Where is the Love: Suburbs - 'Credit in Heaven' (1981)

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I've never heard anyone mention this album in discussions of post-punk/pop/etc. music. While I can't say that it's a mindblowing record, it is certainly accomplished and very enjoyable, and I think it stands as a quenessential encapsulation of many intersecting patterns of the period. It's equal parts American popcraft, post-Disco dancepunk, bits of shardy guitar and disco-funk liquid basslines, with nice pop touches of dramatic piano and sax, and neo-garage-punk/DIY organ lines, and hints of a romantic Europhilia. I hear a lot of bands that get a lot more play/talk--everything from Talking Heads to XTC to the Lounge Lizards to Elvis Costello to Orange Juice to Japan to Bowie, all with a certain Midwestern casualness. Is there some reason this album is rejected, or is it just overlooked?

― I.M. (I.M.), Saturday, 6 August 2005 13:00 (twenty years ago)

Overlooked, probably. It's not that Midwestern stuff that isn't punk-straight-up isn't talked about, but compared to, say, reverent tales of early Huskers or Placemats (or even, going south a bit, the Embarassment), all I ever heard about re: the Suburbs was a mention in one of the Trouser Press guides.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 August 2005 13:04 (twenty years ago)

All I ever heard by them was "World War III" on the Trouser Press ROIR cassette.* That was a looong time ago, but I think that was a pretty good song.

* http://www.moorestevie.com/press/tptape.html

― todd (todd), Saturday, 6 August 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

I must admit I've never even heard this band at all. I remember them from this great sortof special A to Z encyclopedia issue of the magazine Creem. Anyone out there remember Creem magazine? They had this A to Z of New Wave issue or whatever it was called. And that special issue of their mag was soooo helpful to me. I had just discovered college radio and that mag really helped me get familiar with the terrain of what was out there. The Stranglers were in there, and XTC...many others, and The Suburbs. It ended up that I used the mag so much that the front and back covers came off I can't even remember what they look like now! But still it stayed stapled together, a great help to me. I wonder if I still have that thing. Anyway, but I've still never heard The Suburbs. I feel bad about that, but the radio station just never played them.

― The Spiderwebbed Wilderness (Bimble...), Saturday, 6 August 2005 17:50 (twenty years ago)

Or am I wrong? Was it Trouser Press? Damnit I thought it was Creem. I can't seem to remember which it was, now.

― The Spiderwebbed Wilderness (Bimble...), Saturday, 6 August 2005 17:51 (twenty years ago)

I almost forgot about it till I saw this thread--I wrote a feature on the Suburbs for Creem in '86, I think.

― Dave Segal (Da ve Segal), Saturday, 6 August 2005 20:22 (twenty years ago)

if it's so interesting why is it not on the 1981 box set, hmm?

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Saturday, 6 August 2005 20:29 (twenty years ago)

Maybe I'm hoarding all the Suburbs love and should let some of it out into the daylight, blinking and confused. One of my hidden treasures, and also reported to be a mind-numbing live show. (I was, sadly too young for anything other than the reunion shows, which were OK).

The one thing non-MPLS/STPL types might have heard by the Suburbs is "Love Is The Law", which had some amount of non-regional success. WARNING: "Love Is The Law" should not be considered indicative of the overall sound of the Suburbs, who arguably didn't really so much have a consistent sound. Which is all the more charming, I think...

― John Justen (johnjusten), Saturday, 6 August 2005 20:55 (twenty years ago)

I thought they were on the box set. The 'Briefcase' anyway. Got to thinking about it when trying to move them up into the main discs.

― I.M. (I.M.), Saturday, 6 August 2005 21:23 (twenty years ago)

Here, you tell me if this track deserves to move up to the mixes:

http://s53.yousendit.com/d.php?id=7CEO8XXOPDOG2DZFU9ZU9HC00

― I.M. (I.M.), Saturday, 6 August 2005 22:34 (twenty years ago)

I checked, I have yr whole set and the briefcase in my iTunes and did a search but it wasn't there.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Sunday, 7 August 2005 02:21 (twenty years ago)

Dave Segal - are you the one who wrote a review recently about a band called Wilderness? If so, I'm the one who wrote an email about it earlier today. Though my new moniker actually has nothing to do with that, I'm afraid.

― The Spiderwebbed Wilderness (Bimble...), Sunday, 7 August 2005 02:28 (twenty years ago)

Dave Segal - are you the one who wrote a review recently about a band called Wilderness? If so, I'm the one who wrote an email about it earlier today.

Yes, for The Stranger. If you sent the email to my work address, I won't see it till Monday.

― Dave Segal (Da ve Segal), Sunday, 7 August 2005 21:00 (twenty years ago)

When I saw what the sleeve looked like for this Suburbs record, I got a really weird feeling because I KNOW for a fact I have held the vinyl of that in my hands at least once in my life and studied that LP sleeve with my very own eyes.

It's even available on CD. Who knew?

― The Spiderwebbed Wilderness (Bimble...), Sunday, 7 August 2005 23:49 (twenty years ago)

I remember The Suburbs very well, having met them and wrote about them in the 80's for my colege newspaper. They've got an archived article that I co-wrote here:

http://www.suburbsfan.com/news/subhavingfun.jpg

'Credit In Heaven' was widely considred the high point of the 'Burbs recordings, though I think I liked the debut 'In combo' better.

Mildly interesting trivia: The Suburb's guitarist Beej Chaney now owns the legendary analog recording studio (The Band, Johnny Cash, The Byrds, etc.). Mark Knopfler recorded his most recent CD there, and named it after the studio.

― AZbroose, Sunday, 21 August 2005 19:03 (twenty years ago)

I remember The Suburbs very well, having met them and wrote about them in the 80's for my colege newspaper. They've got an archived article that I co-wrote here:

http://www.suburbsfan.com/news/subhavingfun.jpg

'Credit In Heaven' was widely considered the high point of the 'Burbs recordings, though I think I liked the debut 'In combo' better.

Mildly interesting trivia: The Suburb's guitarist Beej Chaney now owns the legendary analog recording studio (The Band, Johnny Cash, The Byrds, etc.) Shangri La. Mark Knopfler recorded his most recent CD there, and named it after the studio.

― AZbroose, Sunday, 21 August 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

Chan Poling of the Suburbs played piano on Replacements' "Sixteen Blue". I still haven't gotten the Suburbs CD in the post yet and it's been long enough. Oh well, maybe tomorrow. I wish someone would believe me when I say I know for a fact from memory that there were Suburbs ads in Trouser Press that featured this album.

― The Spiderwebbed Wilderness (Bimble...), Monday, 22 August 2005 04:42 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I remember ads for that record.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 22 August 2005 06:49 (twenty years ago)

And I own "Love is the Law," and my ex owns "In Combo."

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 22 August 2005 06:50 (twenty years ago)

http://www.twintone.com/minies/8125.jpeg

I got it in the mail today and I gotta tell ya, I'm completely smitten with this. It reminds me of another long forgotten 80's band from D.C. called 9353 just because it's so quirky and unique, yet it often manages to be strikingly beautiful at the same time. It almost flirts with ska sometimes, too. I love how the vocals don't really overpower the whole thing, they're more like just another instrument. Just a very unique band, not quite like anything else. And what's with the wah-wah 70's Theme-From-Shaft guitar sound on track two? What an interesting thing to put in there. I'm a sucker for the gorgeous piano of "Ghoul of Goodwill", too. Post-punk bands who used piano - I mean how many of those are there? Not too many. I can see myself playing that song several times in a row without tiring of it.

Well my guess is the CD includes more tracks than the original LP did because there's 17 tracks spread across 2 CD's.

I've been listening to a lot of new (old) stuff lately, seeking the next new thrill, well I think I've just found it.

― The Spiderwebbed Wilderness (Bimble...), Monday, 22 August 2005 22:54 (twenty years ago)

This album is a Gang of Four/PIL lover's post-punk dream come true.

Did I mention that piano is involved?

― The Spiderwebbed Wilderness (Bimble...), Tuesday, 23 August 2005 23:44 (twenty years ago)

I've found it to perfectly dance that line between British arty/dancey post-punk and post-Talking Heads upper Midwestern American proto-indie. Like an upper-tier Crepescule band with no hang-ups about the goodness of songcraft.

― I.M. (I.M.), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 02:04 (twenty years ago)

Also, I think it was a double LP. Sort of silly that it's also a double CD (being only one hour long, total). But it's one of those rare albums that deserves to be "CD length".

― I.M. (I.M.), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 02:06 (twenty years ago)

Definitely weird that they're not mentioned amongst the best Minneapolis bands more often.

― I.M. (I.M.), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 02:15 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, but standing in the shadow of Replacements/Husker Du is a tough position (I think some Replacements stuff is probably as good as The Beatles, frankly). Besides, Suburbs were obviously as you say an artier lot - probably not as much along the lines of what most U.S. folks wanted to hear at the time as their peers were. Still, their obscurity in the scheme of things still surprises me. Almost like it was just some strange destiny. I can think of other U.S. bands that sounded just as weird as them that I heard way back when with no problems: Voice Farm, Human Sexual Response...it really doesn't make much sense why they got ignored on the scale they did.

― The Spiderwebbed Wilderness (Bimble...), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 03:16 (twenty years ago)

Ooooh, yes, you've got the "Credit" love, right here! Desert island disc for me, not because it's "the best" anything, but because this band, and this record in particular, were the soundtrack of my young adulthood. John Justen's comment about mind-numbing live show OTM in more ways than one; so much beer, so much sweat, so much energy was expended by band and dancers. I remember removing still-wet clothes and lying in bed, ears ringing, unable to sleep after yet another night of their idiot voodoo, a volatile combination of spastic Talking Heads funk, Roxy Music artiness and Iggy Pop self-abuse.

I think part of the reason they are overshadowed by The Huskers/Replacements is that they were really two different scenes, and many of the "real" punks actively disliked the Suburbs' crowd. Westerberg's "everybody's dressin' funny" line in Color Me Impressed could very well have referred to The 'burbs vintage sportcoats, skinny ties and hair mousse. Conversely, Chan Poling revels in their arty image on Dish It Up: We're a bunch of characters/sunglasses and the works/open game for all the...jerks!

As for the reason they never made it, who knows? They were HUGE fish in the small-but-happening pond of Minneapolis music, toured to both coasts often, had their shot on two major labels, their dance mix of Waiting (from the EP "Dream Hog") was even used in an episode of General Hospital... all to no avail. They remain a treasured memory for me, and a frequent spin on my turntable.

― Daniel Peterson (polkaholic), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 14:11 (twenty years ago)

they did a reunion stint at First Ave maybe about a year and a half ago (?)....anway, I think they basically sold out like 5 nights in a row at the mainroom...they still have a huge following here....

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 14:35 (twenty years ago)

September of '02 -- I'm looking at the ticket stub on my cubicle wall!

― Daniel Peterson (polkaholic), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 14:37 (twenty years ago)

Wow--check this out:

http://www.twintone.com/video/suburbs/

― I.M. (I.M.), Sunday, 28 August 2005 00:29 (twenty years ago)

Here's what the cover looked like of that A-Z special issue magazine I was talking about that had the Suburbs in it. I'm so embarassed by it now because to look at the cover you wouldn't think it was very exciting, but that thing had a lot of bands in it, an invaluable reference for me.

(I'm amused to find they didn't even call it "New Wave" but "New Rock" hahaha)

http://www.creemmagazine.com/ArchiveImages/1983_Summer.jpg

― Mr. Whirly, Please Don't Call Me (Bimble...), Monday, 5 September 2005 22:30 (twenty years ago)

http://www.creemmagazine.com/ArchiveImages/1983_Summer.jpg

― Mr. Whirly, Please Don't Call Me (Bimble...), Monday, 5 September 2005 22:32 (twenty years ago)

I never bought it, but I remember liking Love Is The Law back in the day when I heard it on the radio or in somebody's dorm room. I do seem to remember the stylistic variability John has mentioned and not liking some other stuff. I don't think I liked the similarly named Suburban Lawns though. At the time I felt the Suburbs suffered because of the existence of this similarly named group.

― k/l (Ken L), Monday, 5 September 2005 22:46 (twenty years ago)

Suburban Lawns were pretty meh. The one good hit, and the rest was pretty sub-par.

The Suburbs. . . so good.

― I.M. (I.M.), Monday, 5 September 2005 23:16 (twenty years ago)

Actually as much as I raved about Suburban Lawns somewhere on this board before, I was quite disappointed in their album in the end. They had a few songs that just really blew your hair back and then the rest were nowhere near that good. I think big part of their problem was they should have let Su Tissue sing more often than the guy.

Love Is The Law is the only Suburbs release that has yet to arrive and it's the one I'm most eagerly awaiting because it seems to me it could go either way. Their 1986 album is unlistenable, as far as I'm concerned.

― Mr. Whirly, Please Don't Call Me (Bimble...), Thursday, 8 September 2005 22:58 (twenty years ago)

I grew up with a taped copy of In Combo and Love Is The Law. The first side was amazing -- "Baby Heartbeat," "Cows," "Cig Machine." Funny, witty, diverse but rockin', it should have been a classic at least on the level of, say, the first Violent Femmes album.

When I moved to college and finally had a real city to play in, one of my first shopping missions was to find a copy of Credit In Heaven. It took a couple of months (and this was in the Twin Cities in 1987!), and when I finally found it, it was like the holy grail. The thing as a whole was definitely impressive, yet it never grew on me like the albums that bookend it. Too many songs in the middle just didn't stick. Yet I keep coming back -- when the reissues came out, it was the first one I got.

I guess the reunion show happened around the time of the reissues. Wish I'd known about it, dammit. I wonder if there's footage of their early shows. Now I'm fantasizing about a documentary on the Minneapolis scene, starting with the Suicide Commandos in '76, Suburbs, smaller bands like the Funseekers, the Wallets, Man Sized Action through Replacements, Husker Du, Soul Asylum, Rifle Sport and Run Westy Run. Somebody make it happen, please.

I actually saw a reunion show in June that was filmed for a movie, of a band I went to college with, Walt Mink. Basement parties always seemed to have someone good playing, with the Draghounds, Psychotic Frog, Gneissmaker, um, work brain, Adjustable Boy, Delores Haze, Vinnie & the Stardusters, Toejammers, Vegas Kings...

― Fastnbulbous (Fastnbulbous), Friday, 9 September 2005 02:54 (twenty years ago)

I wonder if there's footage of their early shows

http://www.twintone.com/video/suburbs/

Has about 10 live tracks from '78 on, plus videos.

― I.M. (I.M.), Friday, 9 September 2005 03:50 (twenty years ago)

People from Minneapolis always be talking about the Suicide Commandos.

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 9 September 2005 11:58 (twenty years ago)

That's because The Suicide Commandos were pioneers; the first ones in MPLS to do the extremely short-fast-loud thing, back in the mid-70s when everything else was southern boogie and sub-par Stones clones. They really were mining the same vein as the earliest Ramones at the same time, and unbeknownst to each other.

― Daniel Peterson (polkaholic), Friday, 9 September 2005 14:06 (twenty years ago)

Okay I got the Dream Hog EP and played it and you know? Not so great. The Waiting club mix was kindof interesting, and "The Best Is Over" seemed rather eerily moving and timely, but other than that...eh. It was like "Credit In Heaven" watered down a lot. Sad thing is it's the only record of theirs I ever remember seeing in an actual record store.

― Mr. Whirly, Please Don't Call Me (Bimble...), Saturday, 10 September 2005 06:15 (twenty years ago)

Well, I take that back, the 1986 album was practically everywhere.

― Mr. Whirly, Please Don't Call Me (Bimble...), Saturday, 10 September 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

Not really feeling 'Love is the Law' much--starting to develop that dead-drum, crumby typical mid-80s production value that's neither naturalistic nor studio-as-an-instrument-adventuresome. So it's holding me at a distance from the quality (or lack thereof) of the songwriting.

― I.M. (I.M.), Saturday, 10 September 2005 18:56 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, there was a track or two off it on the Chemistry Set comp and it didn't really sound that great.

Those videos, though, on the website...just now got round to watching...and man, I'd dare anyone to say the "Urban Guerilla" one isn't as good as The Fall. The Suburbs were really just ridiculously brilliant, I don't know what else I can say about it. In fact, it's actually thrown me on a Replacements trip out of sheer guilt. I haven't quite come to terms with the idea that ONE U.S. city could have birthed both the Suburbs and the Replacements. It doesn't seem possible. And if I said one was better than the other well...I'd be a heretic either way.

― Mr. Whirly, Please Don't Call Me (Bimble...), Monday, 12 September 2005 01:43 (twenty years ago)

Also, it's rather weird that Suburbs' "Urban Guerilla" isn't the same song as the Hawkwind one of the same name. I kinda thought it would be a cover but it isn't.

― Mr. Whirly, Please Don't Call Me (Bimble...), Monday, 12 September 2005 03:46 (twenty years ago)

I became a Suburbs fan through some friends who had discovered the EP that contained Chemistry Set. Some of those friends had a band that covered "Chemistry Set" in the Wash. DC, circa the late-70s-early 80s. When the Suburbs came town we would go to see them, almost always at the old 9:30 Club, though they did play George Mason University's cafeteria at lunchtime once, when I happened to be going to school there. I actually shot a couple rolls of film of that show but have no idea whatever happened to it. We would worm our way into the dressing room at the 9:30 and hang out, and the guys must have been pretty tolerant because they never kicked us out and would be fairly willing to talk (some more than others).

While people talk about "Love is the Law" being the big hit, I seem to recall "Music For Boys" (off CIH) getting local airplay on WHFS. I also recall hearing it used as theme music for a PBS science show called "Newton's Apple," which (IIRC) was produced by PBS's Minneapolis affiliate.

I have fond memories of In Combo and remember liking it a little better than Credit In Heaven, though I only ever owned (and still own) CIH and Dream Hog. I preferred the edgier, punkier early stuff to the more suave, dance-oriented later stuff.

― SMcK, Monday, 19 September 2005 19:44 (twenty years ago)

Wow, those are great memories, thanks for sharing. I remember the old 930 very fondly. Never knew they were played on WHFS, either.

This blog seems to bear out your Newton's Apple claim, though I only remember the Kraftwerk song they used to have as the theme music.

http://lostbands.blogspot.com/2005/06/suburbs.html

― There's a Tipsy Ghost on the edge of my couch (Bimble...), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 02:35 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

Bruce Allen of the Suburbs (and designer of their awesome logo) has died.

― Mountain Dewm (M@tt He1ges0n), Monday, 7 December 2009 18:44 (sixteen years ago)

The HELL?!?!

― Such A Hilbily (Dan Peterson), Monday, 7 December 2009 19:27 (sixteen years ago)

The last few times I saw him around town I thought he looked rather frail, but man... triple bypass, kidney stones, hemophilia... RIP.

http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2009/12/suburbs_guitari.php

― Such A Hilbily (Dan Peterson), Monday, 7 December 2009 20:42 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

man...i went to see the Suburbs and Suicide Commandos at the MN Zoo this weekend....

Beej Chaney is going to be "jamming" with Bruce Allen pretty soon, if this show was any indication :(

really sad we had to leave

― van ingalls wilder (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 18 July 2011 15:22 (fourteen years ago)

Aw man, sorry to hear that. I've passed up recent chances to see The Suburbs, I think I'd rather just have the happy memories.

Commandos, on the other hand, made me feel like I was 20 again at Mears Park last summer.

― An influential prophet from Denton, Texas (Dan Peterson), Monday, 18 July 2011 15:52 (fourteen years ago)

have you seen them before? was beej always really messed up? like he could barely stumble around, i dunno if he had problems w/heroin before or something, but he was mumbling into the mic and chan poling seemed to be glaring at him...then he wandered out to the front of the stage and layed down...seemed like the soundguy was mixing his guitar out of the mix, the other guitar dude was doing lots of crazy eddie van halen type stuff i think just to distract the crowd from beej's junkie routine

― van ingalls wilder (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 18 July 2011 15:58 (fourteen years ago)

the commandos were super fun and gracious and just generally seem like awesome people. "make a record" is the best record

― van ingalls wilder (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 18 July 2011 15:59 (fourteen years ago)

man...i went to see the Suburbs and Suicide Commandos at the MN Zoo this weekend....
Beej Chaney is going to be "jamming" with Bruce Allen pretty soon, if this show was any indication :(
really sad we had to leave

i heard the same thing, my photographer friend (who is as fond of that era as anyone) also left early. and Beej must have reaaaaally been that far gone, because the rest of the band apparently sounded great yet all accounts of the show are uber-:(

― natlawdp, Monday, 18 July 2011 16:09 (fourteen years ago)

have you seen them before?

COUNTLESS times, dating back to 1979, and although the drunk zombie deal has always been part of Beej's schtick, and they certainly consumed more than their fair share of drink and drugs back in the day, it was always a bit hard to tell how much of it was an act. The last times I saw them (early oughts) he seemed overly buff (in an aging Iggy way) and was drinking mostly water. There's a clip of this weekend's show on youtube and he does look pretty out of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKCdRgyoe28

― An influential prophet from Denton, Texas (Dan Peterson), Monday, 18 July 2011 16:10 (fourteen years ago)

two years pass...

chan goes to site of graffiti that inspired love is the law, also a new song

http://blog.thecurrent.org/2013/07/then-and-now-the-suburbs-love-is-the-law-graffiti/

new song is ok about as much as you'd expect

― hello :) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 24 July 2013 21:05 (twelve years ago)

three weeks pass...

Another new one here. As much as I'd love to be at least sorta jazzed about a new Suburbs album, Chan's Leonard Cohen-esque vocal, and the "Music To Watch Girls By"-esque falsetto hook, aren't really doing much for me.

http://soundcloud.com/thesuburbs/dumbass-kids

― Same old bland-as-sand mood mouthings (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 15 August 2013 18:27 (twelve years ago)

eleven years pass...

Twin Citians, and anyone who liked/loved this band: Blaine “Beej” Chaney has passed on. What a ridiculously great frontman, the stuff of legends.

― Glam conspiracist (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 8 January 2025 02:14 (one year ago)

Oh damn. I love that they had that a local hit 30 years later. I associate visiting the Twin Cities (my hometown) in the 2010s with hearing it on The Current:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLzRUFt5JEI

― braunschweiger winter (Eazy), Wednesday, 8 January 2025 02:33 (one year ago)

xp otm, Dan, the most amazing energy. He looks good in the 2024 pic with Hugo Klaers in the Star Tribune obit, hope he had good years after leaving the band in 2014.

― bulb after bulb, Wednesday, 8 January 2025 02:39 (one year ago)

Wow, I didn't realize he owned Shangri-La Studios in Malibu before selling it to Rick Rubin. From the studio's Wikipedia page:

In the late 1990s, Blaine "Beej" Chaney of the Minneapolis new wave punk band The Suburbs purchased the property for $2,125,000. Over the next few years, he invested an additional $2 million into the studio, and with the help of producers Jim Niper and Pete Strobl, loaded it with the premium vintage audio equipment that is still in use today, including the centerpiece API 32 BUS console. Immediately following these renovations, Chaney invited Mark Knopfler to record there, where he went on to make his acclaimed album, Shangri-La.

And then figuring out how he did could make this happen led to another detail, sweet in a Minnesota way:

Following his divorce from Sarah Macmillan, a Cargill family heiress, Chaney took a more hands-off role in the studio.

― braunschweiger winter (Eazy), Wednesday, 8 January 2025 02:46 (one year ago)

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