second prettiest thing ever recorded. (After Dream Baby Dream, obv).

― minolta (minolta), Sunday, 20 June 2004 02:31 (twenty-two years ago)

"I was there when I bought and was subsequently extremely disappointed by the Suicide album."

Why is that?

Because I learned that the brilliance of Suicide is confined to its concept. Two guys, electronics, punk rock, on paper it's full of promise and in execution it's a droning, caterwauling, boring mess, and not in a good way. With, yes, the possible exception of "Cheree" which is a gem.

― Josh Anomaly (josh_anomaly), Sunday, 20 June 2004 19:15 (twenty-two years ago)

How is it a mess? I actually think the songs are pretty "tight" compositionally. The production isn't super hi-fi (I actually like the sound of this record) but it surely isn't a "mess."

― Tim Ellison, Sunday, 20 June 2004 20:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I have no problem with the production. Composition is pretty minimal so there's not a lot to fuck up there either. All that's left are Vega's vocals; uncontrolled, indulgently dramatic and punctuated by jarring shrieks. This pretty much ruins the record for me. Add the disappointingly ordinary lyrics and there's really not much left to like. I'd probably like the record more if it was instrumental.

― Josh Anomaly (josh_anomaly), Sunday, 20 June 2004 20:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"Frankie Teardrop" is, intentionally I'm sure, one of the funniest songs of all time.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Sunday, 20 June 2004 20:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, intentionally funny.

"Vega's vocals; uncontrolled, indulgently dramatic and punctuated by jarring shrieks." That's part of the humor of the record.

― Tim Ellison, Sunday, 20 June 2004 21:41 (twenty-two years ago)

For me, anyway...

― Tim Ellison, Sunday, 20 June 2004 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

good winter-time album; walking through the city, surrounded by dirty piles of melting snow - nice soundtrack

― 6335, Sunday, 20 June 2004 22:50 (twenty-two years ago)

It's great to listen to at night while trying to fall asleep. Very unsettling.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 21 June 2004 02:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Why are the guys in those urban tales always called Frankie or Jimmy? What if they were called, say, Duncan? Or Brian?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Monday, 21 June 2004 02:13 (twenty-two years ago)

'We're all Duncans' - see what I mean?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Monday, 21 June 2004 02:14 (twenty-two years ago)

WE'RE ALL COLINS!!

― are 'friends' electricsound? (electricsound), Monday, 21 June 2004 02:15 (twenty-two years ago)

A Jim, a Frankie, a Vinnie can have a blue collar existential crisis in America. A Colin, a Duncan, a Brian can only hope for a role in a Hollywood romantic comedy.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Monday, 21 June 2004 02:17 (twenty-two years ago)

It's enough to make you want to murder your family.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Monday, 21 June 2004 02:18 (twenty-two years ago)

they were almost as good as ARE Weapons.

(anybody remember them???)

― Disco Nihilist (mjt), Monday, 21 June 2004 02:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Say it louder and enunciate, I'll let ya know.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 21 June 2004 02:50 (twenty-two years ago)

It's great to listen to at night while trying to fall asleep. Very unsettling.
-- latebloomer

What have you got against sleep?

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 21 June 2004 02:52 (twenty-two years ago)

It's the album I'd probably name if I was forced to in a "POO best album ever, no going back, you can never listen to anything ever again, ever, ever. I mean it this time." thread.

Which means, in real terms, that it (and Metal Box, and A Christmas Gift For You) are the only albums that are never out of my mental 'Top 10 albums' list.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 21 June 2004 08:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it's great. Does anyone rate the second album as highly?

― Hayden Nicholls (Pop the Weasel), Monday, 21 June 2004 10:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't!

― Tim Ellison, Monday, 21 June 2004 13:36 (twenty-two years ago)

"What have you got against sleep? "

i'm afraid the scary man with knives for fingers will get me!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 21 June 2004 14:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Second album grew on me, I now love it dearly.

― Sean Witzman (trip maker), Monday, 21 June 2004 14:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm a Colin

― coco, Monday, 21 June 2004 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

whenever i listen to suicide, i listen to this twofer i have of the first two albums, and i never really feel like hearing diamonds, fur coat... after the first album ends. i think the desire to hear suicide for me is a desire to hear ghost rider and cheree and jonny. maybe if i spent more time with the second album alone, id develop more of a taste for it. i think the songs are good, but it just lacks the simplicity and starkness that characterize suicide as a group for me.

― peter smith (plsmith), Monday, 21 June 2004 14:41 (twenty-two years ago)

"Fast Money Music" is a pretty good song on that 2nd album.

― Tim Ellison, Monday, 21 June 2004 14:54 (twenty-two years ago)

stole it off kazaa a while back and feel in love with it. bought a vinyl copy of it and fell further in love. i love the space in this album. it's simultaneously huge and claustrophobic, droning and jittering. it'll make you laugh. it'll make you cry. it'll make you come out of the theatre wanting to conquer the world. it's definitely my pick for top romantic comedy of the year.

― Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Monday, 21 June 2004 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

i hated the second one when i first heard it. but when i got the double cd of it, mostly for the early rehearsal disc which is awesome, the second album grew on me. anything past that one is kinda bad. the only other suicide cd you need besides the two double ones is the "half alive" cd or roir, some great live recordings on there, most of which sound very different than the studio stuff.

― sherm, Monday, 21 June 2004 15:17 (twenty-two years ago)

does this have something to do with that Nick Hornby CD/book that came out?

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Monday, 21 June 2004 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

This is going to ruffle some feathers but I say fuck Nick Hornby, man.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 21 June 2004 16:03 (twenty-two years ago)

love the second album over here.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 21 June 2004 16:34 (twenty-two years ago)

This is going to ruffle some feathers but I say fuck Nick Hornby, man.

I'm not too familiar with the guy or his writings, but I listened to that CD and it was mostly godawful. All middle-of-the-road tunes with glossy productions and forgettable melodies... the only saving grace was teenage fanclub's presence on it, but the songs he chose would not have been my picks at all. he railed about the Suicide album, saying [to paraphrase], "what's wrong with happy, upbeat music? our society prizes whiny, moaning, negative music like this instead of warm and happy music."

I think there's something to be said for that, despite the fact that I happen to listen to a lot of what some people might call "negative" music. yet, when I listened to his song selection to demonstrate his point, I was left completely unmoved, even shocked by Hornby's mediocre and boring tastes.

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Monday, 21 June 2004 17:01 (twenty-two years ago)

hes a douche - i was just reading at lunch today about his belief that music outside some traditional rock canon is unlikely to make anyone feel good about their lives, or something. there are like 5 fights i wanna start with that opinion...

― peter smith (plsmith), Monday, 21 June 2004 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't point out too often what a cock cadet Nick Hornby is.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Monday, 21 June 2004 22:02 (twenty-two years ago)

the first album is fucking amazingly classic beyond words. the second one is utterly bah and boring.

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 21 June 2004 22:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Ditto in reverse. I love the second album beyond words. OK the first one is not boring, but i only like a couple songs on it, Cheree and Ghostrider most of all.

― sucka (sucka), Tuesday, 22 June 2004 08:29 (twenty-two years ago)

not one mention of sigue sigue sputnik on this thread. i used to read stuff where sputnik were constantly compared to Suicide. then i heard a track on Ross show. glad i stuck to the fun-n-tacky sputnik records. but there are times i do feel i should investigate this band more. but tow people i know have bought their albums due to the legendary status and within a mtter of 24 hours thrown the albums back at the record shop demanding money back. so i have yet to succumb ..

― mark e (mark e), Tuesday, 22 June 2004 08:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Both albums are about as great as it's possible for albums to be

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 22 June 2004 09:57 (twenty-two years ago)

g.g. alan vega
well the stories go that they did provoke mobs, riot, fights with audiences, sacre blah .. a line was crossed.
the same line as t~g ? both bands arounf the same time, using volume, repetition w/"uptight" sequencing and heavy synth noises no one in the audience had heard before ?
those stories make me think of those unlucky "bad" first-time stand-up comedians getting no mercy from ruthless ny audiences hungry for more broadway

― george gosset (gegoss), Tuesday, 22 June 2004 18:08 (twenty-two years ago)

you were there when ? got any stories about gigs spilling ? is it all true ?

― george gosset (gegoss), Tuesday, 22 June 2004 18:09 (twenty-two years ago)

my favourite song is the last one on the first album
(and i'd rather not actually type that word here)

― george gosset (gegoss), Tuesday, 22 June 2004 18:10 (twenty-two years ago)

five months pass...

Mute have snuck out deluxe re-issues of the third and fourth albums now, with a live disc included with each one. Time for a re-appraisal?

― haitch™ (haitch), Tuesday, 21 December 2004 05:16 (twenty-one years ago)

the second album is really great.

what are the third and fourth?

i've been listening to vietvet offa collision drive a bit lately. i prefer it to frankie but its not as funny.

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 21 December 2004 08:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Whenever I hear 'Frankie Teardrop' I always picture Alan Vega singing the song while sitting in a public toilet, having a really rough time of it. It really interferes with my enjoyment of the song.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 21 December 2004 08:38 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.mute.com/data/360471.jpg

http://www.mute.com/data/394714.gif

Apparently Why Be Blue? is "an upbeat, hedonistic affair"!

― haitch™ (haitch), Tuesday, 21 December 2004 09:21 (twenty-one years ago)

diamonds fur coat champaign

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 21 December 2004 09:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember... Incredible love....

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 21 December 2004 09:40 (twenty-one years ago)

"Viet Vet" is genius, it's like a movie

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus, Tuesday, 21 December 2004 10:27 (twenty-one years ago)

well, its long enough to be one.

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 21 December 2004 11:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Didn't Marcello end up becoming Nick Hornby? Not a bad move, Hornby movies have a good strikerate

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 21 December 2004 11:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Not in a BAD way, just a "yay for cheerful/affirming rock" way, I like NH fine anyway

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 21 December 2004 11:09 (twenty-one years ago)

haha...what?

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 21 December 2004 11:09 (twenty-one years ago)

'A Way of Life' is an incredible record, managing to be utterly bleak and defiantly life-affirming at the same time. Perfect for it's time. Picks: 'Rain of ruin' and 'Dominic Christ' Played it obsessively for months when it came out. Big production, but it really works.

I was told to avoid WBB at the time, by people who's opinions I respect enough that I still haven't got round to it.

Alan Vega's solo 'Power on to Zero Hour' from around the same time is a masterpiece.

― Soukesian, Tuesday, 21 December 2004 20:58 (twenty-one years ago)

eight years pass...

did we have a poll for this? can't find it if so. god it's great.

― piscesx, Wednesday, 25 September 2013 01:20 (twelve years ago)

It's unpolleable - you have to play it from beginning to end.

― Mark G, Wednesday, 25 September 2013 09:44 (twelve years ago)

FRANKIE'S DEAD!!! *screams*

― Neil S, Wednesday, 25 September 2013 10:21 (twelve years ago)

"We're all Frankie! We're all going to Facebook!"

― Mark G, Wednesday, 25 September 2013 10:24 (twelve years ago)

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