SUICIDE

Cheree, Cheree. My comic book fantasy.

I was gonna say that (though Keep Your Dreams bonus track is probably my absolute favorite).

Judging by hype Frankie's gonna be a landslide here but I doubt that's the reality

Frankie Teardrop is awesome, but is in no way the most awesome song on this record. I can't wait to see them do it at ATP and make everyone uncomfortable.

I voted Cheree too, btw.

america america is killing its youth

whole frickin' album is classic tho

anothe one for Cheree

this is supposed to be the image up top, btw

http://images.encyclopediadramatica.com/images/6/6a/Domeafavore.jpg

Probably 'Rocket USA', though it's hard to pick one, and I also like 'Che' a whole lot.

A friend and I tried to find the best song on this by removing a track at a time. I think we ended up with Ghost Rider but I'm voting Cheree this time as I've been playing it loads lately.

Ghost Rider

Rocket USA!

Frankie Teardrop is overrated.

let's hear it for Frankie

"Ghost Rider" one of the best opening tracks ever.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

frankie teardrop is great but nowhere near cheree

maybe it's just hard to call it a favorite since it always scares the living shit out of me

sorry to be boring but frankie. for the same reasons that 'the gift' is my favourite on WL/WH

This is actually really hard!
Rocket USA I guess..

ghost rider

"girl"

Cheree

Another vote for "Cheree"

"Rocket USA" I think. Or maybe "Girl". Bah, too difficult!

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Frankie 4 eva, you guys who voted for Cheree are wusses.

ghost rider he means

but yeah these results are mental, did the yahoo group for people named "Cheree" link this or something

After my Wire poll and sandwich poll didn't go my way, I'm glad this one did at least

Frankie 4 eva, you guys who voted for Cheree are wusses.

Yeah, it takes a real macho-man to waste his entire family, despite being outnumbered 2-1 by his wife and toddler!

http://ecw.twentyeyes.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/chris-benoit-wwe-belt.jpg

what's the deal with johnny getting 0 votes. i wouldn't have voted for it either, but still.

actually i may have voted for it... am listening to it now and it's catchy as.

Frankie 4 eva, you guys who voted for Cheree are wusses.

― Neotropical pygmy squirrel, Tuesday, December 16, 2008 7:12 PM

"girl" is my shit 100% completely

also "cheree," "frankie teardrop," "ghost rider," "rocket u.s.a.," and "johnny"

and "che." sorry I am petty wasted atm

i voted "girl"

i love this but it can't touch the second album

Love both equally

Bought this the other day, not listened yet...

Wow. Late to the party much, Southall?

Just kidding, that was kinda bitter. This is a great album, glad you've picked it up and let us know how it hits you.

Oh, and: PLAY LOUD

Basically, any song on this record deserves to win.

the one suicide thing i keep coming back to lately is the basement tapes disc that came with the double cd reissue of the second album. i think its recordings from the mid 70s, super minimal and lofi, loads of tape hiss and space echo feedback and room ambience, just so spacious and warped and quite beautiful at times

Their LP is for sure GOAT-status, but Dream Baby Dream will forever be their best song. Who knew that Ric Ocasek could make Suicide sound better?

the one suicide thing i keep coming back to lately is the basement tapes disc that came with the double cd reissue of the second album. i think its recordings from the mid 70s, super minimal and lofi, loads of tape hiss and space echo feedback and room ambience, just so spacious and warped and quite beautiful at times

^cosign. They're from the early Seventies, IIRC. As far as I know, there's no live recordings from the pre-album period, which is a major shame.

Yeah, that disc is amazing. I return to the second album a lot more than the first these days, I love how dreamy it sounds. Has there ever been a book about Vega and Rev, or something really in-depth on them? If not I feel like someone has to get on that, because they're no spring chickens these days, and I bet they have some excellently entertaining stories to tell.

Are any of the albums after the 2nd one worth checking out?

Remastered version of Why Be Blue? is bloody great but then I think the first album might be the greatest thing in recorded music so I could be the most biased man of all.

I think the first album is brilliant too. Weirdly my first exposure to it was hearing it sampled by Bentley Rhythym Ace, a band for Spinal Tap's "where are they now" file if there ever was one.

lotsa gems in the vega rev solo rec treks

Will dive in. Ordered "Cubist" just now.

self titled Martin Rev album is incredible

Yepper. So is the first Alan Vega (s/t, untitled, "jukebox baby").

I love Suicide, but that Vega/Chilton/Vaughn song up there is horrendous.

What am I missing? It's like a shitty '90s drum machine sound drenched in reverb, a really sterile guitar plinking along, and Vega warbling on top. For 8 minutes.

you say it like those are bad things

well, suicide is like cheesy drum machines, cliched '50s chord progressions, and long repetitious songs with Vega warbling dramatically on top, but it works. this just doesn't for me. I'm having a really hard time wrapping my head around the idea that somebody could think that song was any good.

haha! i don't know, i think it's sort of magical. might be worth listening to the whole album? you might get the vibe more.

Like I said upthread, I find it amazing. Tylerw probably otm with "magical". It has a kind of twisted beaty I feel sometimes comes out of perverting established pop-cultural symbols, such as "cliched '50s chord progressions" and blues picking. Kinda like Lynch does in "Blue Velvet", applied to music. It's not too far from Suicide (which is amazing as well), especially "Keep Your Dreams"/"Dream Baby, Dream" have a similar feel.

However, I can understand how someone could find this song underwhelming. But I don't.

Amazed that Che only got one measly vote!

I first heard "Rocket USA" as a Loop cover, and it's still my favorite Suicide song...

Maybe we should start a dedicated "Cubist Blues" thread but glad to see the record get some love via Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds on the free cd that came with the new Mojo. Plus, they picked a Martin Rev solo track!

"Keep Your Dreams" is my fave, too.

I always get a thrill when there's that long period of simmering noise and then "FRANKIE'S LYING IN HELL"

(and a twinge of disappointment when he lets us down with "...we're all Frankie!")

Light in the Attic is reissuing "Cubist Blues"!!

http://blog.lightintheattic.net/new-lita-reissuecubist-blues/

love cubist blues!

They obviously read my tweet from a couple of months ago requesting that someone plz reissue CB ;) Stoked for it.

Was just listening to 96 Tears by ? and the Mysterians, was struck by its minimalist mostly organ approach, and immediately drew a straight line to some of the hallmarks of Suicide's sound. It had never occurred to me before. Obviously there are some major tweaks from the approach in this song to Suicide's s/t, but does anyone here think of Suicide in terms of this song, or some of the elements of garage rock in general?

Sure — Suicide even covered 96 Tears live

Heh, I did not know that! Gonna go see if I can give that a listen!

Yeah a lot of those Mysterians songs are built around really minimal one- or two-note organ lines, I always figured them for a big influence on Suicide

First, I just saw in wiki that ? and the Mysterians covered "Cheree" in their 1999 album.

What I came here for: I've been hearing "Cheree" in a Marc Jacobs perfume ad. Sellout or toppling the system from within? Is there a music you didn't expect to hear in commercials thread?

I don't know, but Marc Jacobs has also used "Dream Baby Dream" in a perfume ad, so this seems to be a thing.

Those Marc Jacobs ads have been using some great music in their ads the past few years. It's so nice to hear that stuff, I certainly don't begrudge them the money.

Just before the lockdown, I bit the bullet and got the first album lp. (Had the 2cd version since it came out)

I'd been prevaricating between the actual orig version, and a reissue that messed with the track listing but added a large flexidisc with the Brussels gig.

It starts with "Rocket USA" instead of "Ghost Rider" and "Girl" gets dropped in favour of adding three other tracks, but it hangs together fine...

I bought the Celluloid version of the first lp back in the early /mid 80s and taht has 96 tears on asa bonus track.Also replaces the classic cover which is a shame, much like the Blast First reissue of teh 2nd one replacing an iconic/ironic cover with an anachronistic photo of teh band would appear to be.

It starts with "Rocket USA" instead of "Ghost Rider" and "Girl" gets dropped in favour of adding three other tracks, but it hangs together fine...

"Girl" gets dropped. Fuck that!

From what I gather these guys have rarely had a proper pay day, like really only when Springsteen and Rollins have paid respects by covering them.

compilation with 16 remastered tracks soon

https://mutebank.co.uk/products/suicide-surrender-a-collection-cd-mut

oh sweet

I always get a thrill when there's that long period of simmering noise and then "FRANKIE'S LYING IN HELL"

― flamboyant goon tie included, Wednesday, February 19, 2014 9:13 PM (eight years ago) bookmarkflaglink

YES!!!!!!!!

(and a twinge of disappointment when he lets us down with "...we're all Frankie!")

― flamboyant goon tie included, Wednesday, February 19, 2014 9:13 PM (eight years ago)

i have a good friend that i joke about this with tbh ... like we're all Frankie is trenchant social commentary

I put this on a jukebox at a brewery

Frankie Teardrop

when the touchtunes jukebox app was new there was a brief period when it let you look up ANY touchtunes jukebox & program songs on it - i think its been changed since so that you can only connect w/the nearest one or something. but i definitely exploited it several times to remotely play frankie teardrop at bars i knew my friends were at.

have you read this?
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-story-of-suicides-frankie-teardrop-the-most-terrifying-song-ever-96731/

I'm just reading their wikipedia page & I realized I've never heard their first real release, the 1976 version of Rocket USA (on a Max's Kansas City compilation) - it's so raw! <3

I've only heard the first two albums, are the 5 post-1980 tracks on this the best of their later years?

Debatable - everyone's going to have their own personal favourites I guess? Good introduction to the older material though, IMHO

I mean, the two fav ILM tracks in this poll from the first album aren't on the compilation - but it'll still be great

TV pilot idea: Frankie Teardrop and the Summertime Smile Show

Features songs, sketches and surprise celebrity guests. Frankie’s catchphrase (~blood curdling scream~) becomes a national sensation for a few months

For the last few months Girl has been my go to Suicide track. I'm wondering why it took me so long.

I think that cnew omp looks ok and glad it features Radiation which is another underrated Suicide killer.

new comp NOT cnew omp!! Phone. grr.....

all the tracks on this album are good

Very interested to hear the remastered tracks. Got a 1999 Red Star pressing of the debut which I've always found a bit harsh (the "s"-es in the vocals sound so distorted)

... I think that's on purpose? In that Rolling Stone article I linked it says "Leon had the idea to run Vega’s voice, along with some of Rev’s keyboards, through an early Eventide digital-delay pushed to the distortion point, a technique he’d learned from Jamaican producer Lee Perry during a Bob Marley session."

(and a twinge of disappointment when he lets us down with "...we're all Frankie!")

― flamboyant goon tie included, Wednesday, February 19, 2014 9:13 PM (eight years ago)

One of those "ok, song is ending" moments that really long songs need

Yeah, to me it's more a parenthetical afterthought than an attempt at a DO YOU SEE moment.

Second posthumous Alan Vega album, tomorrow: Insurrection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BlGac89wWA

https://pitchfork.com/news/new-alan-vega-album-insurrection-announced/